Download apologetics-introduction - apologetics | Honor Academy

Apologetics 101
January 22nd, 2008
Presented by: Randy Olsson
Evangelism
Evangelism Defined


The activity of the church in telling the gospel
to sinners with the intent to bring them to a
saving knowledge Christ – J.C. Macaulay
To present Christ Jesus to sinful men in order
that through the power of the Holy Spirit they
may come to put their trust in God through
Him – J.I. Packer

Is to spread the good news that Jesus
Christ died for our sins and was raised
from the dead according to the scriptures
and that as reigning Lord, He now offers
the forgiveness of sins and the liberating
gift of the Holy Spirit to all who repent
and believe. Our Christian presence in the
world is indispensable to evangelism and
so it is that kind of dialogue who purpose
is to listen sensitively in order to
understand.
But evangelism itself is the proclamation
of the historical, biblical, Christ as Savior
and Lord, with a view of persuading
people to come to him personally and be
reconciled to God. In issuing the gospel
invitation we have no liberty to conceal the
cost of discipleship.
Jesus still calls all who would follow Him
to deny themselves, take up their cross, and
identify them selves with this new
community. The results of evangelism
include obedience to Christ, incorporation
into His church and responsible service to
the world. – Lausanne (1974)
The Commission…

Genesis 12:1-3
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country,
your people and your father's household and go to the
land I will show you. "I will make you into a great
nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless
you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

King David
1 Chronicles 16:24
Declare his glory among the nations, his
marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Isaiah 66:20
And they will bring all your brothers, from all
the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as
an offering to the LORD -on horses, in chariots
and wagons, and on mules and camels," says the
LORD. "They will bring them, as the Israelites
bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the
LORD in ceremonially clean vessels.

Jeremiah 3:17
At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne
of the LORD, and all nations will gather in
Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No
longer will they follow the stubbornness of their
evil hearts.
Jesus
 John 20:21
 Matthew 28:19-20
 Mark 16:15
 Luke 24:44
 Acts 1:8
John 20:21

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the
Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age."
Mark 16:15

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the
good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe
will be condemned. And these signs will accompany
those who believe: In my name they will drive out
demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick
up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly
poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their
hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Luke 24:47-49

… Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be
preached in his name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I
am going to send you what my Father has
promised; but stay in the city until you have
been clothed with power from on high
Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Passage
What
Where
Promise
How
John 20:21
Be sent
Sent out
As Christ
was sent
Sacrificial /
Servant
Matthew
28:19-20
Make
Disciples
All nations
I am with
you…
As you go..
Mark 16:15 Go preach
Every
Creature
Drive out demons,
speak in new
tongues, heal the
sick…
Just go!
Luke 24:4749
Witness
Begin in
Jerusalem
Promise of
the
Father…
Begin at
Jerusalem
Acts 1:8
Witness
Ends of the
earth
Spirit and
Power…
Both / and

Only about half (53%) of "born again"
Christians feel a sense of responsibility to tell
others about their faith
Entrusted…

1 Thessalonians 2:4
“On the contrary, we speak as men approved by
God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not
trying to please men but God, who tests our
hearts.”

1 Corinthians 4:1-2
“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of
Christ and as those entrusted with the secret
things of God. Now it is required that those who
have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
Paul’s words to Timothy

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern
of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ
Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was
entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the
Holy Spirit who lives in us.” - 2 Timothy 1:13-15

“And the things you have heard me say in the
presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable
men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2
To whom shall we go…

1 John 5:19 “We know that we are children of
God, and that the whole world is under the
control of the evil one.”

Romans 3:12 “All have turned away; they have
together become worthless; there is no one who
does good, not even one."




John 8:24 Unbelieving
Luke 13:3 Unrepentent
Mark 16:16 Those who reject the gospel
1 John 5:12 Those without Christ
All Nations



Revelation 5:9
Revelation 7:9
Revelation 15:4
The Task. The Opportunity.


Matthew 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is
plentiful but the workers are few.
Luke 10:2
He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest
field.
God’s Perspective on the Lost…






Mark 8:36 – Too valuable to be lost
Luke 19:10 – Jesus came for them
Mark 2:16-18 – To call the lost
1 Timothy 1:15 - To save the lost
Romans 5:8 – Jesus died for sinners
Romans 4:25 – He was raised for us
God’s Heart





Matthew 18:12 – Jesus will leave to find…
1 Timothy 2:3-6 – He wants…
Luke 13:34 – He longs…
Ezekiel 18:30-32 – He pleads…
Ezekiel 33:11 – He grieves…

Philemon 1:6
I pray that you may be active in sharing your
faith, so that you will have a full understanding
of every good thing we have in Christ.
What is our role?


Entrusted…
Witnesses:

One who can give a firsthand account of something seen,
heard, or experienced:
Witness of God

Isaiah 43:10
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen, so that
you may know and believe me and understand
that I am he. Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
Of Jesus Christ and His work

Acts 10:38-40 “how God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how
he went around doing good and healing all who
were under the power of the devil, because God
was with him. "We are witnesses of everything he
did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God
raised him from the dead on the third day and
caused him to be seen.”
Of Jesus Christ and His work
2 Peter 1:16 - “We did not follow cleverly
invented stories when we told you about the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.”
Of the Resurrection



Acts 2:32 God has raised this Jesus to life,
and we are all witnesses of the fact.
Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but
God raised him from the dead. We are
witnesses of this.
Acts 5:32
We are witnesses of these things, and so is
the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to
those who obey him."

