- You know, there are some
pretty bold skeptics out there
00:00:01.30\00:00:03.70
who just assume that
nobody's going to question
00:00:03.70\00:00:06.60
their assertions about God.
00:00:06.60\00:00:09.24
They like to think they
have impossible questions
00:00:09.24\00:00:12.14
about faith that can't be
answered, so today I'm gonna
00:00:12.14\00:00:16.68
take a stab at
answering some of those.
00:00:16.68\00:00:20.02
[upbeat ambient music]
00:00:20.02\00:00:23.32
The other day I was kind
of mindlessly flipping through
00:00:40.40\00:00:42.67
some online videos,
you know the dumb ones,
00:00:42.67\00:00:45.74
kids flipping water bottles
and making 'em land on a table
00:00:45.74\00:00:48.74
or just getting out in
public and doing something dumb.
00:00:48.74\00:00:51.25
And I was about to give
up, but I suddenly came across
00:00:51.25\00:00:53.45
something that really
kind of held my attention.
00:00:53.45\00:00:56.35
It was a young mother
posting a response to a sermon
00:00:57.72\00:01:00.26
she heard where the preacher
asked the audience what they
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planned to say about unbelief
when they finally met God
00:01:02.76\00:01:06.49
in the judgment.
00:01:06.49\00:01:08.10
I only heard a single
sentence from the sermon itself,
00:01:08.10\00:01:10.67
so I don't really
know if it was one of those
00:01:10.67\00:01:13.20
run of the mill turn
burn kind of messages,
00:01:13.20\00:01:15.84
but she did list a number
of questions that she would ask
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God if He proved to be real.
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And as I was watching
her, it suddenly occurred to me
00:01:22.74\00:01:25.58
that she was asking
questions that most people ask
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at some point in their
lives, which made me wonder
00:01:28.95\00:01:32.22
if I shouldn't dedicate a
series of shows to answering
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those questions, so here
we are with show number one.
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Now to be perfectly
clear, there's nothing easy
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about her questions,
and I can't possibly pretend
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that I'll be able to answer them
00:01:45.10\00:01:46.74
to everybody's
satisfaction, at least not here
00:01:46.74\00:01:49.24
in a half hour show.
00:01:49.24\00:01:51.34
But I still thought it
might be important to try,
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because sometimes people
ask these kinds of questions
00:01:53.94\00:01:57.25
as if they are delivering some
kind of death blow to faith,
00:01:57.25\00:02:01.45
and they aren't.
00:02:01.45\00:02:02.85
Sometimes unfortunately,
they're asking their questions
00:02:04.15\00:02:06.82
based on things
they've heard Christians say.
00:02:06.82\00:02:09.82
And some of those things
are not based on what the
00:02:09.82\00:02:13.06
scriptures say, they're
just part of a longstanding
00:02:13.06\00:02:16.20
regrettable Christian folklore.
00:02:16.20\00:02:18.70
I think part of the problem
is that too many Christians
00:02:18.70\00:02:21.37
haven't actually read
the Bible for themselves,
00:02:21.37\00:02:24.27
and they're accustomed to
just repeating what someone else
00:02:24.27\00:02:27.18
has told them and
that has led to a bit of
00:02:27.18\00:02:30.51
a theological mess
here in the 21st century.
00:02:30.51\00:02:34.18
Sadly, I'm starting to
think that the vast majority
00:02:34.18\00:02:37.12
of modern Western
Christians might be
00:02:37.12\00:02:39.82
well biblically illiterate,
it's a sad state of affairs.
00:02:39.82\00:02:44.89
So today I'm gonna
kick the ball down the field
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by looking at the first
two questions this lady said
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she would ask God
if she got the chance,
00:02:51.03\00:02:54.27
and those questions
were, why did you stay hidden
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and why did you stay silent?
00:02:58.27\00:03:00.84
Now those are fair
questions, but I'm not convinced
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they're entirely
honest questions, at least not
00:03:04.41\00:03:08.62
sometimes. Let me
see if I can explain.
00:03:08.62\00:03:10.19
[upbeat ambient music]
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I don't know if this
has ever happened to you,
00:03:13.39\00:03:14.29
but every once in a
blue moon, my wife asks me
00:03:15.39\00:03:16.62
to do something and
then later she discovers
00:03:16.62\00:03:20.30
I didn't actually do it.
00:03:20.30\00:03:21.96
And sometimes if she asks me,
"Why didn't you put the trash
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to the curb like I asked
you to." I reply by saying,
00:03:26.03\00:03:29.47
"Well, I had no idea
you wanted me to do that."
00:03:29.47\00:03:32.37
to which she will
reply, "But I clearly asked you
00:03:32.37\00:03:36.11
to do it yesterday."
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So in other words, the real
problem with our communication
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at that point is that
Jean had been speaking,
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but I wasn't listening.
00:03:44.82\00:03:47.16
I might've been hiding
behind that cone of silence
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that a lot of older
guys build over time,
00:03:49.82\00:03:52.09
like your grandfather remember,
who pretended not to be
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in the room by hiding behind
a newspaper or it might be
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the case that I was too
preoccupied with what I was
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doing to hear
what Jean was asking.
00:04:03.20\00:04:04.94
So I mindlessly said,
"Okay." without actually
00:04:04.94\00:04:08.21
paying attention or maybe I
did hear it, at least at first,
00:04:08.21\00:04:12.91
but I didn't make it a
priority and so by the next day
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it was just gone.
