www.ccbcu.edu www.meeknessandtruth.org

Obstacles to Evangelism Today www.meeknessandtruth.org

Rejection of moral absolutes “It is hard to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to people who believe that, since morality is relative, they have no sins to forgive.” Gene Veith, Postmodern Times, p.16 www.meeknessandtruth.org

Finding Common Ground

Reaching People Where They Are The Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all means I may save some.” I Cor. 9:22 www.meeknessandtruth.org

Eight Reasons Why It Matters What You Believe! Building common ground with those you are trying to reach! ( I Cor. 9:22) www.meeknessandtruth.org

What You Believe Will Affect How You Live! www.meeknessandtruth.org

Beliefs Have Consequences www.meeknessandtruth.org

Not All Religious Viewpoints Can Be Right! 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! www.meeknessandtruth.org

Can All Religious Viewpoints Be Right? No! Someone has to be wrong! “Either Jesus is the Messiah or He isn't.” “If He isn't the Messiah, then the Christians are wrong. If He is the Messiah, then the Jews are wrong.” “So one way or another somebody's right and somebody's wrong! Everyone can't be right at the same time, can they?“ Greg Koukl, Christian Apologist Taken from: http://www.str.org 5/19/2019 www.meeknessandtruth.org

Objective Truth Does Exist! 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! 3. Objective Truth does exist! www.meeknessandtruth.org

Biblical Objective Truth The Bible teaches that truth does exists For example: John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 8:32 Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” www.meeknessandtruth.org

Truth Is Not a Matter of Your Own Perspective For example: “Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Pet. 1: 20-21 www.meeknessandtruth.org

A Truth Statement Matches Its Object “Satan is called a liar because his statement to Eve, “You will surely not die” in Gen. 3:4 did not correspond to what God really said, namely “you shall surely die (Gen. 2:17).” Dr. Norman Geisler www.meeknessandtruth.org

Truth is That Which Corresponds to Reality Jesus states in John 14:6 that he is the only way to God. This is a true statement because it corresponds to reality and was verified by His conquering death in His resurrection. www.meeknessandtruth.org

Why is Truth so Important? “If truth and reasonableness are not uppermost in our presentation of the truth to a pagan culture, already predisposed to regarding religion as a set of private feelings, then we will constantly hear this response. Well that’s fine if having those feelings helps you.” Love God with all your Mind J.P. Moreland P. 30 www.meeknessandtruth.org

Faith Must Have an Object to Have Merit! 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! 3. Objective Truth does exist! 4. Faith must have an object to have merit! www.meeknessandtruth.org

Christian Faith Christianity is based on a historical event. If the resurrection did not occur our faith is in vain. I Cor. 15:14 www.meeknessandtruth.org

How Are They Supposed to Differentiate? www.meeknessandtruth.org

Not All Religious Leaders Made Equal Claims! 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! 3. Objective Truth does exist! 4. Faith must have an object to have merit! 5. Not all religious leaders made equal claims! www.meeknessandtruth.org

Jesus’ Unique Claims Jesus made unique claims compared to any other major religious leaders John 10:30 Jn. 14:6 I Tim. 2:5 Acts 4:12 5/19/2019 www.meeknessandtruth.org

Proof of Christ’s Claims Have No Parallel 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! 3. Objective Truth does exist! 4. Faith must have an object to have merit! 5. Not all religious leaders made equal claims! 6. The proof of Christ’s claims have no parallel among major religious leaders! (I Cor. 15:3-6) www.meeknessandtruth.org

No Comparison! Comparing Christianity and other religions is not like comparing apples with apples! Christianity Other Religions www.meeknessandtruth.org

Jesus Christ Has No Peers! “Buddha pointed to the way, Muhammad claimed to be a prophet of God,… but Jesus Christ is the only major religious leader that ever claimed to be God, who fulfilled prophecy, lived a sinless life, and then died on the cross and rose from the dead.” www.meeknessandtruth.org

If Christianity Is True, It Makes an Eternal Difference 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! 3. Objective Truth does exist! 4. Faith must have an object to have merit! 5. Not all religious leaders made equal claims! 6. The proof of Christ’s claims have no parallel among major religious leaders! 7. If Christianity is true, it makes an eternal difference! www.meeknessandtruth.org

Eternal Consequences Jesus said, “And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matt. 5:30 5/19/2019 www.meeknessandtruth.org

No Meaning in Life Apart From God 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! 3. Objective Truth does exist! 4. Faith must have an object to have merit! 5. Not all religious leaders made equal claims! 6. The proof of Christ’s claims have no parallel among major religious leaders! 7. If Christianity is true, it makes an eternal difference! 8. Some people who don’t believe in God find it difficult to find meaning in life. www.meeknessandtruth.org

Finding Ultimate Meaning “My mother committed suicide three years ago, and I don’t believe in God and Christianity but I realize that if there is no God, there is no ultimate meaning and purpose to my life and I am not willing to accept that yet.” U.T. Student 5/19/2019 www.meeknessandtruth.org

Why Bother? Why go the extra mile? The Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all means I may save some.” I Cor. 9:22 “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot, martyred missionary to the Auca Indians in 1956 www.meeknessandtruth.org

Eight Reasons Why It Matters What You Believe! 1. What you believe will affect how you live! 2. Not all religious viewpoints can be right! 3. Objective Truth does exist! 4. Faith must have an object to have merit! 5. Not all religious leaders made equal claims! 6. The proof of Christ’s claims have no parallel among major religious leaders! 7. If Christianity is true, it makes an eternal difference! 8. Some people who don’t believe in God find it difficult to find meaning in life. www.meeknessandtruth.org

It Matters What You Believe! Building common ground with those you are trying to reach! ( I Cor. 9:22) www.meeknessandtruth.org