Dan Gatlin - September 29, 2019 pm - Gospel Meeting MP3 PP
Great Bible Questions
Intro.— In the
KJV, there are 3,298 questions.
A. There
are different reasons why questions may be asked.
1. Sometimes man will ask questions because we lack information.
2. Sometimes questions are asked to get people to think about
where they are, or what they have done.
3. Jesus often asked questions to teach.
B.
Sometimes we like the answer to a question, sometimes we don't.
1. When the
Bible tells us something we don't like, that's when we are tested.
2. Remember,
God only seeks our good. If
we reject His answers, we'll have to talk to him about it someday.
C. Obviously,
with over 3,000 questions—we'll only look at a few.
I. “Where Are You?” —
Gen. 3:9
A. This
question is asked by God after man had eaten from the forbidden tree.
1. Adam & Eve
hid themselves because they were naked.
2. God is
all-knowing and knew where they were. — He didn't need the information.
3. This
questions is designed to get them to think about their spiritual
condition.
B. We cannot
hide from God. He sees &
knows all.
1. "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give
every man according to his ways, According
to the fruit of his doings." -
Jer. 17:10
2. "23 'Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God
afar off? 24 Can anyone hide himself in
secret places, So I shall not see him?' says the LORD; 'Do I
not fill heaven and earth?' says the LORD." -
Jer. 23:23-24
3. Jonah tried
to flee from God (1:3), but soon learned that it was impossible.
4. "in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus
Christ, according to my gospel." -
Rom. 2:16
C. Where are
you in your relationship with God?
Are you ready for Him to examine your life?
II. “If a man dies, will he live again?” —
Job 14:14
A. Men will
experience physical death once (Heb. 9:27).
1. Physical
death is not the end of us.
2. "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the
spirit will return to God who gave it." -
Eccl. 12:7
B. However, our
spirits will live throughout eternity.
1. "28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which
all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29 and come forth — those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done
evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." -
Jn. 5:28-29
2. How you
conduct your life will determine where
you spend eternity.
C. Many believe
that when we die, we vanish into non-existence.
1. Blaise
Pascal was a 17th century mathematician.
He came up with "Pascal's Wager."
2. He reasoned:
"Everyone make a 'bet' (wager) on the existence of God."
a. If you wager
that God
DOESN'T exist:
1) and you're
correct, you haven't lost anything.
There will be no
punishment because there is no God.
2) but if
you're wrong, you've lost eternity, because God does exist.
b. If you wager
that God
DOES exist:
1) and you're
right, you've gained eternal life.
Because you have been obedient & faithful.
2) but if
you're wrong (and God doesn't really exist).
You've lost nothing.
3. Pascal's
conclusion: It is much better to believe in God & be faithful.
You may gain eternal life.
4. Pascal's
argument is flawed in that it is purely philosophical — He does not
consider the evidence for God
existence —
which is abundant.
III. "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul?" —
Matt. 16:26
A. To answer
this question properly, we must understand that the world is temporary &
your soul is eternal.
1. Even with
that knowledge, most people would choose the temporary things of this
world.
2. If you were
offered a choice between: a) a billion dollars, but eternity in hell, or
b) live in poverty, but eternity in
heaven, which
would you choose?
3. Yet, most
will sell their soul for so much less than a billion dollars.
a. Some will
sell their soul for a sinful pleasure: a sinful sexual relationship, the
pursuit of fame/power.
b. Some don't
want to be inconvenienced by divine obligations.
B. "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we
can carry nothing out." -
1 Tim. 6:7
1. Everything
that you amass will stay behind — except your relationship with God.
IV. "13 Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" . . . "15 But
who do you say that I am?" -
Matt. 16:13, 15
A. Technically,
these are two questions. But
they are closely related.
B. "Who do men
say that I . . . am?"
1. In Jesus day
the answer was: John the baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the OT
prophet.
2. Today, many
would give a different answer.
a. Many
"scholars" (critics) would say that He's nothing more than an historical
figure.
1) There was a
time when critics would deny the existence of Jesus.
But there's too much extra-biblical
evidence to
deny Him.
2) So instead,
they deny who He was—God in the flesh.
3) They will
paint Him as a liar, fraud, or — if they are extra generous — just a
teacher.
4) The proof
that Jesus was the Son of God is found in the resurrection.
A) "3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of
the seed of David according to
the flesh, 4 and
declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of
holiness, by
the resurrection from the dead." -
Rom. 1:3-4
B) There were
100's of witness to the resurrection.
If He was a fraud, that would have become known and
Christianity
would have died at the start.
b. Some would
say that He was just a religious teacher, like Buddha, Mohammad, or
Joseph Smith.
1) Jesus was
unique in His person and His teaching.
2) His person.
"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God
has sent His
only
begotten
Son into the world, that we might live through Him." -
1 Jn. 4:9
3) His
teaching. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me." -
Jn. 14:6
V. “Then who can be saved?” —
Matt. 19:25
A. Jesus said
it easier for a camel to go through eye of needle than for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of God.
1. That's what
prompted the question.
2. The
disciples seemed to have the notion, like the friends of Job, that
wealth is an indication of righteousness.
If
you are rich,
it's because God is blessing your righteousness.
3. Of course,
that's not the case. "17 Command those
who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in
uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things
to enjoy. 18 Let them do
good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give,
willing to share" -
1 Tim. 6:17-18
4. Rich or poor
can be saved or lost.
B. Who does God
desire to be saved? "3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, 4 who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth." -
1 Tim. 2:3-4
C. If God wants
everyone to be saved why will most be lost?
"For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as
to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,
not being mixed with faith in those who heard
it." -
Heb. 4:2
D. Men choose
their own destiny by the kind of life they live.
VI. "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" -
Acts 16:30
A. Let's do a
word study of "save" or "salvation."
B.
Believe. "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for
if you do not believe that I am He, you will
die in your sins." -
Jn. 8:24
C.
Repent. "37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and
said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Then
Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of
you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit." -
Acts 2:37-38
D.
Confess.
"9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God has
raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the
heart one believes unto righteousness, and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." -
Rom. 10:9-10
E. Be baptized.
"15 And He said
to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who
does not believe will be condemned." -
Mk.
16:15-16
Con. Where are
you, spiritually speaking?
Have you obeyed the Gospel?
If not, why not?