God, Is He Really Out There Series

God, Is He Really Ot There

Welcome to Christianity 101 …

Here are some of the Scripture that provide the basis for this series;

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. – Hosea 4:6

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:7,8

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31,32

Always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” - 1 Peter 3:15

• People have questions and are seeking answers

• There are answers for those who seek them

• Knowing and holding onto the truth sets people free

• Lack of knowledge is a bad and destructive thing

• There is a reason for the hope that we have

• People will ask us about that hope, when they do we need to be ready

• Being ready is not about winning arguments but to have genuine dialogue with

seekers.

Topics For This study;

• God: Is He Really Out There?

• The Bible: Is It Just Another Book?

• Jesus: Who Was He Really?

• Jesus: Why Did He Have To Die and Did He Really Rise Up From The Dead?

• Religions: Aren’t They All The Same?

• God: If He Is Good Why is There So Much Bad In The World?

Christianity is, reasonable, rationale and true. YOU KNOW - I have always been a proponent of believers having an intelligent faith… AND – I have always rejected the stereotype that when you become a Christian that somehow you checked your brains in at the door…

IN FACT – I believe that the opposite is the case, I believe that back in December of 1979 when I came to Christ – that I actually picked up my brains back up. BECAUSE – as the word of God declares, Jesus is the way, THE TRUTH and the life…

My hope is that this study accomplishes all God intends… And that it is just a start.

God: Is He Really Out There

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." - Psalm 14:1

Romans 1:18-23

• The Psalmist is not calling the man a fool for thinking there is no God but for telling himself there is no God though deep in his mind he knows better. Unbelievers do not disbelieve they reject.

• Paul is not criticizing nonbelievers because they do not know about God but ought to know. Instead, he criticizes them because they do know about God but pretend to themselves that they don’t. They are not ignorant of the truth, but rather they suppress the truth and hold it down.

In this discussion I want to share with you four separate pieces of evidence for the existence of God.

Exhibit A – Creation (cosmological argument)

AND – to explain this defense for the existence of God, I’m going to need this Twinkie and some help from this table right here…. Just a couple of golden sponge cakes wafers and a little audience participation and we’ll nail down, this first defense of God’s existence.

QUESTION – Does this Twinkie Exist? (it’s not a trick question)

OKAY – let me ask you another question…

If this Twinkie did not exist, in fact, if nothing at all existed in this world, would nothingness require an explanation? {of course not….} AND – if you did offer an explanation of nothingness there would be no one there to here it.. Kind of like that tree falling in the forest thing…

BUT LISTEN - "The minute something exists, anything, even this Twinkie, would you not agree that there must be a sufficient reason or explanation for its existence?"

[YES - Whenever something exists, there must be an explanation behind its existence.]

OKAY let’s look at this Twinkie a little closer.

Does it depend on anything else for its existence? Are these sponge cakes contingent, meaning that it could not exist like it does without the help of a whole string of other items that also exist such as; (READ – ingredients)

Is this nutty bar contingent? or is this nutty bar non-contingent?

(Non-contingent means that it is both capable of creating itself and of sustaining itself forever).

SO - which is it, contingent or non-contingent?"

You’re right. These Twinkies needed help to be made… AND – these Twinkies will not always stay in this state. In fact, if we laid these Twinkies out in the elements for a few weeks, they would begin to decay and deteriorate as do all contingent commodities in this world, including, human beings.