Issues of Life Series
Your Faith in Today’s Marketplace of Ideas
Pastor Eric J. Hanson
October 2, 2005 & February 3, 2008
The issues of life shared two weeks ago were, in some detail, the matter of abortion, and in much less detail, other matters such as so called mercy killings of handicapped babies and other people deemed to have low quality of life. Today, I am going to focus on the place of eternal life and the gaining of God’s perspective, because this is where issues of life ultimately begin and end: eternal life, and God view of things.
Introduction
The marketplace of ideas is where the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Christian World View competes with other ways of thinking. This competition among various ideas, various ways of thinking, is for an important prize. That prize is nothing less than the loyalty, the very allegiance of men and women, girls and boys.
Every decision people make is driven by an underlying set of assumptions on their part. Some people make moral decision ranging from whether to cheat in business, to cheating on their spouse based on the moral vacuum of a materialistic world view which denies that there is a God or any future Judgment day to face. Others call that same assumption science, and worship at that altar.
Increasingly however, people who were taught the material view of reality in government schools, find it empty, but have mistakenly sought to worship the creation rather than the creator in ways ranging from Mother Earth worship to looking to the stars for guidance and even destiny. Others try to fill that same hole with worship of old Pagan gods.
Many today set money and status up as the god they serve. People wear themselves out chasing that particular very demanding god. Some even claim to believe in Jesus Christ, but serve money or status more.
At the other extreme, more and more people today in America serve their lowest impulses. For them, the highest question is simply, “What do I feel like doing right now?” People who think this way tend to get trapped in poverty and the downward spiral of poor decision making. For millions, even the question, “Do I feel like getting up early, or would I rather sleep in?” will determine whether they can keep a job and ever hope to gain the trust of an employer and then advance in a career. Sad to say, even basics such as good personal hygiene also lose to this kind of thinking. Even taking a proper and effective shower and shampoo, or brushing one’s teeth thoroughly, correctly, and consistently lose out to a decision making process that consists of the question, “What do I feel like doing right now?”
Some people who live like this claim to know the Lord, but sleep in on Sunday, and set a poor example through the week; serving the god of lowest impulses rather than the true God many of them claim to worship.
People worship at the altar of false religions or cults of many kinds, ranging from Islam to Buddhism. Meanwhile Hedonists run after pleasures of the flesh, chemically induced euphoria, and the party life as the god they serve. Still others work very hard serving the god of political utopianism, seeking to perfect the human experience by creating a huge, supposedly benevolent and all-wise, God-like government.
Besides all these, there are people who think that they are Christians because they try to be good, and think that this will get them into Heaven. Still others, especially from the older generation, place their trust in a sort of “God bless America” civil religion which feels a little like the real thing, but isn’t because it is devoid of the demands, the acknowledging of our own sinfulness, and the decision moment of the Cross of Christ.
The founders of Massachusetts Bay Colony would not recognize what we are today in this land. We are very far removed from their concept of a Godly society that is a “city that is set on a hill” for the World to see and be drawn to. In fact, these hardy and brave colonists would recoil in revulsion from the darker undercurrents of our fractured culture.
One more thing that exists strongly in America today, which our founders would immediately see as a great deception, is a relativism that is so pervasive that it has spawned a mindset which states: “This is true for me. That is true for you. A third thing is true for Hazel. Let’s all just smile and include everyone. All sincerely chosen paths lead to God, or peace, or nirvana, or something.” People who have bought into this overriding relativism, known as post-modernism, don’t seem to be bothered by the fact that mathematics, engineering, and other disciplines teach us that truth is in fact objectively real, and that when we ignore fixed truth, we do so at our own peril.
This unthinking, touchy-feely level of post-modern thinking is being foisted upon our nation by universities, most of which have thrown out the old core subjects and the underlying foundations of traditional Western Civilization. Indeed those hearty Colonists of old would have seen right through all of the window dressing of post-modern thinking and its attendant World View. They would have known that it is, in fact, a pretext for sexual license carried to its logical conclusion of “anything goes”. They would have known that this World View also leads to an elitist mind set which ultimately looks to use courts and culture to gradually establish rule by the “elites”.
In the end, post-modernism cries “tolerance and diversity” very loudly, but it will not tolerate any competing World View which says that there is objective, fixed right and wrong. Post-Modernism, the Worldview which claims to champion “tolerance” as the greatest of all virtues, turns out to be very intolerant after all.
All these World Views flow uneasily together, jostling about and bouncing off from one another in the raging and dangerous river that is today’s American Culture.
Where do I begin?
For the Bible believing follower of Jesus Christ, it is hard to know where to begin today to have any impact in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our culture can be downright overwhelming if we look at it too closely. We must know our culture, but we must look to Jesus, as Hebrews 12:2 instructs, and follow Him. He, being the author and finisher of our faith, can show us, by His Holy Spirit, what to do. There are a few things I’d like to share with you today to help equip you for effectiveness in sharing the Lord with others, in this mixed up and complicated age.
1. Share your own story.
Don’t just rush up to a stranger and start forcing your personal story upon them, but pray and believe for God to create opportunities, open windows, for you to tell people how the Lord Jesus Christ impacted your life. In the Gospel of John, chapter 9 and verse 25, the Pharisees were grilling a man whom Jesus had healed. They accused Jesus of being sinful because he healed on the Sabbath Day. The man replied “This one thing I know, I was blind, and now I see.” The Pharisees did not repent and begin following Jesus. Not everyone who hears your story will either, but some will be intrigued and will wish to know more about the Savior. Your story can open doors to some people’s hearts. More is needed, however, in order for people to know how to get right with God.
