“It Doesn’t Matter!”
At rforh we believe that when it comes to our faith we need to Know it! Live it! Share it! Each of these are important if we truly want to be effective in reaching the lost. It’s been my experience that if we only put the emphasis on one of these, our outreach just isn’t as effective as it could be.
Acts 16:31 makes it very clear that for our salvation we must, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
However, once we have received the free gift of eternal life the Bible says that when it comes to our faith we are to:
Know it! – 1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Live it! – James 1:22 – But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Share it! – Mark 16:15 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
In this blog we’re just going to address: Know it!
There is no doubt in my mind that there are people who are saved and just don’t care about questions that the world is asking. I’ve heard brothers and sisters in Christ say that, when asked questions such as as Where did Cain get his wife? What about dinosaurs? If God created everything, then who created God? etc. they respond with, “I don’t know anything about that, but I know this, you’re going to die! What’s going to happen after that?” (By the way, video answers to questions like these are on our Reasons for Hope App, free of charge on either the iPhone/iPad or the Android check it out!!)
That indifference is one of the reasons we are losing so many of the young folks raised in church today.
When Carl Jr., Juan or myself have the opportunity to speak with this next generation we are inundated with questions, and they want answers that make sense. Why do they want answers? Because they’re being attacked with difficult questions from a secular culture that looks for ways to discredit what they believe.
Recently after speaking at a church the Assistant Pastor stood up and said, “It is our experience that every day we work with the youth they have questions and they need answers. And answers such as, ‘Believe because I told you so!’ don’t work!”
At rforh, that’s been our experience as well. “Just believe” doesn’t answer the question — and without answers to questions, doubt will creep in, faith will falter and confidence to share the gospel will disappear.
We know from studies that one of the reason Christians are reluctant to share their faith is because they’re afraid people will ask questions that they can’t answer.
So having answers, “Know it!” is important in building a strong faith foundation and being equipped to reach the lost. There’s a quote that I share from Penn Jillette in my talk on Evangelism. After having been witnessed to, he speaks of how the person cared enough about him to speak to him about Jesus. Now Penn Jillette is still unconverted, but in the video clip he went on to say,
“How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize. How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that!”
We would never want to miss an opportunity to share the gospel with someone like that because we didn’t feel we had good answers. So, if feeling unprepared hinders our witness, how do we get prepared? The Bible has the answer….
2 Timothy 2:15 – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord
Proverbs 27:17 – Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Look at those key words: study, reason, sharpen and meditate. Those aren’t passive words, those words require the body of Christ to put forth effort. It is our belief that the body of Christ can and should become more prepared to have conversations with everyone they come in contact with — those who don’t know the Lord and those who know the Lord but are young in their faith or are struggling in some way. And, of course, they should also have fellowship and conversation with those who are strong in their faith — that’s the “iron sharpens iron” of Proverbs 27:17.
It’s our desire to challenge the body of Christ to move out of their comfort zone and to equip themselves to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).
Stay bold!
Carl and the rforh Team!
Acts 16:31 makes it very clear that for our salvation we must, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
However, once we have received the free gift of eternal life the Bible says that when it comes to our faith we are to:
Know it! – 1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Live it! – James 1:22 – But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Share it! – Mark 16:15 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
In this blog we’re just going to address: Know it!
There is no doubt in my mind that there are people who are saved and just don’t care about questions that the world is asking. I’ve heard brothers and sisters in Christ say that, when asked questions such as as Where did Cain get his wife? What about dinosaurs? If God created everything, then who created God? etc. they respond with, “I don’t know anything about that, but I know this, you’re going to die! What’s going to happen after that?” (By the way, video answers to questions like these are on our Reasons for Hope App, free of charge on either the iPhone/iPad or the Android check it out!!)
That indifference is one of the reasons we are losing so many of the young folks raised in church today.
When Carl Jr., Juan or myself have the opportunity to speak with this next generation we are inundated with questions, and they want answers that make sense. Why do they want answers? Because they’re being attacked with difficult questions from a secular culture that looks for ways to discredit what they believe.
Recently after speaking at a church the Assistant Pastor stood up and said, “It is our experience that every day we work with the youth they have questions and they need answers. And answers such as, ‘Believe because I told you so!’ don’t work!”
At rforh, that’s been our experience as well. “Just believe” doesn’t answer the question — and without answers to questions, doubt will creep in, faith will falter and confidence to share the gospel will disappear.
We know from studies that one of the reason Christians are reluctant to share their faith is because they’re afraid people will ask questions that they can’t answer.
So having answers, “Know it!” is important in building a strong faith foundation and being equipped to reach the lost. There’s a quote that I share from Penn Jillette in my talk on Evangelism. After having been witnessed to, he speaks of how the person cared enough about him to speak to him about Jesus. Now Penn Jillette is still unconverted, but in the video clip he went on to say,
“How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize. How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that!”
We would never want to miss an opportunity to share the gospel with someone like that because we didn’t feel we had good answers. So, if feeling unprepared hinders our witness, how do we get prepared? The Bible has the answer….
2 Timothy 2:15 – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord
Proverbs 27:17 – Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Look at those key words: study, reason, sharpen and meditate. Those aren’t passive words, those words require the body of Christ to put forth effort. It is our belief that the body of Christ can and should become more prepared to have conversations with everyone they come in contact with — those who don’t know the Lord and those who know the Lord but are young in their faith or are struggling in some way. And, of course, they should also have fellowship and conversation with those who are strong in their faith — that’s the “iron sharpens iron” of Proverbs 27:17.
It’s our desire to challenge the body of Christ to move out of their comfort zone and to equip themselves to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).
Stay bold!
Carl and the rforh Team!
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