Sermon Transcript
Reader's Version
How Do We Know God Exists?
Sermon by Gene Simco
I heard a story about an atheist walking through the woods, marveling at all the “accidents” of nature around him. He was admiring a beautiful flower and thinking, “It’s just here by accident.” The bees were pollinating, the birds were flying, and everything seemed to be taking care of itself. “It’s all just natural selection,” he thought.But then, he noticed a bear who had apparently “naturally selected” him for lunch.Now, when faced with a situation like this, we tend to do what I call the power walk. I mean, I’ve never personally had to run from a bear—but just because I said that, it’s probably going to happen to me someday! So, here he is, walking quickly but trying not to look like he’s panicking. The problem is, the bear can still see him moving, so it starts to chase him. He breaks into a run, but makes the rookie mistake of looking back, slowing him down. Meanwhile, the bear is getting closer and closer.Finally, the bear rears up, paws raised, ready to strike. And in that desperate moment, the atheist cries out, “God, help!”Suddenly, time freezes. Everything around him goes silent; the birds, the insects, everything stops. Darkness settles in, like a winter night, and a voice from heaven says, “How dare you? You’ve spent your life denying Me, and now you call on Me for help?”The atheist thinks about it and replies, “Well, I suppose it would be hypocritical to call on You now. Even if I survived, I’d have to go around telling everyone You helped me, and that I was wrong.”After considering his options, he finally says, “God, could you maybe… make the bear a Christian?”“Very well,” says the voice.Time resumes. The birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, and everything is back to normal. The bear pauses, lowers his paws, brings them together, bows his head, and says…“Lord, thank You for this food I’m about to eat.”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You need to learn how to walk before you can run”?It’s true in many areas of life. When we’re learning something new—whether it’s academics, sports, or a skill—a good teacher or coach will tell you to start with the basics. Getting those fundamentals down is crucial before moving on to advanced techniques. But how often do we rush ahead, trying to be advanced before we’ve really mastered the basics? And when we do that, we often stumble, fail, or find ourselves unable to make real progress.Could it be that, at times, we’ve stumbled in our Christianity in a similar way? Maybe a better understanding of the basics would help us grow. Perhaps we need to apply this concept to our faith as well. Many people out there are looking for a fresh start. Some have stumbled, maybe because they’ve moved too quickly to advanced concepts and drifted off course. Others are new and genuinely want to get it right. But let me ask: have you ever reached a point in something you were working on where a coach or mentor told you to “brush up on your basics”? You’re not making progress, but it’s not because you’re not advanced enough. It’s because you need to go back to fundamentals.Take golf, for instance—though, for the record, I don’t play. In fact, if you really want to feel like a pro, take me golfing! Even if you’ve never played, you’ll beat me easily. But from what I’ve heard, golfers are often told by pros to focus on basics like their grip or swing. And even though there are advanced techniques that might help them, they’ll never be consistent until they get those basics right.It’s funny because, if you know me, you know my background in martial arts and music. I’ve played guitar my whole life, and for a while, I was even a worship leader. But when I became a pastor, I got busy and had to put music on the back burner. After a couple of years, I decided to pick it up again, but this time, I wanted to go back to the basics. I started learning songs note-for-note, exactly as the original artist played them—no personal touches, no flair, just the basics.I’ve been doing this for about a year now, and I’ve noticed that even with just a half hour a day—far less than the six hours I used to practice—I’m actually a better guitar player. By focusing on the basics, I’ve picked up on intricacies and details I hadn’t noticed before.The same principle applies to martial arts. I had a black belt in one style, but then I encountered a more well-rounded martial art that emphasized fundamentals. Suddenly, I found myself getting tapped out by white belts. So, I had a choice: I could quit, I could ignore the basics and only play with friends to boost my confidence, or I could humble myself and start from the beginning, even though it was difficult and humbling.This same dynamic often happens in church. Sometimes, we see people with titles, experience, or even a bit of pride struggle to go back to basics. Pride hinders progress—remember that. Pride makes it hard to go back, admit mistakes, or even acknowledge we don’t know everything. And Scripture warns us that pride leads to destruction, as Proverbs 16 reminds us.Even if you’re experienced, you know that the basics form almost everything. Advanced techniques have their place, but they’re built on a solid foundation of fundamentals. And as we grow in experience, those basics take on new dimensions, offering depth and insight we couldn’t see at the start.
Does God Exist?So, with all that in mind, we’re going to start at the very beginning. I know it can be hard, especially if we feel like we “should” know it all by now. But let’s set aside what we think we know and begin with the most basic question:How do we know God exists?
If there’s no God, then none of this really matters. So let’s start with that root question.Here’s the first thing we’ll do: address what you might encounter in conversations about belief. Typically, if someone doesn’t believe in God—if they’re an atheist—their response might be something like, “Well, you must think you know everything.” Have you ever heard that? It’s almost a backward way of thinking on their part.Let’s visualize this with a couple of charts. Here’s the first one—yes, it’s in a Star Wars font for my own entertainment. This represents everything that can be known. Now, I could’ve written “everything that could be known,” but there wasn’t enough space in the font. Think of it as representing anything in the universe that can be known—whether discovered or undiscovered, visible or hidden. Imagine asking an atheist to carve out a slice that represents what they know of all that’s possible to know. Sometimes they’ll carve out a bigger chunk, sometimes smaller, but generally, this is what it looks like. Maybe a well-studied atheist, like one with a Ph.D., would fill in a slightly larger portion. Now, here are a few observations. Even if they filled in, say, a quarter of this “everything” bubble, that still leaves 75% unaccounted for. Within that 75% lies the possibility of God. So if they claim there’s no God, they’re taking an arrogant stance, right? Because they’ve just admitted they don’t know the majority of what could be known.Think about it. Just like God said to Abraham, “Look at the stars in the sky. That’s how many descendants you’ll have.” Why use that imagery? Because each of those stars is like our Sun—sometimes larger, with planets orbiting them. Each tiny speck represents a vast reality. To claim that all this doesn’t include the possibility of God is, to me, a very arrogant position.So, when an atheist says they know everything—or at least that God doesn’t exist—they’re actually taking a position that lacks humility. In contrast, here’s what I’d fill in to represent what I know. It’s a tiny fraction—barely a sliver. And acknowledging God means admitting, “I don’t know everything.” This is the humble position. So, in answering the question of God’s existence, we’re going to start with a bit of logic. I also want to be faithful to God’s Word. Many Christians sometimes step away from what they know, from the Bible itself, perhaps without even realizing it. If we want to be faithful, we need to stick closely to what Scripture says.This section is for those who believe—what does God say about Himself in the Bible? That’s what we need to look at. And I also want to focus on how we should interact with those who don’t believe. We’re not interested in personal opinions here but rather in what the Bible directly says about God and how to engage with others.The first problem we encounter is this notion that people think they “know everything.” In their attempt to sound intelligent or to assert knowledge, they start stacking ideas upon ideas until it becomes a tangled mess. The Bible calls this “high-sounding nonsense.” Let’s look at what Paul says about this in Colossians …Colossians 2:8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual principles of this world, rather than from Christ.There’s a lot happening in that church community. They’re dealing with asceticism and various religious practices, and one of the prominent beliefs is Gnosticism—the idea of having special, superior knowledge. Paul, however, calls it “high-sounding nonsense.” They think they’re wise, that they possess great knowledge, but it’s nonsense. The issue with most scholarly philosophy is that it’s limited by human thinking. It’s constantly evolving, often flawed, and rooted in human perspectives. In response to these limitations, people tend to overcompensate by coming up with complex terms and high-sounding nonsense.This brings us to the topic of cherished titles, earned by accumulating all this so-called knowledge. It’s a cycle of pride. But here’s a word of caution: this tendency isn’t limited to secular scholars. In trying to look good to others, even Christians can get caught up in high-sounding nonsense.One of the reasons believers fall into this trap is the desire for approval from people or institutions. But God tells us not to seek people’s approval. Think about Galatians—Paul frames it in a way that makes his point clear. He says, “If I were here to win the approval of people, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.” He concludes by saying he has been crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to him. His only concern is winning people to the gospel. So, we should seek no other approval than God’s.Chasing affirmation from non-Christian scholars or scientists means that God’s approval isn’t enough for that person. Seeking others’ approval is essentially saying, “God’s opinion isn’t sufficient.” People should ask themselves, “Who am I really trying to convince?”Now, some may argue and say, “But Pastor Gene, what about First Peter 3:15?” Let’s look at the context of 1 Peter. The letter was written to a church suffering under intense persecution—fiery trials were coming. Nero was about to burn believers alive. So, what does Peter, a leader in the church, tell them to do? Fight back? No. He instructs them to suffer as Christ suffered. Honor people. Don’t argue or repay insult with insult. Be like Jesus. Love people unconditionally, including your enemies. Honor everyone.That’s the context. I’ll give you a couple of verses before, to explain further what’s going on in 1 Peter 3:15 and why it’s often misunderstood.
