This month we'll start with a question about communicating the Gospel in the context of a scientific discussion. Question: I have a friend who is very intelligent (aren't they all) who has taken it upon himself to correct my "misfound" belief in creation. I am well read in science and do understand the argument well, but trying to communicate with him at his level is very challenging (one though I want to meet). How can I communicate the Gospel to this person?
Answer: You will find a dialogue with your friend to be very frustrating. We can all argue "my science is better than your science" and we will not make any progress because the issue is not scientific. The issue is the foundations or presuppositions. Science changes constantly but God's word does not. You must take him to his presuppositions. Does he really believe "He came from pond scum, his destiny is dirt and life has no meaning" because that is what evolution teaches. When I dialogue with people like P., and I've had many conversations with many people like him, the discussion usually ends when I ask: "If you really believe evolution why are you still here?" ). This question usually makes them mad. Most of them don't really understand where their world view will take them (straight to Hell). Remember men are dead in their sin and CANNOT SEE unless the Holy Spirit enlivens them. Remember Lazarus in the tomb! As long as his body was dead he could not hear the call of Jesus. Only after the Spirit had restored his body to life could he hear and respond to Christ's call. This is why we pray for God to work in a persons life before we try to lead them to Christ. Dead men need to be made alive and then they can respond to the Gospel.
In most areas of the US today we have two different groups that need the Gospel. There are those who go to "church" consistently, but do not have any understanding of a personal relationship with the living God. When Peter in Acts 2 communicated the Gospel to these kinds of people he went right to the cross in the context of the Bible.
"Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:1-41V)
The second group of people in the US today are those that never go near a church and don't have any understanding of the Bible. When Paul dealt with these kinds of people he did not begin with the Gospel but began with Creation.
"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:22-31 AV)
The lesson for Christians to learn is to evangelize with the Creation message when you talk to those that have little or no foundation in understanding the Bible. May the LORD bless our efforts. If you have read this and don't have a personal relationship with the living God, Jesus Christ, contact us and we will share with you how you can do establish this relationship.