Comforting Others Session 1
Overview
Ministering to Those Who Wonder Whether God Exists
When someone admits they aren't sure God is real, Scripture gives us two natural starting points before we ever open a Bible together: creation and conscience. The heavens themselves preach a sermon about a Creator. As Psalm 19:1 declares, "The heavens are telling the glory of God." The order, complexity, and harmony of the world point unmistakably beyond itself. Paul makes the same case in Romans 1:18-20: God's eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen in what He has made, leaving humanity "without excuse." To imagine such intricacy assembled itself by accident is, as Psalm 14:1 bluntly puts it, the conclusion of a fool.
Conscience is the second witness. In Romans 2:14-15, Paul observes that Gentiles who never received the written law nevertheless show that "what the law requires is written on their hearts." Across centuries and cultures, there is striking agreement that murder, theft, and betrayal are wrong—evidence of a moral law and therefore a Moral Lawgiver. This is why catechesis matters so deeply. A conscience can be seared and re-formed by what it is fed, and our culture increasingly shapes morality by polling rather than by Scripture. Steady teaching of God's Word guards children and adults alike from drifting into a "statistical morality" that bears no resemblance to the will of God.
Yet creation and conscience can only take a person so far. They reveal that God is, not who God is. Ephesians 4:17-18 reminds us that apart from grace, human minds are darkened and alienated from the life of God. The fallen heart cannot reason its way to saving knowledge; it must be transformed. That is why we must move from the witness of creation to the witness of the Word, introducing the seeker to the Author behind both the cosmos and the conscience. Consider Thomas in John 20:24-29—a man who would only believe on his own terms. Christ graciously met him, but then pronounced a blessing on those who have not seen and yet believe. For us who were not in that upper room, faith comes by being rooted in the Word. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, we walk by faith and not by sight.
Practically, this changes how we minister. We are not called to argue people into the kingdom; we are called to share the Word and let God do His work. Romans 10:17 is plain: "Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." Kindness is the bridge over which the Word travels—essential, but never a substitute for the message itself. No one is converted because we are pleasant; people are converted because the Spirit uses the Word. So when a friend says, "I don't believe in God," try gently asking, "Tell me about the God you don't believe in." Listen, then point to creation, point to conscience, and finally point to Christ. Don't worry about defending Scripture as though it were fragile; simply unleash it. We scatter the seed; God grants the harvest.
Transcript
Well, welcome to this new class that's going to carry us through the end of this cycle of teaching. 0s
We move into summer on Memorial Day weekend and so this is going to keep us through up until that point. 9s
Now, I want to explore with you in these weeks how God uses us to bring comfort to other people. 18s
What can we say and what can we do to bring this comfort? 27s
And so I just want to pick a couple little topics in these weeks together to explore with you. 33s
We're going to explore in the weeks ahead about the goodness of God. 40s
We're going to explore about comfort for troubled sinners. 43s
We're going to explore of what is it that you can say and how is it that you can minister to someone who is despondent? 47s
We're going to talk about how is it that we can minister to those that are grieving? 53s
But today I want to focus with you about how can we minister to someone who wonders if there is God? 59s
Someone who says, you know, I'm not so sure about this whole existence of God, how can we minister to them? 68s
Creation teaches us that there is a God. 78s
Let's go to Psalm 19. 82s
Please, Psalm 19, verse 1, Psalm 19, verse 1. 84s
Creation teaches that there is a God. 98s
Verse 1 says, the heavens are telling the glory of God and the firmament proclaims His handy work. 107s
Day to day pours forth speech and night to night declares knowledge. 116s
There is no speech nor are there words, their voice is not heard yet. 122s
Their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. 128s
We hear of His glory, we see His handy work. 135s
When one looks at the order and the design and the complexity, the transcendence and harmony of God, 139s
it all points to a creator. 147s
The music this morning, by the way, is a glorious piece of music that speaks about the graciousness and the glory and the beauty of heaven itself. 152s
It is a very complex piece of music and complexity in music helps to communicate the grandeur and the beauty of God. 163s
That's why so often when you look at great works of music in the church, many times there is a complexity to them for the express purpose of communicating the complexity of God. 175s
Of God in the beauty and the greatness of His attributes. 193s
It's a glorious, glorious piece of music that helps to do them. 201s
Let's go to Romans, the first chapter. 206s
We see that creation teaches that there is a God, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 209s
Romans chapter 1, verse 18. 216s
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 230s
For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. 242s
Ever since the creation of the world has eternal power and divine nature invisible, though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made, so they are without excuse. 249s
Notice what is revealed here with regard to God, verse 20. 263s
His eternal power and His divine nature. 268s
Let's go back to the Psalms to Psalm 14, verse 1. 274s
The way to find Psalms is just go to the middle of Scripture and you'll land on one. 284s
The theme here is creation teaches the existence of God. 293s
So Psalm 14, verse 1, fools say in their hearts there is no God. 299s
They are corrupt. They do abominable deeds. There is no one who does good. 304s
Neither the origin or the continued existence of this world can satisfactorily be explained unless there's a prime cause. 312s
Unless we know that indeed some one has brought this into being. 321s
That there is an omnipotent power that sustains and governs the very universe. 328s
So though we do not see God, we know God by His works. 335s
And so creation testifies to the existence of God. 342s
Secondly, conscience proves the existence of God. 347s
Conscience proves the existence of God. 352s
Let's go to Romans 2, verse 14. 354s
So the question then of how do we know there is a God? 359s
Well creation testifies to it. 364s
To think something this complex of creation could simply come about by accident. 369s
