Preacher: Pastor Tim Redfield
Date: September 5/8, 2019
Text: John 1:18
There are people in this world who don’t want to believe in anything that they can’t see or feel with their senses. When they look at the world, they have trouble believing in a creator because they can’t see the creator. They look at the sky above them and the earth below them and they trust in messages like evolution because it is based on what we touch, smell, and see. Thought processes like this want to dismiss the idea of God. Many people think that God is just a myth or some ancient tale that primitive people clung to before science helped us to advance our thinking. While I can understand why people think that way, they are actually missing out on what is actually real. Today we think about that as we explore the question, “Is God Real?”
Part 1:He has given us evidence
There is a reason that many people are reluctant to believe that God is real. Most people don’t realize the problem. The problem is sin. We are all born with it. The sinful nature inside of us wants nothing to do with God or even with the idea of God. Paul talks about this in his letter to the Romans. He talks about godless and wicked “men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). That sinful nature starts us in life with an opposition to the truth about the universe. People are opposed to the truth of God’s ultimate authority.
Paul talks about how people think they are wise but are actually fools when they don’t acknowledge that God has given us our world. God has given us testimony to the fact that he is the Creator but many people ignore it. Paul said it well. “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. 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. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools … They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:20-22,25).
That section from Romans reminds us that the world we see around us is a testimony to the fact that this world was created. And yet, sinful human beings want to ignore that and come up with other ideas about how this world came to be. That is why many people would rather believe Evolution than the truth of Creation. Following either Evolution or Creation requires faith. Both Evolution and Creation have scientific facts that support their position. There is plenty of research that shows how the scientific evidence supports a Creator of the universe. For example, the information stored in our DNA is so vast and so complex that many scientists will admit that it had to come from a Designer or Creator.
There are many systems in our world and our universe that are very precise. The complexity proclaims that some Being must have built the system. For example, our planet is the perfect distance from the sun to support life. If the planet was further away, we would die. If the planet was closer, we would die. There are many precise systems that testify to a Creator. Psalm 19:1 announced, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The universe and it’s grand design testifies to a builder. It is like when we see a house. We know that someone had to build it. We don’t assume that the materials just assembled themselves. Evolution asks us to take a leap of faith by assuming that this planet assembled itself.
In addition to the evidence of creation, we also have the evidence of our conscience. Human beings have that little voice inside that reminds us of what is right and wrong. Everyone has a conscience. The problem is that not everyone listens to their conscience. If people stop listening to their conscience, it becomes easier and easier to do the wrong thing. Romans 2 reminds us that everyone has a conscience. Verses 14 and 15 say, “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.”
The voice of conscience explains why so many governments and societies have similar laws. On some level, we all understand that actions such as murder and stealing are sins. This system of right and wrong is a testimony to the fact that there is an ultimate authority that can tell us what is sin. God is perfect and holy. Simply think about the question of “Why”. Why is murder wrong? Certainly we can think of many other sins but we’ll just focus on murder for now. The evolutionist would have a hard time answering that question. They might just have to say that culture and people have determined it to be wrong. But why is it wrong for people to murder if it is ok for animals to kill one another? Doesn’t the evolutionist say that humans are just advanced animals? Shouldn’t the law of survival of the fittest say that it is ok for humans to kill other humans? Ultimately that is logical and yet because of conscience we understand that murder is wrong. Conscience is from God. Right and wrong is told to us by God.
Because of the problem of sin, God knew that we needed a Savior. Our Savior is another way that God reveals himself to us. Jesus had to become man to live perfectly and to die in our place. And when he came to earth, he showed us the reality of God. John 1:18 said, “No one has seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” Jesus explained more fully about God. He helped us to understand the full extent of the law and the ways we have sinned against God. He also revealed the full extent of God’s love. Even though we are unworthy of salvation because of our sin. Jesus still loved us enough to pay for our sins and to earn eternal life for all those who believe in him.
The message of salvation also establishes God as the real God. No other religion has this message of salvation through Jesus. No false god presents a message of full and free forgiveness. Isaiah 45 highlights this difference. God says, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” Apart from the real God there is no salvation.
Part 2: Faith ultimately convinces us
Even though God has presented us with evidence that shows himself to be the real God, people continue to struggle with belief in God. Without faith in God, people look elsewhere for answers about the universe and morality. Some people have beliefs in other divine beings and other people just want to look for explanations based on the world around them. Faith is a leap. That is what the book of Hebrews says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith helps us to be sure that God is real even though we don’t see him physically standing in front of us. Faith helps us to see the testimony of God in the world around us even when others ignore it.
We are thankful that the Holy Spirit has worked this faith in us. He has worked in us through the means of grace. Without his work, we would not know God. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” God blessed us with the revelation of the Spirit. Paul said to the Thessalonians, “God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
This emphasizes the importance of mission work. People need to hear the truth. As we share that truth, more and more people will believe in the real God. Paul said to the Romans, “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
Sometimes the thought might come up that God should just do some great miracle to show the world that he is real. Couldn’t he appear in front of us or make some great visible sign on the earth so that we would know he is real and believe in him? While that has a certain logic to us, God tells us in his word about why he doesn’t do that. Think about the account of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16. When the rich man was in hell and suffering, he thought that a sign would help his brothers to change their ways and believe. He said, “I beg you, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment” (Luke 16:27-28).
Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” To which the rich man argued, “No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” Abraham replied, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” The sinful nature is powerful and can lead people to not believe even if God does a great miracle. God works faith through the Word of God and that is powerful. We can point people to the evidence for God around us but ultimately faith is what leads people to see the reality of God.
Conclusion
We live in an age when more and more people don’t want to believe in God. In the past, you were more likely to find people seeking out churches than you are to find that today. More and more people want to follow their own path through life and for many people this means life without God. This is terribly sad since God has given us testimony that he is real. We can see it in the creation around us and in the testimony of our conscience. We also have the Bible which tells us about the true God and his plan of salvation. I can give you many resources which expand on these truths about God and why that is so important for our souls. Mission work is so important today because many people don’t believe that God is real. The truth of the matter is that he is real and he has given us the path to eternal life through Jesus. May we do all we can do to help others see Jesus.