Rev. David Holwick A
Boothbay Baptist Church
Boothbay, Maine
January 10, 2021
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
1 Peter 3:15-16
HAIR-TRIGGERED BIBLES
I. Bibles make good weapons.
A. God made him do it.
According to the police report, deputies were responding to a
call about a burglary at a home in Central Florida.
When they arrived they made contact with suspect Robert Hoskins
who confronted them in an aggressive manner.
The Florida man, wearing only underwear, began yelling,
"I commend you!" while waving a Bible around.
He then began ranting and quoting Bible verses, then threw the
Bible at a deputy, hitting him in the face.
So the police tased him, handcuffed him, and took him into
custody.
When police asked him why he broke into the home, Hoskins
said, "Because God told me to."
#66362
I own some Bibles that could do serious damage to your face.
We have a family heirloom Bible that weighs 12 pounds!
But is that the best use of a Bible?
B. Many non-believers see us as Bible-boppers.
1) To them, we are usually quoting the Bible to judge someone.
a) There are 7 passages in the Bible that deal with
homosexuality.
b) I have heard homosexuals call them "clobber passages"
because Christians quote them to condemn them.
c) Actor and homosexual activist Ian McKellen, who played
Gandolph in The Lord of the Rings movies, used to
take the Gideon Bible in his hotel rooms and rip out
the passage in Leviticus where God rejects it.
#34788
2) To be fair, sometimes God calls us to be harsh.
a) Consider the case of John the Baptist. Matt 14:3-4
He confronted King Herod Antipas for marrying his
brother's wife, Herodias.
The Bible says that was a forbidden relationship.
John could have tried to be a positive influence
by befriending Herod and overlooking the sin but
instead he laid out God's law.
Through her daughter's dance, Herodias got John executed
and literally served his head on a platter.
So there are times when judging sinful behavior is what
God requires.
b) But we don't have to be harsh all the time.
1> We are living in turbulent times - can you believe
what happened in the Capitol this week?
A> There is division and rancor everywhere we look.
2> Perhaps we all need to re-consider the wisdom of
Proverbs 15:1 -
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh
word stirs up anger."
C. How should we use the Bible to persuade others?
II. The Bible is a dangerous book.
A. The New Testament consistently describes it as a weapon.
1) In Ephesians 6:17 he says the Word of God is the sword of
the Spirit.
2) Hebrews 4:12 also calls it a sword, a double-edged one.
a) It penetrates to the inner core of a person.
b) It lays bare our thoughts and attitudes.
3) In 2 Corinthians 10:3, the Bible would be among the weapons
we fight with.
a) But we don't wage war like the world does, slashing
right and left.
b) Instead, he says our goal is to capture their minds.
c) We use it to demolish arguments that stand in the way
of believing in God.
B. Like any weapon, the Bible can be misused.
1) Satan can quote it, like he did at the temptation of Jesus.
a) At least Jesus knew how to oppose him with Bible verses,
correctly used.
b) Most Christians are pretty clueless when it comes to
understanding and using the Bible.
2) It is neglected more than used.
Writer Kathleen Norris visited a man named Arlo.
He was a rugged, self-made man who was fighting terminal
cancer.
During their visit, Arlo started talking about his
grandfather, who was a sincere Christian.
Grandpa gave Arlo and his bride a nice wedding present:
an expensive leather Bible with their names printed
in gold lettering.
Arlo left it in the box and never opened it.
For months after the wedding his grandfather kept asking
if he liked the Bible.
Arlo told Kathleen that his wife had written a nice
thank-you note and they had thanked him in person.
But grandpa wouldn't leave the subject alone; he
frequently asked them about it.
Finally, Arlo grew curious enough to open the Bible.
He found that his grandfather had placed a $20 bill at
the beginning of the Book of Genesis, and at the
first page of every book after that.
When he added it all up there was over $1,300 in that
Bible.
Arlo admitted, "And he knew I'd never find it."
#65646
Would you find hidden money in your Bible?
There is greater treasure in there than that!
C. People need God's truth.
1) They may not like what it says.
2) But they may also not like how their lives are turning out.
3) The Bible reveals how we can have peace with God and within
ourselves.
