URBAN LEGENDS:
God’s Strange Silence
Today we’re going to get back to our series called Urban Legends. We actually started this series way back on October 6th. So it’s been a while since we’ve talked about this. Maybe you’re familiar with some urban legends that are out there. How many of you are familiar with Bigfoot? How many of you have heard of the Loch Ness Monster? How many believe that there are alligators living in the sewers?
But the whole series really began during a series of discussions that I’ve been having with a co-worker. This co-worker is named Mark. Now Mark is like many unbelievers these days. He has questions. To make it even more difficult to witness to Mark, he comes forward with these great, intelligent questions.
The truth of the matter is that Mark isn’t alone in his questions. There is this huge amount of information that is readily available on the Internet. So we deal with a society around us that has a lot of information, and though some of it isn’t correct, they usually come forward with questions about our beliefs.
So today we’re going to talk about God and, in particular, we’re going to look at why so many non-Christians hold about the existence of God. These are serious things to look over and quite frequently these are issues that cause stumbling blocks in leading other to Christ.
Now the best analogy that I can think of for this goes something like this. When Katy and Michael were a little younger they both had braces. And at the dentist’s office that did all the work on there braces there was this really cool set of books. Now these books are written by this guy named Mark Handford. Now personally I find these books really intellectually stimulating. Because these books have absolutely no words on the pages. Maybe you’ve heard of them. These books are called “Where’s Waldo?” and they’ve sold over 50 million copies in 28 different countries. So this guy was really on to something.
Now the whole point of a Where’s Waldo book is to find this geeky looking guy named, you guessed it Waldo. And Waldo looks a little bit like me. He’s tall and thin, wears glasses, and has brown hair. But Waldo almost always wears this red and white striped shirt. Something that somebody cool, like me, would never wear.
But here’s what’s really cool. Waldo is on every page. He’s on every page in every single Where’s Waldo book. But sometimes you’re going to doubt it.
So it works something like this. There are times that you find Waldo really easily. It’s like you’re looking at the book and there’s Waldo. There he is again on that page. And here he is on this page over here. But there are other times that you can’t find Waldo no matter how hard you look. He just doesn’t seem to be there.
God’s kind off like that, isn’t he?
There are days that I get up in the morning and I just know God is there. It’s a cool, fall morning. You can smell the leaves in the air. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. The leaves are reds, yellows, and oranges. There’s a great big pumpkin in the garden. God is right there. Every place you look He’s easy to see.
But there are other days, even for me as a minister that I can’t seem to find Him. He just doesn’t seem to be around. Everything seems to be going wrong. The dog ate the kid’s homework. The car won’t start. The coffee pot is leaking. The coffee cup is leaking and now the coffee is all over my shirt. And where is God?
No I know by faith that He’s always there. But it doesn’t always seem that He is. So I can understand why so many non-Christians question whether or not God exists at all.
Now, as we get started I’d like you to turn in your Bible to 1 Corinthians 1:18 – 25. Now this is Paul writing this message to the church of Corinth. And he’s really trying to show them something that is super important. Now I want you to know that I’m not trying to dismiss people like Mark, I think they’re great. I love the questions that they are willing to come forward with.
But here’s what Paul has to say about all of this. Beginning in verse 18.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” -- 1 Corinthians 1:18 – 25
Basically what Paul is saying is this: the message of Jesus Christ, the story of the crucifixion, the relationship that you have with Jesus, to most people those things just don’t make sense. Maybe you’ve got some family and friends that think like that. It’s fantastic that your religion works for you, but it just doesn’t work for me. It just doesn’t make sense and I don’t believe that I can ever believe like you do.
Then he goes on to say, “Where is the wise man?” Where are the intelligent people? Where is Carl Sagan? Where is Charles Darwin? Where is Benjamin Franklin? Where is Thomas Jefferson? Where are the doubters? Has not God created the wisdom of the world? The Gentiles (or in this case the Greeks) seek after the truth. The Jews are looking for miraculous signs. But we preach a Christ who was crucified. And that crucifixion is a stumbling block for many people. But God is wiser than any man. So the things that don’t make sense to us make sense to God.
