It was an ad in Christianity Today.
Christianity Today is an American journal.
and the ad at the back was Shoes of the Fisherman.
They were sandals that leave the greatest impression.
! $19.95 per pair.
And the idea is that you walk along the beach
and you leave a message in the sand.
So on one sandal there is a kind of raised impression of the name Jesus.
And on the other sandal is a raised impression with the word loves you.
So as you walk up and down the beach
you put one foot down and you put the other foot down
and you walk up and down the beach all day
and everyone on the beach gets the message
Jesus loves you.
And the text that went along with this
in the British one in Christianity Today was
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?
And the challenge of it was
it was possible to get more corny
what kind of impression do you want to leave?
Now it's really tacky isn't it?
Really tacky.
But actually it's a very good question.
What kind of impression do you want to leave?
And here is the Apostle Paul in this chapter
and he's in the hands of the authorities
he's on trial for his life
and the Jews have tried to assassinate him
they've tried to ambush him a few times
and the Romans have taken him into protective custody
for his own good
and they don't know what to do with him
so they pass the parcel with him.
They shunned him from one to the other
before finally sending him up to Rome
first it's Felix 24
then it's Festus
and then Festus brings in King Agrippa
who comes up to Caesarea
on a kind of courtesy call
and then they ship him off to Rome
to appear before the Emperor Nero
they're great names aren't they?
Felix the cat
Nero the dog
they were the great names of those days
weren't they?
Felix and Nero
we call our dogs
and cats
and we call our sons Paul
it just shows you doesn't it?
there's a great reversal
that's happened since
the New Testament
the names of the day
were Nero
he was Emperor in Rome
Felix was the Governor of Palestine
he was the worst Governor they ever had
Felix was eventually summoned to Rome
and was given a sack
and now Festus
now Festus is the guy who takes over
Uncle Festus
and anyway
Paul makes quite an impression
doesn't he?
before these people
Felix trembles
we saw in the last chapter
Agrippa says later on
I am almost persuaded
to become a Christian
whether he's being sarcastic or not
I'm not really sure
but Paul made quite an impression upon him
and this guy Festus loses his cool
he blows his stack
as I say he shouts at Paul
just look over the page
look at chapter 26 and verse 24
and as he was saying these things
as he was saying these things
in his defence
Festus said to the loud voice
Paul you are out of your mind
your great learning
is driving you out of your mind
you're going insane
now we're going to stay in chapter 25
but I think you'll agree
I wanted to talk to David Bansel
whether you'd be able to
just shout at him
in that way
in the courtroom
but it's pretty
it's pretty out of order
isn't it?
in a court of law
the judge should not be shouting
at the man in the dark
and saying
you're mad
you're an idiot
Paul made quite an impression
in these circles
as he's shunted
from pillar to post
and there are three sorts of people
in verse 25
there's three attitudes of heart
that I think are quite clear
in Acts 25
attitudes towards the gospel
the first thing is
there is the hard heartedness
of the Jewish leaders
and I want you to be asking yourself
as we look at this chapter
what is the attitude of my heart?
you may think this evening
you can't possibly be hard hearted
I can't possibly be hard hearted
I wouldn't be in church would I?
but let me tell you this
it's very easy to be brought up
in a good church
and sit in a church
week by week
and to be as heart hearted
as you like
I know that I was like that
I was proud
and I was hard hearted
as a teenager
and we look at our hard heartedness
the closed mindedness
of these Jewish leaders
then secondly
we see the half heartedness
and the double mindedness
the half heartedness
of firstness
and then thirdly
the whole heartedness
of the Apostle Paul
so let's see the hard heartedness
of the Jewish leaders
and the key word here
is the word against
keeps cropping up
it comes up
it comes up twelve times
in this chapter
these men are against Paul
and they are against
everything that he stands for
let me show you that
very quickly
let me look at verses 1 and 2
that were three days
after Festus had arrived
in the province
he went up to Jerusalem
from Caesarea
and the chief priests
and the principal men
of the Jews
laid out their case
against Paul
and they urged him
asking us a favour
against Paul
they can't wait
to get their hands on him
can they?