Acts 13:30-31, 38-39 “But God raised him from the
dead, and for many days he was seen by those who
had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
They are now his witnesses to our
people”…"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to
know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who
believes is justified from everything you could not be
justified from by the law of Moses.
Of what you have seen

Acts 4:19-20
But Peter and John replied, "Judge for
yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to
obey you rather than God. For we cannot help
speaking about what we have seen and heard."
Of what God has done for you


John 9:25 - He replied, “Whether he is a sinner
or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was
blind but now I see!”
John 4:29 - "Come, see a man who told me
everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ ?"

Mark 5:15-20 – “When they came to Jesus, they saw
the man who had been possessed by the legion of
demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;
and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the
people what had happened to the demon-possessed
man—and told about the pigs as well…., "Go home
to your family and tell them how much the Lord has
done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So
the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis
how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people
were amazed.
Proclaim the Message

Testify Through Preaching:
To proclaim or put forth. To advocate, especially to urge
acceptance of or compliance with.


Romans 1:9
God, whom I serve with my whole heart in
preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness
how constantly I remember you
Romans 1:15
That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel
also to you who are at Rome


1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to
preach the gospel — not with words of human
wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of
its power.
Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel,
because it is the power of God for the salvation
of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then
for the Gentile. “
What is the gospel?



It’s preface…
The gospel itself…
The right response…
The Preface…

Isaiah 59:2
Romans 3:10, 23
Romans 6:23
Ezekiel 18:4
1 John 1:8

Romans 7: 7-13

Galatians 3:22-25





2 Corinthians 5:11
Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,
we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to
God, and I hope it is also plain to your
conscience.

Psalm 19:7
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the
soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
A matter of truth or falsehood…

John 8:55
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I
said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do
know him and keep his word.

John 16:7-11
“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I
am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him
to you. When he comes, he will convict the world
of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and
judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not
believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I
am going to the Father, where you can see me no
longer; and in regard to judgment, because the
prince of this world now stands condemned.”
Apologetics
1. Establishing Biblical Presuppositions

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God's invisible
qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have
been clearly seen, being understood from what has been
made, so that men are without excuse.

Acts 17:23-25
Acts 14:17

Evangelism Scale







Atheist
Agnostic
Deist
Theist
Monotheist
Seeker
Believer
What is Apologetics?
2. Giving Answers for the hope we have.
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

The word answer comes from the Greek word apologia,
from which we get our word apologetics, meaning a defense
or vindication of what we believe. In other words,
apologetics is not an apology for the faith, but a defense
of the faith, and it presupposes that the faith we have
given our life over to is defendable.
Apologetics


"I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian
religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I
would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor. I can prove its
truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of
man." Alexander Hamilton
“It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being
unable to defend himself with his limbs, but not of being unable
to defend himself with speech and reason, when the use of
rational speech is more distinctive of a human being than the use
of his limbs.” Aristotle
Apologetics
3. Defending the gospel (upholding truth
propositions)
 In Philippians 1:7 Paul speaks of his task as
“defending and confirming the gospel.” He
adds in, “I am put here for the defense of the
gospel.” This implies that the defender of the
gospel is out where her or she can encounter
others and help preserve the truth.
Apologetics
4. Demolishing Arguments (refuting falsehoods)
If Jesus is really Lord, then we should be
obedient to him as it is stated in II Cor. 10:5 “we
demolish arguments and every pretension that
sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and
we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ.”
Apologetics
5. Neutralizing Incredulity

Acts 26: 19-27
"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and
to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and
prove their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why the Jews seized me in the
temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But I have had God's help to this very
day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying
nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23that
the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim
light to his own people and to the Gentiles." At this point Festus interrupted
Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great
learning is driving you insane." 25"I am not insane, most excellent Festus,"
Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar
with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of
this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27King
Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."
Apologetics
6. Persuading the skeptic




2 Corinthians 5:11
Acts 9:22
Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews
living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
Acts 17:3
explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise
from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,
" he said.
Acts 18:28
For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving
from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Apologetics
7. Strengthen the believer



1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle,
encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with
everyone.
Luke 7:23
Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of
me.“
John 20:27
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my
hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop
doubting and believe."
Apologetics
8. Refuting false doctrines
 Titus 1:9 Makes knowledge of Christian
evidences a necessity for church leadership. An
elder in the church should “hold firmly to the
trustworthy message as it has been taught, so
that he can encourage others by sound doctrine
and refute those who oppose it.”
Apologetics

Jude 3, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to
write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to
write and urge you to contend for the faith that was
once for all entrusted to the saints.” The community
of believers that Jude addressed had been battered by
counterfeit teachers, and he wanted to persuade them
to guard the faith as it had been revealed through
Christ. Jude makes a note concerning our attitude in
verse 22, that we “have mercy on some, who are
doubting.”