Powerful: Christian Apologetics & God's Glory

Apologia Studios

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:01

All right, good morning. How are you guys? All right, so I think we should just get right into it.

00:08

Let's pray and then jump right in father please bless Lord what we Do today bless as we

00:15

Lord think through these important issues Help us Lord to be tethered to your word to your revelation and help us

00:21

Lord to remember Lord what's important to remember to serve you to glorify you and most importantly to bring your good news

00:28

Lord to the ends of the earth in Jesus name. Amen All right, so Fundamentally standing on the

00:34

Word of God, right? That's where we were last night We talked about illustrations in terms of what Jesus talked about about his word

00:41

About sinking sand about building houses on sinking sands and building houses on The rock the bedrock of his word of his revelation

00:49

We're talking about having God and his word his self -disclosure as the reference point as the thing

00:56

That's outside of ourselves that grants to us certainty Confidence trust and so it seems simple right to say that well

01:05

God's Word his self -disclosure his self -attesting Revelation is that thing that rock upon which we stand the thing that's outside of us.

01:15

That's true Whether we like it or not That's true outside of my feelings my emotions my desires my biases even my own presuppositions my own traditions

01:27

It's true outside of myself but that revelation that Self -disclosure of God what he's actually introduced in history is again true whether I like it or not

01:38

It's true outside of myself, but it's true because it comes from one the one who actually is

01:44

The embodiment of truth. That's very very important. We talked about God's Law his disclosure of what is right?

01:53

What is wrong? What is just what is unjust that's true And it's true outside of myself and I have certainty because he is the one that gave the revelation

02:02

But it's true because it's actually a revelation of his own character When you think about say for example the revelation of God's law in history in History God's law whether it's something that was given to Moses whether it's something that's given through the

02:18

Apostles Whatever the law of God is it's true But it's true not just because of God's say so even though God just must say so and we know that his truth because of his own character because of his own revelation of his character we have

02:35

Objectivity, so just hold on to this for a moment when we talk about the law of God disclosed in history say for example

02:41

You shall not lie Right and we talked about that law as good as holy as true as true whether I like it or not

02:51

It's true because it's based upon God's own character God cannot lie

02:58

God is love Love does no harm to its neighbor

03:04

So we think about the standard of you shall not lie as being true

03:10

Well, it's true because not just because God say so it's true because it is actually a revelation of the character

03:17

Of God himself and this is an unchanging character. God's own character is

03:24

Love God is love love. There's no harm to its neighbor lying to neighbor is not telling the truth to neighbor

03:32

It's harming neighbor. It's actually doing something to neighbor that you don't want done to yourself

03:37

So there's there's an aspect to God's own Character and his revelation being true outside of ourselves that of course is because of God's own revelation

03:49

He's given us his word There's our certainty, but the revelation that God has given to us is the revelation of his own character of what

03:58

God is like so when Christians say in our conflict with the world today about ethical

04:07

Demands and appeals and what should be right and wrong those We are saying what we're saying

04:13

Because of God's own revelation, but it's a revelation of God's own character

04:18

We are image bearers of God living in God's world get that point.

04:23

God's created us. We're in his image We're different than the snails the horses the rocks and the dogs because we are in the

04:29

Imago Dei We're in the image of God. What we're saying is that as image bearers of God our

04:35

Character our ethics ought to reflect the character and ethics of God himself because we're his image bearers

04:44

So it's as though like think about it in terms of there's a mirror Slanted into the world

04:50

God's own light strikes that mirror and shines right back out into the creation itself.

04:57

We are image bearers of God Reflecting the glory the image the character the ethics of God himself

05:05

That's what ought to be going out into the world because we are image bearers of God shining his light

05:12

His character what he is like into the world and so when Christians talk about ethics justice those sorts of things we're actually making claims and Confident claims certain claims based upon the character of God himself

05:30

So that's what we're saying ought to be reflected into the world So when we say something is wrong or immoral as Christians in the world

05:38

We're saying it not because we feel like it because it just it seems right to us

05:44

Or I have a sense that it's right to us. It's not to say that all ethical Questions are all easy to handle.

05:51

They're all exactly on the same level But we are saying we have confidence in what we're claiming

05:56

With certainty about what is true or right in the world because God has disclosed

06:01

Himself to us and what he is like and what we ought to be like in the world

06:06

Right and it gets down to as simple as this and this is the amazing thing about biblical law

06:12

When Jesus is asked a question about the law of God He says really two things right number one

06:18

You should love the Lord your God with our heart and soul and mind and strength right number one That's the first command comes from the

06:24

Shema Shema Israel Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh Echad Hear O Israel the Lord our

06:29

God the Lord is one one God love God with heart soul and mind right love God first commandment second is to love your neighbor as what as Yourself and Jesus says all of the law and the prophets are built upon these two commands

06:44

So really ethics comes down to what? love Right love like God Love God and love neighbor.