1 Peter 3:13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it [ἀπολογίαν].
The Greek term apologia—this is where we get the idea of the "apologetics verse." If people who love to argue had a favorite verse, this would be it. It’s often their life verse, as they devote themselves to the work of apologia, or apologetics. Now, in Greek, apologia actually just means "apology," which is interesting because it adds a twist. Biblically, though, it means to make a defense for something.
However, this word apologia also implies something that’s often overlooked by those who use it. Many people who focus on apologetics don’t fully understand what apologia really means—or the following verse. So let’s take a closer look.
1 Peter 3:15 says, "Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks you about the hope you have as a believer, always be ready to explain. But do this in a gentle and respectful way."
“Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good if that is what God wants than to suffer for doing wrong.”
It’s not about arguing. If someone asks, we’re to respond—not with yelling, fighting, or insults. Chapter two tells us plainly: “Do not repay insult with insult.” We’re actually commanded not to do that. We’re to respond humbly and gently, not showing off our intelligence but letting people see our gentleness, love, and humility. When they witness that, it often leads them to rethink their position. They may feel ashamed because of how calm and kind you are, especially when they see you suffering for doing good, which looks strange to the world.
Just read 1 Corinthians, chapters 1 and 2. Paul addresses this very thing. He’s speaking to a church that’s engaged in “pastor worship.” Some say they follow Peter; some say Paul; others say Apollos. Paul rebukes them, saying, “Who is Apollos? Who is Peter? Who is Paul?” Then he goes on to talk about the gospel’s foolishness to the world—the idea of God dying on the cross. It sounds crazy. It’s a mystery, he says, but he urges them to stop worshiping people. Worship God, even if it looks foolish to others.
The problem is that when Christians engage in these debates, they often get pulled into prideful, foolish arguments—high-sounding nonsense. So, when interacting with others, we need to start by dropping any pride. Remember, we’re just ambassadors. Our role is to share what the Word says, without adding our opinions. When they bring opinions, we simply point back to Scripture.
Unfortunately, many Christians aren’t prepared for this because they haven’t practiced the basics. They don’t know Scripture well enough to share it effectively. We need to get back to reading and knowing God’s Word thoroughly. That’s what “always being ready to make a defense” means. And as we’re moved by God’s grace, we naturally extend that grace to others.
This means not trying to make others feel foolish—it’s about kindness. Paul emphasized this to his protégé, Timothy, as well.
1 Timothy 1:3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God. 5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.
There it is again—a clear conscience and genuine faith. Yet, some people miss this entirely, turning away from it to spend their time in meaningless discussions. Scripture warns us that when we argue, we miss the point. We are actually commanded to avoid such discussions. God’s Word is clear: that’s all there is to it. Imagine focusing on a life of faith, with a pure heart and a clear conscience, rather than getting caught up in arguments. I hope you’re starting to see it—our best example, our strongest argument, is loving people.As Paul concludes 1 Timothy, he writes in 1 Timothy 6:20, "Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God’s grace be with you all." Notice, the Word of God calls it "so-called knowledge." It says to avoid godless discussions, not to argue with them. Why? Because some have wandered away from the faith by getting entangled in these arguments.Let’s go back to Galatians and recall the contrast between the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh—they’re always opposed to each other. Jesus reminds us that "you can identify a tree by its fruit." In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul warns, "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God."Often, Christians focus on a few “favorite” sins, like sexual immorality, calling it the worst. Yet Paul lists many other sins here as well, each one a barrier to inheriting the kingdom of God. How often do we see self-righteous behavior where people commit multiple sins on this list, even while rebuking others for only one or two?Hostility, quarreling—these are sins too, and they prevent us from inheriting the kingdom of God. Why argue? Outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, division—these things also keep us from God’s kingdom. If we’re doing these things, we’re no better off. So choose your “favorite sin”—we need to recognize it and lay it down.We can’t let our pride stand in the way of leading people to the gospel. Sometimes, under the guise of “defending God,” as if He needs defending, we fall into these sins ourselves. It’s as though we need a mirror, because if we’re constantly angry and argumentative, how can we possibly convince anyone to come to Christ? Why would they want to be like us?Let’s continue with 2 Timothy, as we explore how these actions can sometimes get in the way of what God intends.
