TITLE: An Inconvenient Truth: Why people reject Jesus?

TITLE: An Inconvenient Truth: Why people reject Jesus?

TEXT: Psalm 14:Romans 3THEME: People reject God in spite of the overwhelming evidence He exists because of its implications for how we think and live.

Comedian Louis C.K

“I'm not religious. I don't know if there is a god. That's all I can say honestly. I don't know. Some people can say that they know there isn't a god. That's a weird thing you can say you know. "There's no god." "Are you sure?" "Yea, there's no god." "How do you know?" "Because I didn't see him.. But how do you know?

Comedian Louis C.K

“There's a vast universe. You can see for about 100 yards when there's not a building in the way. How can you possibly know? Did you look everywhere? Did you look in the downstairs bathroom?" "No, I haven't seen him yet." "Well, I haven't seen [the film] 12 Years as a Slave yet, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

“Why in the light of overwhelming evidence in

opposition does the atheist still argue that God does not exist.”

I. The Premise: Man can determine his own destiny without the need for God

I. The Premise: Man can determine his own destiny without the need for God

A. We can explain everything without the need for God.

I. The Premise: Man can determine his own destiny without the need for God

A. We can explain everything without the need for God. B. Darwinism has made atheism intellectually feasible.

Richard Dawkins

“By providing a naturalistic explanation of biological origins, evolution promotes atheism. Although atheism might have been logically tenable before Charles Darwin, Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.” Blind Watchmaker, pg. 6).

I. The Premise: Man can determine his own destiny without the need for God

A. We can explain everything without the need for God. B. Darwinism has made atheism intellectually feasibleC. Man can develop his own morality without divinely revealed imperatives.

I. The Premise: Man can determine his own destiny without the need for God

A. We can explain everything without the need for God. B. Darwinism has made atheism intellectually feasibleC. Man can develop his own morality without divinely revealed imperatives. D. There is no conclusive evidence to support the existence of God

I. The Premise: Man can determine his own destiny without the need for God

A. We can explain everything without the need for God. B. Darwinism has made atheism intellectually feasibleC. Man can develop his own morality without divinely revealed imperatives. D. There is no conclusive evidence to support the existence of GodE. The facts of science dispute the conclusions of faith.

II. The Problem: They ignore the evidence that undermines their

position

The central question, “Is man and the universe designed or

an accident?”

Richard Dawkins

“Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose. We may say that a living body or organ is well designed if it has attributes that an intelligent and knowledgeable engineer might have built into it in order to achieve some sensible purpose.”

Richard Dawkins

“… any engineer can recognize an object that has been designed, even poorly designed, for a purpose, and he can usually work out what that purpose is just by looking at the structure of the object….” {The Blind Watchmaker, pp. 1, 21}

II. The Problem: They ignore the evidence that undermines their position

A. The central question, “Is man and the universe designed or an accident?” 1. The secularist argues it is an accident and promotes positivism.

Timothy Keller

“That may or may not be true, but . . . it is quite a leap of faith.”

II. The Problem: They ignore the evidence that undermines their

positionA. The central question, “Is man and the universe designed or an accident?” 1. The secularist argues it is an accident and promotes positivism. 2. The theist promotes design and has used classical arguments for his existence.

Philosophical Arguments for God’s Existence

• The ontological argument: We all have an idea of perfection and since we can conceive it then it must exist.

Philosophical Arguments for God’s Existence

• The ontological argument: We all have an idea of perfection and since we can conceive it then it must exist.

• The anthropological argument: We all have a sense of moral oughtness that seems to be shared universally. Where does it come from? It must be God.

Philosophical Arguments for God’s Existence

• The ontological argument: We all have an idea of perfection and since we can conceive it then it must exist.

• The anthropological argument: We all have a sense of moral oughtness that seems to be shared universally. Where does it come from? It must be God.

• The cosmological argument: everything that has a beginning must have a cause.

Philosophical Arguments for God’s Existence

• The ontological argument: We all have an idea of perfection and since we can conceive it then it must exist.

• The anthropological argument: We all have a sense of moral oughtness that seems to be shared universally. Where does it come from? It must be God.

• The cosmological argument: everything that has a beginning must have a cause.

• The teleological argument- The universe has the appearance of design therefore it must have a designer.

II. The Problem: They ignore the evidence that undermines their

positionA. The central question, “Is man and the universe designed or an accident?”

1. The secularist argues it is an accident and promotes positivism. 2. The theist promotes design and has used classical arguments for his existence.

B. New scientific discoveries overwhelming support the presence of design.

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

– The universe had a beginning

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

– The universe had a beginning– The universe is fine-tuned for life

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

– The universe had a beginning– The universe is fine-tuned for life– Life is a miracle. The simplest organisms contain

staggering complexity

Harvard University “Origins of Life Initiative”

“It may be difficult to believe, but there was a common theme to this seeming cacophony of scientific expertise and discovery. The theme was, “We just don’t know.” No one knows how life began . . . .”