06:55

So it's amazing is as you put those two platforms those two objective standards

07:00

Outside of all of us as you put those down you begin to see that all of God's law in scripture

07:07

Comes from those two commandments love God love neighbor, right? Have no other gods before God no other gods in his sight.

07:16

Why? Love God because out of love for God That's why you have no other gods except for God because he's the only

07:24

God none before none after He's the everlasting God none before none after he doesn't know of any other gods

07:30

He's the creator of all things and you you don't get any other gods But him and so out of love for God you and I are not to be idolaters simple, right?

07:41

Because there is no other God and he is worthy of your love your affection your life your worship

07:47

Well, how about the other laws you get it to say the Ten Commandments and you're looking at things like Don't lie.

07:52

Don't commit adultery. Don't murder. Don't covet Well, why well, those are all just extrapolations on love your neighbor as you love yourself

08:03

Do you get it? So even the Ten Commandments are going love God love neighbor and you go What about all the other laws in God's law same thing built upon love for God love for neighbor

08:12

Like how about build a parapet or on the rooftop of your house a railing why? Love your neighbor if there's a danger to my neighbor

08:20

I take the principle of love for neighbor and I want to preserve life. So for example, how would that work today?

08:27

well if we have pools and we have Wells in our in our yards that little children can fall into be good to and wise to build fences around that, right?

08:38

Why because we love our neighbors we build a parapet or a railing around that so you can see these ethical appeals and these confident ethical appeals we can make because why because we have the character of God on display in history the revelation his own self -disclosure his

08:57

Condescension about what he is like and what we ought to be like so there's objectivity

09:03

Why because we have the revelation of God and I mentioned yesterday. I'll just say this briefly I mentioned that when you come into conflict with the world say with the antithesis with say radical unbelief say atheism agnosticism that's popular today in the

09:19

West versus belief we can make claims that the unbeliever can't make and it's Amazing to me that we live in a culture where the propaganda is such that Christians are ignorant anti -intellectual anti -scientific

09:34

Anti -rational that's what we're like, even though we gave the world those things

09:40

We developed those things promoted those things. We're propagating those things, but the popular

09:46

Spirit of the age is what this is really It's the the humanists the unbelievers we hold these things and it's those silly

09:53

Christians over there that are believers and you know Blind leaps of faith and all the rest But as you challenge the materialist the atheist the unbeliever to give a coherent

10:05

Precondition for these things like science like reason like ethical appeals

10:11

They'll just grant very confidently. No, we don't know. No, we don't have it.

10:16

It's yeah It's just it's just kind of a blind faith the kind of trust years ago

10:23

I had on apology a radio Dan Barker who is One I'd say one of the most well -known atheists and in the world today

10:32

Very very bright guy smart smart guy very high IQ, but utterly and completely foolish

10:41

Foolish and now when I say that I don't mean that as an attack on the man as you fool

10:47

I mean it in the sense of a person who refuses To accept what is obvious?

10:53

to everybody Especially in God's world as his creatures on the radio program

11:00

We're talking about these sorts of things science and ethics morality and I bring up the issue of rape

11:06

We start to really whittle this position down as a humanist as an atheist as a naturalist Naturalistic materialist who believes that all that exists is matter in motion and our ancestors were fish and all the rest

11:17

I'd asked him I said, you know, so well then in your position rape, is it really wrong? It's not ultimately immoral is it and he says no

11:25

No, ultimately, you know Ethics changes over time. There's no real ultimate ought at all in this world.

11:33

You catch that ladies There's no ultimate ought in rape, right?

11:38

Don't let him babysit your kids, I guess Right. I mean think about honestly, do I think he would really do that?

11:45

No, I believe that's what his character is Like no because he's in the image of God But when

11:50

Saul makes a claim that there is no ultimate ought and rape isn't really immoral I mean, do we want that person around our family and friends?