2 Timothy 2:23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.We are called to love everyone—even our enemies. Go back to 1 Peter; that’s what it says. Romans says to be able to teach, to be patient with difficult people—even atheists. "Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap, where they are held captive to do his will." Notice how often we’re reminded to be gentle, patient, and loving. Over and over again, the Word of God says it: don’t get involved with ignorant arguments. We must not quarrel—there’s that warning against quarreling again, the sin of the flesh back in Galatians. It’s clear.Many who engage in these discussions under the guise of apologetics are actually just sinning. That’s what’s going on here. But when you’re patient, kind, and showing the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and faithfulness—what does it say? "Perhaps God will change their hearts." Notice that? Not you. God will change their hearts. We’re just ambassadors; we just come with the message in a loving way.How many people are out there thinking, "I’m going to go out and change people’s hearts"? That’s not what my Bible says. You’re not going to change anything. Let the Holy Spirit work, because you’re not better than the Holy Spirit. Not you. So, once God changes their hearts, the truth is self-evident. You don’t have to do any work at all.Romans was actually written for unity, as Paul explains. Stop arguing with the Jewish Christians. They had the law, they knew all this stuff, and they probably knew their Bible—the Scriptures—way better than the Gentile Christians coming in. They had this "superior knowledge," as Paul calls it. But he’s saying, "Guys, get along, love each other, don’t argue. Stop it." He speaks to both the Gentiles and the Jews. In the beginning, he’s talking to the Gentiles and says this:Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.It’s clear. Look around with the right heart, and you’ll see it: this is no coincidence, no accident. But the heart has to be changed first to see that, to truly open our eyes. Later on, Paul talks about the gospel message going out to everyone, quoting Psalm 19, which aligns with this point even ten chapters later. "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world." Beautiful.So, our first step is to live as real Christians—being loving, kind, patient, and practicing self-control at all times. We’re called to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control as the fruit of the Spirit at all times. This includes being patient with difficult people, everyone we encounter, our enemies, those who disagree with us—all at all times. We meet people where they are.Now, I love the Greek and all kinds of translations, and sometimes I prefer to read from the Greek or complex versions. But I’m preaching today from the NLT. Why? Because I want people to learn. I’m not interested in showing off how smart I am. It concerns me more that you understand what I’m saying. I could stand here reading Greek—and I’m terrible at speaking it anyway—but that’s not going to help anyone. So, I use a simpler version and explain things, adding Greek in brackets if needed. My heart is for you to learn, not to create stumbling blocks with big words so people think I’m smart. When you catch yourself doing that, ask: Who is this about? Is it about God and leading others to Him, or about me and my title? Who is really on the throne here?This way, we avoid falling into the trap of putting too much weight on human arguments. I'll give a few points, but we focus on answers from here (the Bible), because people have filled the world with high-sounding nonsense when it should be self-evident. Paul puts it this way in Romans: "Claiming to be wise, they became fools." Continuing in Romans 1:21:Romans 1:21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.Claiming to be wise, they became fools. Fools! They worship the creation instead of the Creator—and that includes themselves. Later, it says they even give approval to those doing all these terrible things. The Bible talks about how people become like their idols, and we’ll see that here. You become what you worship.But the faithful have been given the answer to the mystery of the Kingdom of God. If we look again at Colossians, …Colossians 2:2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.The Bible really emphasizes this—warnings not to be deceived or get pulled into clever arguments. Yet, what do Christians often do? They focus on crafting the perfect argument, as if that's the key. But who cares about a "well-crafted argument"? All that’s needed is Scripture, the Word itself. So much of this “high-sounding nonsense” is useless when compared to the simple truth in God's Word. And here’s the incredible thing: the Kingdom of God is called a mystery.You can't see this mystery until God opens your heart to it. It's revealed through love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to those who are faithful. As Colossians puts it, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden—they’re out of reach for anyone whose heart isn’t ready to understand.This concept is embedded in Jesus' teachings, which he often began with parables. Take Mark as an example. Jesus tells parables, and when you think about this idea of hidden mysteries, it starts to make sense. You have to receive Jesus to grasp these treasures. Parables are like riddles in that way—mysterious teachings that hold meaning just below the surface.Jesus begins his teaching ministry with the Parable of the Sower, perhaps familiar to you. Here’s a quick summary. Jesus introduces it without any explanation: A farmer goes out to scatter seed. Some seed falls on the path, and birds come and eat it. Other seed falls on rocky soil, where it can’t take root; the sun scorches it. Some seed lands among thorns and is choked out. But some seed falls on good soil, where it grows and produces a crop—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown.Then in Mark 4:10, Jesus begins to unpack the meaning of this mystery.Mark 4:10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. 11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret [mystery] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do,they will learn nothing.When they hear what I say,they will not understand.Otherwise, they will turn to meand be forgiven [Is. 6:9 – 10].
Jesus quotes Isaiah, explaining why some won’t understand: "They will not understand; otherwise, they would turn to me and be forgiven." He then unfolds the meaning of the parable, saying the seed represents the Word of God. When it falls on rocky soil, it symbolizes people whose hearts aren’t prepared to receive it—those resistant or indifferent, like atheists or others who don’t have the openness for God’s truth. “Birds,” representing Satan, “swoop in to snatch the Word away” before it can take root in them.The seed that falls on shallow, rocky soil represents those who initially accept the Word but quickly fall away when faced with challenges or troubles. This “burning up” connotes that hardships reveal where their hearts truly are. Then, the seed that falls among thorns represents those people choked by the “lures of wealth and worries about this world.” They’re pulled away by these distractions, preventing the Word from flourishing.Now, the fertile soil? That’s the heart changed by God—the heart of flesh instead of stone, as referenced in the Bible. It’s a heart that can receive the Word, letting it grow deep roots and produce fruit. Jesus is pointing to heart conditions here—the humble heart that accepts the Word, while the proud heart, like rock, repels it. When a heart is truly changed, it begins to produce the fruit of the Spirit. It all comes together here.The prideful hearts, like rocky soil, resemble people who have made themselves their own god, in a way, resisting God’s Word and holding onto their pride. The Bible warns against idolatry, saying that we actually become like the idols we worship. When you worship an idol—even if it’s yourself—you become spiritually blind and deaf, unable to see or hear the truth. These idols in the Bible were physical objects, like carved statues or totem poles, things people believed could bring them good luck or protection. They couldn’t see, they couldn’t hear, and worshiping them was empty—just like trusting in anything other than God.Psalm 115 captures this theme: “Why let the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” It’s a call to understand that idols, whether literal or metaphorical, harden hearts and blind us to the truth.
Psalm 115:2 Why let the nations say,“Where is their God?”3 Our God is in the heavens,and he does as he wishes.4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,shaped by human hands.5 They have mouths but cannot speak,and eyes but cannot see.6 They have ears but cannot hear,and noses but cannot smell.7 They have hands but cannot feel,and feet but cannot walk,and throats but cannot make a sound.8 And those who make idols are just like them,as are all who trust in them.
This theme runs throughout the Bible, emphasizing that many remain spiritually blind, unable to perceive the mysteries of God that believers see clearly. Jesus and other psalms reinforce this: these people "are blind," unable to recognize even God’s revelation in nature. They’re so blind, they miss what creation itself declares. And beyond nature, the ultimate revelation of God comes through Jesus Christ, our Savior, and what He accomplished—but they can't accept it because they have the wrong heart.So, today, the question of God’s existence can only be truly understood through a changed heart and the Holy Spirit, which come through faith. Let's define faith using God’s Word. In Hebrews 11:1, it says, "Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see."Faith provides the evidence, not intellectual understanding. "By faith," Hebrews continues in verse 3, "we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." It's by faith that we grasp this unseen truth and are at peace with it.But here's the thing: it doesn't always have to be blind faith. As Romans 10:16 points out...Romans 10:16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.Just before that verse where Paul quotes Psalm 19, he mentions that not everyone welcomes the good news of the gospel. Isaiah, the prophet, said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Romans 10:16). So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the good news about Christ. We need to hear something; we need to read His Word. There is some evidence shown right in the Bible, but we can’t see it clearly unless we have that faith. These are the loving words we use when we articulate the gospel message with people. There are certain words we must use. These are the seeds, so to speak. We see evidence of this in the Bible, such as in Acts 17 with the Bereans. They listened to the gospel and then searched the Scriptures day after day to ensure it was correct. That’s what we should be doing. We hear things; we read our Bible. That’s how we prove it.Now, here’s where we take a turn. This is for those who may be very skeptical, those who don’t believe. I just want to impress upon you that there is a problem with proof. When people demand proof, there’s a significant issue. Unless it’s