Sunday Morning Sermon Summary
Pastor Paul Lundberg
Note to the
visitor: These are Pastor Paul’s sermon notes from Sunday
Morning. They probably won’t make much sense if you
weren’t in the service. Feel free to contact Pastor Paul if you’d
like more detailed information.
Series: “Why Should Anyone Believe
Anything At All?”
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Part Two: Why Believe Anything?
January 14, 2007
1 Cor 1:22 Jews
demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach
Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the
foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of
God is stronger than man's strength. NIV
OUR MISSION:
Go! Make Disciples! I’ll Show Up!
WHY ASK THE
QUESTION?
BECAUSE WE BASE OUR
LIVES ON BELIEVING
BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW
THE ANSWER FOR OURSELVES
BECAUSE OUR MISSION IS
TO MAKE DISCIPLES (Believers)
Question: Why do we believe what we believe?
1)
Social reasons
a)
My parents believe, therefore I believe
b)
My friends believe, therefore I believe
c)
My culture believes, (It’s all I know/understand)
Communities “brainwash” people into believing
2)
Personal reasons
a)
It gives meaning and purpose to my life
b)
It gives me a sense of identity
c)
It relieves guilt and fear
d)
It makes me feel good
It’s a crutch people use to avoid reality
3) Religious reasons
a)
My pastor, priest, guru taught it, I read it in the Bible,
etc.
b)
Miracles prove it’s true
c)
I have a direct experience with God
Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, New Agers do too
4)
Philosophical reasons
a)
It’s true!
(duh!)
b)
It’s reasonable
c)
It’s logical
d)
There’s real evidence for it
e)
I have experience that proves it
f)
It provides the best explanation for the tough issues of life
WHY SHOULD I
BELIEVE IN ONE THING OR ANOTHER?
WHY CAN’T I
BELIEVE WHAT I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE – INCLUDING NOTHING AT ALL?
Randy’s
Story
Example #1: What if it’s true that Islam is
the true religion? What if there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad
is his prophet?
Example #2:
What if reincarnation is true and resurrection isn’t? What if there
is no after-life at all?
It’s
true for you but not for me WON’T DO! It REALLY
matters
If Islam is true, what I believe about the
God of the Bible isn’t. If what I believe about God is truth, Islam
isn’t.
If both are wrong, now what?
Either reincarnation is true and
resurrection isn’t, lights-out at death or something else happens.
NO MIDDLE GROUND. SOMETHING HAPPENS!
#1 REASON
FOR BELIEVING SOMETHING: If something
is true, it’s true. It will cost me dearly if I’m wrong. If
Islam is true, Allah demands and deserves worship and obedience from
everyone (NOT JUST THOSE WHO BELIEVE IT). Allah is not going to
understand that I made a mistake in believing the wrong thing.
Not believing
anything at all won’t help me either! “I’LL LIVE WITH IT” IS LIKE
REFUSING TO BELIEVE IN GRAVITY, JUMPING OFF A CLIFF
AND SAYING, “IF I’M WRONG, I’LL LIVE WITH
IT!”
Next Week WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF
THE BIBLE?
DO YOU BELIEVE
IN THE GOD OF THE BIBLE:
Two important questions to ask:
1)
WHY DO I believe? 2) WHY SHOULD I believe?
Eph. 1:18 I pray also
that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may
know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious
inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for
us who believe.
Matt 21:18-32
18 Early in the
morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on
it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit
again!" Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the
disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither
so quickly?" they asked.
21 Jesus replied, "I
tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can
you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this
mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
23 Jesus entered the
temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the
elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing
these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
24 Jesus replied, "I
will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by
what authority I am doing these things. 25 John's baptism-where did
it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"
They discussed it
among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask,
'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men'-we
are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a
prophet."
27 So they answered
Jesus, "We don't know."
Then he said,
"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
28 "What do you
think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and
said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'
29 "'I will not,' he
answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 "Then the father
went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will,
sir,' but he did not go.
31 "Which of the two
did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they
answered.
Jesus said to them,
"I tell you the
truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the
kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the
way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax
collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you
did not repent and believe him.
NIV
1 Cor 1:22 Jews
demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach
Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the
foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of
God is stronger than man's strength. NIV
Eph 1:18-23
18 I pray also that
the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know
the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious
inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for
us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty
strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the
dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far
above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title
that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one
to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed
him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. NIV
2 Thessalonians 2:9
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of
Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and
wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are
perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so
be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so
that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned
who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
NIV
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Blue: Illustrations and quotes
Red: Scripture
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