Have you ever been frustrated by your attempts at witnessing to others of the power of the gospel of Christ? Dr. John Whitcomb provides more insight on biblical apologetics today to help here on Encounter God's Truth. We're opening up the second major message in this series considering part one of evolutionary difficulties. I'm your host, Wayne Shepard, and in this installment, we're tackling challenging questions like, since evolution is not true, why is it so difficult to convince unbelievers regarding the Bible's account of creation? And why do so many Christians even seem unwilling to agree on the biblical position? How are we as Christians to go about seeking to bring ardent unbelievers to the Lord or strengthen struggling believers? We're going to analyze these issues using 1 Peter 3 as the basis for understanding major concepts that underpin our witness. Perhaps this message will raise questions about your own presentation of the gospel. In fact, we'd love to receive your feedback on these important topics at facebook.com slash Whitcomb Ministries. Let's go now to join the faculty and students at Appalachian Bible College, where this series on apologetics was first delivered. Dr. Whitcomb developed it to underscore our declaration that God's word is true from the beginning to the end. Many, many Christians are deeply, deeply frustrated by their failure to convert unbelievers to God. And it comes as a shock to all of us, and especially to me, friends, to realize that God never intended me to convert anybody. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I can't change people's hearts, change their minds about God and about the Bible. In fact, God has said more than once in many ways that only He can change the human heart. Now, you have a responsibility and so do I. It's our responsibility to tell people about the Lord in one way or another, backed by fervent effectual prayer, to tell the gospel story around the world, in all the ways and through all the media God has provided. But only He can change the heart. that's his sovereign prerogative and that's his plan but you see that is sort of a secret it seems among God's people that needs to be studied and understood and believed and acted upon because there are many many experts and I use that word cautiously in Christian apologetics and Christian evidences who are finding deep frustration and despair. Let me give you some examples. My interest through the years, probably because of my own background as an evolutionist, is how the world was created. And it took me at least 10 years to discover some of the basic biblical realities on this subject, with the help of Dr. Henry Morris especially, with whom I co-authored a book called The Genesis Flood in 1961. But it was a long, hard struggle, friends, to come to grips with the reality that God's revelation in scripture on how the world began is almost the opposite of what anyone would expect or anticipate or desire to know. Six literal days during which God created the heavens and the earth and all the angels and all the stars and all the planets, plants, animals, and people, and then that perfect world smashed, destroyed within weeks by the rebellion of the king of the earth, following of course the leadership of the queen of the earth, following of course the guidance of Satan, brought about a change from which we have never recovered to this hour. The curse. Who in the secular world of scientism wants to commit to that proposition? that program of origins. Well, God in his mercy has raised up a tiny army of creation scientists. Henry Morris' Institute of Creation Research in California Ken Ham in the Cincinnati area with answers in Genesis and many, many other such groups around the world. Korea, Canada, England, Germany, Latin America, Australia. It's an amazing phenomenon, friends, that here and there God has people who really are very well trained in science, who have been led to the Lord by someone who prayed for them and told them the truth. maybe over a period of years, who are committed now to the biblical concept of origins. But just because the secular world is not really shaken by these scientists, others have said, well, let's use a different approach. Let's recognize the fact that maybe we have misinterpreted the Bible, and maybe the creation took billions of years and maybe the Genesis flood was not a mountain covering year-long deluge but just a local flood and that'll help people to come to God's Word by recognizing that maybe we've overstated our case and maybe the Bible really doesn't expect us to believe these impossible things about origins. The leader of that movement today, at least in America, is Dr. Hugh Ross. He's an astrophysicist, a born-again Christian, I'm convinced. but has drastically changed the interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis. But even Dr. Ross is discovering that the scientific establishment is not shaken by his position either. And I never believed I would live to see a whole new movement therefore arise that rejects his view and our view, but agrees with us that evolution is false and impossible. This is the intelligent design movement. And many of the leaders of this movement aren't even Christians. They just say that it's obvious that Darwinian evolution is impossible and false and let's get rid of these ideas from our textbooks, our schools, our universities, through the media. But they're afraid to even mention a personal living God. They never want to quote Genesis, refer to Jesus at all. Why? They're afraid that if they give the impression that the Bible has anything to do with their thinking, they'll be totally turned off and won't be able to win the scientific establishment at all. I'm amazed at this movement. Some excellent books, some brilliant discoveries, but a disastrous approach to Christian apologetics. Namely, we have to just rationalize, we have to intellectually, academically, scientifically destroy evolution and we'll do it ourselves. There is no personal living God that can do it or that will do it. We have to do it. And guess what they're discovering? The vast, stupendous scientific establishment is not shaken by them either. I mean, every major university in the world today, friends, trust me, is totally dominated by uniformitarian evolutionism in spite of these movements I've just mentioned. And that's why many are deeply discouraged at the whole effort to win the scientific world to creationism in any form at all. Let me quote one of the most famous apologists whose textbook has been used for years. I won't name him, but I'll just tell you what he said. It's shocking. Quote, I