pure logic or mathematics, it’s challenging to come up with something like unbeatable proof. That’s why, in courtrooms, they talk about reasonable doubt. They try to dispel things like that. It’s not absolute proof; you don’t have to win by absolute proof. Proof is really tough. Demanding proof of God that no one could ever reject is unreasonable. So when you’re talking to people, don’t shoot for that. You need to pray for a changed heart. A person’s intent when entering the conversation is far more influential than any evidence you could present. We just saw it’s a mirror and a mystery, so that won’t be taken as evidence. If the heart isn’t fertile, forget it. It goes back to what the Word of God tells us repeatedly: don’t engage in foolish arguments. If you’re sitting there with what you think is good evidence and are arguing with someone who has the wrong heart—maybe it’s even yours—check it. The mirror goes up; check your heart.It’s been said that the best reply to an atheist is to take them to dinner. They eat the dinner, and you ask, “Hey, do you believe you saw the chef?” The answer is no. Then you ask, “Do you believe that he prepared it?” Get them thinking. Yes, well, there’s faith in that. Do you believe the chef didn’t spit in the food? As an argumentative atheist, you probably should have some doubt. But do you believe it? I hope so, because you had some faith. When you came to the restaurant, you confidently plopped down in the chair, fully believing there was a creator who made your meal. These kinds of discussions are helpful because they demonstrate to atheists that they have a lot more faith than they think, perhaps even more than I do.You can delve into that line of thought and then tie in some philosophical points. However, remember that whenever you’re looking at philosophy, it often leads to an argument. Just know that. Here are three popular arguments that are worth knowing. Again, don’t lead with them, but it wouldn’t be complete without mentioning them: the cosmological, teleological, and moral arguments.The cosmological argument is the argument for the existence of God, claiming that all things in nature depend on something else for their existence. Therefore, the whole cosmos must depend on a being that exists independently. This argument considers the principles of cause and effect. You understand what that is, right? Our universe clearly is not eternal or uncreated. Even atheists will agree with that—think Big Bang. They will concede that point. That’s what I’m always looking for in discussions: common ground. The logic points to God, the uncreated and eternal measure of all things—the first cause of reality.Next is the teleological argument, which is fun to say. The Greek term can mean a few different things, but in our context, it refers to purpose. So, what’s the point? The teleological argument explains phenomena in terms of their purpose rather than the cause by which they arise. It suggests the existence of an intelligent creator based on purposefulness. Why is this happening here? For example, how is it that the Earth spins the way it does and goes around the sun without burning up? That’s incredible.Let’s consider DNA. This intelligent design trait is a strong argument. Atheists have a hard time explaining this. DNA is extraordinarily complex, akin to a computer code. It’s so intricate and intentional that it can’t happen by chance; that’s impossible. To put it simply, you can’t just stack paper and pour ink on it, walk away, and expect a coherent book to be written. Just because elements may attract one another doesn’t mean they’ll result in a complex code or a book of words that make sense. Systems with this type of digital information demand a creator. Something wrote this; something did that.Take my love for mechanical timepieces, for example. I marvel at how they work and how they keep time. You don’t just take random metal pieces and leather and shake them up in a box and expect to come out with a watch. It doesn’t work that way. There needs to be a creator, a designer to make something that complicated. Creation demands a creator. People always ask how it happened, but the next logical argument is, why and for what purpose is it happening?The Bible aligns with science while also introducing a deeper dimension. Consider Hebrews 11:3, which states, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” This understanding begins to illuminate the connection between faith and the natural world.Then there’s the moral argument, which raises fascinating questions about good, evil, and ethics. It's intriguing that atheists often talk about “what should be.” What do they mean by that? Are we discussing morality here? Moral principles differ significantly from natural principles. If we approach this from an atheistic perspective—where there’s no purpose, no morals, and no inherent meaning—then we face a perplexing question: Why do we have morals? It doesn't seem to add up.Humans are inherently different from the animals. If we subscribe to the idea of natural selection and survival of the fittest, one might expect people to act purely out of self-interest, even at the cost of others. Yet, we observe a sense of morality in humanity that defies that expectation. It’s remarkable that we, created in God’s image, possess this moral consciousness. Throughout history, morals have remained relatively consistent across diverse cultures, which is worth noting.Speaking of weather, it seems like the rain is here in southwest Florida. You don't need a prophet—or even a weatherman—to figure that out!Now, let's talk about miracles. For instance, I struggled with dyslexia growing up, which made reading a significant challenge for me. I struggled in school and often felt discouraged. However, when I committed to serving God's purpose, I experienced a transformative change. My reading difficulties disappeared entirely. I didn’t undergo surgery or anything of the sort; it was a miracle. I didn't rely on my intellect for this change; I attribute it solely to God.If you’re looking for a recommendation, I suggest reading Craig Keener, a humble scholar with an impressive academic background. He has written a two-volume work on miracles, documenting numerous accounts where doctors were baffled by events that had no natural explanation. These occurrences serve as evidence of God's presence in our lives.Next, we need to acknowledge the fulfilled prophecies within the Bible. The prophecies regarding Jesus alone are staggering. For example, the probability of even one of these prophecies coming true is like spreading marked quarters across the entire country and expecting someone to randomly find the marked one. The odds are astronomical. This underscores the miraculous nature of the Bible itself, filled with prophecies that have come to fruition.Now, consider answered prayer. I've engaged with non-believers, asking if they would like prayer. Surprisingly, many say yes. Yet when I ask whom they are praying to, they often reply with vague concepts like “the universe.” This raises an interesting point—what do they mean by that? It seems reminiscent of ancient idol worship.Despite their claims of disbelief, many people are receptive to the idea of God. Romans 1 tells us that they know God exists but fail to acknowledge Him as such. Many who profess atheism actually harbor a belief in a higher power. When we talk about prayer, our church has witnessed numerous answered prayers. This has fostered an environment where people are open to the possibility of divine intervention.According to Barna research, around 82% of Americans believe in the power of prayer. This presents a valuable starting point for conversations about faith. Consider how arguments typically begin. Often, we find ourselves at an impasse with differing views. What if we paused and offered to pray together? Do you think the conversation might shift if we approached it in that way?
This brings us to a way of life that truly works. Many people engage in arguments and exhibit the fruit of the flesh—anger, outbursts, and contention—because they are living a way of life that simply does not work.It is our responsibility to show them a way of life that does work. It really is as simple as that.Throughout history, human beings have developed various systems—government, education, entertainment—but these systems often fail because they are not perfectly aligned with God’s purpose. Imagine Timothy asking Titus, “Where did you get your Ph.D.?” If Titus were to answer, “From the Holy Spirit,” how would that change the conversation?We've created all these other systems, and it breaks my heart when I see Christians relying on them. We must remember that it is God who empowers us, not our own achievements. God is able; He is far more powerful than any degree or credential. I have attended seminary, but honestly, I could have just read my Bible and prayed a lot. It would have saved me a lot of time.So, what progress have we made as humans? Have we achieved world peace? No. In fact, within our own country, we struggle to agree on anything. It’s quite telling about our progress, isn’t it? By God's standards, our inability to get along is shameful.Think about the irony in this: the same people who deny God often tout human intellect and scientific progress. They proclaim that science is everything and that it holds more power than God. Yet, it is this very human intellect that has contributed to the destruction of our world. We’ve created bombs and weapons of mass destruction, all through our own knowledge.If you find yourself here today, putting your faith in things that simply do not work, I invite you to reconsider. If you’re not a believer yet, I would love to pray with you and get to know you. But if you’re feeling frustrated, even as a Christian, and find that you’ve become so advanced in your knowledge that it has led to anger and fear, it's a sign that something isn't working.If you're willing to admit that the things you've relied on haven't brought you joy, peace, or a sense of love, then this message is for you.I acknowledge that it’s raining right now, and there are concerns about tornadoes. Some may even feel anxious about the weather. But remember, if a tornado were to whisk me away, I’d be with Jesus. As Paul said, to live is Christ and to die is gain. That’s the joy we want—a life free from worry. Yes, storms can be frightening, but we also need to exercise wise caution.However, if you feel that your current life isn’t working, this applies to many who call themselves Christians as well. Too many are seeking comfort in things other than God to numb their anxiety, fear, or depression.Let me show you a way of life that truly works. If you are searching for inner peace, you can see evidence of God’s handiwork throughout creation. But the only way to truly connect with the Creator is through faith and trust in Jesus Christ, who alone can provide us with true love, joy, and peace. Amen.Now, let’s pray.Lord, thank You for this time and for everyone who has come today, as well as those watching online who couldn't be here. We appreciate their willingness to humbly engage with Your Word and give You all the glory and honor for everything in our lives.I pray for those who do not yet believe. May they have fertile hearts, opening themselves to You and surrendering to Your will so that You can do Your work in them.I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