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There are 1,000,001
reasons that we might not notice
00:04:19.85\00:04:22.69
the voice of God when He
tries to get our attention,
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including the fact that we
sometimes tune out the things
00:04:25.93\00:04:28.83
we don't actually
want to hear, but I think
00:04:28.83\00:04:32.00
one of the biggest problems
we have is the way we write
00:04:32.00\00:04:34.90
this personal mental
script about who God is
00:04:34.90\00:04:38.94
and what He's
supposed to be like.
00:04:38.94\00:04:40.54
And then we dismiss the
possibility of His existence,
00:04:40.54\00:04:44.18
because the God
revealed in the Bible
00:04:44.18\00:04:47.08
doesn't match the caricature
that we created in our minds,
00:04:47.08\00:04:51.22
we invent these ideas
about what God should be like
00:04:51.22\00:04:54.69
and then we're angry when He
doesn't happen to be that way.
00:04:54.69\00:04:58.13
But you know, if the
creator of this universe
00:04:58.13\00:05:01.20
really is a personal God,
a real being with feelings
00:05:01.20\00:05:05.23
and conscious thought, why
in the world should He behave
00:05:05.23\00:05:08.90
the way we think He should?
00:05:08.90\00:05:11.21
I've seen this happen
in people's marriages.
00:05:11.21\00:05:13.44
A couple will get hitched and
both parties have this mental
00:05:13.44\00:05:16.61
idea of what spouses
are supposed to be like,
00:05:16.61\00:05:19.71
and then they're completely
devastated when real life
00:05:19.71\00:05:22.92
which involves real people
proves to be somewhat different.
00:05:22.92\00:05:27.29
Real people it turns
out, are nothing like
00:05:27.29\00:05:29.46
the fictitious characters
we see in books and movies
00:05:29.46\00:05:32.43
where every problem gets
solved in two hours or less
00:05:32.43\00:05:35.16
and everybody
lives happily ever after,
00:05:35.16\00:05:38.00
real life is not like that.
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[upbeat ambient music]
00:05:41.30\00:05:43.07
So what we have with God is
a situation where an omniscient
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being is relating to us a bunch
of incredibly flawed people.
00:05:45.34\00:05:50.08
And in the same way that
real interpersonal relationships
00:05:50.08\00:05:53.05
can be wonderfully
messy, we've got to expect
00:05:53.05\00:05:56.05
that our broken nature
might just make our interaction
00:05:56.05\00:05:59.15
with God less than
predictable, not because of Him,
00:05:59.15\00:06:02.32
but because of us.
00:06:02.32\00:06:03.79
There's a famous
story in the Old Testament
00:06:04.89\00:06:07.56
where a notable
prophet goes through a moment
00:06:07.56\00:06:09.63
of pure exhilaration.
00:06:09.63\00:06:11.73
He challenges a bunch of
idle worshiping priests who a
00:06:11.73\00:06:14.90
showdown on Mount Carmel
and he wins impressively,
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because God Himself
sent fire from the sky.
00:06:19.04\00:06:22.68
But of course, that
leaves a lot of people wondering
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if that story was true.
00:06:25.41\00:06:27.28
And I believe it was,
why doesn't God still do that
00:06:27.28\00:06:30.85
kind of thing right now?
00:06:30.85\00:06:32.39
I mean, wouldn't it just
be easier to peel back the sky
00:06:32.39\00:06:35.52
and show Himself to the
world than to do things the hard
00:06:35.52\00:06:38.79
and the vague way?
00:06:38.79\00:06:40.63
Wouldn't that be better
than just asking us to exercise
00:06:40.63\00:06:43.43
faith?
00:06:43.43\00:06:44.93
But you know what some
people never seem to read
00:06:44.93\00:06:47.47
is the story that
comes right after this
00:06:47.47\00:06:50.61
in 1 Kings 19.
00:06:50.61\00:06:52.67
In that chapter,
the wicked Queen Jezebel
00:06:52.67\00:06:55.78
is absolutely furious over
the prophet Elijah's victory
00:06:55.78\00:07:00.15
and so the story
continues like this.
00:07:00.15\00:07:02.35
It says, "Then Jezebel sent
a messenger to Elijah saying,
00:07:02.35\00:07:06.89
'So may the Gods
do to me and more also
00:07:06.89\00:07:10.26
if I do not make your
life as the life of one of them
00:07:10.26\00:07:13.13
by this time tomorrow.'
00:07:13.13\00:07:15.20
Then he was afraid and he
arose and ran for his life
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and came to Beersheba,
which belongs to Judah
00:07:17.73\00:07:21.04
and left his servant
there. But he himself went
00:07:21.04\00:07:23.61
a day's journey into the
wilderness and came and sat down
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under a broom tree.
00:07:26.68\00:07:28.14
He asked that he might
die, saying, 'It is enough; now,
00:07:29.68\00:07:31.68
O LORD, take away my
life for I am no better
00:07:31.68\00:07:34.98
than my father's.'"