recall that when I was a freshman in college, certain men with whom I was dealing in street meetings succeeded in posing questions about my Christian faith, which I was unable to answer. You ready for this? embarrassed and frustrated I immediately recoiled from further witnessing not telling anybody more about Christ because they won't listen they won't believe so I'm not gonna tell anybody anymore this is a Christian leader friends of great fame in recent years and I'm saying something is seriously wrong here why Because all our efforts to intellectually, scientifically destroy the opposition, the alternative views of the world, the false religions including evolutionism and atheism and other religions of the world, Hinduism, Islam, name them all. All these efforts, friends, have apparently failed. Or to use another approach, to prove that the Bible is true by Intricate, careful, archaeological, historical, scientific demonstrations. Oh, yes. They're available. They are available. Hundreds of them, thousands of proofs, demonstrations, confirmations of what the Bible says. Well, then why don't we see a clean sweep of all unbiblical thinking? You know what the book of Acts says, written by one of the greatest historians who ever lived, Dr. Luke? He says, of course, in chapter one of the book of Acts that he wrote under the Holy Spirit, that Jesus appeared from the dead and showed himself with many convincing proofs that he was alive. Well, then why didn't the whole world simply surrender to him in light of this stupendous miracle? Hmm. How about Acts 26, 26? As Paul the Apostle said to King Agrippa, this, speaking of Christ's great miracles and his resurrection, this has not been done in a corner. It was public, it was spectacular. Then why are there any unbelievers left in the world? Well, friends, here's the reality of it all, of course. We are all guilty to some extent or other, and I include myself, of a non-biblical foundation for our outreach to people who reject the Bible. The Bible tells us that human hearts are sealed shut against all finite conversion pressure. Do you know what unbelievers need? Infinite conversion pressure. And only an infinite God is qualified and capable of breaking through that enormous resistance and barrier and wall that characterizes the sinful human heart. Well, friends, we just say to the Lord, help us here. Please, Lord, help us. Turn in your Bible to first Peter chapter three. Let's see how it works and what God's plan is. First Peter chapter three, verse 14. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. If you're ridiculed, if you're threatened because people hate you and the God you represent, don't panic, don't despair. Why not? Because God is going to use your embarrassment and your affliction and your suffering as a unique and mysterious way to get people's attention that otherwise could never be obtained. Look, do not fear their intimidation. Do not be troubled. You'll find the basis of this back in Psalm 112. Don't ever allow circumstances to defeat you. But you're to do what in a positive way? Don't fear, don't be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. That has to be one of the best kept secrets in Christian apologetics. And we're going to see in a moment what apologetics means biblically, okay? Sanctify means what? To set apart. You know, Peter, who wrote this under the Holy Spirit, was a Jew. And for 1,400 years, Jews were taught, Israelites were instructed in the whole elaborate system of sanctification, which means setting things apart, especially for God, because of who he is. The whole nation was set apart by God. The chosen people were sanctified, set apart. Doesn't mean they were all saved. A special tribe in Israel was set apart for the function of worship in the tabernacle and temple. What tribe? Levi, yes. And one family of Levites was set apart to lead in the temple worship program. The family of? Aaron, yes. And then there was a special place, the tabernacle, later the temple. and special place in the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant under the mercy seat in the cherubim where God would reveal himself in a unique way to Israel and once a year the high priest would go in there to offer a sacrifice for himself and for his people for atonement, for protection from destruction and there were special days of the week and of the year that were sanctified the Sabbath day once a week and uh... certain other days of the year for Passover and Pentecost and trumpets and atonement and tabernacles and all kinds of things friends and special animals were sanctified namely clean ones to be offered on the altar I mean it got to the point where every Israelite was in a process day and night of what he could do, not do, what he could eat, not eat, where he was to go, and what to do. And it was an enormously complex system. Of what? Of sanctification. Setting apart something, someone, some time, some work for God. Okay? Now, what's this mean? Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Well, today, you see, in the church age, we don't do all those things. Paul said, let no man judge you concerning the Sabbath day. You don't offer any animal sacrifice because there's no altar available. There are no Zadokian priests to administer your sacrifice because there's no temple which is accessible. And we're all priests and we all offer sacrifices now. Peter himself says, you remember, the fruit of our lips being praised to God. And we're all, I mean, it's a totally different system now called what? The body and bride of Christ. Now, we didn't replace Israel. We are God's mystery program, hidden from ages past, now revealed through the Apostle Paul, Ephesians 3, in which we function in a vastly different way than Israel did, and yet will, in the coming 70th week of Daniel in Kingdom Age. So today, really, you don't have any special place on this planet you have to go to worship, you see. but there is one person to be sanctified, and that's Christ the Lord. I honor him, I worship him, I praise him, he's unique, he's special, he is indispensable, he has it all. Jesus said it this way, without me, you can do what? Nothing. Let's try that again, nothing. Once more. Nothing. Thank you. He is infinitely special. Now the point, friends, is this. Before you and I dare talk to an unbeliever about eternal things, eternal destiny, heaven and hell, judgment, sin, Satan, We must sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts. The heart you see means the center of your personal being as an image of God bearer. Okay. Even unbelievers have that image of God. Now here it gets difficult. Okay. Why