Sermon Tone Analysis

Turning Skeptics to Seekers

Every Christian Can Turn a Skeptic Into A Seeker By Using 4 Simple Tactics

Introduction

Skepticism isn’t always bad: one kind can be healthy, another unhealthy; one constructive, another destructive; one enriching, another corrosive

Religious skepticism claims that although we may know objective truth in nonreligious fields, especially the sciences, we can’t know objective truth in religion.

When this theory functions as an excuse not to look at apologetic arguments, it begs the question.

For apologetics claims to prove that at least some religious claims are demonstrably true.

One cannot exempt oneself from refuting those proofs by merely claiming at the outset that no truth can be known in religion.

There is a real difference between agnosticism and skepticism but the answers to both of them are almost identical.

Agnosticism says that nothing can be known, but skepticism only says that we should doubt whether anything can be known.

RATIONALISM

Rationalism is not merely a view that says we use reason to test truth.

Rationalism says that we can determine all truth by logic.

It says that we can rationally prove the existence and nature of God.

For a rationalist, no appeal to evidence can overturn a logical demonstration.

That is why Spinoza, having proven to his own satisfaction that all reality was unified in absolute being, denied that anything in the world had existence distinct from God, or that there was any free will.

That is why Leibniz maintained that this is the best of all possible worlds, no matter how bad things get.

He was convinced by rationalism that only the greatest good can exist.

All truth is logically necessary to a rationalist.

First, it is a privilege to know God and Jesus as our Savior.

Second, it is a privilege to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

What makes it difficult to share the gospel in today’s culture?

Most people are not interested in hearing the gospel message.

Most people are content with their lives.

Whether this is delusion or illusion, they don’t want to be bothered and consider Christianity and Christians an interruption in their lives.

So how do we get people to be interested?

Learn this: Unless a person will doubt their worldview, unless a person will doubt their thoughts about the meaning of life, they will not be open to a new thoughts or ideas.

So, how do we get people to doubt their worldview?

I would like to introduce you to 4 characters that will help you unlock your inner evangelist.

The characters are: The Guide, The Investigator, The Portrait Painter, The Treasure Hunter.

I. Guida, The Guide

A. What makes a good guide?

A good guide knows where to take you.

A good guide knows how to get there.

A good guide knows where you’re starting from.

Guide Illustrations:

Eastern North Carolina and Hunting in the Dark

Vatican Guide

II.

Ivan the Investigator

A. Ivan Questions to seek answers

Ivan’s questions look to understand the person they are interviewing.

In reality Ivan is probing both what is real in the person’s life and why this person believes in it.

What do you mean by that?

How did you come to that conclusion?

Greg Koukl Uses this “tactic”

This is simple epistemology and metaphysics

Metaphysics wants to know what something is

Epistemology wants to know what something means

B. Ivan LISTENS!

Ivan doesn’t listen to answer

Ivan doesn’t anticipate the answer

Show Video of Cassie Jaye

3. Ivan listens to understand

C. Ivan Makes Notes

III.

Tommy the Treasure Hunter

A. Tommy Looks for Where the Heart Is?

Where your heart is there your treasure is also.

Good admonition from Jesus to recognize everyone is storing up their treasure.

Everyone has a love for something.

Everyone has a worldview that they believe in.

Everyone either knows or is seeking the meaning of life.

B. Sometimes Tommy Digs

Treasures aren’t on the surface

Treasure at times require digging around

IV. Patti the Portrait Painter

A. Listening

The test for how well you listened is how accurate you are in painting their portrait.

You fail the test if the portrait you paint doesn’t resemble the person you’re speaking with

B. Painting

Ask more questions (Am I getting this right?)

Strive to make their case as good as or better than they would make it.

Tim Keller “We could do a far better job of patiently listening, and we should not talk until we can represent the skeptic’s viewpoint with empathy so that a skeptic friend says, ‘Yes, that is my hang up; I couldn’t have put it better myself.’

Only then should [we] try to . . .

recommend the Christian faith to them.”

3. Illustration: I can tell Peter Singer’s case so well people get angry with me.

Conclusion

So what do we learn from this teaching?

We have to learn to listen to the person we’re speaking with.

We have to know where we are going to take them and how to get there.

We have to be able to find their treasure.

We have to articulate their position so they think it’s better than they can do it themselves.

We have to be patient and let the Holy Spirit work

Until they question their own foundations they won’t consider something else.