Creekside Church, Sunday, April 21, 2024
Why Would You Believe In What You Can't See?
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Creekside Church Kitchener
1356 Weber St E, Kitchener, ON N2A 1C4, Canada
Sunday 9:15 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
Creekside Church Chatham-Kent
20 Merritt Ave, Chatham, ON N7M 6G9, Canada
Sunday 10:00 AM
Creekside Church Online
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Today we're talking about the problem of God's hiddenness.
More specifically, I want to explore what some have called, "non-resistant, non-belief".
Check out this clip for an introduction to the topic. We watched part of this in the service.
https://youtu.be/Wu2hvtR5-5M?si=ogRNItLbDxQnnd66
J.L. Schellenberg suggests that if God exists and desires a relationship with humans, He should make His existence more evident. The apparent hiddenness of God, especially to non-resistant non-believers, seems inconsistent with a loving God.
If God exists and desires a relationship with humans, why is he so hard to find?
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GOD'S HIDDENNESS IS A PROBLEM FOR BELIEVERS
Examples: John the Baptist (Matthew 11), Mother Teresa, Job
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WHY DOES GOD OPERATE IN HIDDENNESS?
Kierkegaard Parable
https://formeraspiringphilosopher.com/2015/12/14/the-king-the-maiden-kierkegaards-christmas-parable/
Why does he come to us in this way?
Because he cares about the nature of our response.
Freedom.
Love requires freedom.
Faith requires freedom.
Why faith?
How can he bridge the gap between the infinite and the finite?
The holy and the sinful?
Faith is the bridge.
Faith bridges the gap between the finite and the infinite. Between humans and God.
The "non-resistant, non-believer" is looking for a relationship with God that doesn't require faith. If you’re looking for an experience that negates faith, you’ll never be satisfied.
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WHAT SHOULD THE NON-RESISTANT, NON-BELIEVER DO?
#1. Surrender your epistemology. The way you think you'll come to know God. Not by empirical evidence, but by faith. It may be experiential, but it won't negate faith.
Abraham and Isaac - Genesis 22
Go on a journey up your own mountain.
Worship, pray, serve, learn, obey.
#2. Ask a new question: "Is God good?"
#3. Follow the way of Jesus and find that he is good and beautiful.
Christianity is a way of life.
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” ― G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World
C.S. Lewis - That Hideous Strength
"Mark made no reply. He was thinking, and thinking hard because he knew that if he stopped even for a moment mere terror of death would take the decision out of his hands. Christianity was a fable. It would be ridiculous to die for a religion one did not believe. This Man himself, on that very cross, had discovered it to be a fable, and had died complaining that the God in whom he trusted had forsaken him--had, in fact, found the universe a cheat. But this raised a question that Mark had never thought of before. Was that the moment at which to turn against the Man? If the universe was a cheat, was that a good reason for joining its side? Supposing the Straight was utterly powerless, always and everywhere certain to be mocked, tortured, and finally killed by the Crooked, what then? Why not go down with the ship?
#4. Seek Jesus.
You want to experience God? Don't seek an unknown God. Seek Jesus.
Learn the story of Jesus, the character of Jesus.
Learn what he sounds like.
More specifically, I want to explore what some have called, "non-resistant, non-belief".
Check out this clip for an introduction to the topic. We watched part of this in the service.
https://youtu.be/Wu2hvtR5-5M?si=ogRNItLbDxQnnd66
J.L. Schellenberg suggests that if God exists and desires a relationship with humans, He should make His existence more evident. The apparent hiddenness of God, especially to non-resistant non-believers, seems inconsistent with a loving God.
If God exists and desires a relationship with humans, why is he so hard to find?
---
GOD'S HIDDENNESS IS A PROBLEM FOR BELIEVERS
Examples: John the Baptist (Matthew 11), Mother Teresa, Job
---
WHY DOES GOD OPERATE IN HIDDENNESS?
Kierkegaard Parable
https://formeraspiringphilosopher.com/2015/12/14/the-king-the-maiden-kierkegaards-christmas-parable/
Why does he come to us in this way?
Because he cares about the nature of our response.
Freedom.
Love requires freedom.
Faith requires freedom.
Why faith?
How can he bridge the gap between the infinite and the finite?
The holy and the sinful?
Faith is the bridge.
Faith bridges the gap between the finite and the infinite. Between humans and God.
The "non-resistant, non-believer" is looking for a relationship with God that doesn't require faith. If you’re looking for an experience that negates faith, you’ll never be satisfied.
---
WHAT SHOULD THE NON-RESISTANT, NON-BELIEVER DO?
#1. Surrender your epistemology. The way you think you'll come to know God. Not by empirical evidence, but by faith. It may be experiential, but it won't negate faith.
Abraham and Isaac - Genesis 22
Go on a journey up your own mountain.
Worship, pray, serve, learn, obey.
#2. Ask a new question: "Is God good?"
#3. Follow the way of Jesus and find that he is good and beautiful.
Christianity is a way of life.
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” ― G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World
C.S. Lewis - That Hideous Strength
"Mark made no reply. He was thinking, and thinking hard because he knew that if he stopped even for a moment mere terror of death would take the decision out of his hands. Christianity was a fable. It would be ridiculous to die for a religion one did not believe. This Man himself, on that very cross, had discovered it to be a fable, and had died complaining that the God in whom he trusted had forsaken him--had, in fact, found the universe a cheat. But this raised a question that Mark had never thought of before. Was that the moment at which to turn against the Man? If the universe was a cheat, was that a good reason for joining its side? Supposing the Straight was utterly powerless, always and everywhere certain to be mocked, tortured, and finally killed by the Crooked, what then? Why not go down with the ship?
#4. Seek Jesus.
You want to experience God? Don't seek an unknown God. Seek Jesus.
Learn the story of Jesus, the character of Jesus.
Learn what he sounds like.