00:07:34.98\00:07:36.58
Now if there was ever a
time we might be tempted
00:07:37.72\00:07:40.69
to think that God
owes somebody an answer,
00:07:40.69\00:07:43.79
well this would be it
because Elijah's depressed
00:07:43.79\00:07:46.96
and he doesn't understand
why his life has to be this hard
00:07:46.96\00:07:50.27
if he's one of God's
prophets, and he wishes that God
00:07:50.27\00:07:53.54
would just let him die,
because his stunning victory
00:07:53.54\00:07:57.11
on Carmel has been
rewarded with a wanted poster,
00:07:57.11\00:08:00.48
a price on his head, so this
is how God's gonna pay him back
00:08:00.48\00:08:04.71
for doing what he was told.
00:08:04.71\00:08:06.28
Then the story continues
by telling us that God sent
00:08:07.62\00:08:09.58
an angel to help him
get a little R&R, why?
00:08:09.58\00:08:13.15
So he could have the energy
to disappear and go into hiding.
00:08:13.15\00:08:17.36
So instead of sending
a thunderbolt to destroy
00:08:18.46\00:08:20.83
the wicked queen, which is
what I would probably vote for,
00:08:20.83\00:08:24.57
God chooses
instead to make His servant
00:08:24.57\00:08:26.84
live in the wilderness.
00:08:26.84\00:08:28.40
And the place God sends him,
oddly enough is Mount Horeb,
00:08:28.40\00:08:31.51
which is Mount Sinai, the
place where God revealed Himself
00:08:31.51\00:08:35.04
as a fiery presence
that actually scorched
00:08:35.04\00:08:37.41
the top of the mountain.
00:08:37.41\00:08:38.91
So in other words, this is
a place you might expect God
00:08:38.91\00:08:42.18
to do something spectacular,
but then pay attention
00:08:42.18\00:08:45.19
to what happens next,
starting in verse nine.
00:08:45.19\00:08:47.32
And I'm gonna read a
fair bit of this because,
00:08:47.32\00:08:49.92
well, this is really important,
"There he came to a cave
00:08:49.92\00:08:53.33
and lodged it. And behold,
the word of the LORD came to him
00:08:53.33\00:08:56.30
and he said to him, 'What
are you doing here, Elijah?'
00:08:56.30\00:08:59.67
He said, 'I have been
very jealous for the LORD,
00:08:59.67\00:09:02.40
the God of hosts.
For the people of Israel
00:09:02.40\00:09:03.87
have forsaken your covenant,
thrown down your altars
00:09:03.87\00:09:06.41
and killed your
prophets with the sword and I,
00:09:06.41\00:09:09.24
even I only am left and they
seek my life to take it away.'
00:09:09.24\00:09:13.42
And he said, 'Go out
and stand on the mountain
00:09:13.42\00:09:15.22
before the LORD.' And
behold, the LORD passed by
00:09:15.22\00:09:18.55
and a great and strong
wind tore the mountains
00:09:18.55\00:09:20.76
and broke in pieces,
the rocks before the LORD,
00:09:20.76\00:09:23.29
but the Lord
was not in the wind.
00:09:24.23\00:09:25.66
And after the
wind an earthquake,
00:09:26.73\00:09:27.96
but the Lord was
not in the earthquake
00:09:27.96\00:09:29.46
and after the earthquake,
a fire, but the LORD was not
00:09:29.46\00:09:32.73
in the fire."
00:09:32.73\00:09:34.50
Okay, it's time
for a quick break,
00:09:34.50\00:09:36.20
but as soon as I come
back, I'll show you why I think
00:09:36.20\00:09:38.61
this incident is one of the
keys that my young skeptic needs
00:09:38.61\00:09:42.21
in order to
answer her own questions
00:09:42.21\00:09:44.88
about the
supposed silence of God.
00:09:44.88\00:09:47.12
[upbeat ambient
music] I'll be right back.
00:09:47.12\00:09:48.68
- [Narrator] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues.
00:09:52.02\00:09:56.29
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:09:56.29\00:10:00.86
If you've ever
read Daniel a revelation
00:10:00.86\00:10:03.03
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:10:03.03\00:10:06.10
Our free focus on prophecy
guides are designed to help you
00:10:06.10\00:10:09.54
unlock the
mysteries of the Bible
00:10:09.54\00:10:11.27
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:10:11.27\00:10:14.24
and our world, study
online or request them by mail
00:10:14.24\00:10:17.75
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:10:17.75\00:10:20.75
- You know, sometimes God
really does reveal Himself
00:10:22.15\00:10:24.35
in a very dramatic way,
but historically speaking,
00:10:24.35\00:10:27.86
that's been the
exception to the rule.
00:10:27.86\00:10:30.53
Over the course of
the last three decades,
00:10:30.53\00:10:33.23
I can count on one
hand the number of times
00:10:33.23\00:10:35.56
that God rattled my
cage to get my attention.
00:10:35.56\00:10:38.37
For the most part,
He hasn't really spoken
00:10:38.37\00:10:41.10
through earthquakes or
storms, it's always been
00:10:41.10\00:10:44.07
well something else.
00:10:44.07\00:10:45.77
And immediately after God
revealed Himself dramatically
00:10:45.77\00:10:48.71
on Mount Carmel, Elijah probably
expected more of the same,
00:10:48.71\00:10:52.98
but it's not what happened.
00:10:52.98\00:10:54.65
The biblical record tells us
that God was not in the wind,
00:10:54.65\00:10:57.62
He was not in the earthquake
and He wasn't in the fire.
00:10:57.62\00:11:01.06
Instead, the Bible
tells us in 1 Kings 19:12,
00:11:01.06\00:11:05.39
"And after the fire
the sound of a low whisper.