III. Be prepared to answer people.
A. Non-believers are naturally curious.
1) Israeli guide, Uri, asking me why I became a Christian.
2) Doesn't mean we have to wait for them to ask, however.
The dangers of "silent witnessing":
Moshe Rosen became a Christian at a high cost.
He converted from Judaism to Christianity and his own
parents disowned him.
His father said to him, "You are never to mention Christ,
the Bible, or your religion to your mother or to me,
or to any of the family."
A deacon in his church told him to be a "silent witness,"
and that a time would come when they would ask about his
faith.
Seventeen years after Moshe accepted the reconciliation
with his parents, his mother died without ever believing.
His father followed in another decade.
Moshe says, "They never asked."
There is no such thing as a "silent witness."
Being a silent witness doesn't work because the focus
is on whether we can be good and righteous.
Our message should not be who we are, but who God is.
#1798
B. They deserve a reasonable answer.
1) Alister McGrath says a central task of believers is to make
Christianity credible in the modern world.
In seminary they call this APOLOGETICS - the "defense of
the faith," to give a rough translation of the Greek word
apologia, used in 1 Peter 3:15.
#3550
2) You should be able to tell people what a Christian is,
and why you are one.
a) Tracts like "The Four Spiritual Laws" are a place to
start.
b) I also like "The Roman Road" which highlights the way
to be saved, in a single book.
IV. Give them a reason for your hope.
A. Christians have something to look forward to.
1) Do you??
a) If you died right now, would you be satisfied with the
life you have lived?
b) If you died right now, do you know with certainty what
would happen to you?
c) William Barclay has said, "Faith must be a first-hand
discovery and not a second-hand story."
2) Our hope is not just the good stuff that happens to us after
we die.
a) Good things can happen to us right now.
1> Scientific research shows that committed Christians
have more stable marriages, better adjusted kids,
and less stress in their lives.
2> This doesn't mean all Christians have perfect
families and sing Hallelujah every second, but
living by the Bible's principles will lead
you to a more fulfilling life.
b) We need to point out these principles to others.
B. Hellfire may motivate some, but hope is better.
Christian writer Mrs. Robbie Castleman heard a Christian
physics professor defend Christianity on a state
university campus a few years ago.
He had been nominated for top science awards, had pages of
academic accolades, and became a Christian well into his
faculty career.
After listening to his brilliant multi-point presentation of
why he found Christianity credible, Castleman spoke to
this professor and his wife.
She asked him what first got him to consider the Christian
faith.
His answer was very different from what he had shared that
night.
His journey to faith began after the death of his child.
He noticed that his wife's grief began to give way to some
hope and healing that he could not understand nor
experience.
When he asked her about it, she confessed that she had been
attending a Bible study with friends and had become a
Christian.
He was surprised, intrigued, and open to anything that would
comfort his pain and emptiness.
He, too, began to share his grief within his new circle of
friends.
They opened their hearts and their Bibles to this professor
and his wife.
The professor felt free to ask questions, seek the truth of
the Christian faith, and express doubts.
He finally trusted in the Lord, because his feelings of
grief were accepted and shared.
Compassion preceded answers.
His evangelists were first listeners.
After the professor finished, Castleman thanked him for
this personal story of faith.
And she suggested that this part of his life's story be
included in what he shared with others about the
Christian faith.
She encouraged him to remember that grace opened the door of
truth for him.
This is true in the hearts and lives of most people who need
to hear the gospel.
#3376
C. Be gentle and respectful.
1) Harsh Christians ("I" have the TRUTH) turn people off.
2) Discern the real needs of people.
For example, someone may say, "Well, I don't understand how
you can say 'God loves us' when the world is such a mess."
There are four common responses from Christians:
1. Launch into an earnest sermonette on the existence of God
and the reality of original sin.
2. Speak slowly and loudly on the blessing of justification,
propitiation and other big religious words they won't
understand.
Or, more effectively:
*3. Ask about "the mess." What is this person's unhappiness
with the messy world?
Listen for hints or confessions of an inner, personal
mess.
*4. Just keep listening as the person continues to talk.
Information is not what people usually look for first
when they are hurting or sharing feelings.
They want to know you care for them, and that God does
too.
#3263
D. The Bible is more reasonable than many people realize.
A Chinese scholar's testimony:
Tao Lu grew up in a large city in China.