you might have thought
they'd have forgotten about him
it's been two years
we found out that
from the reading
at the end of 24
it's been two years
in the last verse
when two years had elapsed
Phoenix was succeeded
by Porcius Festus
and desiring to do the Jews
a favour
Phoenix left Paul
in prison
so Paul was been
rotting in prison
for two years
and you might have thought
that was about time
for the Jews
to forget about him
but Festus
has not even had time
to unpack his suitcases
and they're knocking
at the door
look at verse 3
asking us a favour
urgently requesting
Festus
to have Paul
transfer to Jerusalem
they're coming for Paul
they carry out
this vendetta
against him
and the tense
of the verb
in verse 3
is they keep on
asking
asking as a favour
against him
against Paul
continually asking
they won't take no
for an answer
and when you look
at verse 3
you see what's
motivating them
isn't just a
simply
a concern
for law and order
what are they wanting
at the end of verse 3
because they were
planning an ambush
to kill him on the way
they want this man dead
and they don't care
how it happens
whether it's legally
through a court of law
or whether it's
illegally
through assassination
they want Paul
silenced
and when Festus
refuses to bring
Paul to Jerusalem
do you notice
verse 4
he invites them
to Caesarea
they don't waste
any time at all
verse 4
as soon as Festus
gets back to Jerusalem
the very next day
they are there
aren't they
they're there again
banging on the door
9 o'clock in the morning
the very next day
they can't even wait
for the child
to start to mob him
they surround him
they gang up on him
and any charge
will do as long
as it'll stick
can't you see
that what you've got here
is indiscriminate
deep seated
implacable
hostility
there's nothing
reasonable about it
oh look at verse 15
verse 15
they ask for the
death sentence
and when I was at Jerusalem
the chief priests
and the elders of the laws
laid out their case
against him
asking for a sentence
of condemnation
against him
but look at the way
in which they ask
him to be condemned
I would have thought
if you believe
in the death penalty
it's a very horrible
thing isn't it
you would be very
serious about that
but look at verse 24
Agrippa gives us
a bit more information
and Fester said
King Agrippa
and all who are
present with us
you see this man
about whom the whole
Jewish people petitioned
me both in Jerusalem
are here
shouting that he ought
not to live
any longer
do you see the scene
here
they're being for blood
aren't they
Paul the prisoner
is cool
calm and collected
and everyone else
is angry
everyone else
is shouting at him
his accusers
are shouting at him
and the judge
is shouting at him
Paul you're on your mind
you are insane
and the question is
why is it
why such anger
why such hostility
why such unreasonable
implacable
hatred towards Paul
and the message
that he preaches
what lies behind it
why are they so desperate
to silence him
why do they want him dead
it's a strange thing
but I think it's this
it's psychologically proven
isn't it
that often people
will accuse others
unfairly
and passionately
of the very things
that they themselves
are guilty of
won't they
in fact
the more unreasonable
and the more angry
they are
the more likely
they are to be guilty
of the very thing
that they are accusing
other people of
it's a phenomenon
it's well recognised
isn't it
by psychologists
so we live
don't we
in the days
I think it's beginning
to die out a little bit
but we live
in the last five years
in the days
of angry atheists
don't we
have you met them
the Dawkins Delusion
isn't it
oh goodness knows
how many million copies
there's dozens of those
books aren't there
if you go into the bookstore
Christopher Hitchens
book
God Isn't Great
some of us saw a really
good video with
Douglas Wilson
and Christopher Hitchens
have you still got it Chris
probably somebody's borrowed it
and not given it back
it's a really good video
but I came across
this really interesting
article when I was looking
for that DVD this week
about Professor Sir Anthony
Flew
does anybody know him
Stuart
that's encouraging
Sir Anthony Flew
was one of the biggest names
in philosophy of his day
he was behind
logical positivism
which you all know
what that is
but he was for years
and years
most of his career
he was known as
the world's most
outspoken atheist
and then he became
a Christian believer
let me read you
what the article said
one of the 20th
most renowned atheists
and influential philosophers
has accused Richard Dawkins
of the God delusion
theme
of being a secularist
bigot
and an amateur
in his use of
academic scholarship
he goes on to say this
Professor Anthony Flew
now 85
three years ago
was for decades
one of the world's
foremost philosophical
authorities
his work was studied
by hundreds of
thousands of students
it was his intelligence
combined with his
profound atheist views
that led him to be
one of the most
foremost opponents
proponents of Christianity
in the western world
his blistering attack
on Richard Dawkins
the Oxford Don
comes just months
after he shook
the academic world
by publishing the reasons
that he
the world's most
notorious atheist
had changed his mind
he's written a book
called
There Is A God
and this is what he says
about Dawkins
while he acknowledges
the remarkable achievements
of the God delusion
in selling over a million copies
he declares
which is much more remarkable
is that the contents
or rather the lack
of contents of this book
shows Dawkins himself
to have become
what he and his fellow
secularists typically
believe to be
an impossibility
namely
a secularist bigot
secularist bigot
you know what a bigot is?
