Soldiers Called to War: Mission: Possible - Dealing w/ Opposition - Altoona

MISSION POSSIBLE: DEALING WITH OPPOSITION

How do we deal with opposition?

Keep in mind:

Our goal is to give someone the Gospel. It is “of first importance” as Paul said to the Corinthians. Only it can convict a sinner of their need for Christ. The Gospel is the best “apologetic” we have.

As I noted in our previous lesson, the Gospel contains the evidence of it’s truth: fulfilled prophecy, eyewitness testimony of the resurrection, confirming miracles, etc.

The Gospel is what Peter had in mind in when he says to give an answer to people regarding the reason why we have hope. It’s all about the death and resurrection of Jesus.

There is not another argument or “silver bullet” to convicting someone that they need to come to Christ. The Gospel is the power of God to salvation. The Spirit uses His word to convict sinners.

It is interesting that, as you look through the New Testament, Jesus and the early Christians in the book of Acts never backed down from the authority of scripture and showing how the Gospel of the resurrected Messiah who was crucified fulfilled the scriptures. This Gospel – in and of itself – has all of the necessary evidence to lead someone to Christ, and there is no reason to believe otherwise.

So don’t be afraid to quote scripture! Once again, it is the Spirit’s sword! It can pierce!

NEXT SLIDE

We need to be Christ-like towards opposition. Show love, patience, and gentleness (READ PASSAGES - ; ). Don’t treat them like Jesus treated the hard-hearted and stubborn Pharisees. We don’t know hearts, so lean towards showing mercy and gentleness.

#####

Be willing to say “I don’t know.” At times, this is the honest and humble answer. Giving this answer may open up the door for a time to get together with the lost person again

Emotional reasons: They don’t like something in the Bible or they have a bad experience with religious people, or They were taught something by someone they are close to (Grandma or mom & dad), or They have an emotional tie to false teaching (ex. Mormons).

#####

Moral reasons (READ , , ). Scripture does show us that these things can harden someone’s heart and lead them to reject the truth.

#####

Intellectual reasons:

Ignorance – Sometimes it may be the case that they just don’t have the information to come to a decision, or Maybe they have been taught wrong.

#####

There are ways to find out why someone is truly rejecting the Gospel message. First, the question that I encouraged to ask at the end of sharing the Gospel with someone: “Is there anything that would keep you from giving your life to Jesus?” is a question that gets right to the heart of answering the question as to why they are not willing to accept the teaching of scripture.

Also, we have a few other questions we can ask to get to know why someone is rejecting the Gospel.

NEXT SLIDE

Ask questions about their beliefs – This is a valuable tactic to develop no matter who you are talking to.

Asking questions shows that you care about what they think and that you desire to understand their views.

Asking questions helps keep you in the driver’s seat while the other person does all the work. You are getting them to consider what they believe and why… and shifting the burden of proof to them to give reasons for their view that you can interact with.

Asking questions makes it very hard for anyone ever to think you are shoving things down their throats or bashing them over the head. It is an inoffensive kind of way to talk to people.

NEXT SLIDE

Jesus’ Example - This is something that Jesus did often when he was questioned by others or challenged. He would answer questions often by asking questions. Questions are used by the Lord Jesus in a variety of ways, including developing people’s faith and understanding, or dealing with opposition. His use of questions provides lessons for ourselves, including the way questions can expose the real issues to be considered.

##### Examples:

For instance, Jesus was asked about whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not… Jesus answered their question by asking his own question. After asking for a denarius, He asked whose inscription was on the coin… ()

When he was challenged by the chief priests about where he got His authority, he asked a question about where John’s baptism came from.

When He approached a group of Pharisees, He asked a question about the law… using a passage of scripture to try to lead them in a certain direction… ().

When challenged by the Jews regarding their accusations of breaking the Sabbath, He asked them questions:

Have you not read what David and his companions did when they were hungry? " Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? " ()

"He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? " ()

Which is lawful to do on the Sabbath, to do good or evil, or to save life or to kill? ()

When dealing with the sin of anxiety/worry, He asked questions:

Read

This is just a few examples. There are so many more...

