Do you believe in God?
Why?
Is it because everyone believes?
Maybe you grew up in a family where your parents believed in God.
They took you along to church, just like I've taken my children along to church this morning.
And so you've just always believed that there was a God.
Maybe there was a boy or girl at youth group.
Maybe it was called youth fellowship in those days.
And you started chasing them.
And then you've just found yourself at church since then.
Does anybody want to admit to that?
No? Okay, maybe later.
Why are you in a Christian church?
You know, with worshipping and singing to the Christian God.
You know, the Bible is an old book.
Look, why do you believe what it says about God?
Now these may seem like strange questions to be asked by your pastor.
You know, you might just be expecting me to say,
Shh, don't think too hard about why you believe in God.
Just trust God.
Don't use your brain.
It's dangerous thinking too much.
Just trust me.
It's fine.
Trust me.
Christianity is not just about believing really hard and ignoring the world around us.
Believing in the God of the Bible is not just about closing our eyes to the facts and having blind faith.
I believe that Christianity is rigorous.
It is a deep faith that can be studied and investigated.
There's a famous saying about it that Christianity is shallow enough for a child to swim in,
but also deep enough for an elephant to swim.
But if you believe in God, do you know why?
And if you don't believe in God, do you know why?
You know, I don't know, but you know, if you're in the office or, you know, over coffee or at school or in the playground,
have you ever been asked, why do you believe in God?
Or why don't you believe in God?
Do you have an answer to that question?
Why do you believe in God?
Is it possible that we haven't actually thought hard about what we believe in God?
Maybe we thought about it years ago and we have just grown and matured with many assumptions.
This season in church, we are looking at the foundational beliefs of Christianity.
We're looking at a statement called the Apostles' Creed.
This morning after we sang, as we stayed standing, we said this thing called the Apostles' Creed.
You may be familiar with it because here at St. Paul's, we regularly declare that we believe this expression of who God is.
Now, this creed dates back to about 300-400 AD.
It wasn't written by the apostles,
but it does reflect the early church's desire to express and summarise the faith given by the apostles.
The Apostles' Creed is short.
I'm not sure if you've thought of it being short,
but there's many other creeds that are much longer.
The Apostles' Creed is fairly short.
It doesn't contain everything that we believe, but it is a great summary.
It instructs and guides and defends what we believe.
Now, Wendy, if you can pull up the creed that we had earlier,
there's this repetition in the creed.
It starts with, I believe in God.
Skip over to the part about Jesus.
I believe in Jesus.
And then to the Holy Spirit.
I believe in the Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Wendy.
It's this repetition throughout the Apostles' Creed that we believe in something.
We believe that there is a God.
We believe that there is a being who is so powerful that he could make the entire universe,
that he is the judge, that he sustains everything.
And today we're going to investigate whether there is any reason we should believe in a God.
So first we're going to question why we should believe at all.
And then we're going to be questioning about, well, why should we believe in the Christian God?
So have your Bibles open.
We're going to start in Romans 1, which Adrian read for us earlier.
Starting in Romans 1, Paul, the Apostle, has sent a letter to the Roman church
and he is talking about how God has revealed himself to all people.
So from Romans 1, verse 18.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people
who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
since what may be known about God is plain to them,
because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities,
his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made,
so that people are without excuse.
So Paul is talking about this phenomenon called general revelation,
where God has revealed himself in a general way to all people on the earth that have ever existed.
God has revealed himself to everyone, not specifically, but generally.
Paul can say that just by looking at the world around us,
you can be convinced that there is a God.
God has made it plain to us.
And he points to the creation of the world which shows God's power.
And so as we consider this world that there is,
we're going to see at least four reasons.
There's four clues for us to believe that there is a God.
Now this morning, this is a little bit of a different sermon.
We're going to look at some science and some philosophy
before we spend a little bit more time in the Bible.
A little bit different.
Go with me.
I know it's early, but you'll cope, I'm sure.
We're going to look at four clues that there is a God.
The first being the Big Bang.
The second is that there are perfect conditions for life on this planet.
The third reason to believe that there is a God is that there is beauty.