a bigot is
isn't it
shout loud
the argument's weak
the argument is weak
shout louder
that's what a bigot does
and the argument is weak
so he just hurls insults
did you see Stephen Fry
on YouTube
the other week
just shouting his insults?
Christopher Hitchens' book
God Isn't Great
How Religious Poisons Everything
listen to what
Christopher Hitchens said
about six years ago
religion by its very nature
compels people
to behave cruelly
and violently
religion
educates its children
to hate unbelievers
and its grown-ups
to engage in slaughter
and conquest
in the name of God's glory
religion
obliges its true believers
to restlessly
circle the globe
subduing peoples
and nations
until the whole world
bows their knee
and that is what
people are saying about us
that is the kind of opposition
that is out there
Christians are dangerous
at least the fundamentalist
ones are
real Christians
who believe the Bible
are dangerous
and that is why
they are saying
because according to Hitchens
they hate people
who disagree
with them
they are violent
they are troublemakers
these fundamentalists
are a threat
to our stable
multicultural society
and we're better off
without them
that is what
some people are saying
that is what
the new atheists
are saying
although they're not
new out there
so if you regard yourself
as a true Christian
you are a violent
hate filled
murderous
fundamentalist
and the UK
would be a better place
without you
you feel
don't you like
saying to these people
about a God
who doesn't exist
you seem to protest
too much
why are you so angry
about a God
you don't believe in
there's something else
going on isn't there
what is going on
let me tell you
what's going on
there's a closed mindedness
and there's a hard heartedness
there
so let's move on
from the hard heartedness
of the Jewish leaders
there's nothing new
under the sun there
but notice secondly
the half heartedness
of Festus
look at that
look at verses 9 to 11
don't you love
the apostle Paul
verse 9
speaks to the judge
verse 9
well Festus says
if you wish to go up
to Jerusalem
and there be tried
on these charges
before me
Paul said
I'm standing
before Caesar's tribunal
where I ought to be tried
to the dude
I've done no wrong
as you yourself
know very well
if then I am a wrongdoer
and have committed anything
for which I deserve to die
I do not seek to escape death
but if there's nothing
to their charges
against me
no one can give me up to them
I appeal to Caesar
it's pretty straight talking
to the judge
isn't it
you can't set me up
to Jerusalem
I'm not prepared
to go to Jerusalem
and the point is
the interesting thing
do you notice
Festus has changed
his mind
verse 4 and 5
he refuses
three days after
taking office
he goes up to Jerusalem
and the Jews
want him to bring
Paul to Jerusalem
to stand a kind of
show trial in Jerusalem
and Festus refuses
Festus 4 and 5
Festus is strong
and firm
isn't he
no
but in verse 9
he moots the idea
with Paul
would you like to go up
are you willing to go up
do you fancy a trip
to Jerusalem Paul
what was he thinking
why the change of mind
why this change of policy
well because he's thinking
by himself
he's thinking
if I can pull this off
it looks very good
on TV
the clue is there
in verse 9
isn't it
what does he want
wants to do the Jews
a favour
it's not about justice
it's not about serving
justice
it's about serving
his career
in fact he was
a very very good
politician
he only lasted
two years in office
then he died
but whereas Felix
is known as the
worst ever governor
they ever had
Festus is known
as one of the best
so he was a good
guy in lots of ways
but he was a
double minded man
he's not motivated
by justice
but by self interest
what's good for me
so whereas the
Jewish leaders
had closed their
minds and hardened
their hearts
in truth
Felix is double
minded
look at verses
18 to 20
Felix is talking
to Agrippa
verse 20
verse 18
when the accuser
stood up
they brought no
charge in his
case of such
evils as I
suppose
rather they had
certain points
of dispute
with him
about their
own religion
a certain
Jesus
who was dead
but Paul
asserted to be
alive being at a