do I have to do this? Sanctify Christ as Lord in my hearts because of something that is totally hopeless that God told me to do all the time. Now watch the next statement. Always being ready to make a defense. to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence, and keep a good conscience, so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." Hmm. What's that mean? All right. Always being ready, being always ready to give an answer, to make a defense. And that's the Greek word apologion, from which we get apologetics. Now, what does apologion mean? It means back, word. Apologos, logion. To give a word back, to give an answer back to someone who asks you something about God or about your lifestyle, your commitments, your convictions, your standards. Before you give an answer to somebody who asks you these basic fundamental ultimate eternal issues, God says you must tune in to lock into Jesus Christ. And you don't give him your ideas, your opinions, your theories, your discoveries, your intelligence, your reputation, your brilliance. You give him what? Jesus Christ and him alone. Now the point folks, this is very important here and not easy. to fathom. My temptation in yours is, and I go through this constantly in airports and stores everywhere we go, you know, give out a gospel tract and expect some kind of a negative response or sarcastic statement or something. I want to immediately, if I'm challenged, questioned, insulted, to give a smart answer. To alleviate my own conscience, you see, and my self-respect. I want to impress this person that I'm not quite as stupid as I may have sounded. that I've thought some things through myself and I've been trained and I've been taught and I've been educated and so forth. I mean, I want to vindicate myself. That's natural, it is typical, it is continual. God says, be careful. The last thing that unsaved person needs is to know how wonderful you are. Because as a matter of fact, if the truth were known, you're not as wonderful as you want him to think you are. In fact, the last thing I want to know is what God thinks of me, apart from His grace and mercy by the Holy Spirit who has entered into my body and made me His temple. There's nothing in me that is worthy of His using me as His instrument to touch another life for Him. So you see, God says, don't ever focus on yourself, your opinions, your experience, your knowledge. Focus on whom? Christ as Lord. In other words, God says you must first of all mastermind everything my son has revealed to you through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit and 40 writers over 2,000 years in a unique book with 66 chapters and 1,188 chapters. You must mastermind his word so that what you respond to the unbeliever is what God said, not what you have discovered or think That's difficult, folks. I'm still not there. I'm still working at this. Lord, keep my mouth under control here because the eternal destiny of this person hangs in the balance of what I say or don't say. You say, now stop there, sir, please. What do you mean his destiny hangs in the balance of what I say? That sounds awesome. Well, you see, there's a very mysterious combination here of the sovereignty of God and human responsibility. And God says, if I don't tell people about the Savior, they won't be saved. Now, think of that point. You say, that's awesome. You mean I'm responsible to tell people about the Lord and if I don't, they won't hear and be saved? Right. Well, doesn't God have a plan? Yes. But you see, he will never share with us the solution to this infinite antinomy or unresolvable mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God says, you do it because I told you to do it and I taught you how to do it. And if you don't do it, you're accountable and you'll give an account to me at the judgment throne of Christ. Now, friends, we see now this sounds very heavy. Yes, keep reading, being always ready to make a defense, to give an answer. To whom? To everyone, mom, dad, your teacher, professor, great scholars, scientists, anybody who asks you to give an account for the hope that's in you. Because you've said something or done something that catches their attention. More on that point later. There's special things you can do to almost force an unbeliever to ask a question. Okay, watch this now. How do you respond to him, his questions, which often are sarcastic or confrontive or full of hate? You're to answer with what? Gentleness and reverence. You say, well, that's a little bit above and beyond my ability. Wonder if he provokes me and makes me angry. You see, that's why you have to have what? Christ sanctified in your heart or you can't handle it. I mean, talk about someone who was confronted and blasphemed and insulted, the Lord Jesus himself. And he never lost his temper. He was under total control. He honored his father in all his responses. And as I read through the Gospels and what the Pharisees said to him and did to him and the Sadducees and other enemies, I would have said, Lord, if I were writing that book of John or Gospel of Matthew, I would have Jesus just zap them all. Thank you. With help like this, you know, I mean, friends, think of how God condescended to be insulted and blasphemed and crucified. And who are we? Who are we? Yes, with gentleness and reverence, that is, putting God first in our motivation, our love, our encouragement to carry on in spite of all. Here's a really hard one, verse 16, and keep a good conscience. You mean I have to really be right with God before I can expect anybody else to be? Yes. So that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. In other words, the closer they investigate you, the more astonished they'll be that you are actually a living, walking testimony to the God that you claim to know and love. We'll pause there until next time when Dr. John Whitcomb will continue his study of evolutionary difficulties. We encourage you to join us all throughout the week at sermonaudio.com slash Whitcomb. You can easily access hundreds of free resources that we provide there and you can find that page easily from our website, WhitcombMinistries.org. For information about Appalachian Bible College, where this series was first presented, visit abc.edu. We're grateful that they allowed us to share this teaching with you here on Encounter God's Truth, a weekly broadcast outreach of Whitcomb Ministries. I'm Wade Shepard, concluding our program with these words from Psalm 112. For the righteous will never be moved. He will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news. His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.