WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.280 Okay, so this morning we're going to do something slightly different. 00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:09.240 We have been looking through Matthew's Gospel, but I'm going to do something slightly different. 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:13.439 If you don't like it, then, well, it's only a week, and we'll get back to normal next 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:14.439 week. 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:21.920 But three or four times a year, what we do in St. Columbus is we have what we call brilliant 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:28.199 books Sunday, where we have highlighted, and this occasion it'll be next Sunday, two books 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:34.560 that we are keen on people to look at and to have and to read and to use. 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:40.039 And one of them next week is called Questioning Evangelism. 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:46.759 Now, that title doesn't mean that the author is questioning whether evangelism is right, 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:53.879 but the author is saying that questions are a good way to share our faith, a good way 00:00:53.880 --> 00:01:01.120 of introducing ourselves to other people and to opening up discussion about spiritual 00:01:01.120 --> 00:01:02.880 matters. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:05.560 And it's a fantastic book. 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:07.200 I'll see a little bit more about it later. 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:13.240 It's a really great book by a guy called Randy Newman, not the singer. 00:01:13.240 --> 00:01:19.000 Okay, for those of you who are old enough to know of a singer called Randy Newman, probably 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:21.040 not many of you are. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:33.000 But he is an American Christian who is Jewish from New York, and it's a great book. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:38.120 And we're going to look for a little while at some of the questions Jesus asked, because 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:44.880 he's one of the things he says in the book, because that's the way that Jesus did evangelism 00:01:44.880 --> 00:01:45.880 a lot of the time. 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:52.280 And not only evangelism, he just made relationships and built relationships by asking questions. 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:55.879 And the interesting thing that for us, I think, you know, we're often, I don't know 00:01:55.879 --> 00:02:00.359 about you, but I often feel, I'm made to feel very guilty about evangelism and about how 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:03.560 badly I do it. 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.239 And we're always told, but it's the greatest news of ever, if you've got great news, you 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:09.840 always want to share that and you always want to tell that to other people. 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:11.919 And isn't that what you should do with the gospel? 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:16.199 And of course, that's right, it is the greatest news, it is the most remarkable news. 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:20.839 Yet, we know it's the hardest news for us to share, because we know that it's not like 00:02:20.839 --> 00:02:23.959 telling someone that you've just had a baby or something, or that you're going to get 00:02:23.959 --> 00:02:27.679 married or you've just won a million pounds, which is great news for it, well, maybe not 00:02:27.679 --> 00:02:29.959 the million pounds unless you're very generous. 00:02:29.959 --> 00:02:36.319 But we know that that would be accepted by everyone, but we know that there's this, there's 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.159 a complexity about sharing the gospel, because we know it, while it's the greatest news, 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:47.319 it's also, it requires a great deal of realignment of our thinking about who we are and who God 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:48.840 is and what we need to do. 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:53.159 It's not all good news, in other words, and because we know that it makes people feel 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:58.800 uncomfortable and sometimes antagonistic. 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:02.079 And we know that because it's even difficult for us, if we're honest with one another, 00:03:02.079 --> 00:03:08.159 to share Jesus Christ with each other, and to share our faith with about how Christ is 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:11.960 working in our lives with one another, and if it's difficult for us to share that with 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:16.359 one another, it's obviously going to be with difficult people who don't even believe and 00:03:16.359 --> 00:03:18.159 who don't accept who God is. 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:25.560 And what I don't want to do today in any way whatsoever is make anyone feel guilty about 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:30.359 evangelism or sharing their faith or sharing Jesus Christ, because I think if we're honest 00:03:30.359 --> 00:03:34.519 with each other, as we all look around us, we all feel so scared and so incompetent and 00:03:34.519 --> 00:03:36.439 so guilty and so compromised. 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:44.159 I simply want to point you to Jesus and to take a few examples from Jesus' life and 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:48.159 recognize that this might be encouraging for you to consider. 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:54.039 I'm not suggesting that this is the only way to evangelize or share our faith and that 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:55.319 there's a right or wrong way. 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:59.479 Certainly, there's not three easy steps to evangelism. 00:03:59.479 --> 00:04:04.520 It's liberating to know that we can share our faith in lots of different ways and with 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:10.040 lots of different people, and Jesus uses all kinds of people, bold people, frightened 00:04:10.040 --> 00:04:17.000 people, upbeat people, depressed, Scottish, Presbyterian people, all kinds of people He 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:18.519 uses to share the gospel. 