loss throughout
how to investigate
these questions
I asked whether
he wanted to go
to Jerusalem
and he tried
there
it's an
interesting
thing isn't
it
a dead man
can't remember
the details
a dead man
Jesus
who Paul claimed
was alive
first I said
I was at a
loss
I didn't know
what he was
talking about
I was quite
surprised
it wasn't
what I was
expecting
I looked
through Roman
legislation
I couldn't
find anything
about resurrection
I saw
something about
insurrection
and how to
deal with that
but resurrection
I had no
experience with
that
I don't know
how to deal
with that
in a court
of law
he's out of
his depth
he's clearly
out of his depth
he's not really
that interesting
in fact he's
quite dismissive
about it
it's some
dispute
some superstition
some finer
point of
doctrine
some sect
of the Jews
about a dead
guy Jesus
who Paul says
is alive
shrugs it off
but that is
the issue
isn't it
that is the
issue
first he's put
his finger
on what the
real issue
is
that is why
the Jews
are so angry
and so murderous
why because of
the resurrection
of Jesus
it's because
you see the
resurrection of
Jesus reverses
the verdict
of history
they thought
they got rid
of him
they thought
they tossed
him on the
scrap heap
like just
one of the
other dozens
of messiahs
so called
who popped
up
there have
been so many
of them
and they got
rid of them
and they thought
that's the end
of it
and this Jesus
whom you crucified
God has raised
from the dead
so where does
that leave you
no wonder
they're so angry
and if Jesus
is alive you see
from the dead
then to live
though he's dead
well then
who's the fool
so if it
really happened
and this is
just about
30 years
after the
event
if it really
happened that
this man
Jesus died
and Paul says
he came back
from the dead
and is alive
you just can't
shrug that off
you can't
shrug it off
as some
finer point of
doctrine
some philosophical
discussion
Paul insists
he is on record
isn't he
saying in
Corinthians
that if you
disprove the
resurrection
you dismantle
Christianity
because if
Christ is not
risen your
faith is in
vain your
preaching is
futile
if Jesus
died and
did not
rise then
the apostle
Paul says
I'm a fool
and so are
you for
being here
tonight
and Paul
is saying
I'm prepared
to admit
that
but if he
died and
then he did
come back
from the dead
then who's
the fool
now
Festus
and you
notice in
verse 26
of chapter 26
he says to
Festus and
Agrippa
this was
not done
this was
something that
was not
done in
a corner
this is
something
Festus said
can be
investigated
here is
something that
is on public
record
just 30
years down
the track
from when
it happened
and it's
the best
attested
fact in
human
history
Chuck
Coulson
he was
involved in
the Watergate
scandal and
he became a
Christian while
he was
serving in
prison
he was in
the White
House
this is
what he
said
commentating
on the 40
years
Christ's
disciples
never
backed
down
on their
witness
to the
resurrection
even to
the point
of martyrdom
he said
speaking about
the Watergate
scandal
we couldn't
hold our
stories together
for three
weeks under
that kind
of pressure
he said
I was around
the most
powerful men
in the world
but we
couldn't
hold the
lie
and if the
resurrection
wasn't true
those disciples
could never
have held
out
someone would
have dug
up the
tapes or
something
or maybe
something
else
maybe you're
a fan of
the Simpsons
I was told
this afternoon
I shouldn't
talk about
the Simpsons
but I want
to use this
illustration
those of you
who watch
the Simpsons
and I'm not
recommending it
you might know
of Lionel
Hatz
Lionel Hatz
is the
lawyer
in the
Simpsons
and Lionel
Hatz is
based on a
real life
lawyer
who is a
very different
character
to the guy
in the
Simpsons
Lionel Hatz
is based
on
Sir Lionel
who according
to the
Guinness
Book of
Records
is the
most successful
lawyer ever
he's apparently
245 consecutive
murder acquittals
which is
pretty impressive
isn't it
but he became
a Christian
at the age
of 64
and what
persuaded him
to change
his mind
was this
dead guy
called Jesus
who Paul
said was
alive
listen to
what the
world's
most successful
lawyer says
he says
I spent
more than
40 years
