Inconvenient Biblical Teaching - Christians are Out of Whack
-Jesus of Nazareth, 1st century
John 17:16
[12th message of the Why I Don't Believe Series]
The messages in this series discuss how some people who reject Christianity do so because they either cannot accept an inconvenient biblical teaching, or they have an irreconcilable stance against the teachings of Jesus the Christ, or they have found something they think is wrong with Christianity.
Most People Do Not Know Christ Because They Have Not Yet Met A Christian
Estimates vary but a huge number of people all over the world still have not heard about Christ or the gospel -- mostly because they have been largely unreached.
Some Do Not Believe Because They Have Met Christians
Sadly the opposite is also true, about a third of those who don't believe in Christ is because they have met someone who does.
Jesus Prayed For Believers
Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed for His followers and then He prayed for those who will believe in Him later on through them.
Aliens
Jesus said He doesn't belong in this world, and in the same way His followers aren't of this world either.
People did not believe Christ, nor did not believe His followers because of this.
Although when Jesus prayed for those who will believe in Him through what His followers will tell them about Him, He prayed that through their love for one another and through their unity, people then will believe in Christ.
Sad Truth
The reason there are many who do not believe is because so many Christians are out of whack. This is not a knack on Christ or His followers but is it a reflection of so-called Christians who are not worthy to call themselves Christians. They are believers by convenience, or only when it is convenient, only by name or by birth, and worse they have gone the way of the Pharisees and the religious people during the time of Christ. These religious hypocrites were harshly criticized by Christ and they do not belong in Christ or in God's Kingdom.
There are still so-called Christians like them today.
And there will be many out of whack Christians but this not an indication or an excuse that we shouldn't follow Christ. People should follow God and look to God, and not at people.
Everyone is still a work in progress, even the Apostle Peter and every one of the first followers of Christ needed a long time to mature. And when they did they brought the gospel of Christ from their community and out into the world, through each succeeding generation.
Soon, it will reach everyone, everywhere. At that time, no one can claim they have not heard of Christ. But how hard it will be for those who believed but are the cause of why others did not.
"Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12
"How horrible it will be for the world because it causes people to lose their faith. Situations that cause people to lose their faith will arise. How horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith!" Matthew 18:7
Not believing Christ because we were looking at Christians is like going to a foreign restaurant and deciding the food is bad and not wanting to try a dish off their menu because it looks or sounds bad. In order to find out how the dish will taste like, we would need to try it out for ourself, and then decide.
John 17:13-21 (Jesus Prays For His Disciples & For All Future Believers)
"I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.
Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.
I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me."
Not believing Christ because we were looking at Christians is like going to a foreign restaurant and deciding the food is bad and not wanting to try a dish off their menu because it looks or sounds bad. In order to find out how the dish will taste like, we would need to try it out for ourself, and then decide.
John 17:13-21 (Jesus Prays For His Disciples & For All Future Believers)
"I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.
Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.
I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me."
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