GOD BELIEVES IN GLOBAL WARMING
2 Pet. 3:10-13
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. "Al Gore once came out with a movie about global warming called 'An Inconvenient Truth.' It's described as a detailed scientific view of global warming. President Bush said he just saw a film about global warming, 'Ice Age 2; The Meltdown.' He said, 'It's so much better than that boring Al Gore movie.'" --Jay Leno
2. HUMOR
a. It had been a hard winter in the Rockies. The snow piled up deeper & deeper. The temperature dropped below zero and stayed there.
b. The rivers froze over. People were suffering. The Red Cross used helicopters to fly in supplies.
c. One day the rescue helicopter spotted a cabin nearly submerged in snow. A thin wisp of smoke came from the chimney.
d. The men figured those people in the cabin were probably critically short of food, fuel, and medicine.
e. Because of the trees they had to set down about a mile from the cabin, put the emergency equipment on their backs and hike through the waist deep snow to reach the cabin.
f. Exhausted, panting and perspiring, they reached the door and knocked. A thin, gaunt mountain woman finally answered.
g. The lead man panted, “Ma’am, we’re from the Red Cross.”
h. SHE WAS SILENT FOR A MOMENT, AND THEN SHE SAID, "IT’S BEEN A HARD LONG WINTER, SONNY. I JUST DON’T THINK WE CAN GIVE ANYTHING THIS YEAR!"
3. Confronted with the embarrassment of historic cold gripping the nation last year just as the Obama administration launched a new offensive on the global warming crisis, they invented their most knee-slapping assertion yet; that global warming causes winter cold snaps.
4. Other things declared to be evidence of global warming is the polar vortex, colder winters, more sea ice, the Ebola virus, the California drought, the Syrian civil war, crime, and sex slaves & prostitutes.
B. CLIMATE CHANGE DEFINED
1. We confuse climate with weather. They’re not the same thing.
2. Climate is defined as "a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years." 3. Climate controls weather, dictates what the weather will be like.
4. Then there’s the subject of global warming, especially man-made global warming. This is one of the greatest political footballs among world governments.
C. THESIS
1. So tonight we’re going to look at the reality of global warming, the fact of future man-made global warming, and God’s solution to these problems: Climate change!
2. The title of tonight’s message is “God believes in Global Warming.”
I. GLOBAL WARMING PROS & CONS
A. THE CASE AGAINST MAN-MADE GLOBAL WARMING
1. NO RECORD TEMPS FOR 15 YEARS
a. In his article, “What happened to global warming?”, BBC News Climate correspondent Paul Hudson revealed that contrary to popular opinion, the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2009 or 2010, but in 1998. For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures.
b. U.S. News published an article on Nov. 14, 2012 entitled, “Antarctic Sees Record Growth in Sea Ice.” It details the most intense cold to hit Russia in over 70 years.
c. Another article says, “The U.S. has been cooling since the 1930s, the hottest decade on record.” [Global Warming 2014: The Scandal of Fiddled Global Warming Data].
2. NATURAL CYCLES ARE RESPONSIBLE
Climate change skeptics argue that the man-made gas -- carbon dioxide – is not the reason the earth is heating up, but rather natural cycles, over which we have no control, that are dictating how warm the planet is. What is the evidence for this?
3. 98% OF WARMTH COMES FROM SUN
a. First, scientists know that 98% of the Earth's warmth comes from the Sun. But research on solar warming over the last 30-40 years has demonstrated that the warming of the last 20 to 40 years hasn’t been caused by solar activity," said Dr Piers Forster from Leeds University, a leading contributor to this year's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
b. But solar scientist Piers Corbyn claims that solar charged particles are almost entirely responsible for what happens to global temperatures.
4. OCEAN CYCLES
a. Professor Don Easterbrook from Western Washington University believes Ocean cycles are the Earth's great heat stores.
b. The oceans, he says, have a cycle in which they warm and cool cyclically. The most important one is the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO).
c. For much of the 1980s and 1990s, it was in a positive cycle, that means warmer than average. But in the last few years it has been losing its warmth and has recently started to cool down. This cycle could last for 30 years.
October 6, 2014 article, “The “heat went to the oceans” excuse and Trenberth’s missing heat is AWOL – deep ocean has not warmed since 2005.”
II. GOD BELIEVES IN MANMADE GLOBAL WARMING
1. It may be hard for some conservatives to believe it, but God has taken sides in this argument: He has definitely come out on the side of manmade global warming.
2. But it won’t be the machines producing carbon gases that cause the global warming, but the sinfulness of human beings will once again bring destruction on the world.
3. This time it won’t be cleansed by water, as Noah’s flood; but this time it will be cleansed by fire.
A. THE SCRIPTURES
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
B. EXPLANATION OF THE VERSES
1. The truth is, not only will the Earth be destroyed with fire -- but our sun, solar system, all the galaxies, the physical universe will all be burned up.
2. Further, heaven itself and its throneroom, which were tainted by the sin and rebellion of the devil and his angels, will also be destroyed.
3. The Book of Revelation describes the creation of new heavens and a new earth, which are characterized as being completely free from the stain of sin; the home of righteousness.
4. So the next time you become embroiled in the scientific discussion of global warming, you can surprise the opposition by taking their side!
III. ONLY SOLUTION: PERSONAL CLIMATE CHANGE
A. GOD DEMANDS CLIMATE CHANGE
1. God doesn’t just believe in climate change, He DEMANDS Climate Change – the climate of your life MUST change.
2. The Climate of Heaven is unsuitable for your carnal nature. There will be no impure thoughts in Heaven; no jealousy, no unforgiveness, no unkindness, no selfishness, no sin of any kind, etc.
3. Obviously, for us to go to Heaven, we must experience a change in our very natures. This is what God calls, ‘Being Born Again.’
3. If we don’t experience Climate Change in our lives while on Earth, we’ll have to experience Global Warming – to go to a place that’s very warm!
B. A CHANGE GOD BELIEVES IN
1. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Cor. 5:17.
2. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” Romans 12:1-2.
3. God wants to change our lives at home, at work and every other area. But it all starts with repentance toward our old life of sin, and acceptance of God’s grace and forgiveness in Christ.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Mark Magee, a confirmed atheist, hosted an afternoon radio talk show in central Florida that spouted forth a geyser of liberal opinions and atheistic diatribes.
2. But imagine his agitation when the owner of the radio station decided to change the format from news/talk to gospel music and religious programming.
3. Mark hated the thought of continuing to work for the station, but, needing a job, he applied for the position of operations manager.
4. His responsibilities included playing gospel music and interviewing people on spiritual topics.
5. One of his first interviews was with a leading proponent of creationism. Other interviews followed with biblical teachers, pastors, and Christian scholars.
6. Mark learned that, though the Bible was written over a period of about 1500 years by 44 authors, it all fit around a common theme: God's offer of salvation by grace through faith.
7. He studied the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For several months, he wrestled with the overwhelming evidence for theism and Christianity.
8. And at length he gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. Shortly afterward, listeners in central Florida were shocked to hear Mark Magee expounding the very gospel he had previously sought to exterminate."
[Nelson’s Complete… Morgan]
B. PRAYER
1. Let’s ask God for personal climate change, from a sinner to forgiven; from an old monster into a new creation, made after the image of Jesus Christ.
2. God does want us to be good stewards of our environment. Let’s do our part in not polluting the environment.
3. Let’s pray for others who may be away from God’s ark of safety.
[Idea & a thought or 2 from Steve Ely’s “Climate Change”]
