But we definitely need to put this statement into context. The whole verse says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
Since God can not be seen, some foolishly say there is no God. Now if He could be seen they would not be able to state that. But just because we can not see Him does not mean He does not exist.
For example, we can not see:
• Oxygen, but if it did not exist every one of us would be dead in a matter of seconds
• Electricity, but it is a vital part of our life every day
• Wind, but we know it exists
So the argument of the atheist starts off not making sense. Just because you can not see God is not a good argument to teach that there is no God.
One of the problems people have in believing in God is because they cannot understand God with the human mind. There are some things that are just too large for the human mind.
Illus: It is much like weight lifting. A weight lifter might be able to pick up so much weight that we are all amazed, but as strong as he might be, he has some limitations. They may be able to pick up 400 pounds, but if you put 410 pounds on the bar they will not be able to lift it.
These minds of ours are amazing, but there is a limitation on them also.
God is so AWESOME that these minds of ours can not comprehend Him. There are some things that our minds can not comprehend, and one of those things is GOD!
So that we might be able to comprehend God, He became flesh and dwelt among us.
Illus: I'm thinking of a little boy named Timmy. Timmy was very afraid of lightning and thunder. His mom and dad went into his room during a thunderstorm and said, "Now, Timmy, don't be afraid. God is right here in the room with you." He said, "Okay, Mommy and Daddy, I won't be afraid." But then as the parents went into their room and started to get ready for bed, the lightning flashed, and the thunder rolled, and Timmy screamed bloody murder. Timmy's parents went back into the room and said, "Honey, we thought we told you, you don't need to be afraid. God is right here in the room with you." Timmy said, "I know God is right here in the room with me, but I need someone with skin on." (Thomas Tewell, "The Tenacity of a Bulldog," (Preaching Today, Tape No. 141.)
God put on flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus came in the flesh that we might see God. God does exist, and there are only 3 things we can do with God, and they’re all found right here in Psalm 14.
We see that . . .
I. WE CAN DENY HIS EXISTENCE
Look at verse 14:1a, we read, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God...”
• Someone has defined an atheist as: "One who denies the existence of God and has a concrete mind - permanently set and all mixed up. - Unknown
• Someone else said, "An atheist is a man with no Invisible means of support."
Do you know what’s amazing about this Psalm? This Psalm begins with people who don’t believe in God. And notice this:
• There are 41,173 verses in the Bible, and God gives one half of one verse to the atheist
• There are 774,746 words in the Bible and God gives the atheist 11 words
• God does not have much to say to the atheist because he is a fool
About 7% of Americans say that they do not believe in God! They say, “There’s no God!”
God calls these people FOOLS for a reason. Why?
• If they said they doubt there is a God we could understand that
• If they said they hope there is no God, we could understand that
• But when they say, “There is no god,” they are saying that they know everything there is to know, and they know there is no God.
God says they are FOOLS!
God says the atheist is only FOOLING himself.
Illus: This reminds me of a little boy who was talking to his atheist dad at dinner and said, “Dad, do you think God knows that we don’t believe in him?”
Illus: This reminds me of the man who said HE DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD! Later, he was heard taking God’s name in vain, and a Christian said, “I thought you said you did not believe in God.” He said, ‘I don’t”. The Christians said, “Then why are you cursing Him?’
Even the most educated genius with the highest IQ can be a fool! Think about it:
• The most brilliant scientist who sees a CAR has no problem believing there’s a car designer.
• He sees a PORTRAIT and has no problem believing there’s an artist.
• He reads a BOOK and has no problem believing there’s an author!
• He looks at his WATCH and has no problem believing there is a watch maker.
But when he looks at this vast creation and says there is NO GOD, that’s really amazing to me! I join God in saying this person is a GENUINE FOOL IF THERE EVER WAS ONE!
But did you know there are two kinds of atheists?
You might be wondering why I am preaching a sermon on atheism when everyone here believes in the existence of God.
The reason I am preaching a sermon on atheism is because there are TWO KINDS OF ATHEISTS.
• The INTELLECTUAL ATHEIST believes there’s no God
• The PRACTICAL ATHEIST lives like there’s no God
The most foolish person in the world today is not the intellectual atheist, but rather the practical atheist, the one who believes in God but lives his life as if there is no God.
The practical atheist says:
• There’s a God, but I’m going to live without him
• The Bible is God’s Word, but I’m not going to live by it
When it comes to God, WE CAN DENY HIS EXISTENCE in two ways.
• As an INTELLECTUAL ATHEIST
• As a PRACTICAL ATHEIST
We see that WE CAN DENY HIS EXISTENCE and . . .
