Answering the Tough Questions
1 Peter 3:15
I am beginning a series called “Answering the Tough Questions.” Let me ask you, do you get embarrassed when asked a spiritual question and you have no idea how to answer it? Do you shy away from sharing your faith because your inability to answer questions will make you look like a fool? Do you have a desire to learn more about what you believe? Do you have spiritual questions you’d like answered? If you say yes to any of these, this series is for you.
For many people, unanswered questions are a major stumbling block for becoming a Christian. One online survey showed the number one reason people reject Christianity is for intellectual reasons. It is said that 75% of all high school graduates, who grew up in the church, will abandon their faith during their college years. The main reason given is the fact that nobody could answer their questions.
The beliefs of Christianity are challenged on a daily basis; from college campuses, to the news media, to the internet. If you are an avid reader and stay up with what’s going on in the culture, you are well aware of the constant attacks on our faith. A group of men called the “New Atheists,” are writing books with chapters titled, “Religion Kills” or “Childhood, Abuse, and the Escaped from Religion.” People are buying their books by the millions. The result is many people are turning their backs on Christianity; they don’t think there are answers to these attacks.
Over the years, the great temptation for the church at large is to turn their backs on the culture and keep these influences out. In a large number of churches, we hear sermons Sunday after Sunday that don’t connect us with the culture or answer our greatest questions. One reason is many senior pastors are separated from the culture and don’t know how to deal with these pressing issues. Christians also separate themselves. We take up residence in a special culture of our own with Christian music, Christian magazines, Christian Schools, Christian television, Christian clothing and on and on. Now I am not saying any of these are bad per se; yet, dependence on this Christian culture supports the tradition of many churches to separate from the non-Christian culture and to focus within the walls of the church. We desire a tent cover over our church so we don’t have to deal with the messy world outside.
As a result the church loses its passion for the lost. When Christians separate themselves from non-Christians, opportunities to share Christ become non-existent; studying what you believe and how to answer questions becomes irrelevant. Yet, in the Bible we see Jesus and the apostles’ right in the middle of the surrounding culture; confronting the ideas of culture and sharing with non-Christians. The idea of separation never crossed their mind.
I would like to help you become an effective ambassador for Christ within your sphere of influence. My objectives for this series are:
1. Provide answers to tough questions.
2. Recommend resources to help you continue to find answers yourself.
3. Explain how to get into spiritual conversations and to converse in a winsome and attractive manner.