11:58

You want to invite him over for Christmas? I mean if that's the sort of thing, they're spouting at a Christmas party drink a sipping wine

12:03

There's no ultimate ought or you know immorality to rape. You're like, okay. Okay parties over for you

12:10

Do you get the point see here's here's the here's the reality of it no image bearer of God actually believes that it's nonsense and it just becomes excuse -making for a very

12:24

Radically ignorant worldview and perspective which leads us of course into the issue of relativism, which

12:31

I think Is is fairly simple in terms of a basic address to the problems of relativism

12:40

But I want you to just put this down as a platform just quickly remember this because you hold to God's revelation as supreme

12:47

Because you start your thinking with God's Self -disclosure and I'm by the way

12:52

I'm assuming that you guys have gotten over the last couple of days or you will get all of the different ways that God speaks for example in terms of Revelation out here that is being that people are being bombarded with Constantly right now every image bearer of a

13:08

God in the world is being bombarded with God's speech You understand that so we say like, you know,

13:13

God's speech like his revelation like what kind of disclosure? I'm talking about the kind of disclosure that Romans 1 talks about the kind of speech from God that leaves people on apologetics without a

13:26

Reason defense without an apologetic. Did you get that? The Bible says that all image bearers of God all of us are fallen all of us know the true

13:35

God We are all without a defense before God and what's it say?

13:40

It says since the creation of the world Everything necessary to know about God is known about God.

13:48

God is pouring forth speech Constantly he is bombarding all of our unbelieving friends

13:56

Constantly with his speech do you get that to the degree that they are left without excuse? There's no understand this there is an apologist need to understand this very desperately

14:05

There is no unbeliever ever in history that has stood before God or will stand before God and say

14:12

I didn't know I didn't know I didn't have enough knowledge.

14:18

I didn't have enough of your revelation It says that we know the true

14:24

God, but we don't want them in our knowledge And so what do we do is switch them for idols and there so there's a disclosure from God a speech out there

14:31

That is constant. There's another disclosure of God in history. That's where God Condescends I'm simplifying this year.

14:38

He condescends becomes man walks among us and discloses himself in history

14:43

There's another one and then there's of course It's this disclosure of God right here in his word that he's preserved for us that you're holding his speech

14:51

To the degree that Jesus actually talks about God's Word and he says to people in his day.

14:56

Have you not read? What was spoken to you by God? He equates the reading of God's Word with God's speaking, right?

15:08

So these are the different ways we can say God speaks and we can stand on those revelations But listen because you stand on God's revelation

15:16

You can have science Did you catch that? you get science because you have the revelation of God as Your reference points as your starting point your launching points

15:29

You get to actually have a coherent view of reality that says I can have uniformity in nature why because I believe in the creator of this reality, right and he

15:41

Upholds all things by the word of his power. He carries everything along to its intended destination

15:47

So I believe right now Jesus is keeping Saturn in orbit Right.

15:53

I believe right now God is keeping the moon just far enough away from Earth to control the tides just right, right?

16:02

I believe that the Sun is just far enough away from the earth to actually make

16:08

New York City in July bearable right, I Believe that right now the universe has just enough

16:16

Gravitational pull and all of its parts and pieces to keep everything hanging just where it is

16:22

Just like it needs to be so that this water. This is crazy right now Look at it

16:30

This is insane Do you stop and think about it because we know that flat earthers are nuts

16:39

It's embarrassingly bad But if you think about the reality universe the way that really is that we are in a galaxy right now right in a corner of the universe that is just it's it's a speck of dust and We we can't cross through our galaxy

16:58

Right now you'll never make it you just you won't even make it That's how stinking big it is

17:04

But it's a piece of dust if that in the expanse of all the universe that God holds together but our galaxy is held together just right because of the space around all of us and the other galaxies and their gravitational pull and our

17:21

Our earth right now is held together. And right now you're sitting in your seats right now Just the way you are because God is holding things together in just the right orbit in Gravitational pull with just the right amount of space and just the right amount of order so that you and I have oxygen and gravity

17:37

What in the world is that? I don't know It's holding us down right now. And this is nuts as fast as we're spinning right now in the earth

17:44

It's not flying out of the glass

17:51

Just sits there level weird Right, it's just so weird and I get to balance it and play with it right now

17:59

And it like none of you right now feel like you are spinning as fast as you really are You never even think about it and neither do

18:07

I none of us do we're walking around like only all the oxen free like neck Like we are not just flying through the universe at super high speeds.

18:16

We're acting like all things are normal we should be grabbing the ground like Whoa, this is crazy and it just sits there and you think about the way

18:28

That works and you're like you just take it for granted that it's all working. Just fine.