42 years
as a
defence
lawyer
appearing
in many
parts of
the world
I can say
unequivocally
that the
evidence for
the resurrection
of Jesus
is so
overwhelming
that there
is no
room for
doubt
you see
this is
bomb in
the building
stuff
isn't it
let me
explain that
to you
if I
said to
you tonight
there's a
bomb in
the building
you're
obviously
not convinced
you
because
he's
still
sitting
here
but if
I
said
there's
a
bomb
in
the
building
there's
a
bomb
in
the
building
and the
flashing
lights
you start
to see
blue
flashing
lights
and you
hear a
helicopter
overhead
and you
start to hear
silence
coming up
great and
green
and then
some of
the bomb
disposal
rush through
those double
doors of
the back
and they
shout
there's a
bomb
in the
building
you will
not be
sitting here
for five
minutes
will you
go for
five
seconds
you'd
evacuate
the
building
straight
away
and the
resurrection
is that
kind
of
message
it is
not some
point of
doctrine
that the
Jews are
debating
some guy
Paul says
he's dead
but now he
says it's a lie
it is bomb
in the
building
kind of
stuff
and if
this man
called
Jesus
died
and came
back from
the dead
if the
tomb
was empty
in Jerusalem
if this
thing that
was not
dead in
a corner
if this
thing can
be proven
it's
bomb
in the
building
kind of
stuff
and you
cannot
go on
thinking about
your career
festus
if you only
knew it
actually you've
got two
years left
in your
career
anyway
you just
can't shrug
it off
if there
really is a
bomb in
the building
then it's
madness not
to do
anything
about it
and if
Jesus
really did
rise from
the dead
that is
what the
Bible teaches
and it's
the heart
of Paul's
gospel
then that
means the
end of
the world
has come
round
that we're
now living
in the
last days
that's what
the resurrection
signifies
that's what
the Jews
believed
the resurrection
meant
that is
what Paul
had in
common
with these
Jewish
leaders
they believed
that at the
end of the
age
there would
be
resurrection
of the
dead
and in
Jesus
that has
happened
and so
you can't
just shrug
your shoulders
and say
oh that's
interesting
isn't it
it's boring
the building
stuff
and you
cannot
continue
to be a
Jewish
leader
and not
recognise
Jesus
as the
Messiah
you cannot
continue to
be a career
politician
like Festus
and put
your career
first
as if
Jesus
had not
been raised
from the
dead
as the
thirdly
quickly
at the
wholeheartedness
of the
Apostle
Paul
it's
such a
contrast
isn't it
2 verses
24 and
25
of chapter
26
it wasn't
the first
time
and it
wasn't
the last
time
that
Christians
were called
mad
your great
learning is
driving you out
of your mind
George
Whitfield
in June
1736
he was the
great
18th century
preacher
really
and he was
preaching in
the town
of Gloucester
he preached
his first
sermon
in the first
church he
ever preached
it was such
a sermon
that apparently
15 people
were converted
on the spot
it was reported
to the bishop
somebody reported
to the bishop
that George
Whitfield had
driven 15
people mad
to which the bishop
replied
I hope their
madness lasts
till next
Sunday
you see when
somebody is
converted
when somebody
believes in
Jesus
when somebody
is born again
and begins to
take their religion
seriously
you are going
to be accused
of fanaticism
Tim Keller
in his brilliant
book The Reason
for God
says people
accuse us
of fanaticism
but the real
problem with us
as Christians
is that we're
not fanatical
enough
and that is
the problem
because if this
dead guy
Jesus came
back from the
dead and he
is alive
then we ought
to be a lot
more fanatical
aren't we
because that
signals the
end of the
world
that's the
next thing
on God's
calendar
it is
judgment day
and that
is the
significance
of the
resurrection
the very
fact that
it hasn't
happened yet
is because
God is
compassionate
he doesn't
want to be
encouraged
and he's
giving the
opportunity
for the
good news
to get to
the full
corners of
the world
but the
next thing
that is
going to
happen
in God's
scheme of
things is
judgment
he's served
notice on
the human
race by
raising this
man Jesus
from the
dead
and Paul
says to
the Athenians
anyone who
takes their
Christianity
seriously
is going to
be thought of
