Tested and Proven 3

Romans 1:14–17 “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to the uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “But the righteous one will live by faith.””

Introduction

Today, we will conclude this 3 part apologetic series. I hope that you’ve both enjoyed and learned from it. Before we get started, I’d like to ask you to do somethnigthat no Pastor has probably asked you to do before. Pull out your cell phones! we are going to make use of our smart devices to finally do some smart things! Please:

Go to YouTube & type in the address on your screen. Silence your phones (if they aren’t already).

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And lastly, go to the comments section. Get ready to write your questions & comments in real time!

Summary

Before we move on to our final principle, let’s briefly recap the previous ones:

Preparation: Dealing with the “Inner-Me”-Acknowledge and challenge our personal biases. Remember that we are still being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) .

Principle #1: Face Your Doubt (Identify the Idols)

Doubt is part of the intellectual search for truth. Exposing the mind to ideas, is like exposing the body to germs- it is the only way to build immunity.

Doubt is just the gatekeeper to the idols in our lives. We can keep doing what pleases us if we can say that we don’t know what please God (or if there is a God to please).Remember, the primary objection to belief in God is NOT an intellectual one. In general, people resist the “idea” of God, because they don’t like the thought that they are not in control of their destinies.

The fact is, we were made to worship. If we do not worship our God & Creator, something else- and far less worthy- will fill the void.

David’s def if an idol (Ps. 115:4-8). You need God to exist; but an idol needs you to exist.

The first step in presenting faith in Christ as the best answer to the questions of purpose and meaning is to identify the “god substitute” that is currently sitting on the throne of a person’s heart.

Principle # 2: Name That Idol!

By “naming”, we really mean to determine the characteristics of the idol, in contrast to the Biblical God who names Himself in Exodus 3:13–14 “I AM WHO I AM” the Hebrew phrase “I AM WHO I AM”, which can also be translated “I will be who I will be”, convenys a simple truth: God will not be reduced- He is all encompassing. Since no other worldview alternative an explain everything satifactorily, they are forced to take shortcuts- they have to reduce their worldview, and toss out anythnig that does fit inside of the “the box”.

Principle# 3: Have It Your Way or “Taste Your Own Medicine”

The goal here is to hold up a mirror, and let the person see the practical implications of their worldview. They will need to see for themselves what it lacks before that will consider an alternative. They’ll need to take their on medicine, to see if it really cures what ails the human soul.

There are many simple ways to apply this principle in every day life for example:

S: If someone says, “You can’t know anything for sure!” R: “Are you sure about that?”

S: If someone says,“There’s no such thing as truth!” R: “Is that true?”

In many cases, the people we are trying to reach with the Gospel already know it to be true! Paul points this out in Romans 1: 18 when he says that they “surpress the truth”, just as most of us did. But Paul shows us that this principle is effective in bringing people to the truth, bause it is exactly what He does. Romans 1:26, Paul says, “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; similarly, he says in verse 28 that “God gave them up to be confronted by the consequences of our choices- tasting their own medicine, and realizing it fails as a cure.

Principle# 4: Taste & See- The Invitation

It’s not enough to prove what’s wrong; we have an obligation to show them what’s right as well. This is your opportunity to present the alternative- to invite them to Christ.

Matthew 5:13a says ““You are the salt of the earth...”; and salt is for tasting. Matthew 5:14a says, ““You are the light of the world.” and light allows us to see. I believe that David spoke prohetically concerning us when he said in Psalm 34:8a “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The purpose of the Christian life is to put Christ on display- to introduce them to their only true hope and lasting peace, to be a demonstration of God’s goodness.

Principle# 5: Replace the Idol (The Upgrade)

There is no particular time limit associated with any of these principles. It takes…as long as it taks. with some people, you’ll be able to review most of this in a day; with some, it will take years for them to accept certain concepts. We must prepare ourselves for the level of commitment that we are called to in each instance. so before we conclude with our final principle, let me highlight a few basic things that all Christians should embrace:

Embrace the TRUE Great Commission- Matthew 28:19–20 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” 3 of the 4 Gospel accounts record what is know as the “Great Commission”. The word “commission” means “to send”. It refers to the final instructions given by Jesus before His ascent into Heaven. Mark’s Gospel focused on the miraculous aspect of Christ’s ministry, so it is no surprise that he focused on the signs and wonders that would follow believers (Mk 16:14-18). Luke was focused on proving an “account” of Christ’s ministry “in an orderly sequence”, so it is not surprising that his Gospel focused on details, especially thoe which were the fulfillment of prophecy (Lk 24:44-48). But Matthew seemed to focused with connecting the past to the future. He begins with thr geneology of Christ, and ends with the commission, with emphasis on discipleship. The disciples task was to reproduce themselves by 1) going, 2) baptizing, and 3) teaching. The last two can and should start simultaneously- once Christ is accepted, then they will spend their lives learning of Him. This is why the Church was called into being. We are to form a community, to establish relationships that allow us to “encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together” (Hebrews 10:24–25)

Community+Disciplship=The Church of Jesus Christ

It is our great privilege to share truth with the world that longs for truth, beauty, and meaning. Unmasking idols like atheism, secularism, and other God substitutes is great, but we need our glorious Savior to be “unmasked” for there to be anything truly worth celebrating. The Christian worldview has a much higher view of human life than any competing system. It gives a logical basis for the facts of experience that are denied by the dominant secular worldviews of our day: freedom, creativity, love, personal significance, genuine truth. How can we be anything but loving and joyful in communicating such a life- giving message?

Our task isn’t easy, but we are stewards of the mysteries of God who are called to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:10). May we be equipped to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” who “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) and boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

I want to conclude with Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

The word for “ashamed” in the Greek is associated with the modern English word “disappointed”. Paul is saying that faith in Christ will not fail us, in it we find the answers to the key issues of life, because it comes from the source of life itself.