Basic Truths: Witnessing #7
- we're talking about handling objections in witnessing
- last week we talked about three objections and how we might
address them from God's Word
A. I don't believe the Bible
B. Religion is a crutch
C. There are a lot of hypocrits in the church
- also last week we broke up into groups and tried to
brainstorm as many possible objections as we could
- I think all of were a little surprised at the length of the
list
- I appreciated how hard you worked on that and it
helped me know which direction to go today to get the
most out of our time together.
- our goal today is to work through as many of the objections
that were raised last week as possible.
- I probably need to say a couple of things about the list:
1) I've combined some of the objections because they had
a "similar ring" to them or they addressed a common
issue.
- I thought by doing it that way we would have a
better chance of getting through the list.
2) We probably won't get to every one that was mentioned.
- I tried to pull out the more prominent ones (the ones
I thought you'd be most likely to hear)
- but this is going to be our last week on
objections so if I don't address one that you
were really wondering about--feel free to jot me
a note and we'll find a way to get that one
discussed.
- there's one other thing I wanted to mention before we look
at the specific list of objections and that is:
- Praise the Lord that He is still in the business of
saving people.
- the door is not closed, its not too late.
- we've had people, even in the last couple of weeks,
accept Christ as Lord and Saviour.
- that is very exciting.
- we also have some folks that we have recently
witnessed to who are still considering their need of
a Savior.
(develop - new moves cards - Scot Shelborne)
- my point is - God is still in the business of saving
people.
- it's possible to develop the attitude "our society is
too sophisticated for that," or, "I've never seen it
happen therefore it must not be happening."
- INPUT - let me ask you here - How could we correct our
thinking process any time we might be tempted to think
those things?"
(Scripture is our guide, message of salvation never
changes, our experience isn't the determinate of
truth)
- one other thing we need to say about that is:
- as a church, we have to decide what our response is to
the fact that the Lord is still in the business of
saving people.
- we could become a "John 3:16 only" kind of church
where that's all we ever talk about.
- where people are saved and brought into the
church but they're not taught how to grow.
- they're not introduced to the answers God's Word
has for them on how to grow, change, and handle
life's problems.
- the fact is - it's takes a lot of work on the part of the
church body to meet all of our biblical responsibilities
to folks who are newly saved.
- but thats a blessed priviledge.
- so, yes--the Lord is still in the business of saving
people.
- that ought to:
1) encourage us to be faithfully talking to trhose
the Lord has placed around us.
2) cause us to "check" whether we're doing our part
to help others grow and change after they're
saved.
- let's begin working our way through some of the specific
objections:
D. I've already done that.
INPUT?
- use two diagnostic questions:
1) Have you come to the place in your spiritual life
where you know for sure that you have eternal
life? -- that is; do you know for sure that if
you died today you would be on your way to
heaven?
2) If you were to die today and stand before God and
He said to you, why should I let you into heaven,
what would you say?
- other answers - II Cor. 5:17 (has there been
a change?)
E. You're just after my money
- there have been abuses in this area
- (we definitely don't want to defend anyone who
has abused this area!)
- there were even people in Jesus' day who were "in
it" for the money.
- John 12:1-6 (READ) - point - Judas - "a
thief, who held the bag."
- so the point is - there are people who have used
religion to take people's money.
- we've all heard the "horror stories" of people
in nursing homes writing large checks to
televangelists because there was some urgent
crisis at "the ministry."
- BUT, people should not lump all Christians together
as if we're all the same, or because one person
did something wrong, all believers are doing that.
- that's true of any field
- Do you think there are any bad doctors in
the world? (there have been cases of
people practicing as doctors who didn't
have a degree or a license!)
- that doesn't stop us from going to the
doctor.
- so the abuse on the part of some doesn't indict all
believers in Christ.
- as far as our church goes, we have never asked people who
don't know Christ for money.
- in fact, we go out of our way to communicate just the
opposite.
- cf. the free car wash
- dramas
- Living Nativity
- now, we do talk about money.
- the reason for that is - the Bible talks about the
money.
- there are over 700 passages in God's Word on the
subject.
- We spend the majority of our time talking about, not how
or what a person ought to give, but what the Bible says
about how we USE money.
- couples need biblical principles on how to govern
spending, and how to make financial goals, how to
save, etc.
- so often when the subject comes up, it's from
the perspective of giving practical help on how
to use the money you have.
- now, we do talk about giving from time to time.
- usually, out of the 156 messages you'll hear in a given
year, we'll have one that deals with what the Bible says
about giving.
- I don't think anybody can justly accuse us of only being
interested in someone's money.
- now, we wanted to handle this subject as creatively as we
could, so we're going to have some of our class members
role-play this next objection:
F. Life will be a drag if I accept Christ
Brian and Star
G. I'm a good person
- that's good. (If you know the person, may want to
point out some of the good points.)
1) but the essential question is - who is the
standard of goodness. - If the answer is -
- "other people" - then I probably do pretty good.
I can always find somebody else who's not
doing as well as I.
- But the standard isn't someone else--the
standard is Jesus Christ, and the
righteousness of God.
- compared to God's holiness, even the best
person in the world is in trouble.
- that's what Isaiah the prophet learned
- Isaiah 6:1-8
2) Sin is more than wicked acts.
- sin includes what I do with my mind - Gen. 6:5
- sin also includes "ommission" - what I should
have done but didn't - James 4:17
3) Compared to God's standard, we all fall short.
- Rom. 3:23
- swimming illus.
H. I've got to get some things straightened out first.
- INPUT?
- "you're putting the cart before the horse."
- transformation of life takes place after salvation.
- II Cor. 5:17
- until then - you're unable to understand the
Scripture - II Cor. 4:4
- also until then - you're powerless to change.
- Eph. 1:15-19
I. I've done too many bad things in my life
INPUT?
- need to understand God's grace - Lam. 3:22-23
- Jesus came to save sinners - Matt. 9:10-13
- By recognizing your sin, you're "halfway to the
kingdom!" - I Tim. 1:15
- many people with "rough" lives have been saved
- I Cor. 6:9-11
- John 4 - woman at the well
J. I need more time
Kevin Doerr
K. Many roads lead to heaven
- that sounds good, but is it true?
- somebody might say - all roads lead to Indy
- at first, that might sound right
- there are a lot of ways to get to Indy
(I65, I70, I69, I74)
- but wait a minute (trans) - there's a lot of
roads that don't
SR26, SR24 doesn't, I94 doesn't - a lot of
roads don't
- we learned that by appealing to the authority
- the map
- in this case, we need to appeal to the authority -
God's Word
- John 3:3, John 14:6, Acts 4:12
L. Prove anything from the Bible
- INPUT?
- true, but please don't go in the ditch of throwing
out the baby with the bathwater.
- God has given us an understandable book
- II Peter 1:21
- importance of Bible hermeneutics
M. Can't be that easy
- that's one of the reasons our Lord used the birth
metaphor
- birth wasn't easy for your mom - but you
didn't have much to do with it. (don't you
wish the baby did - "hey, it's time to come
out now."
- John 3:5-8
N. God is a loving God and wouldn't send anyone to hell
- not the God of the Bible
- his central attribute is holiness, not love
- Bible talks a lot more about hell than a lot of
other subjects.
- Hebrews 10:31 - It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of an angry God.
O. Baptized as a baby
- doesn't save
- Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5