00:11:05.39\00:11:08.46
And when Elijah heard it, he
wrapped his face in his cloak
00:11:08.46\00:11:11.13
and went out and stood
at the entrance of the cave.
00:11:11.13\00:11:13.74
And behold, there came
a voice to him and said,
00:11:13.74\00:11:16.34
'What are you
doing here, Elijah?'"
00:11:16.34\00:11:19.17
It wasn't at all
what Elijah expected,
00:11:19.17\00:11:22.01
and you and I also
have false expectations.
00:11:22.01\00:11:25.85
We try to conjure up these
pictures of what we think God
00:11:25.85\00:11:28.58
should be like
and what He should do,
00:11:28.58\00:11:31.69
but then He doesn't
answer to those expectations.
00:11:31.69\00:11:34.42
And I suspect that what's
going on with a lot of skeptics
00:11:34.42\00:11:37.76
as they're busy demanding
that God reveal Himself,
00:11:37.76\00:11:41.16
the reality is that
God has already done it,
00:11:41.16\00:11:44.10
but He didn't do it
the way they demanded,
00:11:44.10\00:11:46.50
I guess you could think about
it as trying to recreate God
00:11:46.50\00:11:50.01
in their own image.
00:11:50.01\00:11:51.71
But let's just think
about this logically.
00:11:52.91\00:11:54.84
God really did reveal
Himself at the top of Carmel,
00:11:54.84\00:11:57.88
and He did it in a
spectacular fashion,
00:11:57.88\00:12:00.22
but that did nothing to stop
the prophet from going through
00:12:00.22\00:12:03.22
severe depression
and wishing he could die,
00:12:03.22\00:12:06.29
a big miracle did
nothing to prevent that.
00:12:06.29\00:12:09.26
So apparently, and
we've talked about this
00:12:09.26\00:12:10.99
on other programs,
apparently miracles are not
00:12:10.99\00:12:13.86
a great foundation
for long-term faith.
00:12:13.86\00:12:16.77
God's trying to tell us
something really important
00:12:16.77\00:12:19.23
in this story.
00:12:19.23\00:12:20.77
Maybe just maybe when you and
I complain that God is silent,
00:12:20.77\00:12:24.47
maybe He's not, and
maybe we're doing exactly
00:12:24.47\00:12:27.54
[upbeat ambient music]
what Elijah you was doing,
00:12:27.54\00:12:28.78
expecting God in
all the wrong ways
00:12:28.78\00:12:30.51
and in all the wrong places.
00:12:30.51\00:12:32.81
At the end of the
day, a personal God,
00:12:32.81\00:12:34.72
a real God is not
just some miracle worker,
00:12:34.72\00:12:37.45
some kind of
cosmic stage magician
00:12:37.45\00:12:39.89
who puts His power on
display to vanquish His enemies.
00:12:39.89\00:12:43.06
He's not one of the
pagan gods from Mount Olympus,
00:12:43.06\00:12:46.13
He's something more than that,
He's a deeply personal God.
00:12:46.13\00:12:50.50
Just like your parents were
personal parents, real people.
00:12:50.50\00:12:54.27
I mean, occasionally they
worked miracles to save you
00:12:54.27\00:12:57.31
when you were in some
kind of trouble, but for the
00:12:57.31\00:12:59.41
most part they
were just your parents,
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.61
people with whom you
had an actual relationship.
00:13:01.61\00:13:04.41
So maybe God
wants the same thing,
00:13:05.51\00:13:07.32
maybe He just doesn't
want to be some kind of
00:13:07.32\00:13:09.42
cosmic vending machine
that dispenses miracles
00:13:09.42\00:13:11.92
and favors
whenever you demand it,
00:13:11.92\00:13:14.52
what He wants is a
meaningful two-way relationship.
00:13:14.52\00:13:17.43
And so He doesn't
always speak through fires
00:13:17.43\00:13:19.79
and earthquakes,
but through whispers,
00:13:19.79\00:13:22.10
through an actual
conversation of the heart.
00:13:22.10\00:13:25.23
And maybe that's at
least part of the problem
00:13:25.23\00:13:27.50
when skeptics suggest
that God is somehow silent,
00:13:27.50\00:13:31.21
they're simply refusing
to notice the ways He does
00:13:31.21\00:13:33.88
communicate ways
that are clearly explained
00:13:33.88\00:13:36.81
in the scriptures.
00:13:36.81\00:13:38.35
Instead, they're
demanding something else
00:13:38.35\00:13:40.95
and really there's
one inescapable fact,
00:13:40.95\00:13:43.42
God has not been silent.
00:13:43.42\00:13:45.69
I mean, here's a book
that purports to be 1500 years
00:13:45.69\00:13:49.99
worth of eyewitness
testimony from people who say
00:13:49.99\00:13:52.73
that God has
spoken to this world.
00:13:52.73\00:13:55.66
We have hundreds upon hundreds
of pages of biblical history
00:13:55.66\00:13:59.20
where people insist
that God actually intervened
00:13:59.20\00:14:02.70
in our human affairs.
00:14:02.70\00:14:04.21
I'm suddenly
reminded of the opening words
00:14:04.21\00:14:06.17
to the book of
Hebrews, which go like this,
00:14:06.17\00:14:09.88
"Long ago at many times,
and in many ways God spoke to
00:14:09.88\00:14:13.42
our fathers by the prophets.