18:34

Atheism is so stupid It is so unbelievably stupid

18:40

It really is But you think about the fact that as a Christian you can make sense of science and uniformity in nature and all this balance and perfection and all that's around us because you start with God's revelation because you have a coherent view of reality because you have a you have

18:55

Objective truth outside of yourself and your feelings and your emotions because you have the revelation of God in history

19:01

You as a Christian have the ability to say there are real facts true facts things that are real and true

19:08

Outside of me and my interpretation and my feeling and my emotions You have the ability as a

19:14

Christian because you have God's revelation to say things like laws of logic are real Right because here's the thing

19:20

I'm sure you've heard this a lot or you will hear it over the next week just quickly on this you ever taste the law of logic

19:27

You ever felt one You ever weighed one? What color is the law of non -contradiction?

19:33

Right. Can you hold it in your hands? No, but does it mean that that's not real that it has no real existence?

19:41

How do you know that it has real existence? How do you know that coherent thought is necessary? Why because you know the character of God because you know what

19:48

God is like and you know that with the biblical worldview watch You have material creation

19:55

Right stuff this I can touch feel right way see

20:01

I can taste Right in the material creation, but you also have the immaterial

20:06

There are immaterial aspects to our being but there being immaterial doesn't mean they're not real or true

20:13

Or have real being like there are immaterial aspects to our reality For example, you get to say on a blackboard two plus two equals four

20:25

Right, and if I erase four off the board, I haven't taken four out of existence right, you recognize that for Ness is represented on the board

20:38

But it represents an immaterial Reality and truth that exists in God's world because of the order that he's created this reflects the thinking of God Right as a

20:49

Christian you get arithmetic you get laws of logic you get things like love as real

20:55

True actual right as a Christian you get things like ethics with confidence ethical appeals for example for the

21:05

Christian we have Objectivity truth that is real outside of me my feeling it's unaltered by my emotion my feelings my

21:16

Biases it is what is actual or real or simple it is true.

21:23

Anyway Get it object objective. What's that? It's true. Anyway, it's true whether you like it or not.

21:30

It's true. Anyways, I Get to have that because I'm a Christian because I have the Word of God I have this revelation to stand on his self -disclosure for the relativist truth is

21:41

Related to or relative to the person get that because this is what you will face probably the most today

21:50

Even amongst people who hold to so -called Revelatory world views and systems.

21:59

So for example today when you talk to the Mormon today, the Mormon today is very different generally speaking generally speaking very very different from the

22:08

Mormon say during Bruce R. McConkie's time Not very long ago the

22:13

Mormon today will hold to a essentially revel it revel it took revelational epistemology that the view that God has spoken or the gods have spoken

22:23

But even the Mormon today generally today will be more relativist in their perspective in other words

22:30

Well, it's true for me and you know, that's true for you even though their essential worldview is that God has spoken and Therefore you shouldn't have some certainty, but they're so impacted by culture today that they become mostly relativistic in their perspective the relativist says essentially truth is related to or relative to My experience me as a person my interpretation my opinions

22:58

Right There is no objective truth. Think about that for a moment now

23:04

Relativist says what it's relative to My experience me as a person how

23:11

I feel my interpretations. There is no objective truth

23:17

Okay, answer the fool according to their folly step into their boat show them that they're sinking

23:23

So what you're saying is there's no Objective truth, right? Nothing is objectively true.

23:29

Is that objectively true Is it true?

23:35

Anyways, whether I accept it or not So what they'll say is it all relates to me as a person my feelings my emotions how

23:42

I interpret things, right? There is nothing objectively true Okay, is that truth?

23:51

True outside of my interpretation and your interpretation. Absolutely, right?

23:57

Oh, absolutely There are absolutes now to get it. So you see the collapse of the system is immediate, right?

24:04

They say it only relates to me and my interpretation. Nothing is true outside of any of us and true

24:10

Anyways, is that true? Anyways? Do I have to accept that truth as a foundation?

24:18

Regardless of interpretation you see the complete collapse. Is that objectively true? Is it true whether you like it agree with it or have experienced it?

24:27

See here's what Christianity what you have as a foundation Jesus is the truth.

24:33

I am the way and the truth and the life no man comes to the father But by me he said that he was light come into the world

24:41

Scattering darkness. He says that he was the door He was the only way to salvation that if you believed in him

24:48

You would have eternal life if you rejected him you did not have life, but the wrath of God Abides in you those are truth claims true whether you like it or not.

24:58

Jesus is expressing these truths as true anyways He says that we are to love the truth.