00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:24.480 And we're all very ordinary, but we all have an extraordinary Savior in whom we trust and 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:31.840 whom we love, who's with us, as Lucy reminded us this morning, and who will encourage us. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:36.839 So the book that we're recommending you buy next week, and we hope you will do that, it's 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:39.959 called Questioning, Evangelism. 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:40.959 I went to... 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:43.039 I mentioned this, I think, once before here. 00:04:43.039 --> 00:04:48.679 I went to hear this guy speak at Charlotte Chapel a few months ago, and I kind of went 00:04:48.679 --> 00:04:50.679 dragging my feet, to be honest, a little bit. 00:04:50.679 --> 00:04:55.839 I felt I'd signed up to go, I thought I ought to go, and it was a Saturday morning, lots 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:56.839 of things to do. 00:04:56.839 --> 00:05:03.639 I went anyway, and it was one of these yes moments, you know, when he's... 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:06.279 I'm really glad I came here. 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:07.279 This is exact... 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:12.159 You know, when you sometimes get a book, or you sometimes hear something, which is yes, 00:05:12.159 --> 00:05:16.759 that's kind of what I've been feeling for years, and no one's ever articulated it. 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:22.639 But that was one of these moments where this guy really articulated exactly how I felt, 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:26.120 and he introduced himself by saying he was rubbish at sharing his faith, and he struggled 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:31.399 with it, and he felt guilty about it, and I could immediately sympathise with that, and 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:34.560 he got my attention. 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:42.600 And he went on to explain about the power, particularly in a secular society, in a society 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:48.120 where people don't believe and don't have a basis of faith of any kind, particularly, 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:56.240 that opening up conversation with questions is a great way of inspiring conversation, 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:05.079 which can be difficult in a hostile environment, and even for ourselves as we share our faith 00:06:05.079 --> 00:06:07.280 and as we share our lives with one another. 00:06:07.280 --> 00:06:10.800 The introduction to the book is by a guy called Lee Strobel. 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:12.240 Many of you may have heard of him. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:17.680 He was an American journalist who was an atheist and who went out to disprove the Gospel and 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:20.040 disprove the truth of the Gospel. 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:25.319 And in doing so and looking at the evidence, he became a believer, he became a Christian, 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:29.199 I think the book is called The Case for Faith, at least that's one of his books. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:35.439 And he writes the introduction to this book that we're looking at, that we're hoping 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.519 that you will read yourselves. 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:41.040 And he introduces it by saying the power of questions. 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:45.639 He said he gets a lot of emails and a lot of emails from people asking questions, maybe 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:48.240 after he's done a talk or something like that. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:54.000 And he got this email late one night, which just said, if God is so loving, why does he 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.719 allow so much pain and suffering in the world? 00:06:56.719 --> 00:07:01.120 And you know, he'd heard that question so many times and he was tired and he was weary 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:05.199 and he thought, well, am I going to answer that aggressively? 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:11.439 Or will I take ages to answer theologically and go through all the different reasons why 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:14.159 he's suffering is in this world? 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:17.800 And he chose not to do either of these things on that occasion. 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:21.840 And he chose simply to ask a question. 00:07:21.840 --> 00:07:28.640 I said, have all the questions in the universe, why did you choose that one? 00:07:28.640 --> 00:07:31.520 And the guy who'd written the question, the first question was very aggressively sort of 00:07:31.520 --> 00:07:33.600 worded. 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:39.400 And when he got this response, the second response, Lee Stroball says, the answer was, 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:45.679 the tone of the email was completely different, the anger had gone. 00:07:45.679 --> 00:07:48.519 It became a sincere discussion. 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:55.679 He opened up about the reasons why he felt these things were so difficult to answer. 00:07:55.679 --> 00:08:01.799 And it just opened up a much more fruitful and helpful discussion with the asking of 00:08:01.799 --> 00:08:04.519 that question. 00:08:04.519 --> 00:08:10.919 And it's interesting in the gospels, we find that Jesus asks many more questions than he 00:08:10.919 --> 00:08:13.439 gives answers. 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:16.120 It's not really what we like, is it? 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:17.319 We like things black and white. 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:18.319 We like all the answers. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:22.039 We like it A, B and C and we like steps and everything clear cut. 00:08:22.039 --> 00:08:31.639 But Jesus is, to be precise, Jesus asks 307 questions in the gospel. 