00:14:13.42\00:14:15.52
But in these last days He
has spoken to us by His Son,
00:14:15.52\00:14:18.62
whom he appointed
the heir of all things,
00:14:18.62\00:14:21.19
through whom also
He created the world."
00:14:21.19\00:14:23.39
If if there's one thing
the Bible has made clear,
00:14:24.76\00:14:26.63
it's that God has been
expending considerable energy
00:14:26.63\00:14:29.26
to make himself known to us.
00:14:29.26\00:14:31.13
Now, you might not believe that
the people in this book were
00:14:31.13\00:14:33.80
telling the truth, but to
say that God is somehow kept
00:14:33.80\00:14:37.34
to Himself is not at
all what the Bible teaches.
00:14:37.34\00:14:40.81
Not only has He
kept in regular contact,
00:14:40.81\00:14:43.51
but then He
actually became one of us
00:14:43.51\00:14:45.35
in order to make himself
even more understandable.
00:14:45.35\00:14:48.52
Jesus of Nazareth, the Bible
teaches was God in human flesh.
00:14:48.52\00:14:53.59
So to suggest that God
has been silent or that He has
00:14:54.99\00:14:56.93
kept Himself
hidden it's ludicrous.
00:14:56.93\00:14:59.66
And when some people
say that He is silent,
00:14:59.66\00:15:01.86
it might be the case that
they've actually seen what God
00:15:01.86\00:15:04.63
has revealed of
Himself and they don't like it,
00:15:04.63\00:15:07.74
because having a real
God means that He would have
00:15:07.74\00:15:10.61
a claim on your life.
00:15:10.61\00:15:12.24
And here's what I
find really interesting
00:15:12.24\00:15:14.28
about this young
skeptic's complaints about God
00:15:14.28\00:15:17.58
immediately after telling
us that God has been silent,
00:15:17.58\00:15:20.05
she goes on to list a
bunch of stuff from the Bible
00:15:20.05\00:15:23.18
that she doesn't like.
00:15:23.18\00:15:24.72
So apparently she believes
that some of what you find
00:15:24.72\00:15:27.19
in the Bible means
God is a moral monster.
00:15:27.19\00:15:30.53
But let's be honest,
you can't have it both ways.
00:15:30.53\00:15:32.86
You can't say that God
is invisible and silent
00:15:32.86\00:15:35.90
and then complain about
the stuff He does and says,
00:15:35.90\00:15:38.87
I mean, yes you, you might
think this book is fiction,
00:15:38.87\00:15:41.40
but then you'd have to
admit that this supposed fiction
00:15:41.40\00:15:43.91
doesn't exactly
describe a silent God.
00:15:43.91\00:15:47.74
A little later on
in the book of Hebrews,
00:15:47.74\00:15:49.31
we find this famous description
of what the word of God
00:15:49.31\00:15:52.71
can do to our pride
and I think this might be
00:15:52.71\00:15:55.42
a little of what's going on.
00:15:55.42\00:15:57.05
Here's what it says,
"For the word of God is living
00:15:57.05\00:16:00.62
and active, sharper
than any two edged sword,
00:16:00.62\00:16:03.49
piercing to the division
of soul and spirit of joints
00:16:03.49\00:16:06.56
and marrow and discerning
the thoughts and intentions
00:16:06.56\00:16:09.80
of the heart."
00:16:09.80\00:16:10.93
The the truth is the Bible
is not a hallmark greeting card,
00:16:12.33\00:16:15.87
it's not a comfortable book.
00:16:15.87\00:16:17.91
It drags the truth about
our broken human condition
00:16:17.91\00:16:20.44
out into the sunlight, it
cuts through the careful facade
00:16:20.44\00:16:23.75
that most of us
build and reveals us
00:16:23.75\00:16:25.68
for what we actually are.
00:16:25.68\00:16:27.22
And so when some
people read this book,
00:16:27.22\00:16:29.45
it really hurts their
pride and it makes them
00:16:29.45\00:16:32.02
want to push it away,
it makes them wanna pretend
00:16:32.02\00:16:34.99
that God has not spoken when
it's quite obvious that He has.
00:16:34.99\00:16:39.83
To say that God is
silent, is simply untrue.
00:16:39.83\00:16:42.80
What's really going on is that
you wanna reject what God has
00:16:42.80\00:16:46.10
already said, but then
accuse Him of being silent
00:16:46.10\00:16:49.10
because he doesn't change
about the stuff he has said.
00:16:49.10\00:16:52.74
[upbeat ambient music]
00:16:52.74\00:16:54.01
And then of course,
we sometimes get mad
00:16:54.01\00:16:55.54
and accuse God of being
some kind of tyrant who hates us
00:16:55.54\00:16:57.31
like a 13 year old telling
his parents he hates them,
00:16:57.31\00:17:00.72
when he doesn't get his way.
00:17:00.72\00:17:02.75
But if God really
hates us, why would He bother
00:17:02.75\00:17:05.62
with all these hundreds
of pages, pages that beg us
00:17:05.62\00:17:08.66
to come back to Him?
00:17:08.66\00:17:10.39
I think the truth of the
matter is we don't like the fact
00:17:10.39\00:17:12.93
that we have to
admit that we're broken
00:17:12.93\00:17:14.93
in order to reconnect
with God in a meaningful way,
00:17:14.93\00:17:17.97
and our pride is
standing in the way.