And the fourth is that we have morals.
There are many more than these four,
but these are just the ones I'm going to briefly be touching on this morning.
I'd encourage you to read this book that my wife is going to pick up and hold for me
because I forgot to bring it up.
It should just be on the floor or next to you somewhere.
There it is.
Thank you, Lulu.
This book that you might be able to see over there,
it's called The Reason for God by a man called Tim Keller.
He is a pastor in New York.
And that's a really helpful book to dive deeper into this, if you would like.
So we're going to see these four clues.
The first of all, the first one is the Big Bang.
And this really is questioning, well, why is there anything?
Why is there something?
Why is there anything physical?
Where did the sandstone, is this sandstone?
Is this sandstone?
Does anybody know?
Is this actual sandstone?
No, it's not.
I'm getting conflicting evidence.
Oh, okay.
It's fake.
Okay.
Where does whatever this is come from?
Well, certainly it wasn't mined out of a quarry because it's not real sandstone.
But where do any of these things around us that we see come from?
Well, maybe they were in the ground originally,
but where does that ground come from?
Where does this planet come from?
Stephen Hawking, the scientist, wrote, and I should have these quotes on the screen.
Thank you, Wendy.
That almost everyone now believes that the universe and time itself had a beginning at the Big Bang.
Stephen Hawking is making this big claim that everything came from something.
And so something sparked.
There was a point where suddenly everything was and it flew through the universe that had now just been created
and cooled and crashed together and became the origin of everything.
Another scientist, a man by the name of Francis Collins, questions the origins of that Big Bang.
He wrote,
We have this very solid conclusion that the universe had an origin, the Big Bang.
15 billion years ago, the universe began with an unimaginably bright flash of energy from an infinitesimally small point.
That implies that before that, there was nothing.
I can't imagine how nature, in this case the universe, could have created itself.
And the very fact that universe had a beginning implies that someone was able to begin it.
Something had to make the Big Bang happen.
It had to be outside of nature, outside of the physical reality.
Parents know this.
If you've ever had a mess in your house and you've come in and there's several children there and you see the mess,
you will say, where did this mess come from?
And these children are very convinced at this point that the Big Bang created itself
because they will say, I have no idea.
This mess just appeared.
It wasn't me.
And it certainly was not my sibling.
It just created itself.
This is the first clue that there is a God because something must come from somewhere.
The second clue to believe that there is a God is that on this life, on this planet that was created,
there is a situation for life to flourish.
You know, the universe is here, there's planets.
But to have the right conditions for life to exist is incredibly specific.
For organic life to exist, there must be so many things perfectly right.
The speed of light has to be right.
The sun has to be the exact right distance away from the earth,
although it feels that over the last couple of days we've moved several hundred thousand meters closer.
But we haven't melted into a puddle.
And we're not too far that we are too cold.
Gravity has to be constant so that it's not changing,
so that in one point we're not being dragged down to the earth and then at another point floating off.
We have the right amount of atmospheric pressure around us for liquid to be on the surface of the earth.
We have the right ingredients.
We have the mix of heavy elements and organic molecules for life.
We have the right mixture on our planet of water and land so that we have both continents and oceans.
Again, Stephen Hawking concludes,
the odds against a universe like ours emerging out of the Big Bang are enormous.
I think there are clearly religious implications.
And then elsewhere he says,
it would be very difficult to explain why the universe would have begun in just this way,
except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us.
It is as if this planet was created for human life.
This is the second clue.
The first clue is that something came out of nothing.
It must have been created.
And this something has defied all the odds to actually be a place that could sustain life.
Now, so far, the clues that we've seen to believe in a God have been scientific.
Others will suggest that it is all just random.
There are millions of planets in all of the galaxies.
The one we are on just happens to have the right conditions.
If there is no God and all of this is an accident,
you know, we are accidents and there is no purpose for anything.
Belief in God is just a way for humans to survive and pass on our DNA to others.
The question then is, what about beauty?
What about our emotions and love?
Are they just chemical reactions in our brains and nothing else?
So, is love real at all?