mad
remember
Jesus
Jesus'
family
thought they
were mad
let me
remind you
he's
preaching
in the
house
and such
a crowd
is gathered
that him
and the
disciples
aren't even
able to
eat
and then
he says
when his
family
heard that
that they
came to
take charge
of Jesus
because they
thought he
was going
out of his
mind
isn't that
strange
here's a
man who
is so
full of
the will
of God
word of
God
he's so
keen to
do the
will of
God
so
zealous
for the
glory
of God
and he
misses a
meal
and they
say you're
out of your
mind
he said
your work
colleagues
what did
you do
last night
I went to
church and I
worshipped God
on a Sunday
night
they think you're
out of your
mind
bizarrely there
are some
Christians who
say you go to
church on
Sunday night
they think you're
out of your
mind
if Jesus is
who he says
he is
and the
resurrection
proves his
claim for
right
who's insane
who's the
fool
so there are
people out there
they think that
the height of
madness is to
miss a meal
their God
is their
belly
it's the
height of
fanaticism
nothing more
important than
filling their
stomachs
at the proper
hour
and when they
see someone
for whom
something is
more important
they say he
is mad
he's out of
his mind
this week I
re-read briefly
a book by
Frankie Schaefer
his parents
Frank and
Edith Schaefer
started
Labrie and
they started
this denomination
and Frankie
Schaefer has
written a
tragic book
called Crazy
for God
and it's so
sad because
as you read
it what you
realise is
Frankie Schaefer
was never
converted
and what
Frankie Schaefer
saw in his
parents
in his
family
he thinks
was madness
fanaticism
fundamentalism
but I want to
say to you
that is exactly
what these
people were
saying to
the apostle
Paul
in the
verses 32
of chapter 26
the very
last verse
and Agrippa
said to
Festus
this man
could have
been set
free if
he had
not appealed
to Caesar
what kind
of nutcase
is he
he could have
been his
freedom
if he had
not appealed
to Caesar
they cannot
understand what
was making
Paul
what was
motivating him
what was
making him
tick
why would he
want to go
to Rome
of course
the reason
he wants
to go to
Rome
do you know
why the reason
he wants
to go to
Rome
is
well look
with me
in Acts
23
verse 11
Acts 23
verse 11
Jesus told
him
certainly
Acts 23
verse 11
and since I
could not see
because of the
brightness of that
light I was
led by the
hand by those
who were with
me and came
into Damascus
that's not the
right verse
because I'm in
the wrong
chapter
23 verse 11
following night
the Lord stood
by him and
said take
courage
for as you've
testified to
the facts about
me in Jerusalem
so you must
testify in Rome
so Paul wants
to go to Rome
Jesus told him
you will go to
Rome it's the
centre of the
world and there
in Rome you'll
appear before
Nero and Nero
will hear the
gospel and not
only will Nero
hear the gospel
but he was
apparently never
converted but the
guard the
praetorian guard
the crack troops
of the empire
who were sent
all around the
world some of
that praetorian
guard were
converted Paul
tells us
some of
Caesar's own
household
believed in
the Lord
Jesus
let me try and
tie this together
I want to ask
you tonight
what is your
attitude to
this message
what makes
you tick
what motivates
you
I've got
my grandfather's
watch
it's an
old fashioned
watch that
ticks
it's got a
loud tick
and the reason
it's got a
tick is because
it's got a
main spring
in the watch
your modern
watch doesn't
have one
but you
have a
main spring
in an old
watch that
makes it
tick
you have a
main spring
inside you
which makes
you tick
as a human
being
what motivates
you
what makes
you tick
what makes
you tick
what drives
you
I want you to
think about
that
is it the
gospel
is it this
message of
a Jesus
who was
dead
and is
alive
is that
what motivates
you
and when it
comes to
this message
you can sit
in church
and you can
be hard
hearted
and closed
minded
like the
Jewish leaders
implacably
hostile
blindly
prejudiced
my mind
is made
up
don't confuse
me with
the facts
I doubt
that is
you
because you
wouldn't
be here
but there
are people
like that
in churches
but it's
often more
subtle
listen to
this quote
by C.S.