I heard a story about an atheist walking through the woods, marveling at all the “accidents” of nature around him. He was admiring a beautiful flower and thinking, “It’s just here by accident.” The bees were pollinating, the birds were flying, and everything seemed to be taking care of itself. “It’s all just natural selection,” he thought.But then, he noticed a bear who had apparently “naturally selected” him for lunch.Now, when faced with a situation like this, we tend to do what I call the power walk. I mean, I’ve never personally had to run from a bear—but just because I said that, it’s probably going to happen to me someday! So, here he is, walking quickly but trying not to look like he’s panicking. The problem is, the bear can still see him moving, so it starts to chase him. He breaks into a run, but makes the rookie mistake of looking back, slowing him down. Meanwhile, the bear is getting closer and closer.Finally, the bear rears up, paws raised, ready to strike. And in that desperate moment, the atheist cries out, “God, help!”Suddenly, time freezes. Everything around him goes silent; the birds, the insects, everything stops. Darkness settles in, like a winter night, and a voice from heaven says, “How dare you? You’ve spent your life denying Me, and now you call on Me for help?”The atheist thinks about it and replies, “Well, I suppose it would be hypocritical to call on You now. Even if I survived, I’d have to go around telling everyone You helped me, and that I was wrong.”After considering his options, he finally says, “God, could you maybe… make the bear a Christian?”“Very well,” says the voice.Time resumes. The birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, and everything is back to normal. The bear pauses, lowers his paws, brings them together, bows his head, and says…“Lord, thank You for this food I’m about to eat.”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You need to learn how to walk before you can run”?It’s true in many areas of life. When we’re learning something new—whether it’s academics, sports, or a skill—a good teacher or coach will tell you to start with the basics. Getting those fundamentals down is crucial before moving on to advanced techniques. But how often do we rush ahead, trying to be advanced before we’ve really mastered the basics? And when we do that, we often stumble, fail, or find ourselves unable to make real progress.Could it be that, at times, we’ve stumbled in our Christianity in a similar way? Maybe a better understanding of the basics would help us grow. Perhaps we need to apply this concept to our faith as well. Many people out there are looking for a fresh start. Some have stumbled, maybe because they’ve moved too quickly to advanced concepts and drifted off course. Others are new and genuinely want to get it right. But let me ask: have you ever reached a point in something you were working on where a coach or mentor told you to “brush up on your basics”? You’re not making progress, but it’s not because you’re not advanced enough. It’s because you need to go back to fundamentals.Take golf, for instance—though, for the record, I don’t play. In fact, if you really want to feel like a pro, take me golfing! Even if you’ve never played, you’ll beat me easily. But from what I’ve heard, golfers are often told by pros to focus on basics like their grip or swing. And even though there are advanced techniques that might help them, they’ll never be consistent until they get those basics right.It’s funny because, if you know me, you know my background in martial arts and music. I’ve played guitar my whole life, and for a while, I was even a worship leader. But when I became a pastor, I got busy and had to put music on the back burner. After a couple of years, I decided to pick it up again, but this time, I wanted to go back to the basics. I started learning songs note-for-note, exactly as the original artist played them—no personal touches, no flair, just the basics.I’ve been doing this for about a year now, and I’ve noticed that even with just a half hour a day—far less than the six hours I used to practice—I’m actually a better guitar player. By focusing on the basics, I’ve picked up on intricacies and details I hadn’t noticed before.The same principle applies to martial arts. I had a black belt in one style, but then I encountered a more well-rounded martial art that emphasized fundamentals. Suddenly, I found myself getting tapped out by white belts. So, I had a choice: I could quit, I could ignore the basics and only play with friends to boost my confidence, or I could humble myself and start from the beginning, even though it was difficult and humbling.This same dynamic often happens in church. Sometimes, we see people with titles, experience, or even a bit of pride struggle to go back to basics. Pride hinders progress—remember that. Pride makes it hard to go back, admit mistakes, or even acknowledge we don’t know everything. And Scripture warns us that pride leads to destruction, as Proverbs 16 reminds us.Even if you’re experienced, you know that the basics form almost everything. Advanced techniques have their place, but they’re built on a solid foundation of fundamentals. And as we grow in experience, those basics take on new dimensions, offering depth and insight we couldn’t see at the start.
Does God Exist?So, with all that in mind, we’re going to start at the very beginning. I know it can be hard, especially if we feel like we “should” know it all by now. But let’s set aside what we think we know and begin with the most basic question:How do we know God exists?
If there’s no God, then none of this really matters. So let’s start with that root question.Here’s the first thing we’ll do: address what you might encounter in conversations about belief. Typically, if someone doesn’t believe in God—if they’re an atheist—their response might be something like, “Well, you must think you know everything.” Have you ever heard that? It’s almost a backward way of thinking on their part.Let’s visualize this with a couple of charts. Here’s the first one—yes, it’s in a Star Wars font for my own entertainment. This represents everything that can be known. Now, I could’ve written “everything that could be known,” but there wasn’t enough space in the font. Think of it as representing anything in the universe that can be known—whether discovered or undiscovered, visible or hidden. Imagine asking an atheist to carve out a slice that represents what they know of all that’s possible to know. Sometimes they’ll carve out a bigger chunk, sometimes smaller, but generally, this is what it looks like. Maybe a well-studied atheist, like one with a Ph.D., would fill in a slightly larger portion. Now, here are a few observations. Even if they filled in, say, a quarter of this “everything” bubble, that still leaves 75% unaccounted for. Within that 75% lies the possibility of God. So if they claim there’s no God, they’re taking an arrogant stance, right? Because they’ve just admitted they don’t know the majority of what could be known.Think about it. Just like God said to Abraham, “Look at the stars in the sky. That’s how many descendants you’ll have.” Why use that imagery? Because each of those stars is like our Sun—sometimes larger, with planets orbiting them. Each tiny speck represents a vast reality. To claim that all this doesn’t include the possibility of God is, to me, a very arrogant position.So, when an atheist says they know everything—or at least that God doesn’t exist—they’re actually taking a position that lacks humility. In contrast, here’s what I’d fill in to represent what I know. It’s a tiny fraction—barely a sliver. And acknowledging God means admitting, “I don’t know everything.” This is the humble position. So, in answering the question of God’s existence, we’re going to start with a bit of logic. I also want to be faithful to God’s Word. Many Christians sometimes step away from what they know, from the Bible itself, perhaps without even realizing it. If we want to be faithful, we need to stick closely to what Scripture says.This section is for those who believe—what does God say about Himself in the Bible? That’s what we need to look at. And I also want to focus on how we should interact with those who don’t believe. We’re not interested in personal opinions here but rather in what the Bible directly says about God and how to engage with others.The first problem we encounter is this notion that people think they “know everything.” In their attempt to sound intelligent or to assert knowledge, they start stacking ideas upon ideas until it becomes a tangled mess. The Bible calls this “high-sounding nonsense.” Let’s look at what Paul says about this in Colossians …Colossians 2:8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual principles of this world, rather than from Christ.There’s a lot happening in that church community. They’re dealing with asceticism and various religious practices, and one of the prominent beliefs is Gnosticism—the idea of having special, superior knowledge. Paul, however, calls it “high-sounding nonsense.” They think they’re wise, that they possess great knowledge, but it’s nonsense. The issue with most scholarly philosophy is that it’s limited by human thinking. It’s constantly evolving, often flawed, and rooted in human perspectives. In response to these limitations, people tend to overcompensate by coming up with complex terms and high-sounding nonsense.This brings us to the topic of cherished titles, earned by accumulating all this so-called knowledge. It’s a cycle of pride. But here’s a word of caution: this tendency isn’t limited to secular scholars. In trying to look good to others, even Christians can get caught up in high-sounding nonsense.One of the reasons believers fall into this trap is the desire for approval from people or institutions. But God tells us not to seek people’s approval. Think about Galatians—Paul frames it in a way that makes his point clear. He says, “If I were here to win the approval of people, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.” He concludes by saying he has been crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to him. His only concern is winning people to the gospel. So, we should seek no other approval than God’s.Chasing affirmation from non-Christian scholars or scientists means that God’s approval isn’t enough for that person. Seeking others’ approval is essentially saying, “God’s opinion isn’t sufficient.” People should ask themselves, “Who am I really trying to convince?”Now, some may argue and say, “But Pastor Gene, what about First Peter 3:15?” Let’s look at the context of 1 Peter. The letter was written to a church suffering under intense persecution—fiery trials were coming. Nero was about to burn believers alive. So, what does Peter, a leader in the church, tell them to do? Fight back? No. He instructs them to suffer as Christ suffered. Honor people. Don’t argue or repay insult with insult. Be like Jesus. Love people unconditionally, including your enemies. Honor everyone.That’s the context. I’ll give you a couple of verses before, to explain further what’s going on in 1 Peter 3:15 and why it’s often misunderstood.