You know, when I look at my wife,
I missed you then, I was looking at Nick.
He's not my wife.
He's lovely.
He's beauty itself.
That's fine.
But when I look at my wife, am I feeling anything real?
Do I have any love for her and my kids?
Or is it just chemicals in my brain tricking me
so that I have children and pass on my DNA
to further our species?
Is there really no special significance to my wife and my kids?
All of us experience some form of art,
some ideas as profoundly beautiful.
They are a mixture of desire and a sense of longing.
Now, some argue that beauty has its origin in practical things.
You know, the need to display ourselves to attract a mate like a...
What's the bird that does that with the big...
I was going to say pelican, but it's not that one.
A peacock.
Thank you.
Am I just peacocking up here?
Is that all that beauty is?
It's just to find a mate.
But when we find something beautiful,
it is often not functional.
But because it reflects the one who made it.
It's a recognition that the world around us was made good,
but it has been corrupted.
Ugliness is not inherent,
but just as Paul said in Romans 1,
God's invisible qualities are seen in his creation.
His goodness and desire to have us enjoy beauty
is for the sake of beauty.
I have not chosen to find the sunrise beautiful
because it helps me in any particular way,
but because it reflects the one who made it.
People in politics often talk about the pub test.
Have you heard of the pub test?
The pub test is just our gut feel.
What do people...
What does a random group of people think?
They talk about the pub test when it talks to politicians.
Oh, you know, this guy's policy fails the pub test
because it just doesn't follow common sense.
I don't think that thinking about beauty
from just an evolutionary standpoint
passes the pub test.
I don't think...
I'm not happy just to say that everything I do
and the way I love my wife
and the way I find beauty,
and, you know, you look at these stained glass windows
and you think they're beautiful,
or the way I love my children,
I don't think that that could just be chemical reactions.
I don't think it passes our experience.
Those we love are more than what our brain
could be tricked into doing.
I think this is the third clue
that there is something beyond the physical,
that there is beauty that we find
which can't just be connected to evolution.
The fourth reason, the fourth clue
to believe that there is a God
is that we have morals.
We give humans dignity
and we fight for human rights.
But where do our beliefs
about what is right and wrong come from?
Have they just evolved with humans
and are now about taking care of the community?
All human beings have moral feelings.
We call it a conscience.
When we consider doing an act
that we think would be wrong,
something in our brain,
something in the way we are made,
will encourage us to refrain.
It doesn't mean we always do it,
but we have an inbuilt sense
of what is right and what is wrong.
But these standards also sit outside of us.
So 1939, when the Nazis went to war,
when they were killing Jews,
they didn't think there was a problem.
They didn't think there was a moral issue.
They actually thought it was morally right
to do that.
Everybody else, however,
seemed to have an issue.
You know, England,
the United States,
Australia,
didn't just sit back and go,
well, your morals are fine for you,
you have created that system
of what is right,
you do that.
We went, no, no, no, no.
It is not right to kill a person
just because of their ethnicity.
And so World War II happened.
We don't care if they felt
there was a problem with us
enforcing our morals on someone else.
Morals sit outside of us
and a war was fought.
Evolutionists would argue
that morals have helped
to help us take care of our own
so that our species continues.
But when I walk past a person
who is not from my community,
say a homeless person,
who is not from my community,
I feel an obligation to help them,
a moral obligation.
Even though it is not going to help me
or the continuation of my community,
those who are outside,
I still feel an obligation.
In evolutionary biology,
they speak of the violence
inherent in it.
If a species is to survive,
it is only because it will
kill other species.
Violence in nature
is totally natural.
And so why isn't it okay
for strong humans
to kill weak humans?
It seems disgusting
to even suggest that.
If the world was made by
a God of peace
and justice
and love,
then that is how we know
that violence
and oppression
and hate are wrong.
If you believe in human rights,
then it makes so much more sense
to believe that there is a God
who He has created us
in His image,
in His beauty
and that is why we
are valuable.
This is the fourth clue
that there is a God,
that we consider humans
of more worth than animals.
Now,
I've only briefly touched
on all of these.