00:17:17.97\00:17:20.97
It's a little like a cancer
patient who refuses to accept
00:17:20.97\00:17:24.11
his diagnosis and there's
nothing the doctor can do,
00:17:24.11\00:17:27.21
until he admits that
he needs the kind of help
00:17:27.21\00:17:29.38
that the doctor can
give, it's not pleasant.
00:17:29.38\00:17:32.05
Some of the
treatments can be brutal,
00:17:32.05\00:17:34.92
but if he's going to
live, one of the first things
00:17:34.92\00:17:37.32
he needs to do is
admit there's a problem.
00:17:37.32\00:17:40.12
Yet instead, a lot of us just
want to tell God He's wrong.
00:17:40.12\00:17:43.22
There is no illness, there
is no moral tumor devouring
00:17:43.22\00:17:46.49
the human race,
stripping away the vibrant life
00:17:46.49\00:17:49.10
God originally
wanted us to have.
00:17:49.10\00:17:51.70
And then when God
proves to be right,
00:17:51.70\00:17:53.60
we shake our fist at
heaven and demand to know,
00:17:53.60\00:17:56.37
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
00:17:56.37\00:17:58.61
[upbeat ambient music]
I'll be right back after this.
00:17:58.61\00:18:01.34
[upbeat ambient music]
00:18:05.01\00:18:07.02
- [Narrator] Are you
searching for answers to life's
00:18:07.02\00:18:09.18
toughest questions like,
where is God when we suffer?
00:18:09.18\00:18:11.35
Can I find real happiness?
00:18:11.35\00:18:13.15
Or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:18:13.15\00:18:16.36
The Discover Bible Guides
will help you find the answers
00:18:16.36\00:18:19.53
you are looking for.
00:18:19.53\00:18:20.93
Visit us at BibleStudies.com
or give us a call at
00:18:20.93\00:18:24.50
[888] 456-7933
00:18:24.50\00:18:28.10
for your free
Discover Bible Guides,
00:18:28.10\00:18:30.51
study online on our secure
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00:18:30.51\00:18:34.71
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00:18:34.71\00:18:37.51
or obligation, the
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00:18:37.51\00:18:40.05
are our free gift to you.
00:18:40.05\00:18:41.95
Find answers and guides
like, does my life really matter
00:18:41.95\00:18:45.12
to God?
00:18:45.12\00:18:46.59
And a second chance at
life, you'll find answers
00:18:46.59\00:18:48.52
to the things that
matter most to you in each
00:18:48.52\00:18:50.53
of the 26 Discover Bible
guides, visit BibleStudies.com
00:18:50.53\00:18:54.96
and begin your journey
today to discover answers
00:18:54.96\00:18:58.20
to life's deepest questions.
00:18:58.20\00:19:00.80
- Right before the break, we
were talking about this TikTok
00:19:04.34\00:19:06.81
video I saw where a
woman claimed that God
00:19:06.81\00:19:09.04
has hidden Himself
and that He's silent
00:19:09.04\00:19:11.28
and we discovered the
Bible says that's not true.
00:19:12.58\00:19:14.88
I think the problem that a
lot of us have is we want God
00:19:14.88\00:19:18.49
to communicate with us on
our terms the way we want,
00:19:18.49\00:19:21.99
we want Him to say
what we want 'em to say.
00:19:21.99\00:19:24.93
But if there really is an
omniscient God, a supreme being,
00:19:24.93\00:19:28.10
then why would we expect
Him to do things our way?
00:19:28.10\00:19:31.00
I mean, what if
there are circumstances
00:19:31.00\00:19:33.20
and situations where you
and I are simply too myopic
00:19:33.20\00:19:36.40
to see that God
knows better than we do?
00:19:36.40\00:19:39.44
[upbeat ambient music]
00:19:39.44\00:19:40.84
Let's consider the
case of a crying baby.
00:19:40.84\00:19:42.51
Those of you who are
parents will know that sometimes
00:19:42.51\00:19:44.68
when you put your
baby to bed, they will cry
00:19:44.68\00:19:46.75
because they're hungry or
because their diaper is dirty.
00:19:46.75\00:19:50.42
But then it doesn't usually
take too long for most children
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.19
to realize that
every time they cry,
00:19:53.19\00:19:55.02
somebody comes to
get them, they get help,
00:19:55.02\00:19:57.49
they get some soothing baby talk
00:19:57.49\00:19:59.39
and an awful lot of attention.
00:19:59.39\00:20:01.76
So then comes the
day when they're crying
00:20:01.76\00:20:03.73
just for attention,
not because they have any
00:20:03.73\00:20:06.00
real physical need
and nobody comes, why?
00:20:06.00\00:20:09.44
Because mom and dad have
figured out that if they keep
00:20:09.44\00:20:11.94
jumping to the
demands of the baby, he or she
00:20:11.94\00:20:14.64
is never going to
learn to be self-sufficient
00:20:14.64\00:20:17.01
and sleep through the
night, so they quit answering
00:20:17.01\00:20:19.98
the demand for
the baby's own good.
00:20:19.98\00:20:23.45
So what's really happening is
that mom and dad are preparing
00:20:23.45\00:20:26.19
their baby for the
real world, for the reality
00:20:26.19\00:20:28.89
that generally speaking,
the world does not jump
00:20:28.89\00:20:31.59
to answer your demands.
