A young teacher with obvious liberal tendencies explains to her class of small children that she is an atheist. She asks her class if they are atheists too. Not really knowing what atheism is but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy fireworks.
There is, however, one exception. A beautiful girl named Lucy has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different.
"Because, I’m not an atheist."
Then, asks the teacher, "What are you?" "I’m a Christian."
The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Lucy why she is a Christian.
"Well, I was brought up knowing and loving Jesus. My mom is a Christian, and my dad is a Christian, so I am a Christian."
The teacher is now angry. "That’s no reason," she says loudly.
"What if your mom was an idiot and your dad was an idiot. What would you be then?"
Lucy paused, smiled and said, "Then, I’d be an atheist!"
Placebo Faith
Ps 14:1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
Everybody Believes
As we read the Bible, we find that the writers of both the Old and the New Testaments never attempt to prove or argue for the existence of God. It seems that for the 4,200-year time span covered by the Bible, no one ever found it necessary to say, “You have plenty of logical reason to doubt the existence of God, so here let me explain.” It seems for all those years the existence of a god was a given. Not everyone knew the one true and eternal God who has by His love and grace revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ, but people for the most part have always believed there is a god. The Egyptians had their gods, as did the Philistines, Babylonians and even the Hebrews once whipped up a golden calf. It seems through out history there has been little doubt that a god exists. There is the fame of Greek mythology, the Hindus, Buddhists, Islam, the list goes on and on and covers every culture. Our own Declaration of Independence includes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Declaration mentions God in two other places and I believe every state constitution acknowledges some sought of God or Creator.
Moving toward Disbelief
However, over the last 50 years the idea that God does not exist is a growing and widely accepted idea. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created.” Today many people doubt this and they say they have found scientific research on which they establish their belief. Consequently, this research is taught in our schools and accepted by the government and courts. I say they accept the research because they have shown no fear of God or the possibility of being held accountable for ungodly decisions.
How did the idea that God does not exist get such traction? It is not the research that has cultivated disbelief, but the fact that the question has been repeatedly put before our impressionable human minds.
The Placebo of Suggestion
How impressionable are our minds? In 1955 H. K. Beecher published a book titled, The Powerful Placebo. In this book his research showed that up to 55% of patents with certain diagnoses were cured by taking a placebo. If you do not know, a placebo is a medicine that has no medicine in it; a pill made from sugar, cornstarch or saline. Beecher found that patients diagnosed with illnesses like chronic pain, depression, some heart ailments, gastric ulcers and other stomach complaints had better success on a placebo than on real medicine.
How does a placebo cure? By the power of suggestion; by having an idea planted in a person’s mind. A patient comes in complains of some affliction, the doctor say, “I have a pill for that” the patient believes the doctor, takes the pill and gets well, even if the pill is a placebo. Though many researchers have questioned Beecher’s results, the only thing they question is the percentage, not the amazing healing power of a placebo. What this means is up to 55% of people with some chronic diseases can be healed simply by believing that they will be healed. This means either they heal themselves or their illness was only in their mind. People are impressionable and the world takes advantage of that, trying to mold our minds and conform our thoughts to align with theirs.
We face this everyday, it is the power of suggestion and a power used by advertisers. J. G. Wentworth will tell you that if you have a structured settlement, you don’t have to let others control your money. “It’s my money and I want it NOW!” A fast food chain based in Chicago has been quick to advise us that, “You deserve a break today.” I don’t know how they know I need a break, but it sure sounds good.
“Oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener, that is what I’d truly like to be, cause If I were an Oscar Meyer wiener, everyone would be in love with me.”
Doesn’t that sound nice? Don’t we all just want to be loved?
Advertisers call these earworms; jingles and slogans that get suck in your head and you can’t get rid of them.
“You’ll love the way you look, I guarantee it.”
--Let’s experiment, I’ll start, you finish-
Please don’t squeeze the __________ Charmin
Snap, Crackle, Pop, _________
- Rice Krispies
Where’s the _______ beef? - Wendy’s Finger lickin’ _________ good. - Kentucky Fried Chicken
Nothing Runs Like A ___________ Deere
Nothin’ says lovin’ like something from the _____oven. - Pillsbury
Let your fingers do the ________ walking. - Yellow Pages
Is it live, or is it __________ Memorex?
