Always Be Prepared

I'm very excited to have Dr. Peter Williams at our church this Sunday for both our morning worship services and again at a special service at 5:00 P.M. Dr. Williams is a respected scholar of Biblical literature and Warden of Tyndale House at Cambridge University in London. His expertise is in the biblical languages and he specializes in articulating the evidences of Christian truth.

 A few weeks ago I was reminded of why it's so important for us to learn from men like Dr. Williams. A friend of mine sent me a link to the video of the controversial journalist Dan Savage speaking to a group of high school students in Seattle Washington. In the video, Savage crudely and aggressively demeaned traditionally held views of conservative Christianity regarding homosexuality. His rant was laced with offensive and bullying language (Ironically, his topic was bullying!). As he talked, a handful of Christian teenagers got up and left the room while the majority in the crowd roared with applause and approval as Savage blasted them for their stance.

The video is hard to watch.

It is also stark evidence of a growing cynicism toward Christianity.  So how do we respond in a way that is gracious and thoughtful?

In the first place, it is imperative that we know what we believe and why we believe it.  I agree with Tim Keller who says that in today's culture Christians more than ever need  to know their epistemology (the study of knowledge- why you believe what you believe).   There was a day when a majority of people you encountered had some kind of Christian worldview.  Even non-Christians had a respect for Christian teaching and ideas.

That day is gone.

In the video,  Savage makes fun of obscure Old Testament passages.  These are the kinds of challenges and questions we should have answers for.  There are reasonable explanations for objectionable passages in the Old Testament.  It is important for us to have a grasp of those explanations.

Secondly, it's important that as Christians we demonstrate the love of Christ in tandem with our intellectual arguments. I learned quickly in ministry that people don't care what I know until they know that I care.   Christianity really is about "show and tell".   We show people the love of Christ, and then we tell them why we believe it.

This is why I'm excited about events like this Sunday. It is a great opportunity for our own edification, but also a great opportunity to invite others to come.