25:07

God teaches us to love the truth God teaches us you shall not lie

25:13

You shall not lie God cannot lie

25:18

God's character is the standard of ethics God's self -attesting disclosure and revelation in history is the standard of certainty outside of ourselves

25:26

So here's how we sort of challenge the Relativist today person who said that it all relates to me as a person how

25:33

I feel my interpretation just start to challenge it Just show them that they don't really believe it watch this because I stand in God's revelation

25:42

I know what God says about this person and I know Ultimately spiritually what's happening right now underneath all the excuse -making is an image bearer of God Ultimately a war with their creator.

25:56

What's the real need here? It's not intellectual. It's spiritual They need to be freed have their eyes open their heart transformed.

26:04

They need to experience new life They need reconciliation and peace with their creator. So what's really happening right now is not intellectual it is

26:14

Spiritual and I got to get to the bottom of that. This person is in God's image

26:19

They can claim that there's no objective truth But listen, they're living in God's world as his image.

26:27

They can't live consistently with it So get underneath it ask the question to the image bearer of God.

26:35

So all Everything is relative right? There's no absolute truth. Is that true? Yes. Okay So is kidnapping and rape immoral just go for the jugular

26:50

Right, like just let's cut through the gobbledygook and let's get down to the bedrock, right? Let's stop playing games ask the question is kidnapping and rape immoral

27:00

What do you think the relativist relativist will say well, they got a couple options they can say

27:09

We don't know right They can say Maybe they can say yes, or they can say

27:22

No Now ultimately, I think if the relativist is consistent if asked the question is kidnapping and rape ultimately

27:32

Wrong, they'd have to say well, no not ultimately, right?

27:39

It's all based upon interpretation experience those sorts of things now What does the Christian have?

27:45

when faced with this question an Absolute Bedrock of certainty.

27:52

So for example ask the Christian is kidnapping and rape immoral. What's Christian say? Yes, you certain about that?

28:00

Yep Don't you want to live in a

28:06

Christian world good grief, right? Like you can actually say yeah, that's absolutely wrong and immoral, right?

28:13

And What do we have to say from Scripture God will God's disclose himself and actually we know from Scripture that if you kidnap and say for example kidnap and enslave a human being

28:22

God actually says in his word that Kidnapping and enslaving a human being is worthy of the death penalty

28:29

Right. So for example Christians can look back in history at big -time failures in the

28:35

West even amongst professing Christians and we can say with confidence in history

28:41

Yeah, when in the West there was kidnapping and enslaving of other human beings the people who were involved in that treacherous enterprise deserve the death penalty according to God That's some powerful confidence and boldness right now say it to the person today

28:59

Who's the moral relativist right or to the humanist today say how do you feel about history and slavery and kidnapping and enslaving people?

29:06

And history how you feel about that and they'll say oh is evil. We're just so wrong Can you can't even believe it happens? Is it absolutely wrong?

29:12

Was it absolutely evil wrong? Well, no, we've determined today as a society that that you shouldn't do that to other human beings.

29:18

Okay, so let's try this now. So Human societies determine what is right and wrong right ethically in the history.

29:24

Yes, right And and today we've determined that's wrong and immoral to kidnap and enslave black people.

29:30

Yes. Yes today That's we but in that society back then They determined together as a society that it was right to kidnap and enslave black people, right?

29:38

So they weren't wrong in your system were they well, no, I guess not but we've been enlightened since then right so you get the point

29:45

There's no absolute certainty of that being an immoral thing in history because if you say that because well

29:52

We don't really know human societies determine what's right and wrong over time together. Well, then you can't complain about Hitler And what they did to the

30:00

Jews and you can't complain about what happened to the blacks in the West at any point in the West where there was

30:06

Kidnapping and enslaving of black people But if you have a Christian perspective, you can even chastise professing

30:12

Christians in history saying you're not living consistently with your worldview and you can say even to people who profess the name of Christ in history if they're if they are violating

30:23

God's ethical standards They're violating God's own self -disclosure

30:29

God has spoken. I don't care if you call yourself a Christian I have the revelation of God by which to test my own

30:37

Character and in my own ethics and the ethics of anybody else because here's what we have as Christians Objectivity, it's true.

30:45

Whether you like it. It's true. Whether you whether you want it. It's true whether you've experienced it.

30:51

It's true anyways, and we have the revelation and character of God ask the relativists say is

30:59

Kidnapping and rape immoral and press them to consistency show them you don't believe that You don't believe your perspective

31:09

Because you can say as a relativist because you're trying to bit construct an ethical system apart from Jesus Christ You can say that there is no object of truth, but you won't live that way

31:19

Here's how you how you know when the moral relativist Claims in the coffee shop all those relative.