Even though most of these ads have been off the air for years, we still remember them. It is the power of suggestion, deeply rooted in our minds. Telling us that one product is better than another, planting a little message that you can either have the best or settle for an uncool life.
The power of suggestion is an amazing thing. It can cause people to believe they are sick. The power of suggestion can cause people to become well. The power of suggestion can cause a child with incredible giftedness and abilities to believe they are a failure incapable of accomplishing even the simplest task, just because someone who is supposed to love them berates them and tells them they’re good for nothing. The power of suggestion can also cause some people who have mediocre gifts and abilities to accomplish great things, simply because someone told them they could.
The Power of Suggestion
We Christians should have no doubt about the power of spoken word, God created the world with His spoken word and He created us in His image and likeness. There is power in our words. We cannot create a planet, but by our words, we can bless or curse a life. When words are spoken, ideas are generated in the ear of the listener and if the message is repeated enough the listener will begin to accept the message, whether good or bad, it is just human nature.
Statements like, God is dead; The Big Bang created the planet; life evolved from the sea; education brings spiritual peace; dialogue can settle all disputes; people who believe in god are simple minded; if there is a god, he will forgive you. All the statements, that we hear over and over again, slowly plant in our minds, by the power of suggestion, that the God of the Bible is not real and no one is accountable to Him.
The suggestion that God does not exist, implies we are our own judge. This means behaviors that have traditionally been forbidden or restricted can be open to debate, scrutiny, alteration and acceptance.
How important is it that we believe God? Won’t God, if there is a God, understand that with our advanced culture needed to change? Won’t He understand and cut-slack to those who are well intentioned?
Luke 16:19-31
Rather than looking in our imagination for the answer, let’s look to what the Bible says. In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells a story of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus,
Lk 16:19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
Lk 16:20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
Lk 16:21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Lk 16:22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
Lk 16:23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
Lk 16:24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
Lk 16:25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
Lk 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
Lk 16:27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,
Lk 16:28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Lk 16:29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
Lk 16:30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Lk 16:31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
What did the rich man do to deserve eternal separation? It seems all he did was enjoy his life. What did the beggar do to inherit eternal life? Seems all he did was to live in poverty. There must be something more than that. Was the rich man condemned because he ignored the poor man? Was the poor man accepted because he was ignored by the rich man. No. The difference between the rich man and the poor man is found in verse 31, the rich man and his family simply did not believe. They wanted to believe, they needed to believe, if only someone could persuade them they would. Abraham simply responded that the evidence was around them all the time. They didn’t believe, simply because they didn’t believe. They just walked the path of their own choosing.
James 2:17 & Matthew 7:21-23
There are many things that distract us from believing that God is in control and that He will hold us accountable for our behavior. One of the biggest barriers is an incomplete doctrine of salvation. We believe that our profession of faith in Jesus Christ saves us and that nothing else matters. That is true, almost. Salvation does come through Christ alone and our profession of faith in Him is our ticket to heaven. But even if you have the ticket you still have to get on the train. “Faith without works is dead.”
Mt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mt 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Mt 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The bait of failure hangs before us and we must refuse it. There is a world suggesting a multitude of alternatives to everything, but we must stand in faith and deeds against these doubters. We will find the strength to do this through prayer, Bible reading, interacting with people who encourage us, participation in church, living a Christian lifestyle, following the leading of the Holy Spirit. By combining these behaviors we will have the strength to reject the temptations and the suggestions of the fallen world. Because when you are filled with the truth, a mistruth will always sound like a lie.
The deadly message of doubt creeps in slowly by the power of suggestion. But the message of life only comes through the medicine of the cross of Christ.
One thing that bothers me about Beecher’s research on the effects of the placebo, is how many people were truly sick and swallowing a fake medicine. They believed they would get well, but the power of suggestion does not fix real problems and an imaginary god with an imaginary gospel does not forgive sin and cannot give life.
This world is full of statements that will lead us away from God. These statements can be things we hear and unfortunately, sometimes things we say. But the most dangerous of these evil statements is when we begin to say them to ourselves.
Communion is the time when we stop and assess our beliefs. A time when we check and double check whether we are following our faith or being drawn away. As we approach communion today I hope your attitude and beliefs are in line with Christ’s.
