Can We Talk

1
Can We Talk?
2
This is really important

• Issues of faith, by most peoples perceptions,
  affect more than the here and now. If something
  comes after this life (and most people have that
  sense) then almost by definition, you cant
  afford to be wrong about it

3
Acts 1730-31

• Measured by righteousness and not by our
  opinions
• Standing before Christ and not our friends
• Jesus is the Judge and not a mere good man
• There are no second chances, we are told to
  repent now

4
Our Boldness

• Jesus is the only way
• One is lost outside of Christ
• Death ends all chances to change
• Therefore, seeking to convert one is the most
  loving thing one could do

5
Do not be offended

• My seeking to convert you is evidence that I like
  you
• The absolute standard says that you are lostand
  I was lost once myself
• Yes, you need to change, and so did I and I still
  have things to work on
• I needed to change a lot!

6

• I am not better than you, I sin too, the
  difference is that I see my need for Christ
• Claiming that one does not need Christ is
  claiming that one is better than all others
• It is self-righteous to claim that one does not
  need the Savior

7

• When I give you a Scripture this means I am
  keeping my opinion out of the matter
• On some matters I cannot wind up the discussion
  with, Well, whatever
• Talking with you about your soul means that I
  care about you at the most basic and important
  level. I am saying that I want to be your friend
  forever.

8
Are Religious Conclusions nothing more than
opinion?
9

• The second reason people hesitate to talk in
  public about so-called religious issues is that
  most folks have been persuaded that religious
  conclusions are unprovable in any caseand
  therefore best avoided So since none of it is
  certifiable, maybe its better to keep such
  discussions out of public view. In any case,
  when its only your opinion over against mine,
  how could we ever resolve such matters?

10

• Yet disagreements in other areas (science, music,
  art, etc..) do not prevent discussion
• The philosophic arbitrariness of such
  thinkingexcluding religion, for example, while
  welcoming psychology or even music never seems to
  faze folks much
• There are not endless views of every verse, there
  are not even endless views of the book of
  Revelation
• Is it really only a matter of seeing things
  differently? How do you understand Mark 1616
  or Acts 238?

11

• In preaching I have never found people unable to
  understand what was presented
• The fact that people might be offended by a
  passage proves that they understood it!

12

• Those of us who are Christians tend to focus way
  too much on how we come across to the outside
  worldand way too little on just being Gods
  rescued people. If we could more easily assume
  the role of one group of beggars telling other
  beggars where we found bread, a lot of
  conversational hand-ups would soon go away