This is one of the biggest reasons that Jews still do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. He didn’t meet the standards that they set up for Him to meet. And no King of the Jews would ever have died on a cross.
So as we really get into this morning’s message, I want you to keep in mind that the questions that non-Christians come forward with may seem like foolishness. But let’s be real honest, they are questions that God has allowed to be placed out there.
So here is the way that many of these people think and it’s the way that many people are going to approach you.
Legend #1: If God was really there He would reveal Himself.
There are so many people that feel this way. You know I told you there are days that I feel that no matter hard I look I can’t seem to see God. But I’m not alone in this feeling. All the way back in Exodus, despite the miracles they had witnessed in Egypt, the Israelites doubted God’s existence to the point of wanting to go back into slavery in Egypt for lack of food. And once He did provide food, they believed again. At least for a while.
I used to think off David, the writer of the Psalms as one of the biggest whiners ever to have lived. But then I came to this realization. David isn’t whining. He’s pointing out that there are times he feels that God isn’t there. There are other Psalms where he points out how real God is and that God is right thee beside him.
I’m sure that in the hours after the crucifixion the disciples doubted. They wondered how their leader, a man they thought was the Messiah would be allowed to die. And to die upon a cross at that. They had to be questioning God’s existence in those three days.
Back in the last century there was this famous atheist. His name was Bertrand Russell. Now I’m not here to pass judgment on this guy. In fact, I think he was a very intelligent man. But the story is told that towards the end of his life Mr. Russell was at a party and was approached by a young Christian woman.
She said, “Mr. Russell, you are in your 90s now and perhaps the oldest living atheist. But you will die soon. What will happen, if after you die, you come face to face with God?”
To this (keep in mind we’re not making fun of him in any way) Mr. Russell replied, “I shall point my finger at him and say, Sir, you have given us insufficient evidence.”
Insufficient evidence.
This is the most often argued point of non-believers. God hasn’t done enough to show us that He exists. As Christians you and I look around all the time and we can see the things that God is doing and has done.
The truth is that I don’t believe that it has ever been God’s intension to show people evidence of His existence. I think that so often God is more involved in the restoration of humanity into a relationship with him. He’s interested in the salvation of humans. So much so that He sends His only son to die on a cross so that we can have a relationship with Him.
I don’t think it’s God’s job to prove Himself.
Jesus shows us this over in Matthew 4. This is a fairly famous passage of Scripture. Most off you may remember it as the Temptation of Jesus. It starts right after the baptism of Jesus. Jesus goes off into the wilderness to fast and pray. He goes there to be close to His father.
At the end of that time 40 days and 40 nights have passed and Satan comes to Jesus to tempt Him.
Take a look with me as we look at Matthew 4:3 – 7.
“Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” -- Matthew 1:3 – 7
“If you’re really the son of God prove it.”
I can just see Satan arguing with Jesus. Look, you’re tired. You’re hungry. If you’re really the son of the living God prove it. There are people out there starving just like you are. It’ll only take a moment of your time. All you have to do is turn these rocks into bread.
Then he takes Jesus to a really high point at the temple. “Look, Jesus, if you’re really the son of God, prove it. The Scriptures say that if you are to be harmed, God will send his angels to rescue you. Jump. Prove that God will be there to save you. Show yourself. Prove you are who you say you are.”
But Jesus doesn’t. Instead both times he uses Scripture to refuse Satan’s arguments. He chooses not to reveal who he really is to Satan.
This same thing occurs with the Pharisees. Over and over they come to Jesus and try to get him to prove himself. “If you’re really the Messiah you would…”
And still he doesn’t prove himself.
You want to know what? If I had been Jesus I would have been proving to everyone who I am. You might say I'm kind of conceited like that. I would have turned the stones into bread. I would have jumped off the temple building and flown around like superman. I would have said to the pharisees, "Hey you all,watch this. Here's your proof."