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

• The universe had a beginning• The universe is fine-tuned for life• Life is a miracle. The simplest organisms contain

staggering complexity. • Life has technology to dazzle.

Douglas Ell, “Counting to God”

“I see in the technology of life an absolute wonder. I think if we as a society could somehow see it untarnished, free of the Scientism stranglehold, we would rejoice at the miracle and bow our heads to the skill of a master designer. But few see it at all, and most who do have been “educated” to ignore the obvious.” (Kindle Locations 1938-1940).

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

• The universe had a beginning• The universe is fine-tuned for life• Life is a miracle. The simplest organisms contain

staggering complexity. • Life has technology to dazzle.• The origin of wholly new species remains a mystery.

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

• The universe had a beginning• The universe is fine-tuned for life• Life is a miracle. The simplest organisms contain

staggering complexity.• Life has technology to dazzle.• The origin of wholly new species remains a mystery.

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

• The universe had a beginning.• The universe is fine-tuned for life• Life is a miracle. The simplest organisms contain

staggering complexity.• Life has technology to dazzle.• The origin of wholly new species remains a mystery. • Many biological systems appear to be irreducibly

complex.

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

• The universe had a beginning.• The universe is fine-tuned for life• Life is a miracle. The simplest organisms contain

staggering complexity.• Life has technology to dazzle.• The origin of wholly new species remains a mystery. • Many biological systems appear to be irreducibly

complex.• Our Earth is special.

Seven scientific evidences that argue for an intelligence designer.

• The universe had a beginning.• The universe is fine-tuned for life• Life is a miracle. The simplest organisms contain

staggering complexity.• Life has technology to dazzle.• The origin of wholly new species remains a mystery. • Many biological systems appear to be irreducibly

complex.• Our Earth is special. • Quantum physics invites a different way to see reality.

B. New scientific discoveries overwhelming support the presence of

design.1. Seven scientific evidences that argue for an

intelligence designer.2. Following the evidence means we accept

the existence of God.

II. The Problem: They ignore the evidence that undermines their

positionA. The central question, “Is man and the universe designed or an accident?”B. New scientific discoveries overwhelming support the presence of design.C. Secularists have raged war against the evidence for design

Congressional Staff Report

“the failure of [Smithsonian officials] to take any action against such discrimination raises serious questions about the Smithsonian’s willingness to protect the free speech and civil rights of scientists who may hold dissenting views on topics such as biological evolution.” (Kindle Locations 700-707)

II. The Problem: They ignore the evidence that undermines their

positionA. The central question, “Is man and the universe designed or an accident?”B. New scientific discoveries overwhelming support the presence of design.C. Secularists have raged war against the evidence for designD. The question is, ““Why?”

Ephesians 4:17

“17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”

Ephesians 4:17

“19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.”

III. The Biblical Response: We utterly depend on God and owe Him the glory

He is due.

III. The Biblical Response: We utterly depend on God and owe Him the glory

He is due. A. To believe in God says requires us to be accountable.

II Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Nahum 1:3

“The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”

III. The Biblical Response: We utterly depend on God and owe

Him the glory He is due. A. To believe in God says requires us to be accountableB. To believe in God requires us to accept His reality.

Genesis3:1-5

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden.”

Genesis3:1-5

“3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

III. The Biblical Response: We utterly depend on God and owe

Him the glory He is due. A. To believe in God says requires us to be accountableB. To believe in God requires us to accept His reality. C. To believe in God requires submit ourselves to Him.

James 4:6

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you… 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

III. The Biblical Response: We utterly depend on God and owe Him the glory

He is due. A. To believe in God says requires us to be accountableB. To believe in God requires us to accept His reality. C. To believe in God requires submit ourselves to Him. D. To believe in God requires us to give Him glory

Dick Rowe

APPLICATION

• Don’t be discouraged by those who would claim you are ignorant because you don’t buy into the secular myth.

• God has made Himself known and has made it clear He wants a relationship with you.

• Let us take the initiative and challenge people to check out the truth.

• By following Christ we are guaranteed we are on the right side of history.

APPLICATION

• Don’t be discouraged by those who would claim you are ignorant because you don’t buy into the secular myth.

APPLICATION

• Don’t be discouraged by those who would claim you are ignorant because you don’t buy into the secular myth.

• God has made Himself known and has made it clear He wants a relationship with you.

APPLICATION

• Don’t be discouraged by those who would claim you are ignorant because you don’t buy into the secular myth.

• God has made Himself known and has made it clear He wants a relationship with you.

• Let us take the initiative and challenge people to check out the truth.

Mission statement of a well-known university:

• "To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ."

Mission statement of a well-known university:

• "To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ."

• Every diploma read, Christo et Ecclesiae around Veritas, meaning "Truth for Christ and the Church."

Mission statement of a well-known university:

• "To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ."

• Every diploma read, Christo et Ecclesiae around Veritas, meaning "Truth for Christ and the Church."

• You've probably heard of this school. It's called Harvard University.

Yale's motto

• Lux et Veritas (light and truth).