NEXT SLIDE

I would encourage you, and I will probably say this again, but try to fight the urge to get into a debate. Most of the time, it is not helpful. It doesn’t usually help the person you are talking to to help them to see they are wrong by giving them your view. They often need to see why they are not thinking or reasoning correctly about their own views first before they will be will be willing to consider an opposing view.

For me, in the times I have changed my views that were incorrect, it didn’t come about because someone put me in my place and gave me an opposing view to my own. It came about because they showed me why my line of reasoning was not thought through well or they asked me questions that led me to see that I was missing something.

Don’t just get into a sword battle. Try to understand someone else’s view first and what led them to their conclusions before you challenge them.

There are questions we can ask to deal with opposition and to get the person we are talking with to think about their beliefs.

With this said, I would like to give you some questions that we can ask people who disagree with us to help us in understanding their position so we can be best equipped to give them some things to think about.

#####

The first question is, “What do you mean by that.” or “Can you clarify what you mean when you say this.”

When we don’t understand someone’s view, we can often misrepresent it. This is a serious misstep, even when it is done by accident. Instead of discussing the real issue (the view of the person you are talking to), you set up a lifeless imitation (a straw-man) and easily knock it down. This is not a logical response to someone, and it is not helpful either. Just think of all the times you have been misrepresented and how you felt. Did this make you more willing to talk to the person who misrepresented you, or less willing? Did this show you that the person wanted to understand your view, or did this show they just wanted to “show you how you were wrong”?

Ask this question to make sure there is not a misunderstanding and to make sure there is no confusion regarding what the person believes. This question will give you more time to collect your thoughts to ask more questions.

If someone says, “I believe Jesus is the Son of God” It may be helpful to ask, “what do you mean when you call Jesus this?” A Christian, a Mormon, and a Jehovah’s witness would all answer this question differently. Ask the question, let them clarify, and then move to the next question we will talk about…

If someone says, “all truth is relative,” it can be helpful to say, “what do you mean by “truth” and what do you mean when you say it is “relative.” Their answers to questions like this will often reveal inconsistencies you can ask questions about later.

If someone says, “prove to me that God exists,” you are put on the spot and often by someone who is trying to bully you… Ask this question, “what do you mean by proof? What kind of evidence are you asking for?” (Historical? Scientific? Philosophical arguments, revelation?) What would you consider as evidence? Or even, what do you mean when you say, “God”? This puts the spotlight back on them immediately to clarify and gives you time to think. Then as they are giving clarification, you can formulate the next question you are going to ask them. Just don’t try to give reasons to them… Try to understand what they are looking for in an answer. Try to understand if it is the case that they have stacked up the deck so much that they are unwilling to even consider opposing views… Don’t waste your breath and throw pearls to the swine if they are not going to be willing to listen. This one is usually only given as a challenge by those who have an emotional or moral reason for rejecting the truth.

And one final example: “the Bible is full of contradictions.” The response we give should not be to say, “no it isn’t” and give our reasons why. Get them to reason through their accusation against scripture. Ask them, “What do you mean by ‘contradiction’?” Many times you will get the answer, “there are differences between the Gospel accounts regarding events in Jesus’ life or His resurrection.” They may believe that one Gospel writer leaving out a detail about the resurrection that another writer did not leave out is a contradiction. But this is a misunderstanding that you can correct? You can say to them with a question, “Ok. Let me see if understand your point. You are saying that if I were on my way home one day, and I drove up to an accident on the highway that was terrible, and I got home and told my wife about two cars that were in this accident that were mangled beyond recognition, and then we turn on the news where she learns that it was a 20 car pile up where many were killed – that there is a contradiction here? Is this what you are trying to say? The obvious answer is that there is not a contradiction. The news report looked at the big picture and I gave information about two specific cars in the accident. Different information that comes from different points of views is not a contradiction. Hopefully the follow-up question will show them that.

