By 
Woody Allen’s movie, Sleeper, has his character transported to the future, and explaining the present world to bewildered researchers. He’s given a series of photos to explain, and of one he says, “This is Billy Graham. Very big in the religion business. You know, he knew god. Personally.”
Do you? How do you know you do? And (Apologetics question) how do you explain that to someone else, who thinks you’re just explaining what she means by endorphins?
The work of Christ as our eternal priest means that he, alone, does introduce us into God’s presence, for real, for ever. That really should be life transforming, shouldn’t it? Isn’t that what the New Testament claims?
But in the religious supermarket there are lots of other claimants for that idea. And lots of sceptics too
Some of us give fuel to the sceptics because we don’t speak or act as though we really have met him. We’re muted. Cool. As if we don’t dare promise anything much from the gospel. Yes, I know about the loonies on the other side – I really don’t want to over-promise. That fuels the sceptics too. But under promising is just as bad, isn’t it?
Part of our apologetics is giving reasons, evidence for the genuineness of our relationship with God. That we really do know the creator, sustainer and saviour of the cosmos. The gospel really is that extraordinarily vivid. And we’re offering the invitational challenge that our friends will meet him too. This is an authentic encounter, not just a SuDoku puzzle with some neat answers.
Are we willing to make meeting God part of our Apologetics?
Think about these three bible passages
Taste and see that the Lord is good
I have come that they may have life, in all its fullness
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you evermore.
- Is that your experience? What sort of an experience is it meant to be? How would you describe that to a friendly sceptic?
- Do your services, prayer meetings, and sermons encourage people to think they will meet God?
Resources
Peter Scazzero, The Emotionally Healthy Church (Zondervan)
JI Packer, Knowing God (Hodder)
How about watching the time Woody Allen interviewed Billy Graham for real?
ministrynutsandbolts.com 