1 Peter 3:13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it [ἀπολογίαν].
The Greek term apologia—this is where we get the idea of the "apologetics verse." If people who love to argue had a favorite verse, this would be it. It’s often their life verse, as they devote themselves to the work of apologia, or apologetics. Now, in Greek, apologia actually just means "apology," which is interesting because it adds a twist. Biblically, though, it means to make a defense for something.
However, this word apologia also implies something that’s often overlooked by those who use it. Many people who focus on apologetics don’t fully understand what apologia really means—or the following verse. So let’s take a closer look.
1 Peter 3:15 says, "Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks you about the hope you have as a believer, always be ready to explain. But do this in a gentle and respectful way."
“Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good if that is what God wants than to suffer for doing wrong.”
It’s not about arguing. If someone asks, we’re to respond—not with yelling, fighting, or insults. Chapter two tells us plainly: “Do not repay insult with insult.” We’re actually commanded not to do that. We’re to respond humbly and gently, not showing off our intelligence but letting people see our gentleness, love, and humility. When they witness that, it often leads them to rethink their position. They may feel ashamed because of how calm and kind you are, especially when they see you suffering for doing good, which looks strange to the world.
Just read 1 Corinthians, chapters 1 and 2. Paul addresses this very thing. He’s speaking to a church that’s engaged in “pastor worship.” Some say they follow Peter; some say Paul; others say Apollos. Paul rebukes them, saying, “Who is Apollos? Who is Peter? Who is Paul?” Then he goes on to talk about the gospel’s foolishness to the world—the idea of God dying on the cross. It sounds crazy. It’s a mystery, he says, but he urges them to stop worshiping people. Worship God, even if it looks foolish to others.
The problem is that when Christians engage in these debates, they often get pulled into prideful, foolish arguments—high-sounding nonsense. So, when interacting with others, we need to start by dropping any pride. Remember, we’re just ambassadors. Our role is to share what the Word says, without adding our opinions. When they bring opinions, we simply point back to Scripture.
Unfortunately, many Christians aren’t prepared for this because they haven’t practiced the basics. They don’t know Scripture well enough to share it effectively. We need to get back to reading and knowing God’s Word thoroughly. That’s what “always being ready to make a defense” means. And as we’re moved by God’s grace, we naturally extend that grace to others.
This means not trying to make others feel foolish—it’s about kindness. Paul emphasized this to his protégé, Timothy, as well.
1 Timothy 1:3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God. 5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.
There it is again—a clear conscience and genuine faith. Yet, some people miss this entirely, turning away from it to spend their time in meaningless discussions. Scripture warns us that when we argue, we miss the point. We are actually commanded to avoid such discussions. God’s Word is clear: that’s all there is to it. Imagine focusing on a life of faith, with a pure heart and a clear conscience, rather than getting caught up in arguments. I hope you’re starting to see it—our best example, our strongest argument, is loving people.As Paul concludes 1 Timothy, he writes in 1 Timothy 6:20, "Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God’s grace be with you all." Notice, the Word of God calls it "so-called knowledge." It says to avoid godless discussions, not to argue with them. Why? Because some have wandered away from the faith by getting entangled in these arguments.Let’s go back to Galatians and recall the contrast between the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh—they’re always opposed to each other. Jesus reminds us that "you can identify a tree by its fruit." In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul warns, "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God."Often, Christians focus on a few “favorite” sins, like sexual immorality, calling it the worst. Yet Paul lists many other sins here as well, each one a barrier to inheriting the kingdom of God. How often do we see self-righteous behavior where people commit multiple sins on this list, even while rebuking others for only one or two?Hostility, quarreling—these are sins too, and they prevent us from inheriting the kingdom of God. Why argue? Outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, division—these things also keep us from God’s kingdom. If we’re doing these things, we’re no better off. So choose your “favorite sin”—we need to recognize it and lay it down.We can’t let our pride stand in the way of leading people to the gospel. Sometimes, under the guise of “defending God,” as if He needs defending, we fall into these sins ourselves. It’s as though we need a mirror, because if we’re constantly angry and argumentative, how can we possibly convince anyone to come to Christ? Why would they want to be like us?Let’s continue with 2 Timothy, as we explore how these actions can sometimes get in the way of what God intends.