But Jesus isn't like me. He doesn't do any of those things. Not even one.
Now if you’ve ever read the Bible you know that there are other times where Jesus works miracles. He heals the lame and the blind. He touches lepers. He talks to women, something that most men in this society would have not done. But so often he does it in a way that he doesn't draw attention to himself.
Why?
I believe it’s because he wants us to choose him.
God wants us to choose.
He doesn’t want to force us to believe in Him. One of the greatest gifts of love any one could ever give someone is the gift of being able to choose. From the very beginning this is something that God has done. He wants you to decide if you will believe in him or not.
The second Legend that many non-Christians believe is that if God was really there his followers would be better advertisements.
In other words, if God was real why don’t his followers act like it? Why aren’t they busy taking care of the poor and the needy? Why don’t they act any different than the rest of the world? Why is it that so many Christians don’t act like Christ? How can they be so full of hate?
People that tend to follow this particular legend will point out the Crusades. They will point out things like the inquistion. They will talk about how the Bible was used to defend slavery and it is a fair argument. Since it did happen.
But they will verybrarely point out the advances in medicine and education done in the name of God. They also don't mention that ther Bible was also used to fight slavery. Usually there is only a look at the negative things that Christianity has done.
The truth is that instead of fighting these arguments we need to admit we've gotten it wrong sometimes. There are times that our religion hasn't exactly practiced what we're trying to teach.
We also need to be doing something completely different than what some of our predicessors have done. We need to be about the business of loving God and loving people. Actually I know that's in the Bible.
It can be found in Matthew 22:35. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees who are trying to find a way to catch him in a trap. One of them comes to him with a question. "What is the greatest commandment?"
To this Jesus answers, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it : Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Here's what goes on in our society. The American culture sees Christians,in general, as standoffish. We're all busy trying to control politics, keeping homosexuals in their place, not allowing for abortion, and ignorant of the real issues. Please note that I don't think this view is accurate, but in some cases there is some truth to it. And unfortunately they see Christians as a group that will not change if it means admitting that we have gotten it wrong sometimes.
How they should be seeing us is a life and love giving body of believers. They need to see us working and doing the same things that Jesus would have done if he were here now. We should be loving God with everything we have and we should be willing to let that love overflow until it affects the world around us.
Finally the third legend is this. If God was really there bad things wouldn't happen to good people.
If he was really there families wouldn't be falling apart. Teenaged drivers would die in car accidents. Twelve-year-old boys wouldn't die from leukemia. Mothers would die during childbirth. There wouldn’t be any wars. Siblings would always get along their whole lives. And the list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, I’ve heard some Christians come up with some pretty callous things to say. “Well, maybe if your faith had been just a bit stronger.” “God always has a reason for the things he does.” “God never gives us more than we can handle.” And my favorite. “We’ll be praying for you,” When you really have no intention of doing do.
The problem is that we try to cover up the real hurt. We try to bury it away under sayings and good feelings that don’t always work.
There is really only one thing that we can say about this. “I don’t really know.”
I don’t know. It’s three simple words and yet we have such a hard time saying them. We can’t explain everything that God does. We don’t really know his reasons. We don’t have access to his plans.
We can’t explain God’s reasons.
But we can reach out in love.
One of my favorite stories is about this theologian named MacLeod. Now this man lived in Ireland back in the 1600s in a monastery. He worked part of his time as wood carver. MacLeod writes that very often he would awaken in the morning and wonder if God really existed. Finally one day he decided he needed a reminder. So he carved this huge sign to place at the foot of his bed. And for the rest of his life, he would awaken in his bedchamber and there on the wall hung a plaque that said, “God exists.” To him it made all the difference in the world. He said that upon seeing that sign each morning he would go throughout each day remembering who God was and what had been done by God just for him.
This morning you really have two options. You can either believe that there isn’t a God out there. You can hold to the ideas that this was all just an accident or that the world just was.
Or you can come to know that there is a God. He’s out there. He shows us his handy work all the time, if we are willing to open our eyes.
