Quick viewing(Text Mode)

APOLOGETICS the Mind’S Journey to Heaven Does God Exist?

APOLOGETICS the Mind’S Journey to Heaven Does God Exist?

APOLOGETICS The Mind’s Journey to Heaven Does Exist?

Genesis 1:1 NASB “1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..”

• God’s word begins with no argument for His existence. • The assumes his existence. • Yet, God has left his fingerprints literally everywhere for a reason. • To those seeking , the evidence screams at them. • To those clinging to their pride not even a man resurrected from the dead would convince them. They must listen to the Bible. Luke 16:31 All who question God’s existence are not the same.

• Apathetic Nones are in the most dangerous place…sleepy oblivion. • Atheist are arguing because God is pursuing them and they have chosen to run. • Anti-Theists are trying to prove to themselves that our arguments are weak so that they won’t have to believe…or can have an excuse not to. • Agnostics believe there is a God but we can’t or don’t know who it is. • Deist believe there was a creator but he isn’t personally involved in our affairs. He was simply a watchmaker who got bored with the watch. • Seeker Skeptics have stopped running away but are testing the ground you stand on and are looking for solid footing.

• Great questions to start with to determine where they are! ➢Do you believe God is alive? ➢Why do you doubt He exists? ➢Would you want to know if He does? ➢Have you ever considered the evidence…if so which ones? Historical Apologists

• GOD HIMSELF • Industrial Revolution Period ➢ Creation, Bible, PreIncarnate, Jesus Incarnate, ➢ Spurgeon, DL Moody Resurrected Jesus, Holy , and Through countless ambassadors! • Modern & Post Modern Era ➢ Norm Geisler: normangeisler.net. ➢ : Reasonable .org • New Testament ➢ Ravi Zacharias: RZIM.org ➢ Apostles…namely Peter and Paul ➢ Lee Strobel: Lee Strobel.com • Early Church ➢ Josh McDowell: Josh.org ➢ Origen, , Justin Martyr and Tertullian, ➢ C.S. Lewis: CSLewis.org Augustine ➢ Tim Keller: TimothyKeller.com • Medieval Period ➢ James White: aomin.org ➢ , Duns Scotus, William of Ockham and ➢ Hugh Ross: Reasons.org ➢ Albert Mohler: albertmohler.com • Reformation Period ➢ : billygraham.org ➢ ➢ Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, Blaise GCBC: gracelakeville.org Pascal, René Descartes • Enlightenment Period ***BE CAREFUL WITH TRUSTING BLINDLY ➢ Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, William ALL SOURCES OF TRUTH OTHER THAN THE Wilbaforce BIBLE…HOLD EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE*** Top Historical Arguments for God’s existence

• Absurdity without God • • • • Moral Argument Scientific Proof vs Legal Evidence

The Atheist looks for one all encompassing “proof” yet fails to look at the overwhelming evidence piling up for the . Arguments for God’s existence

• Absurdity without God ➢ 2 choices 1. There is a God 2. There is no God ➢ If there is no God, then… – Life has no meaning. There is nothing above brute physical existence…survival of the fittest…but even this is meaninglessness and without purpose. – Life has no value. There is no absolute right and wrong…it becomes the vote of the majority…Hitler was ok…murder is ok…racism is ok…stealing is ok…etc.

• QUESTION TO ASK ➢ Can we live in a world where life has no meaning or value? ➢ Is it even possible to live as though we believe there is nothing more than just atoms and molecules bouncing around by chance? Arguments for God’s existence

• Ontological Argument ➢ Since God is defined as the greatest thing to exist, and to exist in reality is greater than to not exist, then God must exist. ➢ If God’s existence is even possible, then God exists.

• QUESTION TO ASK ➢ Do you believe God’s existence is even possible? If so, he exists! Arguments for God’s existence

• Cosmological Argument – Different forms…all are not equal ➢ Seek to engage the question of causality and why is there something rather than nothing. ➢Thomist Cosmological Argument …five ways to prove God exists ➢Leibnizian Cosmological Argument…why is there something rather than nothing? ➢Kalam’s Cosmological Argument – Whatever begins to exist has a cause. – The Universe began to exist. – Therefore, the universe has a cause. – CONCLUSION = The First cause was God.

• QUESTIONS TO ASK ➢ What caused the “big bang” if not God? ➢ Why is there something rather than nothing? Arguments for God’s existence

• Teleological Argument ➢ The universe is so fine tuned for life that it requires an intelligent designer. ➢ The watch in the wilderness argument. ➢ Resources: – Darwins Black Box by Michael Behe – Darwin Devolves: The New Science About DNA that Challenges Evolution by Michael Behe – Genetic Entropy by John C. Sanford – The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards – Unlocking the mystery of life DVD

• QUESTION TO ASK ➢ Have you considered the evidence proving Evolution false? ➢ Have you seen the evidence indicating our world “outside and inside” is so fine tuned it would be impossible to achieve by chance? Arguments for God’s existence

• Moral Argument ➢ Draws conclusions about God from the existence of “right and wrong”.

• QUESTION TO ASK ➢ Do you believe in absolute right and wrong? ➢ If the majority say it is ok to kill 6 Million Jews in gas chambers, are they right or wrong? ➢If universal “oughts” exist then who put them there? My Preferred Strategy

• If they are Atheists or Anti-Theists… ➢Then I usually will bounce between the following – Teleological areas o Microbiological destruction of Darwin’s theory o Privileged planet o Various recent scientific discoveries – Moral Argument – Absurdity Argument – Cosmological Argument – Revelation of Jesus Argument

• If they are “Apathetic Nones”… ➢Then I focus on “carrot and stick” – Stick = Death approaches…if God exists you should care…I quote Hebrews 9:27 – Carrot = If God exists then you are missing the greatest thing possible…Psalm 16:11

• I always seek to get to the question, “Well then which God is the real one and how can we know?” Psalm 8:3-6

3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, Follow up questions

Ok if God does exist…

• Which one or ones of the infinite number are the real one(s)? • How can we know for sure who he is? • Why does he seem so distant…i.e. why doesn’t he just walk around and show up on TV? • How do we know he is a good God and not ready to smite us at any minute? Where are we going to go?

• Major Secular Questions Asked of ➢ How do we know God exists? ➢ Doesn’t science prove is false? Can any rational person believe in the Christian Faith? ➢ Can you trust the Bible as accurate? ➢ How can a good God exist if He allows suffering and evil? ➢ Is it fair for God to condemn someone to hell? What about those who have never heard the Gospel? ➢ Isn’t Christianity arrogant to say it is the only way to heaven? Aren’t all just different ways to the same God? ➢ Aren't all people basically good? ➢ Isn’t Christianity just a “white man’s” used to oppress women and people of color? ➢ Isn’t Christianity just a bunch of Do’s and Don’ts? ➢ Isn’t the institutional Christian Church just about getting your money? Do you really have to go to church to be a Christian? ➢ Optional – Crowd generated questions…open Q&A • Major World Religion’s Arguments against true Christian Faith ➢ Islamic Arguments ➢ Roman Catholic Arguments ➢ Hinduism Arguments ➢ Mormonism Arguments ➢ Buddhism Arguments

Top View