31:27

There's no absolutes nothing is objectively true and then you depart from one another and shake hands and leave and You watch the relativist go to their car

31:37

And they walk to their car and their window is smashed in and their car stereo is pulled out

31:42

The moral relative goes relativist is what what just how do you what do you dial in Canada?

31:48

9 -1 -1, okay good 9 -1 -1 right and they're calling them on saying you're not gonna believe it officer.

31:55

Somebody stole my car stereo Send someone quickly or if they see the person running off with the car stereo in the parking lot

32:04

The moral relativist probably runs and chases them right and says you can't do that. Why because that's my stuff.

32:12

I Earned that I paid for that. I worked for that's my property. You can't take my property

32:17

Well according to my interpretation I can because the good moral happy thing for my system is what is yours is

32:25

Actually mine and the great ethics of life is to actually do what makes you

32:31

Happiest and fulfills you and makes your life better So actually in a relativistic society the greatest delight the greatest ethics is to actually do what feels right for me

32:41

Which means going into your house taking your stuff and enjoying your things Isn't it a wonderful world right

32:48

So do you get the point the relativist does not live that way? Step into their position and show them the folly of it step into their boat grab them by the head and gently

32:58

Push down show them they're sinking ask the question of the relativist go for the jugular.

33:05

Is it moral? To have sex with animals now watch ask the relativist.

33:14

Is it okay to have sex with animals? What do they say I? Don't know maybe

33:23

Yes, or no ask the Christian is it

33:30

Moral or ethical to have sex with animals. What's the answer? No Thank you

33:39

Absolutely, no Now what kind of world do you want to live in? The world of the relativist the humanist the materialist the naturalist or the

33:47

Christian the Christians can say Rape and enslaving is absolutely certainly wrong.

33:53

Why? Objectively whether I feel like it like it. It's true Anyways, ask the Christian culture say is it moral to have sex with animals the

34:00

Christians say no Never under any circumstance. How do you know because?

34:08

God has spoken Because God's law because God has spoken. I have absolute certainty

34:14

It is an abomination before God to have sex with animals. That's a Christian culture

34:19

That's a Christian society the relativist says. I don't know maybe yes, no

34:25

Like you know until you catch the guy in the barn with the animal then the relativist says

34:31

Now think about it These are real questions things you have to start thinking about as Christians because God talks about it

34:38

And it's happening in our society this happened recently in Phoenix a chief of the fire department was caught in his barn having sex with an animal and in Phoenix, Arizona 2018 he was arrested why because we still have

34:56

Christian laws on the books that say that this is a sin and a crime

35:02

Thankfully, it's still on the books in 2018 we're making judgments in Phoenix, Arizona about animals and human -animal relations

35:12

And we're saying yeah, that's still immoral right, but you ask the relativist is that immoral they go

35:18

Maybe yes, no, I don't know. I don't know right in a Christian culture in society.

35:24

We say absolutely Yes, immoral evil why because God said so a lot of people don't like that answer

35:30

They don't like that answer because God says let me tell you because God says is the most potent answer

35:37

Because God says now there's ways to actually unpack that and get more through that but ultimately the answer is because God says

35:44

I Like what Joe was saying earlier by the way that last discussion Joe had here.

35:51

I know that it seemed deep and intense listen to that lecture a hundred times because those questions and answers are

35:58

Absolutely vital today You trust me when I when I say to you you need to understand that discussion and how vital it is in terms of the culture around about us and the things we have to engage with There's there's ways to get into that discussion and understand it in a way that is meaningful

36:14

So vital and it relates to this discussion of anyways, too okay, so It I'll just say quickly relativism

36:23

Today is impacting us dramatically and watch watch how it's so slippery. It's so dangerous.

36:30

It's so sneaky relativism today starts with Maybe in the 60s 70s.

36:37

It's a discussion of transgenderism and it's real slippery, right? Like that's not my identity

36:44

Well, and this is we're all adults in here so let's just go ahead and say it well you have a penis and you have a vagina

36:51

It's biological, right like it's very it seems very simple in terms of gender we have but I don't feel like a boy

36:58

I feel like a woman and Then the woman over here says yes, but I feel like a man and it's so sneaky and we're just not long ago 60s and 70s

37:09

Predominantly that discussion that relativistic discussion about what is true for me is just about gender male and female

37:17

Right, it's just it's just well, I don't feel like a male I know I have the male parts, but I feel like a female and the females are going

37:24

I know that I have the female parts, but I feel like the male and we're going male female gender male female

37:30

We're talking about two and you feel like this one and you feel like this one and we go All right, you know, it seems like a sticky situation and culture goes.