In the first 26 years of his life, he never saw a Bible.
One of his English textbooks mentioned Christmas and
Christianity as a part of "Western festivals," but that
was about it.
Tao wasn't hostile toward Christianity or any other religious
faith; they just seemed irrelevant to his life.
At the age of 26 he attended a college in Richmond, Virginia.
When he arrived he wanted to practice his English and socialize
with other Chinese, so he went to a Chinese Baptist church
near the university and began attending a Bible
discussion group.
Since he had grown up as a communist, Tao considered the
concept of God to be ridiculous.
But the more he read the teachings of Jesus Christ, the more
intrigued he became.
He was amazed by Jesus' command to "love your enemies and do
good" to them (Luke 6:35).
The question Jesus asked in Luke 6:41 -- "Why do you look at
the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice
the log that in your own eye?" -- challenged him to stop
judging others so harshly.
He was moved deeply by Christ's teaching not to be anxious
about our needs, since God takes care of the lilies of the
field and loves us much more (Matthew 6:28-32).
Tao thought those teachings were not only persuasive, but
beautiful.
But becoming a believer is not easy for a modern Chinese
scholar.
If Christianity was correct, that meant the things he had
learned in China were wrong.
He dug deeper.
He read a book by Lin Yutang, a renowned Chinese author who
embraced faith in Christ.
Tao systematically listed the teachings of Jesus and found
he agreed with all of them.
A Christian lawyer named Jim Fiorelli volunteered to help him
with his English by studying the Gospel of John with him.
Jim said, "There's almost no substitute for giving someone the
chance to read Scripture, think about it and talk through it.
If you can get people into the Word, to read it for themselves,
the Word will speak for itself and go deep into a person's
heart."
The time had come for Tao to make a decision, and in June 2015,
he made it.
He prayed the sinner's prayer with his pastor and immediately
shared the news with Jim the lawyer.
Soon after this, Tao's wife was saved.
Tao reflects that he came to believe in Jesus not just on his
rational, logical consideration.
There was also emotion. He knew that he was a sinner.
He believed that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for him
and that Jesus's blood cleansed his sins.
#65181
VI. They won't just look at the Bible, but YOU.
A. Our lack of consistency may be the greatest hurdle to others.
Consider the sad case of Ravi Zacharias.
Very effective defender of the Christian faith in places
like Harvard and Yale.
But soon after his death his personal reputation is in
tatters.
Non-believers have noticed...
B. Have genuine light within you.
Joseph Aldrich says that God's evangelistic strategy is beauty.
He desires to build into us the beauty of own character, and
then put us on display.
Many evangelism programs concentrate on the words, the tools
(i.e., 4 Spiritual Laws).
Few teach us how to play the music: that beauty of character
God wants to suffuse through our lives.
Basically, sharing faith is less something we do - a project -
than something we are.
Others need to see us as people of integrity.
#1255
C. God's Word is powerful.
1) It can change people. It changed me. It can change you.
2) Read it with eyes of faith, and share it with others.
=========================================================================
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#1255 “Lifestyle Evangelism,” by Joseph Aldrich, Christianity Today,
January 7, 1983, page 12.
#3263 “A Time To Sow, A Time To Reap,” by Robbie Castleman, Discipleship
Journal, #83, September 1994, page 48.
#3550 “Why Evangelicalism Is the Future of Protestantism, Part 2,” by
Alister McGrath, Christianity Today (America Online),
August 28, 1983.
#34788 “Ripping Out Leviticus,” <http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1889540/posts>,
August 28, 2007.
#65181 “Chinese Scholar Finds Bible 'Persuasive, Beautiful',” by Erich
Bridges, Baptist Press, http://www.baptistpress.org,
April 12,2016.
#65646 “He Never Cracked His Bible,” by Kathleen Norris, author of
Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, quoted by Rev. Ken Larsen
in Kerux Sermon #65626.
#66362 “The Bible Makes a Good Weapon,” by Rev. David Holwick, using
material from "Florida man used bible to attack a deputy
because ‘God told him to,’ cops say," by Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald, October 02, 2020.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
=========================================================================
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Single source CHM, PDF, DOC and HTML Help creation