Many times, people that you talk to will just throw out their opinions at you and not expect to have to defend them. They act like they can just throw out an opinion and silence you and not have to defend their assertions. They act like you are the only one that has to give a rational reason and argument for your view. That is just incorrect. If they expect to just silence you and move on, don’t let it happen. Ask for clarification, and then if there is a problem in their reasoning, deal with it.

Everyone needs to give reasons regarding why they believe things to be true, not just us.

Our second question is meant to show this.

NEXT SLIDE

The question is, “How did you come to this conclusion?” Other ways you can ask this question are, “What are your reasons for holding that view?” or “What makes you think that this is the right way to see it?” or “I’m curious, Why does this idea seem compelling to you?”

Keep in mind that opinions, in and of themselves, are not proof of anything. No matter how forceful a view is stated to you, just stating the view without any reasons as to why one believes the view to be true is not the same thing as giving a sound argument. There is a difference between giving an explanation of what you believe and saying why you believe it is true.

This question gets at the heart of what is called “the burden of proof.” If someone makes a claim or a statement, it is not your or my job to prove them wrong unless they gave reasons as to why they believe their view is true for you to interact with. Someone saying, God does not exist, prove to me that God exists,” is not an argument. It is a bullying technique to put the burden of proof onto someone that didn’t even make a claim. Simply ask, “It seems clear that you do not believe in God. What reasons do you have for not believing that God exists?” Let them first give a defense of the statements they make and try to get the pressure off of yourself.

This question also helps you to see, if you haven’t yet, what type of objections they have. You will be able to see whether their rejection of Christ is emotional, moral, or intellectual. This question will help you deal with the root issue.

What is interesting when this question is asked is that the person will not be ready to defend their assertion. They at times will see that they don’t know why they believe something or that they are just parroting something someone else is saying by blind faith. The question charitably assumes that they have thought through their position and have reasons. Often, this may not be the case… If this happens, the follow up question to ask is always, “Why would you believe something when you have no reason to think it’s true.

I say all of this to say this once again, reject the temptation to counter every assertion that is given to you with a point of your own. Don’t try to debate or refute a point that comes out of thin air without any arguments regarding why it is believed. It is not your job to defeat their unsubstantiated claim. It is their job to defend it! Just because they have an alternate explanation to your view does not mean that your view has been refuted.

Ask the question, don’t let people off the hook too easily. For instance:

This happens a lot with the evolution debate. Someone may say, “Here is how it all happened. Here is how all of these little changes led to big changes – to one species becoming another species… There are many amazing stories of how this could have happened, but they are just that – stories. The explanation may sound compelling, but more information is required. The story without the facts to show the story is plausible is not an argument, it is just an assertion. “Just-so” stories are not enough.

Whenever you are talking to someone, ask to yourself, “Did they give me an argument, or did they just give me an opinion? ”If it’s the latter, say “well, that’s an interesting point of view, but what’s your argument. What are your reasons for coming to that conclusion?”

Let’s consider some other examples…

First, let’s apply this to the belief that the Bible is full of contradictions. Once the first question is asked, and they still say based on the correct understanding of what a contradiction is () that they believe the Bible is full of contradictions, ask “What led you to this conclusion?” What verses can you show me that proves this is indeed the case. Can you show me a verse(s) that you can show are contradictory. Can you show that there is no way out of the conflict? If they make the claim, they bear the burden of proof.

If someone says, “the Bible was corrupted by the church,” it can be helpful to ask this question. “How did you come to that conclusion?” What reasons do you have to show that this is true?” By asking this question, you are asking them to show how such a thing could happen – how all the available manuscripts (thousands) could be collected, changed, and then sent back into circulation. You are asking them to provide the evidence – to back up their view with facts.

