Welcome to OUTGOING Problems of the head?

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure How great the pain of searing loss, The Father turns His face away As wounds which mar the chosen One, Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, Call out among the scoffers It was my sin that left Him there Until it was accomplished His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything No gifts, no power, no wisdom But I will boast in Jesus Christ His death and resurrection Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom

Problems of the head?

Help! I don’t have all the answers! What should I do? What experiences have you had of “not having the answers”? What have you done about it?

Knowledge of God Salvation by God John 8:19 “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also”. John 14:6-7 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. John 17:3 “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Knowledge of God Salvation by God To know God is to be saved by God. If you’re not saved by God, you don’t know God.

Knowledge of God Salvation by God

Knowledge of God Salvation by God

Knowledge of God Salvation by God

Knowledge of God Salvation by God

Knowledge of God Salvation by God

Knowledge of God Salvation by God

Knowledge of God Salvation by God Our knowledge of God is just as much a gift as our salvation by God

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. What about Romans 1?

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools What about Romans 1?

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the market-place day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, What is this babbler trying to say? What about Acts 17?

Others remarked, He seems to be advocating foreign gods. They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean. What about Acts 17?

21 All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' 29 Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone— an image made by man's design and skill.

30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, We want to hear you again on this subject. 33 At that, Paul left the Council.

“Until god appears before me as a burning bush or I see his picture on the front of popular science magazines I will remain a non-believer.” What would convince the world to believe? Power or Wisdom

17 For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel— not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5

“Perishing”

17 For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel— not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5

19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5

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. 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5

26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world & the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5

29 so that no-one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5

1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom but on God's power 1 Corinthians 2

Questions, Questions.... Is the primary way they came to trust each other ‘question and answer’? Will the questions end once they’re married?

It would be awful if God existed, He would be like a 24/7 CCTV camera in the sky!

If God is all loving, all knowing and all powerful, how can he allow suffering?

If God knows everything, why pray?

Religion causes wars

If God is all loving, all knowing and all powerful, how can he allow suffering?

If God knows everything, why pray?

Religion causes wars

Reframe Reflect Reveal If God is all loving, all knowing and all powerful, how can he allow suffering? If God knows everything, why pray? Religion causes wars

If God is all loving, all knowing and all powerful, how can he allow suffering?

If God knows everything, why pray?

Religion causes wars

Where is the evidence for God?

Recommended Reading: Galatians 1-6 What is the gospel? What is the greatest threat to the gospel?

NEXT WEEK... Matters of the heart Why don’t we evangelise? Fear, pride, spiritual dryness. The solution? Return to the Fountain!

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight; Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight; Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower: Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won, Grant heaven’s joys to me, Bright Heaven’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Recommended Reading: Galatians 1-6 What is the gospel? What is the greatest threat to the gospel?

NEXT WEEK... Matters of the heart Why don’t we evangelise? Fear, pride, spiritual dryness. The solution? Return to the Fountain!