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:42.039 And he has asked 183, what's recorded of course, 183 questions of which he only answers three 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:45.039 with straight answers. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:53.080 Asking questions is central to Jesus' life and teaching, because Jesus is the personification 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:55.120 of wisdom. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:58.759 And wisdom very often isn't black and white. 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:04.960 Wisdom is about understanding and about learning and about growing and about being challenged. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:15.679 It's not about giving trite, easy, orthodox, painless answers, factual truth to people 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:18.519 we don't know and understand. 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:21.519 Wisdom is often for us deeper than that. 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:28.919 It is often opened dialogue, challenged preconceptions and got people thinking. 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:33.559 And that is, I believe, the value of asking questions. 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:39.879 And it's a great book to read to help you to consider asking questions. 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:49.039 I was hugely inspired and encouraged and motivated and I believe gained great wisdom from it. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:55.159 It will always, it will also make you laugh, which is a great thing. 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:59.079 But we want to be equipped to share our faith. 00:09:59.079 --> 00:10:07.399 And so I want just very briefly to consider these passages, not going into any depth on 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:15.599 them, but just to look at the fact that Jesus asks questions in his interactions with people. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:21.040 Not always believers, not always unbelievers, but he used questions so much. 00:10:21.040 --> 00:10:26.440 The first reading that we took that Katrina read was from Matthew chapter 8 and at verse 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:27.840 23. 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:30.440 And that's the story of Jesus in the storm. 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:34.639 And the disciples who knew him and who loved him and who trusted him by this point are 00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:36.560 fearful for their lives. 00:10:36.560 --> 00:10:37.680 They're afraid. 00:10:37.680 --> 00:10:41.960 And so Jesus asks the question of them when they're in the boat, you know, do you not 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:44.440 care for us that we're perishing? 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:50.400 And then he answers them, not by saying, yes, of course I care for you. 00:10:50.400 --> 00:10:52.880 He says, why are you so afraid? 00:10:52.880 --> 00:10:55.080 So he asks the question, well, why are you so afraid? 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:59.240 Now it may have been at that point a rhetorical question, but it's recorded for us and it 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:04.600 would have made the disciples think at that moment and at least moments beyond that. 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:08.800 In the storm, this question, why are you afraid? 00:11:08.800 --> 00:11:11.760 It asks the question, well, why are you afraid? 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:18.919 Right, you're in the boat here with God the Son, the one who is sovereign over creation. 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:22.000 And I've, I'm in the boat with you. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:26.240 He said basically, he said, it's crazy for you to be afraid. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:27.679 What is there to be afraid of? 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:30.840 Now he asks that question because he knows we're all afraid. 00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:36.279 We're all afraid at various points and various times and in various ways. 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:44.480 And Jesus asks the question to encourage us to be reminded of how powerful Jesus is and 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:49.279 who it is that we have as believers in our lives and who we have as believers in our 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:50.279 hearts. 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:58.399 You know, who is it or what is it that is more powerful in your life that makes you afraid 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:05.079 and makes you underestimate who Jesus is in you and for you? 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:08.759 His person and His promises. 00:12:08.759 --> 00:12:11.480 Who do we think Jesus is? 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:14.240 Who is it that we have entrusted our life in our heart to? 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:19.600 He's kind of, some kind of middle of the road sort of country singer or something. 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:25.040 Is he someone that drifts in and out of our life as someone insignificant and powerless? 00:12:25.040 --> 00:12:27.600 Do we believe that he's powerless? 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.440 Do we believe that he's insignificant? 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:32.000 Is he not able? 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:40.039 Do we think it's kind of theory that he died on the cross and gave himself to death and 00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:44.600 rose, gave himself into life by rising from the dead on the third day and ascending into 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:45.600 heaven? 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:52.399 Are His promises for us, are they just empty promises about His return and about the new 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:57.600 heavens and the new earth and about His being with us and caring for us? 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:58.879 Why are we afraid? 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:02.399 He wants us to ask that question. 