Impact 2024-1-Back to Basic

I. Introduction to the series!

The story is told of the great Green Bay Packers coach, Vince Lombardi. It is said that at the start of training camp in 1961, he walked into the locker room of the Green Bay Packers and said to his team what would become one of the most iconic quotes in sports history… “ Gentlemen, this is a football.” He was taking them back to the basics of the game that he had dedicated his life to understanding. He wanted the men of the Green Bay Packers to focus on the small, minute details of the game. You see, Vince Lombardi believed his team could be a success, but only if they came back to the basics!

This week, I have the privilege of being here and sharing with you each night. Like Vince Lombardi, I believe our lives can only be a success if we get back to the basics. Tonight, I stand here before you to tell you, “Folks, this is the Bible!” This week, we will be looking the Bible, and hopefully we will gain a new, deeper understanding of God’s Word. And I hope that this week, you will begin to see that the Bible is worthy of your trust. But here’s the thing, I know that some of you, when you come fact-to-face with the truths of the Bible, are not going to like it. In fact, some of you will turn away from it because what is written in these pages will feel unkind to your friends and family.

II. Questions:

As we begin, I want to ask you some questions. There are no right answers or wrong answers. I just want to see where you are and what you think. Okay here we go:

Which is more important to you, what your friends say, or what your parents say?

Which is more important to you, what your parents say or what your teachers say?

Which is more important to you, what your culture teaches or what the Bible teaches?

When I look at the statistics of your generation, “culture” and “friends” most often come out as the top influences of your life. Honestly, why shouldn’t they be the most important influences?

III. The Battle!

As we begin our study tonight, I want you to know that you are in a battle! Here at camp, you are in a battle. This is not only a battle for power, it’s a battle for truth. And because it is a battle for truth; to help us understand “truth” it is a battle of ideas. So tonight, let’s begin with a basic understanding of the battle. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 explains the battle to us.

2 Corinthians 10:3 NLT

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.

2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

Notice that Paul talks about a war—a battle. Today, whether we realize it or not we are in the middle of a battle. The battle is fighting over what God says is true and what your culture says is true. The battle is fighting over what God says is true and what Satan says is true! But, make no mistake, it is a battle! In fact, in our world today the culture that you are living in is in a full assault against what God says it true. That’s because the world’s master is Satan. Look at 1 John 5:19.

1 John 5:19 NLT

We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

These weapons are capable of knocking down the strongholds of human reasoning.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (NLT)

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

And the third thing we need to notice is that you and I need to take captive every thought that rebels against God’s Word and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NLT)

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

What questions are you asking?

Some of you are here, and you believe what your parents, youth pastor, or pastor tell you, and you are not at the point in your life where you are asking questions.

Some of you are here tonight, and you have some questions about the truth and authenticity of the Bible. You may be struggling with the difference between what you have believed and what your friends believe, and that has caused some questions.

And I have no doubt that some of you here are asking all of the tough questions! In fact, some of you are not sure you will believe anything I share with you this week.

What influences you the most?

The Culture

Some of you will say the top influence in your life is what the culture says. We have to be careful with we do this. Look at Proverbs 16:25

Proverbs 16:25 NLT

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

Notice the problem with listening to the culture around you. It could end in death! Both physical death, and spiritual death.

Or the Bible

Some of you would say the top influence in your life would be God’s Word. Now we’re at church camp so obviously I would say that this is a great option. But look what God’s Word actually says:

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NLT

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Reason for the questions:

Seeking answers!

Some people ask questions because they genuinely want answers to their questions.

Seeking an exit!

Others ask questions so that they can prove their own biases, so it will give them an excuse to leave their Christian roots.

What is Truth?

There are two key types of “truth.”

Objective—

“My computer is on the table.”

Subjective—

“Coke is better than Pepsi.”

Francis Schaeffer “A house with two floors.”

Bottom floor

Is objective truth—things that are unchangeable. Up until recently this bottom floor included: the Bible, Scientific Facts, Mathematics, Historical Facts, and the like.

Top floor

Is subjective truth—or based on how I feel.

Years ago, Shaeffer said that the culture was trying to push things that have been considered to be objective, first floor, truth upstairs to the second floor, subjective truth.

QUESTION: What are some of the objective truths that the culture has pushed to the top floor and are making the subjective truth?

The Bible as the source of Truth—(objective, bottom story)

Defines what is right and wrong (sin)

Defines good/evil

Defines sexuality

Defines personhood

When life begins (or has value)

When life should end (or loses value)

Defines our destiny.

Points me to God and a relationship with Him (Eternal life)

Humans as the source of Truth—(subjective, top story):

I define what is right or wrong (sin)

I define good/evil

I define sexuality

I define personhood

When life begins (or has value)

When life should end (or loses value)

I define my destiny

I am my own god (eternal death)

Satan has been selling man is truth from the beginning

Let’s look at how sin entered the world. That story is found in Genesis 3:1-7.

Genesis 3:1–7 NLT

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Satan challenges what God said:

Did God really say. . .

The woman corrected Satan,

And then she added to what God said—must not touch it, or you will die. . .

Satan challenged her and tempted her—

You won’t die. . .

You will be like God,

Knowing good and evil—we were never meant to deal with good and evil!

Then she saw that the fruit of the tree was:

Good for food

Pleasing to the eye

And desirable for gaining wisdom

She took some of the fruit and ate it—

And gave it to her husband who was with her.

Their eyes were open, and they realized they were naked.

Satan Tactics Today

Satan tempts us in much the same way as he did Eve with that first time.

He wants us to believe that sin as good for us!

He presents sin as something we must have or need—he entices us.

And then he presents sin as something that will make us “special.”

Conclusion

The culture we live in—your culture—believes all kinds of things can be moved from the bottom story of objective truth to the top story of subjective truth.

We need to understand that when we move things from downstairs to upstairs, two things happen:

We begin to destroy our foundation.

We overload the second story and the our house will come crashing down.

That is what is happening in our culture today. Our culture is overloading the second floor with foundational, objective truth. Our culture is destroying our foundation by denying that objective truth even exists. And that is not good!

Throughout this week we will come back to this idea over and over again. Because we need to make sure that we keep our foundation strong, despite the fact that the culture around us wants us to deny any kind of objective foundation.