These questions put the burden of proof on the person making the claims, as it should be, and it takes all the pressure off of you. If you make a claim, then back it up. But if you didn’t make a claim, but the person you are talking to did, they have the burden of proof to back it up. Why try to prove the Bible is free from contradictions to someone who has not given you any examples of one or even defined what they mean by “contradiction.” When you do this you can often talk past each other. When you are debating based on two different definitions of what a contradiction is, you won’t get to far. If you never look at any of these claims within scripture, you are not going to get anywhere.

These two questions are probably the best questions to ask because they help you learn about the person, their views, and they buy you time to think about a productive response. The first question helps you understand what a person is thinking regarding a particular view, and the second question helps you understand why they think the way they do.

NEXT SLIDE

Any time during the conversation, be willing to ask this question. If you just got clarification when you asked the first question (what do you mean by that?), take a moment to make sure you understand them. If they just gave reasons to back their argument, ask this question to show that you properly understand their view.

Once you do this – once you have showed that you understand their view – you have gained enough credibility to question them about their view.

NEXT SLIDE

Were their weaknesses in their arguments? Any flaws in their reasoning?

This is the most difficult part of any discussion because it requires some kind of knowledge. This is usually what leads us to stay away from conversations. But it is the case, a good majority of the time, that if you have gone through the first two questions, the person will give you something to address. There will be some kind of problem that you see in their arguments. You may see inconsistencies in the arguments. You may see that an argument is self-refuting or has contradictions in it. You may see a logical fallacy, like appealing to an authority alone to prove their argument is true instead of giving an actual argument with reasons why they believe it.

If you saw some flaws, try to address it with a question instead of a statement. Here are some examples of questions you can use:

“I am confused, can you explain something for me…” “Can you help me understand this?” “Have you ever considered…” (a verse, an opposing argument). If there is a Biblical verse or principle that you can ask them about, don’t be afraid to use it. Don’t be afraid to quote a Bible verse.

NEXT SLIDE

If you have listened well and asked good questions, you can close the discussion at any time with, “Let me think about it, Maybe we can talk more later.” Don’t think you have to get everything across in one conversation. Make it your goal to give them something to think about.

You can talk as long as you would like if you see the flaws in their arguments and are able to question them about them. But this won’t always happen. Sometimes you won’t know the answers to all their arguments and questions. Or they may say something that makes you think that you may be wrong.

Saying these words – “let me think about it” – are like magic because they free yourself from having any obligation to respond further at that time. The pressure is gone. You have shown your ignorance. This works really well if you were not able to see any flaws in their arguments.

Now you can go home and research and study it further. You can get help from others also. Then you can go back to them with questions. Maybe you think better when you are not under pressure… Maybe you would like to bounce the discussion off of others. That is fine. It is sometimes difficult to think of things on the spur of the moment. It will take time sometimes to see problems with someone’s arguments. You may need help in seeing them. This is part of learning, and it is ok.

NEXT SLIDE

Concluding Thoughts

Use these techniques with Christians also. They work in any discussion we may have. Keep in mind, you may be wrong in your reasoning about things. Try to learn this by the education you get as you ask questions of those you disagree with. Always try to bring the conversation back to the Gospel!

NEXT SLIDE

If you need some help learning how to talk to those who question you or oppose you or to see problems in someone’s reasoning, I would highly recommend this book. Many of the thoughts of this lesson come from it.

You can get this book for about $10 at a Christian bookstore or online

You can also get the material in video form and an accompanying study guide for group studies.

The book has 6 chapters on how to use these questions that we have talked about today and 8 chapters on how to find flaws in the reasoning of the person you are talking to.

NEXT SLIDE

Are there any specific beliefs you would like to discuss?

Are there any questions or specific beliefs that others have that you would like to talk about in the time we have left?

Let’s apply our questions to these areas…

“What do you mean by that?” “How did you come to this conclusion?” “Is this what you are saying?” “I am confused, can you explain something for me…” “Can you help me understand this?” “Have you ever considered…” (a verse, an opposing argument)