2. Know the Gospel well.
Gospel means “Good News”. In order for good news to be meaningful, people need to be aware that they have need of good news. If you know the few little Bible verses that together are called “The Romans Road”, you can help people who are open to the scriptures, to become aware of their need. Let’s look at how this works.
1. Read Romans 3:10. This verse presents bad news. It makes clear that no one is righteous. People cannot come to saving faith in Jesus Christ unless they first know this bad news. Now, more bad news.
2. Read Romans 3:23. This expands and broadens the bad news. You can explain that this verse makes it clear that no one will make it into the presence of God on their own because we all fall short of His Glory. Our sin, our impurities, make it impossible for us to be present where His Glory is. Like God told Moses, we could not look upon God’s face and live. Sin makes that impossible for anyone.
3. Read Romans 6:23. This verse starts off with the conclusion of the bad news, but it also immediately introduces the good news. The wages of sin, which we all are guilty of, is death. Revelation 20:14 speaks clearly of a first and second death. The second death is to be banished from God’s Kingdom forever, to be in Hell when the day comes that Hell is placed into the lake of fire. Thank God Romans 6:23 doesn’t end there! Thank God that the second half of this little verse introduces good news! It is great news that God offers eternal life as a gift!
4. Read Romans 10:9-11. This explains how to go about receiving that gift of eternal life. A careful examination of these verses show that they are talking about more than embracing a teaching or a set of facts. These verses are not ultimately about receiving the doctrine of Jesus Christ. They are about receiving the person of Jesus Christ, the resurrected savior, into our life, into our very being. Then we will confess Him as Lord. We will not be ashamed of Him.
There are other excellent passages of scripture that also are good for leading people to a genuine faith in Jesus Christ. The third chapter of John, with its famous explanation of what it is to be born again, is a prime passage. I Corinthians 15, with its contrasts concerning the resurrection of the dead, is a good passage to create a desire and hope for eternal life in people. The Judgment day passages in Matthew Chapter 25 and Revelation 20 are good tools to know about when people start asking honest questions about what is coming after this life is over. You don’t have to go to Bible College in order to handle the Bible with some skill concerning these things. If you take the notes from this message, and spend a couple of hours going over these Bible passages carefully, you can gain some skill in these matters.
3. Look for Opportunities.
Shortly after I began following the Lord, at age 18, I realized that it is important to share the faith with others, because Jesus alone offers eternal life. I asked the Lord for guidance in this, and soon He showed me to begin sharing the Gospel with those closest to me. That pattern continued as years went by. Some of my relatives and friends rejected the Gospel. Some made excuses, but others were intrigued and soon made the choice to place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to follow Him.
Every new believer has a circle of relationships. Jesus said that he would make us into fishers of men. That circle of relatives and friends is the place of the best fishing for souls. When my grandfather would take me pickerel fishing, we didn’t waste time out in the middle of Great Moose Lake. We went straight to North East cove, because that is where the voracious Pickerel lies in wait for errant yellow perches and other smaller fish. God can show you the best fishing hole in your life, even if you have been slow on the uptake. It is not too late to begin sharing your faith with others. The Holy Spirit will show you how.
Things to Avoid When sharing your Faith
1. Don’t use churchy insider jargon when sharing your faith. Also, don’t just ask if someone if they are a Christian. Many people who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior call themselves Christians. Instead, ask other kinds of questions relevant to eternal life, such as, “Do you know for sure, that you will make it to Heaven?” If someone says yes, ask why they think so.
2. Don’t fear hard questions. You don’t have to be an answer woman or answer man. If someone asks you an honest question that you can’t answer, tell them that it is an excellent question. Promise to look for the answer to it. Then research it. There are amazing books and videos today which explain why the Christian faith is credible. We have wonderful resources right here at Hosanna Church. Your pastors will gladly help you come up with answers to any honest question.
3. Don’t argue with those who are hostile to the faith. Be respectful of their right to reject the Gospel. Treat them with dignity. Pray for them later in faith for God himself to begin to work on them, to soften them and change their hearts.
4. Don’t interfere with a person’s work responsibilities. Exercise respect for their responsibilities at work. Similarly, don’t shirk your own work, in order to tell people about Jesus. Your life needs to match your words. Walk in integrity in that workplace.
5. Don’t rush things. When God gives an opening to share the Good News, you can sense that the time is right, if you are tuned in to the Lord.
6. Don’t write people off. Someone may seem totally closed to the Lord today. Don’t assume that is the end of the story. It may well change sometime down the road. Pray for them and have faith that the Lord is working behind the scenes.
Conclusions
Even though there are many competing versions of “reality” floating through our culture today, the Gospel of Jesus Christ cuts through with the ring of truth. The Holy Spirit knows who is searching. He knows who is open. He knows when to prompt believers to approach someone. He raises up some believers to be superb storytellers who capture people’s hearts. He raises others up to be brilliant apologists for the faith, having deep understanding of the proofs of the Gospel. He desires to plant in the heart of every genuine Christian, a deep desire to see others come to faith in Jesus Christ, the one and only Savior. In Him, you can share your faith effectively in the marketplace of ideas.
There are other issues of life, such as the one we zeroed in on two weeks ago, but the Gospel itself is the ultimate issue of life. Don’t squander your years by not sharing the life giving message of Jesus Christ with others.
Let’s pray.