Lewis
it's from
the great
divorce
the scene
is the
borders of
heaven
and there's
a lifelong
searcher
is being
invited
in
this is
what he's
told
I can
promise you
here is a
man who's
been searching
all his
life
apparently
I can
promise you
you've got to
scope for
your talents
only for
forgiveness
for having
perverted
them
no atmosphere
of inquiry
for I will
bring you to
the land
not of
questions
but of
answers
and you
will see
the face
of God
ah says
the man
but we
must all
interpret
those beautiful
words
that are
our way
for me
there is
no such
thing
as a
final
answer
the free
wind of
inquiry
must always
continue to
blow through
the mind
must it
not
listen says
the white
spirit
once you
were a
child
once you
knew what
inquiry
is for
but there
was a
time
when you
asked
questions
because you
wanted
answers
and you
were glad
when you
found them
become that
child
again
even now
ah but the
man says
when I
became a
man I
put away
childish
things
no argument
no appeal
will avail
against this
infinite
elasticity
says C.S. Lewis
the encounter
already fruitless
with the gentle
surface
ends with the
gentle surface
remembering an
appointment
making his
apologies
and hurrying off
to his discussion
group in hell
there is more
than one way
to harden your
heart
you don't
have to be
mad and
shouting and
angry
C.K.
Chaston said
an open
mind is
like an
open mouth
you open
it in
order to
shut it
on food
and on
the truth
you feed
your mind
in exactly
the same
way as
you feed
your body
and there
are people
who sit
in church
and they
will come
to church
and apparently
they will
be seeking
for the
truth
and they're
willing to
discuss it
but they
never shut
their mind
on the
truth
there was
a man
called
Jesus
who died
and rose
again
that is
not
philosophy
that is
not a
religious
belief
that is
a fact
of history
and it
happened
in time
and in
space
and there
were
witnesses
and it
is one
of the
most
important
facts
in history
fasten
your mind
on that
have you
that is
the crux
isn't it
either it's
true or
it's not
are you
hard-hearted
closed-minded
when it
comes to
the facts
of the
gospel
are you
half-hearted
like
festus
you're
here but
your mind
is somewhere
else
I know
that's because
the preaching
is boring
sometimes
perhaps today
you're thinking
about your
week
your job
your relationship
your friends
and this stuff
is at the
back of your
mind
and it just
washes over
you
about Jesus
being dead
and then alive
again
you've maybe
always believed
that
I suppose
it's at the
back of your
mind
but if it's
not at the
forefront of your
mind
there's something
wrong isn't
there
if the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ
does not
dominate us
there is
something
wrong with
us
if your
career is
dominating you
or your
family
or making
money
if that is
what wakes
you up
on a
Monday
morning
and not
the fact
that Jesus
is alive
from the
dead
well then
you're
half-hearted
aren't you
when it
comes to
the
gospel
when it
comes to
the
resurrection
of
Jesus
let me
ask you
tonight
are you
half-hearted
or fully
persuaded
how are you
committed
to it like
Paul
has anybody
ever called
you a
fanatic
do people
think you're
mad
what makes
you
tick
what is
driving
you
somebody
said this
week about
IPC
they were in
a conversation
with somebody
else and they
say sometimes
I think that
church is a
cult
and that
conversation
was reported
back to me
I was
hopping
mad
and then I
remembered
the same
allegation
we made
against the
apostle
Paul
what's
driving you
blind
prejudice
hatred
for the
truth
hostility
self-interest
or
Jesus
alive
from the
dead
of
Christ
!
love you
I
love you
to be
honest