2 Timothy 2:23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.We are called to love everyone—even our enemies. Go back to 1 Peter; that’s what it says. Romans says to be able to teach, to be patient with difficult people—even atheists. "Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap, where they are held captive to do his will." Notice how often we’re reminded to be gentle, patient, and loving. Over and over again, the Word of God says it: don’t get involved with ignorant arguments. We must not quarrel—there’s that warning against quarreling again, the sin of the flesh back in Galatians. It’s clear.Many who engage in these discussions under the guise of apologetics are actually just sinning. That’s what’s going on here. But when you’re patient, kind, and showing the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and faithfulness—what does it say? "Perhaps God will change their hearts." Notice that? Not you. God will change their hearts. We’re just ambassadors; we just come with the message in a loving way.How many people are out there thinking, "I’m going to go out and change people’s hearts"? That’s not what my Bible says. You’re not going to change anything. Let the Holy Spirit work, because you’re not better than the Holy Spirit. Not you. So, once God changes their hearts, the truth is self-evident. You don’t have to do any work at all.Romans was actually written for unity, as Paul explains. Stop arguing with the Jewish Christians. They had the law, they knew all this stuff, and they probably knew their Bible—the Scriptures—way better than the Gentile Christians coming in. They had this "superior knowledge," as Paul calls it. But he’s saying, "Guys, get along, love each other, don’t argue. Stop it." He speaks to both the Gentiles and the Jews. In the beginning, he’s talking to the Gentiles and says this:Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.It’s clear. Look around with the right heart, and you’ll see it: this is no coincidence, no accident. But the heart has to be changed first to see that, to truly open our eyes. Later on, Paul talks about the gospel message going out to everyone, quoting Psalm 19, which aligns with this point even ten chapters later. "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world." Beautiful.So, our first step is to live as real Christians—being loving, kind, patient, and practicing self-control at all times. We’re called to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control as the fruit of the Spirit at all times. This includes being patient with difficult people, everyone we encounter, our enemies, those who disagree with us—all at all times. We meet people where they are.Now, I love the Greek and all kinds of translations, and sometimes I prefer to read from the Greek or complex versions. But I’m preaching today from the NLT. Why? Because I want people to learn. I’m not interested in showing off how smart I am. It concerns me more that you understand what I’m saying. I could stand here reading Greek—and I’m terrible at speaking it anyway—but that’s not going to help anyone. So, I use a simpler version and explain things, adding Greek in brackets if needed. My heart is for you to learn, not to create stumbling blocks with big words so people think I’m smart. When you catch yourself doing that, ask: Who is this about? Is it about God and leading others to Him, or about me and my title? Who is really on the throne here?This way, we avoid falling into the trap of putting too much weight on human arguments. I'll give a few points, but we focus on answers from here (the Bible), because people have filled the world with high-sounding nonsense when it should be self-evident. Paul puts it this way in Romans: "Claiming to be wise, they became fools." Continuing in Romans 1:21:Romans 1:21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.Claiming to be wise, they became fools. Fools! They worship the creation instead of the Creator—and that includes themselves. Later, it says they even give approval to those doing all these terrible things. The Bible talks about how people become like their idols, and we’ll see that here. You become what you worship.But the faithful have been given the answer to the mystery of the Kingdom of God. If we look again at Colossians, …Colossians 2:2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.The Bible really emphasizes this—warnings not to be deceived or get pulled into clever arguments. Yet, what do Christians often do? They focus on crafting the perfect argument, as if that's the key. But who cares about a "well-crafted argument"? All that’s needed is Scripture, the Word itself. So much of this “high-sounding nonsense” is useless when compared to the simple truth in God's Word. And here’s the incredible thing: the Kingdom of God is called a mystery.You can't see this mystery until God opens your heart to it. It's revealed through love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to those who are faithful. As Colossians puts it, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden—they’re out of reach for anyone whose heart isn’t ready to understand.This concept is embedded in Jesus' teachings, which he often began with parables. Take Mark as an example. Jesus tells parables, and when you think about this idea of hidden mysteries, it starts to make sense. You have to receive Jesus to grasp these treasures. Parables are like riddles in that way—mysterious teachings that hold meaning just below the surface.Jesus begins his teaching ministry with the Parable of the Sower, perhaps familiar to you. Here’s a quick summary. Jesus introduces it without any explanation: A farmer goes out to scatter seed. Some seed falls on the path, and birds come and eat it. Other seed falls on rocky soil, where it can’t take root; the sun scorches it. Some seed lands among thorns and is choked out. But some seed falls on good soil, where it grows and produces a crop—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown.Then in Mark 4:10, Jesus begins to unpack the meaning of this mystery.Mark 4:10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. 11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret [mystery] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do,they will learn nothing.When they hear what I say,they will not understand.Otherwise, they will turn to meand be forgiven [Is. 6:9 – 10].
Jesus quotes Isaiah, explaining why some won’t understand: "They will not understand; otherwise, they would turn to me and be forgiven." He then unfolds the meaning of the parable, saying the seed represents the Word of God. When it falls on rocky soil, it symbolizes people whose hearts aren’t prepared to receive it—those resistant or indifferent, like atheists or others who don’t have the openness for God’s truth. “Birds,” representing Satan, “swoop in to snatch the Word away” before it can take root in them.The seed that falls on shallow, rocky soil represents those who initially accept the Word but quickly fall away when faced with challenges or troubles. This “burning up” connotes that hardships reveal where their hearts truly are. Then, the seed that falls among thorns represents those people choked by the “lures of wealth and worries about this world.” They’re pulled away by these distractions, preventing the Word from flourishing.Now, the fertile soil? That’s the heart changed by God—the heart of flesh instead of stone, as referenced in the Bible. It’s a heart that can receive the Word, letting it grow deep roots and produce fruit. Jesus is pointing to heart conditions here—the humble heart that accepts the Word, while the proud heart, like rock, repels it. When a heart is truly changed, it begins to produce the fruit of the Spirit. It all comes together here.The prideful hearts, like rocky soil, resemble people who have made themselves their own god, in a way, resisting God’s Word and holding onto their pride. The Bible warns against idolatry, saying that we actually become like the idols we worship. When you worship an idol—even if it’s yourself—you become spiritually blind and deaf, unable to see or hear the truth. These idols in the Bible were physical objects, like carved statues or totem poles, things people believed could bring them good luck or protection. They couldn’t see, they couldn’t hear, and worshiping them was empty—just like trusting in anything other than God.Psalm 115 captures this theme: “Why let the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” It’s a call to understand that idols, whether literal or metaphorical, harden hearts and blind us to the truth.
Psalm 115:2 Why let the nations say,“Where is their God?”3 Our God is in the heavens,and he does as he wishes.4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,shaped by human hands.5 They have mouths but cannot speak,and eyes but cannot see.6 They have ears but cannot hear,and noses but cannot smell.7 They have hands but cannot feel,and feet but cannot walk,and throats but cannot make a sound.8 And those who make idols are just like them,as are all who trust in them.
This theme runs throughout the Bible, emphasizing that many remain spiritually blind, unable to perceive the mysteries of God that believers see clearly. Jesus and other psalms reinforce this: these people "are blind," unable to recognize even God’s revelation in nature. They’re so blind, they miss what creation itself declares. And beyond nature, the ultimate revelation of God comes through Jesus Christ, our Savior, and what He accomplished—but they can't accept it because they have the wrong heart.So, today, the question of God’s existence can only be truly understood through a changed heart and the Holy Spirit, which come through faith. Let's define faith using God’s Word. In Hebrews 11:1, it says, "Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see."Faith provides the evidence, not intellectual understanding. "By faith," Hebrews continues in verse 3, "we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." It's by faith that we grasp this unseen truth and are at peace with it.But here's the thing: it doesn't always have to be blind faith. As Romans 10:16 points out...Romans 10:16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.Just before that verse where Paul quotes Psalm 19, he mentions that not everyone welcomes the good news of the gospel. Isaiah, the prophet, said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Romans 10:16). So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the good news about Christ. We need to hear something; we need to read His Word. There is some evidence shown right in the Bible, but we can’t see it clearly unless we have that faith. These are the loving words we use when we articulate the gospel message with people. There are certain words we must use. These are the seeds, so to speak. We see evidence of this in the Bible, such as in Acts 17 with the Bereans. They listened to the gospel and then searched the Scriptures day after day to ensure it was correct. That’s what we should be doing. We hear things; we read our Bible. That’s how we prove it.Now, here’s where we take a turn. This is for those who may be very skeptical, those who don’t believe. I just want to impress upon you that there is a problem with proof. When people demand proof, there’s a significant issue. Unless it’s pure logic or mathematics, it’s challenging to come up with something