Please,
talk to me later
if you want to look at these.
Get Tim Keller's
The Reason for God
to investigate these.
But maybe the Big Bang
caused itself to happen.
Maybe we're just in a world
that won the lottery
when it came to odds
and it's just
really convenient
that this world
had the right conditions
for life.
Maybe beauty
is meaningless.
Maybe morals
aren't a good enough reason.
But all of these
are questions
that we have
to wrestle with.
I think it actually
takes more faith
to believe against these.
People often say,
I wish I had
your faith
to believe in God.
I wish I had
as much faith as you.
I just don't have
that kind of faith.
I wish I could believe
in God like you
but I just don't have
that much faith.
I actually think
it takes more faith.
I think it's a bigger
leap of faith
to believe that
something could come
from nothing.
I believe that
it's not consistent
with everything
we see around us.
It's still a really
big leap of faith
to think that the earth
just so happens
to have all the exact
conditions for life
to flourish and function
just by pure chance.
I think that's a really
big leap to take.
It's a big leap of faith
to think that beauty
and morals
are part of an
evolutionary advantage.
Believing that there
is a God
takes less faith
than believing
there is not.
I think there is
more reason
to believe in God
just by looking
around the world
as Paul said to us
in Romans 1.
Instead of the Christian
closing their eyes
to science
and just being
a blind faith
I believe it's
the opposite.
I believe that all
the evidence
points to a God.
But that is just
an argument
to believe in a God.
Why should we believe
in the Christian God?
First of all
it's really helpful
that God has
revealed himself.
Jesus came
to make this
unknown God
known.
We see God
revealing himself
throughout the Old Testament
but then he reveals
himself fully
in Jesus.
The God who created
the universe
the one who
made this planet
with the right conditions
to live
the one who made
beauty
the one who made
morals
who made us
in his image
Jesus came
to make this God
known.
Now we're going
to read from
John 14
verse 1
and it seems
I've forgotten
everything this morning
I left my book
down here
I left my last
couple pages
of my sermon
down here
Thank you
Lulu
Lulu's trying
to read it
for me
So please
we're going
to read from
John 14
verse 1 and 2
Do not let
your hearts
be troubled
You believe
in God
believe also
in me
My father's
house has
many rooms
if that were
not so
I would have
told you
I was going
to prepare
a place
for you
So Jesus
has been
with God
for eternity
He says
that he is
going to
prepare God's
place
his house
which has
many rooms
he must
have been
there
Jesus
must have
been at
God's
side
to know
what it
was like
and this
is why
Jesus
repeatedly
calls God
his father
he has
a unique
relationship
with him
he has
known him
for eternity
and has
come to
reveal him
to us
and Jesus
makes this
really exclusive
claim
in verse 6
of John 14
Jesus answered
I am
the way
and the truth
and the life
no one
comes to the
father
except through
me
if you
really know
me
you will
know
my father
as well
from now
on
you do
know
you do
know him
and have
seen him
I typed
that up
wrong
Jesus
is the
way
the truth
and the
life
now you
might
remember
this
from Sunday
school
this is
one of
those
Bible
verses
that stick
in our
heads
Jesus
is the
way
the
truth
and
the
life
but
Jesus
is
the
truth
because
he
is
the
ultimate
revelation
of God
himself
he is
God's
word
made
flesh
words
are how
we
communicate
ourselves
you know
me
you know
the things
that I
like
and my
preference
because
I speak
you can
know
what I
like
what I
don't
like
you can
know
my
character
whether I
speak the
truth
or I
speak
lies
whether I
put down
other
people
you can
know me
by my
words
and this
is who
God is
Jesus
is
God's
word
and that
helps us
that
reveals him
to us
we know
who God