00:20:31.59\00:20:33.66
You've got to wonder if
God doesn't do the same thing
00:20:33.66\00:20:35.76
with us, sometimes we
demand that God needs to answer
00:20:35.76\00:20:39.70
our call and communicate
with us the way we think is best
00:20:39.70\00:20:42.44
right now on our terms.
00:20:42.44\00:20:44.67
But what if that same
God is just standing outside
00:20:46.14\00:20:48.04
the nursery door listening,
helping us learn what's best
00:20:48.04\00:20:51.28
for us in the long run?
00:20:51.28\00:20:53.05
I mean, what if he's
more interested in growing us
00:20:53.05\00:20:56.15
than coddling us?
00:20:56.15\00:20:57.65
Just think about some of the
kids you've met who were always
00:20:57.65\00:21:00.42
the center of
attention in their homes,
00:21:00.42\00:21:02.52
the kids whose parents
jumped whenever they made
00:21:02.52\00:21:04.76
a demand and who seldom,
if ever heard the word no.
00:21:04.76\00:21:09.80
They might've been
cute when they were two,
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.37
but at eight or nine or
15, they become spoiled brats,
00:21:12.37\00:21:16.47
people who will struggle
for the rest of their lives
00:21:16.47\00:21:18.71
to find
meaningful relationships.
00:21:18.71\00:21:21.58
The God of the Bible
is the ultimate parent.
00:21:21.58\00:21:25.45
I mean, He calls Himself
Father, and He's far more
00:21:25.45\00:21:27.85
interested in watching
you grow into something good
00:21:27.85\00:21:30.69
than He is at giving you
whatever it is you think you
00:21:30.69\00:21:33.69
need. That's why it's often
said that love is not a feeling,
00:21:33.69\00:21:37.29
it's actually a decision.
00:21:37.29\00:21:38.99
Listen to what it says over
in the epistle of James because,
00:21:38.99\00:21:42.23
well, I think this
makes a lot of good sense.
00:21:42.23\00:21:45.00
"Do not be
deceived, my beloved brothers.
00:21:46.23\00:21:49.07
Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above,
00:21:49.07\00:21:52.14
coming down from the Father
of lights, with whom there is
00:21:52.14\00:21:55.21
no variation or shadow
due to change of His own will
00:21:55.21\00:21:59.75
He brought us forth
by the word of truth,
00:21:59.75\00:22:02.05
that we should be a kind of
first fruits of His creatures."
00:22:02.05\00:22:05.92
What it's telling us is
that when it comes to you,
00:22:05.92\00:22:08.59
God has a definite
idea of what you should be,
00:22:08.59\00:22:11.96
and that might not be the
destination you have in mind.
00:22:11.96\00:22:15.56
All along the path
of life, God is gonna be
00:22:15.56\00:22:17.60
perfectly consistent
about the things that He does
00:22:17.60\00:22:19.83
with you and for you.
00:22:19.83\00:22:22.10
You know when I was seven,
I wanted to be an astronaut
00:22:22.10\00:22:24.57
and I'm pretty sure all
the kids in my class wanted
00:22:24.57\00:22:26.64
to be astronauts because,
well, we were living out
00:22:26.64\00:22:29.41
our elementary school
years in the wake of the
00:22:29.41\00:22:31.81
Apollo moon landings.
00:22:31.81\00:22:33.62
And when I was seven, there
was no way I could picture this
00:22:33.62\00:22:36.48
a career in radio and television
or a career in ministry.
00:22:36.48\00:22:39.79
Nobody's more
surprised than me, why?
00:22:39.79\00:22:43.02
Because at seven I had a
limited knowledge of the world
00:22:43.02\00:22:46.66
and a limited knowledge of
what it took to be an astronaut.
00:22:46.66\00:22:50.83
I had no idea there could
be something more meaningful,
00:22:50.83\00:22:53.74
more satisfying that
I could do with my life.
00:22:53.74\00:22:57.31
Now, I wanna be
careful that I'm not suggesting
00:22:57.31\00:22:59.87
that whatever mess you
find yourself in at the present
00:22:59.87\00:23:02.48
was God's idea.
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.21
He may have chosen your
current path, but then again,
00:23:04.21\00:23:07.02
that might all be you because
well, God doesn't force people
00:23:07.02\00:23:10.39
to listen.
00:23:10.39\00:23:11.85
What I'm saying is that God
knows the end from the beginning
00:23:11.85\00:23:15.62
and He knows his
plans for your character
00:23:15.62\00:23:17.69
if you're willing
to follow his lead.
00:23:17.69\00:23:20.03
The reason He might not
give you what you're demanding
00:23:20.03\00:23:22.26
at the moment is
that he loves you too much
00:23:22.26\00:23:25.23
to give you what
you're asking for.
00:23:25.23\00:23:27.17
I mean, of course, a
five-year-old boy can't
00:23:28.67\00:23:31.24
understand why he shouldn't
own a shotgun and keep it
00:23:31.24\00:23:33.27
in his bedroom closet.
00:23:33.27\00:23:34.94
In fact, it makes
perfect sense to him,
00:23:34.94\00:23:37.08
it seems like a lot of
fun and how dare you suggest
00:23:37.08\00:23:40.08
that he's not yet a man?
00:23:40.08\00:23:41.85
He just doesn't
know what he doesn't know
00:23:41.85\00:23:44.39
and the same thing
holds true for you and me.
