Giving An Answer

Introduction:

A. If you started building a boat in your back yard that was 450' long; 75' wide; and 45' high...

     1. Do you think it might draw a little attention?

     2. Do you think your neighbors might ask what you were doing?

     3. It is possible, and likely, at some time you would be on the news, and you would be passed off as a nut.

B. Even though you may not be building such a boat in your back yard, some people may still look at you as a nut because of what you believe.

     1. There is a God.

     2. Jesus is His Son.

     3. After this life you will live eternally in heaven.

     4. God both hears and answers your prayers. 

C. You need to be ready to give them an answer as to why you believe these things (II Peter 3:15), but what do you say?

  I. There is a God.

     A. Nature.

         1. We can look at nature and see that there has to be a God.

             a. Psalm 19:1-3.

             b. Psalm 14:1.

             c. Romans 1:20.

         2. How does nature prove there is a God?

             a. Everything had to come from somewhere = God.

                 1) We exist, therefore we had to come from somewhere.

                 2) We came from our parents, who came from their parents, etc., etc., etc.

                 3) Where did the original set of parents come from?

             b. It shows design, and design requires a designer.

                 1) The earth: is the right distance from the sun; rotates at the right speed; and has the right atmosphere to support life.

                 2) The human body shows design: our nose is not under our arm pits; we have a built in guttering system (the eyebrow), and a built in air filter (nose hairs).  These show design, but even more does our: respiritory; digestive; and reproductive systems.

             c. And, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 19:1 this evidence is multi/omni- lingual...

                     "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard."

     B. The Bible.

          1. The Bible declares there is a God.

              a. "In the beginning God created the..." (Genesis 1:1).

              b. "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life..." (Revelation 22:19).

          2. The Bible says He...

               a. Is eternal: "In the beginning God" - Genesis 1:1.

               b. All powerful: "created..." - Genesis 1:1.

               c. All knowing: "the heavens and the earth" - Genesis 1:1.

               d. The Bible describes Him with all the essential qualities He would need to have created all things, and to sustain all things.

                   1) He was there to create all things.

                   2) He had the power, and the knowledge to create.

                   "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the

                   firmanent showeth His handywork."

          3. And, the Bible is a credible source of evidence.

              a. Historically, scientifically, and geographically accurate.

              b. When the Bible makes a historical, scientific, or geographical statement...it is accurate.

              c. It was written over a period of 1,600 years, by 40 different writers and they do not contradict one another, and what they write is united in theme.

              d. It is a credible source of information, and men have turned to it to learn about historical events, about nature itself, and about a host of other things.  Man can also turn to it to learn about the God who created them.

 II. Jesus is His Son.

     A. Believing that Jesus is the Son of God is essential.

          1. If one wants to be saved.

              a. John 8:24.

              b. Mark 16:16.

              c. Acts 8:36&37.

          2. One cannot just believe that...

              a. He was a man.  Although He was, and history proves that a man named Jesus once lived.

              b. He was a prophet.  He was (Deuteronomy 18:15), but He was more than a prophet.

              c. He was a good man.  If He was not the Son of God He was not a good man, but a liar, and He gave/gives men false hope.

          3. One must believe He is God's Son, just as the N.T. declares Him to be.

              a. Luke 1:35.

              b. Matthew 16:16.

              c. Matthew 27:54.

     B. How can we believe that He is the Son of God?

         1. By studying the Bible.

             a. A credible source of information.

             b. The scriptures testify to who Jesus was - John 5:39.

         2. The Bible gives us the evidence we need.  It says...

             a. He would be born of a virgin - Isaiah 7:14 (Mt.1:23).

             b. He would be born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2 (Mt.2:1).

             c. He'd be called out of Egypt - Hosea 11:1 (Mt.2:14-15).

             d. Jesus could not have caused any of these things to happen, but they did = providence of God.

             e. A host of other things show He was the Son of God.

             f. God has given us this evidence, in His word, that we might believe - Romans 10:17; John 20:30-31.

III. God answers prayers, and we shall have eternal life.

     A. Prayers.

          1. God says He will answer our prayers.

              a. Matthew 21:22.

              b. Philippians 4:6.

              c. I John 5:14-15.

          2. And, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

              a. If the Bible is the word of God (II Tim.3:16). It is!

              b. And, God, who cannot lie, says He will hear, and answer our prayers.

              c. We have no reason to doubt He will do exactly that.

          3. Is He able to answer our prayers?

              a. If He is able to create all things in 6 days He is.

              b. If the cattle upon a thousand hills are His He can.

              c. If He can cause the sun to stand still, part the Red Sea, and raise the dead He can.

              d. If He can feed the children of Israel manna for 40 years He can.

              e. Christians can have the attitude of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.... "our God whom we serve is able.."  (Daniel 3:17).

     B. Eternal life.

          1. God, through His word, has clearly stated that those who obey His gospel, and are faithful unto death, will have eternal life.

              a. "In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2).

              b. "...but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:46).

              c. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  (I Thessalonians 4:17)

          2. There is no reason to doubt it.

              a. God hasn't lied yet....and He won't...He can't.

              b. Someone may say...but you cannot know for sure, because you have not experienced eternal life yet.

                  1) When God told Noah to build the ark, had he experienced a world wide flood yet?

                  2) When God told Moses to lift up his rod, and He would part the Red Sea, had he experienced the parting of the Red Sea yet?

                  3) We, like them, can believe that we will have eternal life because God, who cannot lie, said we will have eternal life.

Conclusion:

A. We need to be ready to give an answer to every man that asks

     us a reason of the hope that is in us.

B. Do you have these hopes?

     1. If you do not...you can!

     2. To have them you must do what God requires.

     3. If you do not know what God requires, we would be glad to show you.

     4. If you know, but have not obeyed, why not do so now?