01-13-13 AM - Answering our Culture, Pt 1

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Answering Our Culture #1: Be Prepared to Give an Answer

1Tim 4:1-4;   1Peter 3:15-16                      

Book- True for You, but Not for Me, by Paul Copan;

“Several Reasons why People reject Christ”

2Tim.4:1-4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
I. Many will reject the truth.

3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.

A. It goes against previous “knowledge.”

B. It’s inconvenient.

II. People will gather others who agree with them. (3-4)

3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

This is critical – too often the church has been guilty of pushing people away, right into the arms of people who don’t know Christ and don’t care to know Him, because they are accepted as they are.

Colleges breed anti-Christian beliefs, which does two things.
First, it gives young people an excuse to reject what they have learned  about God, the Scriptures, truth, and whatever, all backed by the official sanction of a paid instructor.
Second, it serves to confuse others who have legitimate questions, but don’t know where to find answers. One of the things our students are being told is that we can only believe the things they can see.

III. Be Prepared.
A. Pray. Only God can open the heart and mind of a person.

B. Bring the Word. (2)
2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

The word “preach” means to herald or proclaim.

C. Bring your testimony.

1 Peter 3:15-16. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

First, make it personal – the hope “you” have, not just the Christian population in general.
Second, talk in ways that respect the person you are visiting with. Not condemnation, or sreaming.

D. Live a holy life. 1 Peter 2:11-12

1Pet. 2:11-12  Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.