The Mind of the Skeptic

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Do you know what you believe about God, the Bible, Jesus? Have you ever been asked by a skeptic a really tough question about your beliefs you didn’t feel qualified or equipped to answer? Or maybe there is a little skepticism in you? Are there good answers to these hard questions? You bet there are!

You know the old joke: An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness Monster. The beast tossed him and his boat high into the air and was about to swallow both when the man cried out, “Dear God! Save me!”

At once the ferocious attack scene froze in place, and as the atheist hung in midair, a deep and booming voice came down from the heavens saying, “I thought you didn’t believe in Me!” The atheist pleaded, “Come on, God, give me a break here! Two minutes ago I didn’t believe in the Loch Ness Monster either!”

The atheists of our world are spreading their material in massive amounts. Young people are bailing out of church in staggering numbers. They are all asking big questions:
Does God really exist?
Why does God allow tragedy?
Isn’t the Bible full of myths?
Why is Jesus considered the Son of God?

Here’s something you don’t hear very often; we have good answers for them. Skeptics want the truth. We have it! They want eyewitnesses. We have them, too! They want evidence. No problem!

According to Richard Dawkins, one of our time’s current leading atheists, “Faith is believing in something without evidence.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. The vast majority of evidence is on our side. We have an embarrassment of evidences. We have never been in a better time to provide good answers. In fact, most skeptics are just two or three answers away from becoming believers.

The Apostle Peter told us, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (I Peter 3:15). Good answers are not only our best defense; they are also our best offense.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, and tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ERV).

We are launching into a new sermon series we titled, “The Mind of the Skeptic.” This will be a 5-week study that unpacks some of the biggest questions people have about the Christian faith, including: Who is Jesus? Can the Bible be trusted? Why do bad things happen? Do we really need the church? Is sin really a big deal? Etc. . .

We will be taking an honest look at the doubts that might reside in all of us. What kind of faith do we have if it can’t stand up to the questions life throws at us? Then, we will also have an open question and answer time on Wednesday nights with a panel of experts. Bring your toughest questions. Bring your most hardened skeptic. Bring your doubts. We’re about to unpack the mind of the skeptic.


April 12 -  Aren’t All Religions an Equal Path to God?
April 19 - If God Is Good, Why Is There So Much Evil
in the World?
April 26 - Hasn’t Science Proven the Bible Is a Myth?
May 3 - Can I Still Be a Christian and Have Doubts?

[Ron Otto, Minister, Lincoln Christian Church]

 

 

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