is because
he has
spoken to
us
in
Jesus
he speaks
and reveals
himself to
us
in Jesus
and now
Jesus is
not just
the way
to God
he doesn't
say follow
me I
know where
God is
come and
follow me
and I'll
take you
to him
he says
I am
the way
itself
he is
the way
not a
way
he is
the only
way
to God
so if
we ignore
Jesus
we ignore
God
you can't
know
God
if you
don't
know
Jesus
we can
see all
of those
reasons
that we've
seen before
we can
look at
all those
clues
that there
is a
God
behind
this
universe
but unless
we believe
in Jesus
we won't
know
the God
who has
made it
you can't
know God
if you
don't know
Jesus
he has
spoken
and made
himself
known
now
at this
point
you might
be
thinking
why
should
we care
about
Jesus
even
if
there
is
a
God
why
should
I
care
about
Jesus
who
lived
2000
years
ago
and I
think
that's
a really
good
question
that's
a really
valid
question
and all
of this
hangs on
one part
of the
Bible
one part
of the
story
it's
called
the
resurrection
Jesus
God
himself
came
to make
his
father
known
to
us
brutally
murdered
on a
cross
placed
into
a
tomb
and was
dead
killed
by the
Roman
experts
in
killing
three days
later
he was
alive
what do
we do
with this
how do
we account
for this
if
Jesus
was really
raised from
the dead
then you
have to
accept
what he
said
if he
wasn't
raised from
the dead
then you
can ignore
him
and you
can see
these clues
that there
is a
God
and just
think
oh
that's
interesting
there must
be a
God
but if
Jesus
was
raised
from
the
dead
it
proves
that
he
is
the
revelation
of
God
and
that
God
is
the
one
who
has
made
the
universe
and
made
us
Jesus
was
placed
into
a
tomb
and yet
this
tomb
was
found
empty
and
Jesus
was
seen
by
hundreds
of
people
after
his
death
if
the
resurrection
happened
it
means
there
is
hope
we
are
not
just
accidents
on a
universal
scale
maybe
you
say
just
an
accident
but
you
know
I
still
love
you
we
are
not
accidents
if
the
resurrection
happened
we
are
not
just
ants
lucky
to
be
living
on
the
only
rock
in
the
universe
that
could
hold
us
if
Jesus
was
raised
from
the
dead
then
it
means
that
there
is
a
God
who
designed
this
whole
universe
to
contain
life
that
even
though
this
life
us
humans
would
try
and live
without
our
creator
he
would
enter
into
it
himself
taking
on
human
forms
suffering
humility
weakness
and death
so he
could
redeem
his
people
if
Jesus
was
raised
from
the
dead
then
it
means
that
God
has
made
us
like
him
one
that
delights
in
beauty
a
people
made
to
love
like
their
creator
and
if
Jesus
was
raised
from
the
dead
it
means
that
God
values
us
he
has
made
us
have
higher
dignity
than
animals
that
humans
should
be
protected
and
preserved
because
we
have
a
God
who
loves
us
believing
that
there
is
a
God
is
the
best
way
to
understand
this
universe
around
us
and
believing
that
the
Christian
God
also
makes
the
most
sense
of
who
Jesus
is
he
is
God's
word
come
to
reveal
God
so
that
we
could
know
him
pray
with
me
heavenly
father
we
thank
you
so
much
that
you
have
indeed
spoken
to
us
that
even
though
we
could
see
the
world
around
us
and
be
convinced
of
you
that
we
don't
have
to
question
and
wonder
and
ask
who
you
are
that
you
have
made
yourself
known
that
you
have
spoken
to
in
Jesus
heavenly
father
we
ask
that
you
would
convince
us
of
this
that
when
we
are
asked
why
do
you
believe
in
a
God
we
can
answer
with
full
confidence
that
you
exist
father
we may
have
doubts
we may
continue
to have
doubts
but we
thank you
that there
is
so much
evidence
father
we
thank you
that
having
faith
in
you
is
not
irrational
but it
does
make
the
most
sense
of
the
way
you
have
made
this
universe
father
we
thank
you
for
the
gift
of
faith
that
we
can
believe
in
you
please
make
us
like
you
make
us
to
love
other
people
make
us
to
love
beauty
but
not
abuse
beauty
and
father
we
ask
that
you
would
grow
us
knowing
and
loving
you
each
day
that
we
live
until
we
see
you
and
we
ask
this
in
your
son's
name
amen