like unbeatable proof. That’s why, in courtrooms, they talk about reasonable doubt. They try to dispel things like that. It’s not absolute proof; you don’t have to win by absolute proof. Proof is really tough. Demanding proof of God that no one could ever reject is unreasonable. So when you’re talking to people, don’t shoot for that. You need to pray for a changed heart. A person’s intent when entering the conversation is far more influential than any evidence you could present. We just saw it’s a mirror and a mystery, so that won’t be taken as evidence. If the heart isn’t fertile, forget it. It goes back to what the Word of God tells us repeatedly: don’t engage in foolish arguments. If you’re sitting there with what you think is good evidence and are arguing with someone who has the wrong heart—maybe it’s even yours—check it. The mirror goes up; check your heart.It’s been said that the best reply to an atheist is to take them to dinner. They eat the dinner, and you ask, “Hey, do you believe you saw the chef?” The answer is no. Then you ask, “Do you believe that he prepared it?” Get them thinking. Yes, well, there’s faith in that. Do you believe the chef didn’t spit in the food? As an argumentative atheist, you probably should have some doubt. But do you believe it? I hope so, because you had some faith. When you came to the restaurant, you confidently plopped down in the chair, fully believing there was a creator who made your meal. These kinds of discussions are helpful because they demonstrate to atheists that they have a lot more faith than they think, perhaps even more than I do.You can delve into that line of thought and then tie in some philosophical points. However, remember that whenever you’re looking at philosophy, it often leads to an argument. Just know that. Here are three popular arguments that are worth knowing. Again, don’t lead with them, but it wouldn’t be complete without mentioning them: the cosmological, teleological, and moral arguments.The cosmological argument is the argument for the existence of God, claiming that all things in nature depend on something else for their existence. Therefore, the whole cosmos must depend on a being that exists independently. This argument considers the principles of cause and effect. You understand what that is, right? Our universe clearly is not eternal or uncreated. Even atheists will agree with that—think Big Bang. They will concede that point. That’s what I’m always looking for in discussions: common ground. The logic points to God, the uncreated and eternal measure of all things—the first cause of reality.Next is the teleological argument, which is fun to say. The Greek term can mean a few different things, but in our context, it refers to purpose. So, what’s the point? The teleological argument explains phenomena in terms of their purpose rather than the cause by which they arise. It suggests the existence of an intelligent creator based on purposefulness. Why is this happening here? For example, how is it that the Earth spins the way it does and goes around the sun without burning up? That’s incredible.Let’s consider DNA. This intelligent design trait is a strong argument. Atheists have a hard time explaining this. DNA is extraordinarily complex, akin to a computer code. It’s so intricate and intentional that it can’t happen by chance; that’s impossible. To put it simply, you can’t just stack paper and pour ink on it, walk away, and expect a coherent book to be written. Just because elements may attract one another doesn’t mean they’ll result in a complex code or a book of words that make sense. Systems with this type of digital information demand a creator. Something wrote this; something did that.Take my love for mechanical timepieces, for example. I marvel at how they work and how they keep time. You don’t just take random metal pieces and leather and shake them up in a box and expect to come out with a watch. It doesn’t work that way. There needs to be a creator, a designer to make something that complicated. Creation demands a creator. People always ask how it happened, but the next logical argument is, why and for what purpose is it happening?The Bible aligns with science while also introducing a deeper dimension. Consider Hebrews 11:3, which states, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” This understanding begins to illuminate the connection between faith and the natural world.Then there’s the moral argument, which raises fascinating questions about good, evil, and ethics. It's intriguing that atheists often talk about “what should be.” What do they mean by that? Are we discussing morality here? Moral principles differ significantly from natural principles. If we approach this from an atheistic perspective—where there’s no purpose, no morals, and no inherent meaning—then we face a perplexing question: Why do we have morals? It doesn't seem to add up.Humans are inherently different from the animals. If we subscribe to the idea of natural selection and survival of the fittest, one might expect people to act purely out of self-interest, even at the cost of others. Yet, we observe a sense of morality in humanity that defies that expectation. It’s remarkable that we, created in God’s image, possess this moral consciousness. Throughout history, morals have remained relatively consistent across diverse cultures, which is worth noting.Speaking of weather, it seems like the rain is here in southwest Florida. You don't need a prophet—or even a weatherman—to figure that out!Now, let's talk about miracles. For instance, I struggled with dyslexia growing up, which made reading a significant challenge for me. I struggled in school and often felt discouraged. However, when I committed to serving God's purpose, I experienced a transformative change. My reading difficulties disappeared entirely. I didn’t undergo surgery or anything of the sort; it was a miracle. I didn't rely on my intellect for this change; I attribute it solely to God.If you’re looking for a recommendation, I suggest reading Craig Keener, a humble scholar with an impressive academic background. He has written a two-volume work on miracles, documenting numerous accounts where doctors were baffled by events that had no natural explanation. These occurrences serve as evidence of God's presence in our lives.Next, we need to acknowledge the fulfilled prophecies within the Bible. The prophecies regarding Jesus alone are staggering. For example, the probability of even one of these prophecies coming true is like spreading marked quarters across the entire country and expecting someone to randomly find the marked one. The odds are astronomical. This underscores the miraculous nature of the Bible itself, filled with prophecies that have come to fruition.Now, consider answered prayer. I've engaged with non-believers, asking if they would like prayer. Surprisingly, many say yes. Yet when I ask whom they are praying to, they often reply with vague concepts like “the universe.” This raises an interesting point—what do they mean by that? It seems reminiscent of ancient idol worship.Despite their claims of disbelief, many people are receptive to the idea of God. Romans 1 tells us that they know God exists but fail to acknowledge Him as such. Many who profess atheism actually harbor a belief in a higher power. When we talk about prayer, our church has witnessed numerous answered prayers. This has fostered an environment where people are open to the possibility of divine intervention.According to Barna research, around 82% of Americans believe in the power of prayer. This presents a valuable starting point for conversations about faith. Consider how arguments typically begin. Often, we find ourselves at an impasse with differing views. What if we paused and offered to pray together? Do you think the conversation might shift if we approached it in that way?
This brings us to a way of life that truly works. Many people engage in arguments and exhibit the fruit of the flesh—anger, outbursts, and contention—because they are living a way of life that simply does not work.It is our responsibility to show them a way of life that does work. It really is as simple as that.Throughout history, human beings have developed various systems—government, education, entertainment—but these systems often fail because they are not perfectly aligned with God’s purpose. Imagine Timothy asking Titus, “Where did you get your Ph.D.?” If Titus were to answer, “From the Holy Spirit,” how would that change the conversation?We've created all these other systems, and it breaks my heart when I see Christians relying on them. We must remember that it is God who empowers us, not our own achievements. God is able; He is far more powerful than any degree or credential. I have attended seminary, but honestly, I could have just read my Bible and prayed a lot. It would have saved me a lot of time.So, what progress have we made as humans? Have we achieved world peace? No. In fact, within our own country, we struggle to agree on anything. It’s quite telling about our progress, isn’t it? By God's standards, our inability to get along is shameful.Think about the irony in this: the same people who deny God often tout human intellect and scientific progress. They proclaim that science is everything and that it holds more power than God. Yet, it is this very human intellect that has contributed to the destruction of our world. We’ve created bombs and weapons of mass destruction, all through our own knowledge.If you find yourself here today, putting your faith in things that simply do not work, I invite you to reconsider. If you’re not a believer yet, I would love to pray with you and get to know you. But if you’re feeling frustrated, even as a Christian, and find that you’ve become so advanced in your knowledge that it has led to anger and fear, it's a sign that something isn't working.If you're willing to admit that the things you've relied on haven't brought you joy, peace, or a sense of love, then this message is for you.I acknowledge that it’s raining right now, and there are concerns about tornadoes. Some may even feel anxious about the weather. But remember, if a tornado were to whisk me away, I’d be with Jesus. As Paul said, to live is Christ and to die is gain. That’s the joy we want—a life free from worry. Yes, storms can be frightening, but we also need to exercise wise caution.However, if you feel that your current life isn’t working, this applies to many who call themselves Christians as well. Too many are seeking comfort in things other than God to numb their anxiety, fear, or depression.Let me show you a way of life that truly works. If you are searching for inner peace, you can see evidence of God’s handiwork throughout creation. But the only way to truly connect with the Creator is through faith and trust in Jesus Christ, who alone can provide us with true love, joy, and peace. Amen.Now, let’s pray.Lord, thank You for this time and for everyone who has come today, as well as those watching online who couldn't be here. We appreciate their willingness to humbly engage with Your Word and give You all the glory and honor for everything in our lives.I pray for those who do not yet believe. May they have fertile hearts, opening themselves to You and surrendering to Your will so that You can do Your work in them.I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.