DEFENDING THE GOSPEL: GIVING REASONS FOR OUR HOPE            SESSION: 2

 

Teacher:  Bill Payne [1]   

 

“. . . sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts . . . .” (1 Pet 3:15) [2]

 

WHERE DO WE STAND WHEN DEFENDING THE GOSPEL?

CHRIST AS LORD OF OUR DEFENSE

 

Goals:

 

Review

 

To understand that our defense of the Gospel must be rooted in a sound understanding of the biblical revelation of God has given us of Himself and the true condition of human beings. 

 

To understand the key presuppositions that divide Biblical and non-Biblical worldviews.

 

Lesson:

 

1. Two Foundations on Which People Stand

 

24 "Therefore aeveryone who hears these words of Mine, and 1acts upon them, 2may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.

 25 "And the rain descended, and the 1floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.

 26 "And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not 1act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

 27 "And the rain descended, and the 1floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall."  (Matthew 7:24-27)

 

What are the two type of people described in these verses?

 

 

How would you describe each of these types of persons?

 

 

What is the role of God’s word in the lives of these two different types of people?

 

2. Standing on the Word of God

 

16 1aAll Scripture is 2inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for 3training in righteousness;

 17 that athe man of God may be adequate, bequipped for every good work.  (2 Timothy 3:17-17)

 

What does this verse tell us about the relationship between the World of God and defending the Gospel?

 

 

12 For athe word of God is bliving and cactive and sharper than any two-edged dsword, and piercing as far as the division of esoul and espirit, of both joints and marrow, and fable to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 13 And athere is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are bopen and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.   (Hebrews 4:12-13)

 

What affect does God’s word have upon people?

 

3. Foundation of Unbelievers

 

18 For athe wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who bsuppress the truth 1in unrighteousness,

 19 because athat which is known about God is evident 1within them; for God made it evident to them.

 20 For asince the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, bbeing understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

 21 For even though they knew God, they did not 1honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became afutile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

 22 aProfessing to be wise, they became fools,

 23 and aexchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and 1crawling creatures.   (Romans 1:18-23)

 

According to Paul how do people know truth about God?

 

 

What have people done with the truth about God?

 

The Truth That Has Been Suppressed

 

What do we know about God from His creation?

  • God is __________________________ of all.
  • Creation is _____________________________ on God.
  • God has _________________________________ Himself to man.
    • ______________________ revelation: Creation
    • ______________________ revelation : scripture

 

What do we Know About People from God’s Creation and Man’s Fall

 

  • Created in the image of God
    • __________________________  and ______________________ abilities.
    • Man is a never- perishing _________________________.
    • Man was made to rule as king over the ____________________.
    • At creation man had ________________ knowledge of God.
    • At creation man possessed “righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
    • Man was created without sin, yet had the _________________ to do so.
    • Man possessed __________________ knowledge.  There are “secret things” that man cannot possibly know.
    • Man’s knowledge is dependent on God’s _______________________________.
      • Logic comes from God
      • Man’s Logic, ability to reason, is dependent on God.
      • Man’s knowledge is incomplete.

 

16 And the LORD God acommanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;

 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not 1eat, for in the day that you eat from it ayou shall surely die."  (Genesis 2:16-17)

 

Genesis 3:1-24

 

  • What were the consequences of disobeying God’s command?

 

  • What was it about God that Eve rejected?

 

  • What were the consequences of the fall?

 

 

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the celementary principles of the world, 1rather than according to Christ.  (Colossians 2:8)

 

  • According to Paul’s statement to the Colossians what is true of unbelievers?

 

  • All non-believers are committed to ____________________________.

 

  • Non-believers reject their need for God’s ______________________________.

 

3. Foundation of Believers

 

Read Ephesians Chapters 1 and 2

 

What is the foundation of the person redeemed by Christ?

 

  • Recognizes the ___________________ -  ______________________ distinction.
  • Recognized the ________________________ of God’s word.
  • Is being _______________________  according the original character and image of God
  • Is being sanctified.  This will not end until glorification.

 

 

Homework:

 

Session 3 will begin to deal with our being ready to give reasons for our hope.  Considering the divide between the worldview of the believer and non-believer, where do we turn for reasons? 

 

Read Chapter 2, “The Message of the Apologist,”  in Apologetics to the Glory of God by John Frame.

 

Read Acts 17 – What types of reasons does Paul give to different groups of non-believers?

 

Read Romans 2:1-16 What reasons does Paul give to lead non-believers toward the Gospel?

 


[1] The outline and materials for this course are based on the work of Karlos Limtiaco in his class “Evangelism

Two: Responding to the Critics.”

[2] All scripture quotations are taken from the New Americans Standard Bible, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1975