00:23:44.39\00:23:47.06
[upbeat ambient music]
00:23:47.06\00:23:48.26
We don't know
what we don't know,
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.23
I'll be right back after this.
00:23:50.23\00:23:52.43
[upbeat ambient music]
00:23:56.40\00:23:59.70
- [Narrator] There
is a place so still,
00:23:59.70\00:24:02.94
you can almost
hear your imagination.
00:24:05.77\00:24:08.38
So free.
00:24:16.35\00:24:17.75
Your spirits can soar.
00:24:20.09\00:24:22.19
So vast, it
needs to be explored.
00:24:25.86\00:24:30.90
So high, you can
touch the clouds.
00:24:39.94\00:24:45.01
A place called
Discovery Mountain.
00:24:47.92\00:24:52.99
- After the
accusation that God is silent,
00:25:05.23\00:25:07.57
the skeptic I found
online wanted to know why God
00:25:07.57\00:25:10.54
wants us to
exercise faith instead of
00:25:10.54\00:25:13.27
providing hard
evidence for his existence.
00:25:13.27\00:25:16.08
And I should probably
tackle that on another show,
00:25:16.08\00:25:18.28
because I think
there's plenty of evidence
00:25:18.28\00:25:21.02
for God's existence out
there, not the least of which
00:25:21.02\00:25:24.25
is the eyewitness
testimony of multiple people
00:25:24.25\00:25:26.76
spanning 1500 years, but to
suggest there's no evidence.
00:25:26.76\00:25:31.83
That's a bit of a stretch,
because that's just not true.
00:25:33.16\00:25:35.70
What a lot of
people say they want
00:25:35.70\00:25:37.83
is the kind of irrefutable
proof that comes from the lab,
00:25:37.83\00:25:41.27
they want a God
who can be measured.
00:25:41.27\00:25:43.61
But then you've
got to ask yourself,
00:25:43.61\00:25:44.94
why don't we
demand that kind of proof
00:25:44.94\00:25:47.04
for all our other relationships?
00:25:47.04\00:25:49.51
[upbeat ambient music]
00:25:49.51\00:25:50.98
I mean, how much would you enjoy
life if the people you love
00:25:50.98\00:25:53.92
demanded hard
proof that you love them?
00:25:53.92\00:25:56.92
What if they
demanded a specific quantity,
00:25:56.92\00:25:58.89
a certain number of love
ounces or a certain number
00:25:58.89\00:26:01.86
of cubic feet of dedication?
00:26:01.86\00:26:04.13
Most of us would
find that ridiculous,
00:26:04.13\00:26:05.89
because that's not
how you measure love.
00:26:05.89\00:26:09.10
So what if an infinite
God who is self existent
00:26:09.10\00:26:11.73
and does not depend on
the space time He created
00:26:11.73\00:26:14.60
in order to
sustain His own existence?
00:26:14.60\00:26:17.51
What if there's no such
thing as scientific proof?
00:26:17.51\00:26:21.11
I mean, what if science
is just the wrong category?
00:26:21.11\00:26:24.11
I know that some of you
will find that answer evasive
00:26:25.45\00:26:27.52
as if I'm dodging the
question with a divine mystery,
00:26:27.52\00:26:31.09
but what if it's true and to
suggest that God has provided
00:26:31.09\00:26:34.29
nothing in the way of evidence?
00:26:34.29\00:26:36.06
Well, that's not
exactly true either,
00:26:36.06\00:26:38.49
"For what can be known
about God as plain to them."
00:26:38.49\00:26:42.30
Paul wrote, "Because
God has shown it to them
00:26:42.30\00:26:44.33
for His invisible attributes,
namely his eternal power
00:26:44.33\00:26:47.54
and divine nature have
been clearly perceived,
00:26:48.64\00:26:51.17
ever since the
creation of the world,
00:26:51.17\00:26:52.84
in the things
that have been made."
00:26:52.84\00:26:54.74
It might just be that some
people know there's evidence,
00:26:56.08\00:26:58.51
but if they admit it,
it has implications for how
00:26:58.51\00:27:01.08
they're going to live.
00:27:01.08\00:27:02.62
To say there's no evidence
that's not entirely honest
00:27:02.62\00:27:05.69
and even the more honest
skeptics are going to say,
00:27:05.69\00:27:08.52
"It certainly looks
like the appearance of life
00:27:08.52\00:27:11.49
in this universe was
planned." so why does God
00:27:11.49\00:27:16.10
ask for faith?
00:27:16.10\00:27:17.63
It's really not
that hard to figure out.
00:27:17.63\00:27:19.80
I've been married
for three decades,
00:27:19.80\00:27:21.97
and I've got to tell
you, it means a lot more to me
00:27:21.97\00:27:23.61
that my wife trusts
me and believes in me
00:27:23.61\00:27:26.24
than it does to know
that she thinks I exist
00:27:26.24\00:27:28.34
based on the fact that
my cowboy boots are standing
00:27:28.34\00:27:30.98
by the front door, why?
00:27:31.78\00:27:33.42
Because that is a
relationship and a relationship
00:27:33.42\00:27:38.39
is what a personal
God is looking for.
00:27:38.39\00:27:41.86
Thanks for joining
me again this week.
00:27:41.86\00:27:43.59
I'm Shawn Boonstra, and
you've been watching Authentic.
00:27:43.59\00:27:47.86
[upbeat ambient music]
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