What is the Solution

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What is the Solution?

• Koinonia Series on Worldviews
• May 11, 2007

Adapted from Colson Warrens Wide Angle
Framing Your Worldview
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4 Test Questions of Life

• Where did I come from?
• Why is the world a mess?
• Whats the solution?
• Who am I ( what do I do now)?
• ? Which worldview best matches reality?

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Finding the Right Solution

• Before we can find the correct solution
• Proper Diagnosis of the problem? Important!
• Otherwise, guaranteed wrong solution
• e.g., Stomach problems
• Last week Why is the world a mess?
• Why is there so much evil suffering?

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Is Education the Solution?

• Education
• Solution is more education for everyone
• Can education solve all our problems?
• e.g., 20th century- most educated yet bloodiest

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Other Solutions?

• Money/Material Goods
• Solution is getting more stuff.
• No correlation between wealth and happiness
• Psychology
• Solution is changing how I think feel
• e.g., Tony Campolos audio clip
• An excuse to sin?

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Other Solutions?

• Social Changes
• Solution is changing who I know.
• New friendships, new neighborhoods, new
  marriages, etc.
• e.g., Most 2nd marriages fail
• Some Religions
• Be good, be happy,
• e.g., My attempt to be good

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Discussion

• Which of these solutions did you believe in at
  one point (or still believe in today)?
• Which of these solutions is/are the most common
  among your friends?

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Problem of Guilt

• We all feel guilty
• Guilt is proper response to sin
• Mans greatness lies in his capacity to
  recognize his wretchedness. Pascal
• How do other worldviews address our sins (guilt)?
• e.g., Forever Guilty

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What is the Christian Solution?

• Begins with an accurate diagnosis of human
  condition ? Sin
• Jesus died to pay for our sins
• It is finished (John 1930)
• Finished ? Paid in full
• Jesus paid full price for our sins on the cross!

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Romans 56-8

• 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were
  still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7
  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,
  though for a good man someone might possibly dare
  to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for
  us in this While we were still sinners, Christ
  died for us.

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The Christian Solution

• Do vs. Done
• Unique to Christianity
• Other worldviews ? What I need to do
• Christianity ? What God has done
• Provides solution to our failures
• Assumes we have failed (sinned)
• Offers grace in the midst of our failures

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My Personal Response

• Need to own up to my sin problem
• 1 John 19 If we confess our sins, he is faithful
  and just and will forgive us our sins and purify
  us from all unrighteousness.
• Need to repent
• Involves making a U-turn in my life
• Acts 319 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that
  your sins may be wiped out, that times of
  refreshing may come from the Lord

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My Personal Response

• Need to accept Jesus as my Savior Lord
• Romans 109 That if you confess with your mouth,
  "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that
  God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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Next Week

• Where did I come from?
• Why is the world a mess?
• Whats the solution?
• Who am I ( what do I do now)?

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Application Questions

• Q What are some other solutions that I have
  tried previously? Did they work? Why or why not?
• Q What has been/is my response to the Christian
  solution? (i.e. receiving forgiveness for my sins
  because of Jesus death on the cross)