37:38

Ah, it's tough. I don't really know That's not really their identity They don't feel like it and they get further and further away from a

37:44

Christian worldview and perspective Maybe maybe their identity is not really a man

37:49

Maybe they are really a woman inside and maybe you really are a man inside and maybe they can just go ahead

37:55

Live life like the woman and woman like the man and then we get to 2019 and lo and behold

38:00

It's not just male female switch. It's now well, I don't I don't really know if I'm female or male.

38:08

I Must be some different gender Identity and you have people talking about dozens of different kinds of gender identities today

38:17

It's not just male and female switching it's now all kinds of different variations in between and people today are so Offended today if you assume their gender identity, right?

38:33

Oh, you're not really a man Oh, so you're a female. Oh, not that either So what what really are you right?

38:40

Well, there's there's something along this whole broad spectrum Well, what are you getting at? What's what's true?

38:46

Well, it's just it's just sort of I'm working through my own story I'm seeing how I feel right?

38:53

I don't know if it's male or female or alien or or something in between and some days

38:58

I'm more male and other days. I'm female and just make sure you never assume my identity And it started with this relativistic idea of your truth is your truth.

39:08

My truth is my truth It's not how you feel about me or I feel it's just you know, whatever at the moment my interpretation.

39:14

What does Scripture say? God says male female He made them male and female and in Scripture and with a biblical worldview

39:24

We can recognize the issue of maleness and femaleness male chromosome female chromosome

39:31

And we recognize disorders people says what about the disorder? What about the disorder?

39:37

What about somebody that was actually born? With something broken physically like what do we do in those cases?

39:44

Well because we have an objective standard something that God has defined as real and true

39:50

Anyways, we can recognize when there is something that's a disorder something that's broken as a result of the what?

39:56

The fall so Christians have something in terms of being able to come alongside somebody who is broken

40:02

Physically and walk alongside them and love them and serve them and bless them and help them

40:08

I have ministered to people who had chromosomal difficult Brokenness and had to make a decision and make decisions about how do

40:17

I live this out? I've had a minister to those people and help those people and bless those people and encourage those people and I'm going to tell you

40:24

Those situations have experienced so much blessing and redemption Because you are able even in those cases to determine.

40:32

What is the predominant sexual identity of this person? It's not total confusion, but from a

40:38

Christian perspective. You can say there's an objective standard I recognize when something is broken and we can minister alongside somebody who's in a fallen world in that condition

40:47

Step into their position the relativist step into their position. What is the goal?

40:53

I'm gonna say this last thing here. What's the goal? Ultimately the gospel is the goal Don't let that be a pithy

40:58

Christian slogan Christians use that a lot Don't let it be a pithy Christian slogan when you are ministering to somebody standing on the

41:05

Word of God Apologetically when you are applying apologetics the gospel is always the goal

41:10

The gospel is always the goal the call to repentance and faith is always the goal every time whoever

41:19

I'm talking to If and this is this came up yesterday, I'm going to bring it up just quickly here and go right into questions

41:27

I want to be very careful about how I address this when I said take their legs off there there are moments where Context matters a great deal and you need to make sure that you're paying very close attention

41:41

So for example, if I'm in a public debate with atheists on a platform Who are hostile to the

41:46

Christian message and trying to actually formulate arguments against the God of the Bible to convince the masses against Scripture and Jesus and all the rest.

41:56

I'm gonna treat that Circumstance and those people in a very different way than I would say the average person pagan on a street who's just asking questions

42:05

So when I say take their legs off, sometimes you do need to just say so what? So what don't forget your position.

42:12

So what take their legs off There are other times where you need to make sure that you are ministering in the context of their particular situation

42:20

For example when I was the pastor full -time chaplain at a hospital for four years

42:26

I sat daily in front of at least say five Counseling appointments a day with people who are in the most broken of circumstances.

42:33

It was an amazing time of growth for me personally and it was days and moments of real hardship and difficulty and pain and Moments of just just dramatic joy.

42:45

It was I mean you can ask Pastor Luke There were times where I would come to church from the hospital I would just break down crying and in tears because of all the stories that I was hearing on a daily basis and ministered in this context and I want to say

42:59

Using the so what in A different kind of way. So for example when

43:05

I sit when I sat in front of the woman who was raped by her father and Then by the adopted father who took her in Who was continually raped by men throughout her life?