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:10.080 Or the temple tax in the next section in Matthew chapter 17, the second passage that Katrina 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:16.080 read, he asks Peter, what do you think Simon? 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:17.679 What do you think? 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:22.639 When the Pharisees came with this request about whether Jesus paid the temple tax, Peter, 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:24.679 what do you think? 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:25.679 What do you think? 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:26.679 It's a great question, isn't it? 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:31.000 Peter, have you worked out what it means to be a follower of me? 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:38.359 Have you worked out what rights you put to the side and do something not necessarily 00:13:38.359 --> 00:13:39.359 to offend people? 00:13:39.359 --> 00:13:42.599 What do you think, Peter? 00:13:42.599 --> 00:13:44.959 What battles, Peter, are you going to fight? 00:13:44.959 --> 00:13:49.479 What are significant to fight and what are not? 00:13:49.479 --> 00:13:51.879 What do you think? 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:53.679 He wants us to be thinking. 00:13:53.679 --> 00:14:02.479 He wants us to be thinking, believers, when Jesus asks questions, he wants us to sit up. 00:14:02.479 --> 00:14:05.519 He wants us to consider, oh, why are you afraid? 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.120 What do you think? 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:10.120 He pushes it back into our court. 00:14:10.120 --> 00:14:12.519 You know, I think that's one of the... 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:15.159 And don't take me wrong on this, don't take me wrong on this. 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:18.959 But I think this is one of the negative things about church. 00:14:18.959 --> 00:14:22.000 It's so passive, isn't it? 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:25.840 He says, I'm blabbering on here and you're just all sitting and you're maybe a million 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:26.840 miles away. 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:27.840 And it's also passive. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:30.240 But yeah, he's saying, what do you think? 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:33.240 And he's saying, why are you afraid? 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:35.559 And he's throwing it back to you. 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:40.840 He's throwing everything back into our court so that we're not mindless or unthoughtful 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:42.000 in who we are. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.440 He wants us to, as believers, to work out our faith. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:51.399 He's examining in his word our hearts to see where our idols are, what we're afraid 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:53.720 of, where our confidence lie. 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:59.240 When the storms come, what are the challenges that we're willing to put in Jesus' place? 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:04.199 Are we willing to grow and learn and develop confidence? 00:15:04.199 --> 00:15:07.439 Are we talking and walking and sharing? 00:15:07.439 --> 00:15:12.959 And intentionally encouraging one another to do that, which is our theme for the year. 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:25.400 I really hate the thought of sermons or the books we read or the Bible being old hat. 00:15:25.400 --> 00:15:27.680 Not challenging you to think. 00:15:27.680 --> 00:15:35.040 I really hate the thought of you being, and me being thoughtless, mindless Christians, 00:15:35.040 --> 00:15:41.480 not responding to the questions of Jesus, trotting out the same old orthodox truths that are as 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:45.720 dead as dodos to us, because they're meaningless. 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:52.279 Looking at the Word of God is a dry textbook and not the living Word of God. 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:55.080 And Jesus says, what do you think? 00:15:55.080 --> 00:15:59.680 And he says, why are you afraid? 00:15:59.680 --> 00:16:01.639 And I speak into Christians. 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:05.279 And he also speaks to unbelievers, doesn't he, in different ways. 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.759 Matthew 19, the third passage we read. 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:15.639 He's speaking to this rich young man, and he says, why do you ask me about good? 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:19.879 And one of the other gots is, why do you call me good? 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:21.879 Challenging question, isn't it? 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:25.319 Why do you ask me about good? 00:16:25.319 --> 00:16:29.840 Because he knows that the rich young ruler at this point has his own definition of goodness 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.519 that he's coming to Jesus with. 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:35.480 You know, Jesus says, well, what do you mean by that? 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:37.360 What do you mean by good? 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:43.840 So the rich young ruler kind of trips off this question, probably fairly insignificantly, 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:51.080 you know, you know, and Jesus says, well, what do you mean by that? 00:16:51.080 --> 00:16:52.080 What is your definition? 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:53.080 What's your standard? 00:16:53.080 --> 00:17:01.399 And if I'm good, he says, and then I'm God, because that's the ultimate definition of 00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:02.399 goodness. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:10.200 And if I'm God, do you listen to who I claim to be and what I claim to say? 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:18.160 Because ultimately, Jesus is better than us, obviously, infinitely, could see that this 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.440 rich young man was deluded. 00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:26.079 He didn't really want to know about what he needed to do to get eternal life. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:31.680 He believed he had eternal life, that he'd kept all the laws, and that he was good, that 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:36.080 his wealth was a sign of God's blessing on him, and that he was good and he would get 00:17:36.080 --> 00:17:37.080 to heaven. 00:17:37.080 --> 00:17:42.200 He didn't really, he wasn't really thinking through the question he was asking, and Jesus 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:47.120 knew that his trust lay in his own goodness and in his wealth. 00:17:47.120 --> 00:17:49.560 So Jesus said, well, you're some guy. 00:17:49.560 --> 00:17:50.560 You've kept all that. 00:17:50.560 --> 00:17:51.560 Oh man, you're amazing. 00:17:51.560 --> 00:17:52.560 You're a great guy. 00:17:52.560 --> 00:17:58.120 Now go and sell all that you have and follow me. 00:17:58.119 --> 00:18:04.799 Because the question opened up the reality that he didn't understand goodness, and he 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:13.319 didn't understand Jesus, and he was self-righteous. 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:16.159 And we need to come to terms with that whole thinking. 00:18:16.159 --> 00:18:20.479 If you're not a Christian here today, that whole thinking about goodness, we very often, 00:18:20.479 --> 00:18:26.959 even subconsciously will trust in our own goodness and how we've lived our lives. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:31.120 Because we compare ourselves maybe to others, and because we've had a great life and a happy 00:18:31.120 --> 00:18:32.120 life. 00:18:32.120 --> 00:18:37.279 But God says that he's the standard of goodness, and he says that nobody's good enough for 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.279 getting to heaven. 00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:42.600 Now that's bad news, isn't it? 00:18:42.600 --> 00:18:45.519 Jesus says that, and that's why he came. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:51.440 Because he came to be good enough in our place because he's God, and yet to die is the bad 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:58.440 guy in our place, incurring our punishment, separation and death. 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:03.279 So we need to recognize the significance and the bigness of these things and ask again, 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:07.600 well why are you afraid of not coming to Jesus? 00:19:07.600 --> 00:19:10.559 What is it that's more important to you than coming to Jesus? 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:14.559 What's holding you back from deciding to follow Jesus and put your trust in Him? 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:17.440 Is it that He's not good enough? 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:25.960 Is it that there's other things that you're more afraid of? 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:28.680 It's good to ask questions. 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:35.480 And then the last section is where Jesus, it's a kind of classic in Matthew 21, where 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:41.279 his authority is challenged by what authority does he do these things? 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:50.359 And Jesus answers that question with a question, and he says by what authority, the baptism 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:51.680 of John, where did it come from? 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:57.319 Did it come from heaven or from man? 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:02.079 So in this occasion, Jesus doesn't even give an answer to their question. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:05.599 He answers their question with another question. 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:09.000 He didn't even debate what they were saying. 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:10.720 Why? 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:17.319 Because he knew they weren't interested genuinely in where his authority came from. 00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:19.759 They wanted to trip him up. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:21.360 They wanted to trap him. 00:20:21.360 --> 00:20:26.960 They wanted to expose his claims. 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.759 They had closed minds. 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:34.360 He knew that they cared more about their position and their popularity than the truth. 00:20:34.360 --> 00:20:39.839 So he wasn't willing to answer their question. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:44.359 Coming back to the great book of the Bible that speaks about wisdom is Proverbs 17 verse 00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:46.799 14. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:52.839 The beginning of strife is like letting out water so quick before the quarrel breaks out, 00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:55.439 or Proverbs 26, 4. 00:20:55.439 --> 00:21:00.519 Answer not a fool according to his folly lest you be like him yourself. 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:05.480 So the Bible in its wisdom reminds us that there's times where we don't get into arguments 00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:10.799 with people if we feel and if we sense and if we discern that they're simply there to 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:11.960 trip us up. 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:22.240 If they're there to expose what we believe in a sarcastic or negative way, and that for 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:25.720 us needs wisdom. 00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:30.880 We need discernment and insight and not stark quarrels. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:38.880 You know, we can win an argument and lose the battle because it can sometimes just make 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:44.240 people more antagonistic because we expose their folly sometimes, or God exposes their 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:45.240 folly in His Word. 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:51.120 We need to be gracious and loving and also wise enough to step back and question sometimes 00:21:51.120 --> 00:21:52.120 help us do that. 00:21:52.119 --> 00:22:01.919 Okay, so I want to finish just by asking the question, why are questions so good? 00:22:01.919 --> 00:22:05.199 Why is it that questions are good and important? 00:22:05.199 --> 00:22:09.959 Because questions help us, in the first place, questions help us to understand the way of 00:22:09.959 --> 00:22:11.039 wisdom. 