It s a leap of faith! You must believe, boy! Indiana Jones steps over the abyss and it s a hidden walkway, camouflaged among the rocks. Belief, then, is taking a leap of faith when all the observable evidence challenges your decision. Is that really what BELIEF is?
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about and Why? INTRODUCTION 1. This series covers a variety of Christian beliefs. Why the use of Jesus-Follower? 2. This series is designed to encourage you to bring a friend who is still on the way to faith.
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about and Why? INTRODUCTION 3. There will be opportunities to ask questions and discuss issues after the service... 4. Special invitation cards are available in the foyer to give out to your friends.
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about and Why? TOPICS 3 THE WORLD REALITY GOD EVIL JOY DEATH 1 2 BELIEF JESUS THE DEVIL TRUTH THE SUPERNATURAL NATURE TRAGEDY FORGIVENESS
Message #1 - What Do Jesus- Followers Believe BELIEF! about BELIEF and Why? I. Various Definitions of BELIEF OPINION I believe the Cubs will win the World series this year!
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? I. Various Definitions of BELIEF HOPE I don t believe that nice policeman will give me a ticket!
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? I. Various Definitions of BELIEF CERTAINTY I believe that 2 + 2 = 4.
In 1953 you were my math teacher. You promised that algebra would come in handy someday. How much longer do I have to wait?
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? I. Various Definitions of BELIEF CERTAINTY I believe that 2 + 2 = 4.
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? I. Various Definitions of BELIEF TRUST I believe that you didn t take my wallet.
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? I. Various Definitions of BELIEF OPINION HOPE CERTAINTY TRUST
What s So Important about BELIEF? Some beliefs are expressions of CUT THE GREEN WIRE! opinion; some beliefs could not be more critical!
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? I. Various Definitions of BELIEF II. Everyone has a BELIEF SYSTEM (a worldview)
II. Everyone has a BELIEF SYSTEM (a worldview) If you have evidence of God, I would love to see it! I don t know if there s a God and I don t care! PANTHEISM: No distinction between God and creation; God IS everything. We are gods. ATHEISM: There is no Creator; man has evolved via TIME + CHANCE + STUFF. No firm ground for morals. AGNOSTICISM: Don t know if a God exists. Two kinds of agnostics: AN APATHETIC AN EAGER AGNOSTIC AGNOSTIC
II. Everyone has a BELIEF SYSTEM (a worldview) THEISM: There is a real God who is personal. He has made the world and deserves to be worshipped. CHRISTIAN THEISM: The real God who exists is Triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not three gods, but One God in three Persons.
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? III. Differences between BELIEF, UNBELIEF, and MISBELIEF BELIEF UNBELIEF MISBELIEF Accepting certain ideas as true based on sufficient evidence. Refusing certain ideas as true despite sufficient evidence. Believing an idea to be true or false when it isn t.
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? IV. Belief does not always equal mere opinion! What am I saying when I say, I don t believe you when you say you didn t take my twenty-dollar bill from my car?
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? V. A belief is only as strong as the evidence which supports it.
37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. (John 10)
Josh McDowell, author of Evidence That Demands a Verdict, says Believing in Jesus is not a leap into the dark. I looked at the evidence and it was a leap into the light!
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? V. A belief is only as strong as the evidence which supports it. Some of the evidence for Christianity? HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE GOSPELS THE MIRACLES OF JESUS EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY OF THE DISCIPLES THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? V. A belief is only as strong as the evidence which supports it. VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God s one and only Son. (John 3)
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 6:28-29- 28 Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. We can t work our way to God -- That s why we need to believe in Jesus.
A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates. Here s how this works, St. Peter says. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you ve done, and I will give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in. OK, the man says. I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart. That s wonderful, says St. Peter. That s worth three points! Three points? says the man, frustrated. Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithes and service.
Terrific! says St. Peter. That s certainly worth a point. One point! Only one point!?! OK, I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans. Fantastic, that s good for 2 more points, St. Peter tells him. Two points!?! Exasperated, the man screams back at St. Peter. At this rate, the only way I ll get into heaven is by the grace of God! BINGO, 100 points! Come on in!
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 6:28-29- 28 Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. We can t work our way to God -- That s why we need to believe in Jesus.
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 6:36- But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 7:5- Even His own brothers did not believe in Him. 12:37- Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. Evidence does not automatically lead to belief.
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 8:24- I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins. Not believing Jesus claim to His own identity = dying in one s sins!
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 14:1- [ Jesus Comforts His Disciples ] Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. Jesus demands the same belief in Himself as in God the Father!
I m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don t accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice.
Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (C.S. Lewis)
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 14:1- [ Jesus Comforts His Disciples ] Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. Jesus demands the same belief in Himself as in God the Father!
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 16:9- [The Holy Spirit will come and convict the world] about sin, because people do not believe in me... It is a sin not to believe in Jesus!
VI. Several Key Texts on the Importance of BELIEF John 20:30- Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Here we have evidence leading to belief which leads to life!
What Do Jesus- Followers Believe about BELIEF and Why? That s a few thoughts on the issue of BELIEF. I and one of the elders of this church will be here at the front to talk with any who want to pursue this issue.