43:19

And now she's in front of me and she had a life of suffering and pain behind her She was just tossed around from one orphanage and adoptive situation to another her whole life

43:31

I had someone in front of me who was saying How can you say that God is good and he is real and that he is love?

43:39

When you have my situation, I can't believe in your God I can't believe in Jesus Christ because here's what happened to me in this world

43:48

And if God is who you say he is then how come I've experienced all this pain?

43:54

now watch The so what still counts? Because if she rejects

44:01

God and his character and his story if she rejects the the message of Jesus And she's just gonna go off into a life of atheism and agnosticism then guess what?

44:14

So what but I need to make sure I handle that with a gospel focus

44:21

And so what I want to do is in a situation like that with somebody who has actually suffered like that I want to show them the so what of Their position while ministering to their hearts with the gospel and a call to faith

44:35

So what I do is I explain First and foremost how much it hurts for me as an image bearer of God to hear her story and To hear the pain that she went through and explain to her because I have

44:50

Jesus Because I know him because I have his revelation. I can hear your story and I can cry and I can be hurt through this whole circumstance of even ministering to you and hearing the awful circumstances that you've experienced

45:05

But what I said to these women because there were many examples of this People who had experienced these traumatic events and then gone off into unbelief.

45:16

What I would say is this I want to encourage you to see this with Jesus With standing on him and his revelation

45:24

With standing on the good news of his salvation You can actually experience what happened to you and call it evil really evil

45:36

Actually evil What I would say to these women is this if you don't have God's Word if you don't have

45:43

Christ If you don't know him then what happened to you, it wasn't wrong

45:52

It wasn't evil It just happened And they would usually look at me with tears behind You know welling up in their eyes and I would say to them and you and I both know what happened to you was

46:06

Objectively evil so wrong and so evil and I would say and with Jesus Christ You get to actually look at the people in the eyes who violated you in this way and call it actually truly really evil and you have a

46:24

Savior who will have the final say in what happened to you and The judge of all the earth will always do right there is justice

46:35

Promised ahead of all of us and I said this and with Jesus Christ You have a

46:44

Savior who actually meets you in your pain He meets you in it.

46:50

I said because you can take all of what took place in your life and You can bring it to the feet of Jesus and he

46:59

Sympathizes with you in it how Because when you come to Jesus and you you cry out to him in this fallen evil broken world

47:08

Which were all guilty of sin and you come to him and you say Lord They did things to my body that they should not have done.

47:16

They took me places and did things to my body They should have never ever done.

47:21

They abused me. They violated me. I said you're looking into the eyes of the Savior knows

47:27

He's experienced all of that but the glory of Jesus is that all of us are the guilty ones in this life

47:35

We're the offenders. We're the broken We're the ones that are the violators of God's law

47:40

The glory of Jesus is that he's the innocent one Who steps into this fallen world to do what to chase us sinners down and in the midst of chasing us down?

47:51

To actually live a life that we failed to die a death We deserve and to conquer that death and rise again from the dead

47:58

He experiences all the suffering and pain you could possibly throw at him.

48:04

You want to bring something to him say what? People lied about me. You think Jesus didn't meet you in that pain?

48:11

They lied about him at his trial Publicly, right? They violated my body.

48:16

They took me places that they should have never taken me They did things to my body and abused me and I did not deserve it

48:23

I didn't it wasn't right to do that to me and what does Jesus do he meet you in that pain and the glory of the gospel is that he meets you in that pain in The midst of being not guilty

48:33

He's not guilty And why does he meet you in that pain? Because all along the way he was coming to redeem his people to save them

48:41

Do you see and so you want to actually bring all of this down? To a place where this image -bearer of God can actually taste and see

48:49

That the life that they've chosen apart from God makes everything meaningless and with Jesus Christ There is meaning there is purpose.

48:58

There is beauty there is truth There is value with Jesus Christ and only with him. So the call is always repent and believe the gospel

49:06

That's the goal in every apologetic encounter. It's not just argumentation It's always trying to call this image -bearer of God out of their darkness into light

49:16

Whatever form they're in Mormonism the watchtower Christian science

49:23

Rosicrucians humanism Agnosticism, whatever the case may be image -bearer of God at war with their creator

49:30

Repentance and faith repentance and faith all along the way. This is what

49:36

I'm standing on This is how I'm viewing every single detail of this conversation, okay