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:17.000 Okay, that it's not always just about techniques and it's not about black and white, it's about 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:19.000 discernment. 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:20.679 And wisdom is about discernment. 00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:28.640 Verse 4, verse 7, the beginning of wisdom is this, get wisdom and whatever you get, get 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:29.640 insight. 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:37.440 So insight and discernment is important and questions often help us to do that because 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:40.440 they open up genuine conversation. 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:46.200 They occasionally will help us to move from always being on the defensive as Christians, 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:47.759 to be on the offensive. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:52.480 When someone asks a question, don't we often feel immediately on the defensive? 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:54.000 I'm not so sure about that. 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:59.079 But if we ask a question, if we ask them to define what they mean or why they say what 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:04.960 they say, it changes the whole dynamic of the conversation and the direction which is 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.160 going. 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:12.759 Questions remind us that the gospel is in a formula, a simple passing on a fact. 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:14.599 The gospel, what is the gospel? 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:16.200 What do we do when we're sharing the gospel? 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:23.160 We're introducing one divine person to another person who's not divine. 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:24.319 That's what we're doing in the gospel. 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:31.120 We're introducing people to one another, Jesus and the next person, the person beside 00:23:31.120 --> 00:23:32.120 us. 00:23:32.120 --> 00:23:34.519 That's what the gospel is doing. 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:43.039 It's not telling people a set of facts primarily, it is introducing them to a person and a 00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:50.879 person who loves them, who can change their hearts as he's changed ours and our minds 00:23:50.879 --> 00:23:53.440 and who will touch each one of us differently. 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:54.440 You're all unique. 00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:59.519 We are all unique today and God deals with us uniquely and differently in our lives. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:02.599 There's no one formulaic way in which God deals with us. 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:05.079 We're not machines. 00:24:05.079 --> 00:24:08.200 We're made in the image of God uniquely. 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.000 We're not machines and so God deals with us differently. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:18.200 And He uses you and I to ask questions, to get to know people, to love them, to share 00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:27.079 with them, to ask questions of one another as believers in the same way. 00:24:27.079 --> 00:24:36.119 Sometimes we're starting with those people who don't believe that God exists at all. 00:24:36.119 --> 00:24:43.599 They don't believe He's a person, a divine person, and we know our own natural antagonism 00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:48.439 and hostility towards God because of the sin in our hearts. 00:24:48.439 --> 00:24:55.000 By nature without Christ we're blind and obstinate and it's implausible truth for many. 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:56.000 Remember that. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:00.599 You know, 100 years ago you could share your faith differently because there was a, there 00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:04.879 wasn't a plausibility gap because people believed. 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:08.000 They might not have, or people believed the facts. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:12.000 They didn't believe it personally but they believed in heaven and hell and God and Satan 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:13.560 and all these things. 00:25:13.560 --> 00:25:19.880 But there's a much bigger plausibility gap today because you're starting from, with most 00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:24.720 people they don't believe at all that there is a God so we need to draw them closer. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:32.120 You know, if I say to you today, absolutely, Nessie, Nessie's the one. 00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:36.000 Nessie exists in Loch Ness Mon, he's the Loch Ness monster and he exists and he's a big, 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:42.759 big 250-foot monster and he chomps up people all over the place and he's a big angry beast. 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:46.439 Now there's an implausibility, there's an implausibility gap. 00:25:46.439 --> 00:25:48.199 He's like, no, I don't think so. 00:25:48.199 --> 00:25:50.119 I think that's just made up. 00:25:50.119 --> 00:25:51.959 I think you're just pretending that that's the case. 00:25:51.959 --> 00:25:54.959 Not really, it's just myth. 00:25:54.959 --> 00:25:56.359 Because there's a big gap, isn't there? 00:25:56.359 --> 00:26:02.240 Now what would make it more likely to believe in that kind of monster-chomping Nessie? 00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:08.119 Well if you maybe had photographs of them or if there was sonic recordings and you heard 00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:12.719 sounds of an unusual sound from the water or you had an eyewitness account of someone 00:26:12.719 --> 00:26:18.319 whose life was changed on the banks of Loch Ness because they saw this monster, it would 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:23.279 bring the implausibility gap, it would close it. 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:28.720 Now we need to do the same with the gospel because there's an implausibility gap. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:32.519 I'm not comparing the gospel with Nessie, okay? 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:35.200 But I was an example, okay? 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:38.759 But what we need to do, you know, if we say someone, you need to believe in Jesus Christ 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:39.759 or you'll die. 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:44.639 But if they don't believe in Jesus or God or in spiritual truth, we need to draw them 00:26:44.639 --> 00:26:46.480 closer. 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:49.519 We need to talk about the historicity of the gospel. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:52.379 We need to talk about the evidence for the gospel. 00:26:52.380 --> 00:26:58.160 We need to speak about, sometimes, about origins, about creativity, about justice, about love, 00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:02.080 about hate and the answers to these things. 00:27:02.080 --> 00:27:07.120 We need to share our own experience of what God is doing and has done in Jesus Christ 00:27:07.120 --> 00:27:12.320 and it brings the plausibility gap closer. 00:27:12.320 --> 00:27:17.720 Second Corinthians 10 verses 3 to 5, say, for though we walk in the flesh, we're not 00:27:17.720 --> 00:27:23.000 to wage war according to the flesh, weapons of our warfare are not the flesh but a divine 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:24.960 power to destroy strongholds. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:29.559 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take 00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:31.200 every thought captive to obey Christ. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:39.799 So there's this battle, there's this intelligent work involved in sharing our faith and bringing 00:27:39.799 --> 00:27:42.360 people closer to the reality of what we believe. 00:27:42.359 --> 00:27:48.959 It's not simply telling them facts and waiting for the magic of the Holy Spirit to convert 00:27:48.959 --> 00:27:52.000 them in some kind of pseudo mystical way. 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:58.319 God uses us and He wants us to use who we are and our brains and our minds as well as 00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:59.319 prayer, of course. 00:27:59.319 --> 00:28:05.039 And so if someone says to you, I think all people are basically good, what's a good response 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:06.039 to that? 00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:09.919 Maybe just ask the question with one word. 00:28:09.919 --> 00:28:10.919 Really? 00:28:10.920 --> 00:28:13.200 Do you really believe that? 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:16.640 Do you really believe that all people are basically good? 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:21.400 And then maybe you'll find that that's not the case and that they'll divide out and 00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:23.200 they'll make judgments. 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:26.800 And then you say, well, on what basis do you make the judgments? 00:28:26.800 --> 00:28:28.039 And so it goes on. 00:28:28.039 --> 00:28:35.240 And it's simply trying to encourage people to dialogue and to discussion. 00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:38.000 Or can I give you just one example from the book? 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:40.160 Just maybe to encourage you. 00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:43.600 It's a good book. 00:28:43.600 --> 00:28:51.000 He has in the book a lot of theoretical discussions or discussions he's had. 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:58.360 And he asks this question, I've got the right page, sorry. 00:28:58.360 --> 00:28:59.360 Yeah. 00:28:59.360 --> 00:29:02.680 A non-Christian asks the question, I can't believe you're so intolerant as to believe 00:29:02.680 --> 00:29:06.279 that Christianity is the only way, Christian. 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:09.040 What's so bad about intolerance? 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:10.519 Are you crazy? 00:29:10.519 --> 00:29:15.159 It leads to hatred and racism and how could you be so ridiculous? 00:29:15.159 --> 00:29:17.079 Well, you sound pretty upset. 00:29:17.079 --> 00:29:19.879 Well, of course I'm upset. 00:29:19.879 --> 00:29:22.279 Actually, you sound intolerant. 00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:23.279 What? 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:26.639 You sound intolerant of my intolerance. 00:29:26.639 --> 00:29:28.960 I'm not intolerant. 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:30.920 Everyone's intolerant of something. 00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:31.920 We have to be. 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:36.039 Wouldn't you say that you're intolerant of some things? 00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:39.839 I would hope so. 00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:47.440 And I think it's just that ability to discuss and question and open the hearts and sometimes 00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:51.240 the irrationality of unbelief. 00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:52.519 So it's a way of wisdom. 00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:55.319 It contributes to the way of wisdom. 00:29:55.319 --> 00:29:57.839 It also helps us to understand others, as I've mentioned. 00:29:57.839 --> 00:29:59.399 We're image bearers. 00:29:59.399 --> 00:30:05.440 The people we know and love that aren't Christian are not projects. 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:12.160 They are people to love and to respect and to care for and to share our lives and our 00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:13.160 faith with. 00:30:13.160 --> 00:30:17.279 See, Jesus is with the women at the well. 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:18.279 He was dialoguing. 00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:19.680 He was discussing. 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:22.360 He was respectful. 00:30:22.360 --> 00:30:25.039 Shockingly so to His disciples. 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:26.039 He was interested. 00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:33.799 Now, if you come this evening, I'm going to show a 10-minute video this evening of Mez 00:30:33.799 --> 00:30:36.000 McConnell's conversion. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:43.519 Mez is a church planter in Nidrae and has started what's called the Charity 20 Schemes, planting 00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:49.680 churches in the most socially deprived areas of Scotland. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:52.919 And that's the other book we're selling next week. 00:30:52.919 --> 00:30:57.720 It's this book and also Mez McConnell's latest book, which is called Creaking on the Stairs, 00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:05.519 which speaks about his abusive childhood and his response and his battle to forgive. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:11.880 But he says that he was converted because he was wild and he was in prison and he was 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:17.440 visited in prison by two Christians who traveled 80 or 90 miles from their church to visit 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:23.200 him and who came across as people who were interested in him and didn't see him as a 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:27.079 project. 00:31:27.079 --> 00:31:28.240 And that's very powerful. 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:33.960 And I think not only does it help us to understand others, but it helps us to win people. 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:37.919 Romans 12, 20, it's the last verse I put up. 00:31:37.919 --> 00:31:39.240 If your enemy is hungry, feed him. 00:31:39.240 --> 00:31:41.359 If he's thirsty, give him something to drink. 00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:45.000 For by so doing, you'll heat burning coals in their head. 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:47.439 It's different. 00:31:47.439 --> 00:31:53.159 It's loving those who maybe persecute or are difficult to us. 00:31:53.159 --> 00:31:55.319 And we aim to win people. 00:31:55.319 --> 00:32:00.439 Now, on Wednesday night when you discuss this, I've written it's on your, it'll be 00:32:00.439 --> 00:32:04.200 on your bulletin sheet as well. 00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:12.359 The questions that are not Christian questions, they're questions from a very famous book 00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:15.159 about how to win friends and influence people. 00:32:15.159 --> 00:32:17.480 Dale Carnegie in 1936. 00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:21.279 Nine principles of how to win friends and influence people. 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:24.559 Now, you look at these principles. 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:31.960 Most of them can be our summary of Romans 12, 20 about doing the opposite of what people 00:32:31.960 --> 00:32:33.359 think. 00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:38.399 And we can learn from the common grace and wisdom of others. 00:32:38.399 --> 00:32:43.599 Because not only are people resistant, not only are people resistant of the truth, they 00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:47.119 have a false image that we need to break down. 00:32:47.119 --> 00:32:49.119 Sometimes that image is deserved. 00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:54.879 And then the last thing I would say about the importance of asking questions is because 00:32:54.879 --> 00:33:00.679 they will, I guarantee they will drive you to prayer and the word. 00:33:00.679 --> 00:33:04.919 They will drive you to learn more because you will be asked questions in return and 00:33:04.919 --> 00:33:10.439 you will have relationships with spiritual input that you haven't had before. 00:33:10.439 --> 00:33:15.799 You will be driven to read Proverbs, to study Jesus, to pray for wisdom, to pray for people, 00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:21.319 to pray for understanding, to believe and to trust and to take your fear to Him and find 00:33:21.319 --> 00:33:23.399 courage and peace and passion. 00:33:23.399 --> 00:33:25.359 Don't give up the fight. 00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:29.879 Keep learning and keep growing and don't be afraid of what Jesus has for you in a short 00:33:29.879 --> 00:33:33.159 life that we're here, very short life that we're here. 00:33:33.159 --> 00:33:38.079 If it's an easy life you want, well, you can leave anytime because it's not going to be 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:39.559 that for us as Christians. 00:33:39.559 --> 00:33:41.639 It's a battle in the here and now. 00:33:41.640 --> 00:33:47.320 It's not following Jesus if we want an easy life, but it is life to the full and in the 00:33:47.320 --> 00:33:52.680 future it's life that is unimaginably spectacular. 00:33:52.680 --> 00:33:59.120 So keep, I pray, for myself and for you that we're driven to prayer and we're driven to 00:33:59.120 --> 00:34:05.400 the word by asking the questions that will open up people's lives and hearts. 00:34:05.400 --> 00:34:10.160 And if you're not a believer today, again, can I ask you to take the claims of Jesus 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:16.519 really seriously, put all other things aside that you regard as more important until you've 00:34:16.519 --> 00:34:20.159 asked your questions and been open to His answers. 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:25.679 And I guarantee when you're open to Him, He will reveal Himself to you and you will find 00:34:25.679 --> 00:34:29.920 Him to be the greatest and only Savior that is. 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:31.639 We're all praying for you. 00:34:31.639 --> 00:34:33.239 That's for our heads. 00:34:33.239 --> 00:34:37.799 Father of God, we ask that you would be with us, that you would help us, that you would 00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:42.600 teach us, that we would learn, that we would be equipped to follow Jesus and to follow 00:34:42.600 --> 00:34:44.240 His example. 00:34:44.240 --> 00:34:52.200 Give us that sensitivity, that courage, boldness and yet beauty and simplicity and humility 00:34:52.200 --> 00:34:59.360 and winsomeness that is going to make a difference in this world today, which is very antagonistic 00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:05.120 to what they perceive the gospel to be and what they perceive Jesus to be. 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:12.119 So help us to be able to share Jesus with one another, which will help us to be able 00:35:12.119 --> 00:35:17.559 to share Jesus with others who don't know you, especially by being interested and loving 00:35:17.559 --> 00:35:23.639 and asking questions and seeking to know what are the issues in people's hearts and lives. 00:35:23.639 --> 00:35:25.719 We ask it in His precious name. 00:35:25.719 --> 00:35:36.159 Amen.