II. WE CAN DETEST HIS EXISTENCE
While we love God the Father, there are evil people who HATE THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.
They try to FOOL themselves by saying, “THERE IS NO GOD!”
Illus: The most famous atheist of our day was Madelyn Murray O’Hare. Her son William quotes her as saying, “I’m an atheist, not because I’ve searched behind every star and looked under every rock to prove there’s no God. I’m an atheist because I want to live my life as if there’s no God.”
I can assure you that this wicked woman that did not believe in God, believes in God today, but she has believed TOO LATE!
This wicked woman hated the thought of a Holy God who created her.
Illus: Years ago an evangelist by the name of Bob Harrington traveled into several large cities and had live debates with her before thousands of people. These debates did not accomplish anything because when you argue with a FOOL you make a FOOL OF YOUR SELF!
God calls these people fools because that is exactly what they are. The conversation consisted of two sentences:
• The atheist says, “There’s no God!”
• And God says, “Fool”!
End of conversation! He does not argue with them.
Have you ever argued with a fool? (I saw some of you wives look at your husbands and some of you husbands look at your wives…you ought to be ashamed!)
God does not argue with an atheist because no matter what you say to a FOOL, they are not going to accept it.
• God doesn’t deal with atheism on an INTELLECTUAL LEVEL because atheism is not an intellectual issue, it’s a moral issue.
• It’s not so much a MENTAL PROBLEM as it is a moral problem!
• Atheism is not a HEAD PROBLEM; it’s a heart problem!
• Atheism is not a person who CANNOT believe in God as much as it’s a person who WILL NOT believe in God!
Look at verse 1, we read, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
The atheist’s biggest problem is the great threat God is to their lifestyle! Think about it. If there’s no God, then there’s:
• No judgment
• No punishment
• No standard of what’s right or wrong. Do whatever you want.
• Why not have a fling without a ring?
That’s why the intellectual atheist is hell bent to get God out of:
• The School House
• The Court House
• The White House
• The Church House
The practical atheist is silently rooting for the intellectual atheist, because they think this just might smooth over their conscience!
Illus: Listen, why do you think that when former President Bill Clinton was desecrating the White House with Monica Lewinske, popularity ratings were going through the roof? Because he represented an evil lifestyle that many Americans like. They want that kind of leadership.
Illus: Mr. Newdall, the man who was trying to get the words, “In God we trust” out of the pledge last year, is inwardly screaming, “Stop reminding me that I just might be accountable to God!”
Before the Lord returns for His church, we probably are going to see more and more attacks on Christianity. It is open season on Christianity. The things of God today are being made mockery of by Actors, Actresses, and Artists.
If the Lord tarries much longer, we Christians are in for a hard time.
Illus: Laying aside the unpopular war in Iraq, one main reason that president George W. Bush is hated and despised is because he has declared his faith in the Lord Jesus. He did not just declare it before he came into office, but he repeatedly talks about his faith in the Lord Jesus.
It should not shock us that he is so hated. The Lord made it clear that IF THEY HATE THE LORD, THEY ARE GOING TO HATE US ALSO.
We see that:
I. WE CAN DENY HIS EXISTENCE,
II.WE CAN DETEST HIS EXISTENCE
and . . .
III. WE CAN DELIGHT IN HIS EXISTENCE
Look at verse 5, we read, “There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.”
It’s not about people DOING RIGHT, but people BEING RIGHT. When people ARE RIGHT, they will DO RIGHT!
When a person is a real Christian and not just a churchgoer, they DELIGHT IN HIM.
Jer. 29:13 says, “And you shall seek me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Illus: The reason the atheist can not find God today is for the same reason a bank robber can not find a policeman … HE IS NOT LOOKING FOR ONE!
Our churches are filled with PRACTICAL ATHEISTS. They say they believe in the Lord Jesus, but you have to . . .
• Beg them to attend church
• Beg them to live a holy life
• Beg them to sing
• Beg them to attend Sunday school
• Beg them to give
These things should come as natural as BREATHING!
When you truly become born-again, you become a new creature and you do these things because you have come to KNOW HIM AND LOVE HIM!
Listen, our churches are filled with people who need to come to know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, and they will not.
Conclusion:
Illus: Most professing Christians, from the liberals to the fundamentalists, remain practical atheists. They think the church is sustained by the services it provides or the amount of fellowship and good feeling in the congregation. This form of sentimentality has become the most detrimental corruption of the church and the ministry.
—Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon in the Christian Century
We have looked at HOW WE CAN DEAL WITH GOD.
I. WE CAN DENY HIS EXISTENCE
II. WE CAN DETEST HIS EXISTENCE
III. WE CAN DELIGHT IN HIS EXISTENCE