That is a leap of faith, isn't it? 377s
That the world has to be just a certain pitch and angle and the sun has to be just a certain distance from the earth. 380s
It all just burns up. 389s
The complexity of creation to think that it all simply happened by accident is antithetical to one who simply punders it a little bit. 392s
But Romans chapter 2 picking up in verse 14. 404s
Here we see the conscience testifying to the existence of God. 410s
Romans 2, 14. 417s
When Gentiles who do not possess the law do instinctively what the law requires, 421s
these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. 428s
They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts to which their own conscience also bears witness. 432s
And their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when according to my gospel, 444s
God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all. 452s
Let's pick this apart a little bit. 458s
Verse 14, when Gentiles, and who are Gentiles, that's the non-Jew, right? 461s
When Gentiles who do not possess the law do instinctively what the law requires, 467s
these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. 473s
That's what's sometimes referred to as the natural law. 477s
It is a law that is written on the heart. 480s
You look at societies all across the world, all across the centuries. 483s
There's an incredible uniformity in terms of the code of their laws. 486s
There is something in us that knows that murder is wrong. 492s
There is something in us that knows that stealing something is wrong. 495s
That is all the natural law that God has written in our hearts. 500s
And so what Paul is elevating here is that the Gentile who did not initially receive the very law of God, 505s
when they know that something is wrong, that's reflective that the law is written into the heart. 513s
Then down into 15, they show that what the law requires is written on their hearts to which their own conscience also bears witness. 523s
And their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps accuse them. 530s
So in other words, when something is said or something is done, the conscience can kick in and guided by God's word. 535s
One says, no, that's right or no, that would be false guilt for me to think that either what was shared or what was done was wrong. 544s
You see, there's the conscience then who examines the examination in terms of what we have said and what we have done. 555s
The conscience, though, is always informed by something. 564s
So you can have what's called a seared conscience. 569s
In other words, if the wrong input goes into the conscience, the natural law that is written on the heart, 572s
it can begin to be replaced by this false teaching. 580s
And so that's why sometimes you'll hear people that do something wrong and they'll say, well, I don't have any guilt about that. 586s
I don't have any guilt about that. 595s
That can be an example of a seared conscience. 597s
That's why it is so important for children to be taught the word of God and continually be taught the word of God, 602s
not to fall into, as I mentioned in sermons in the past, statistical morality, which is how the world determines what is moral, 611s
the world determines what is moral based upon what is the poll say. 621s
And if the majority of people are saying it or doing it, therefore it must be okay because the majority is doing it. 625s
That's what's called statistical morality. 634s
That's statistical morality. 637s
Sometimes it can reflect biblical morality, where the majority of people will be saying or doing something. 640s
Many times, statistical morality has no resemblance to what the scriptures have to say. 647s
So as a people, we need to constantly be teaching our children. 655s
We need not shy away from the law. 660s
We need to be constantly teaching one another as adults. 662s
What is the law of God so that immersed in a society that teaches the exact opposite, 666s
we don't wind up with seared consciences or children with seared consciences. 675s
You look at some of the stats here in terms of the younger generations now coming up. 682s
There's a real need for the church to witness here because they're coming out and they're witnessing and they're coming out and they're sharing what their beliefs are. 689s
And it is belief that it is devoid from scriptural thought. 700s
And we need to hone that back and to point them back away from our personal opinions. 709s
That's irrelevant. 715s
But what God has to say to us. 716s
So when the Gentiles and Paul was saying try to live a moral life and they know that something is just instinctively wrong, 720s
that shows there that the law is written on their heart and it also shows the existence of God. 729s
Creation testifies to it and the existence of a conscience with a universal kind of understanding across the centuries. 736s
In terms of that which is right and wrong, again vulnerable to input on that shows the existence of God and the existence of a moral law of God that is written upon the heart. 744s
The challenge is of course is that sinful human beings lack the true knowledge of God. 762s
So one can look at creation and say this is amazingly complex. 770s
There has to be a creator of it. 777s
There has to be in the end someone that has created it. 781s
But someone can look at creation and say yep, there has to be a God. 785s
Someone can look then and reflect upon how is it that there is this uniformity in terms of moral law and say well there has to be a God. 791s
There has to be a source then of the law. 799s
But they don't know who God is. 805s
That's the issue. 808s
And so then comes the incredible open door for idolatry to come in. 809s
Sinful human beings lack the true knowledge of God. 818s
Let's go to Ephesians the fourth chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Axon, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians and then Ephesians. 821s
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 18. 833s
Let's go to 17 and get a little bit more context. 845s
Now this I affirm and assist on in the Lord, 849s
you must no longer live as the Gentiles live in the futility of their minds. 853s
They're darkened in their understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance and hardness of the heart. 860s
Sinful human nature lacks the power to know God. 871s
So the heart then must be transformed. 876s
So someone who says, is there a God? 880s
Well, you can very easily start to talk about creation. 886s
You can start to talk about conscience. 890s
But one has to go deeper than that, right? 894s
To tell them who is the creator of all. 897s
Who is the one who stands behind the natural law reflecting the moral law of God? 903s
Who is that? 911s
And we know only who God is through being turned into the Word. 914s
I think of Thomas. 921s
I like what one author says about Thomas. 925s
He says, quote, Thomas had an uncanny knack for finding the dark cloud in every silver lining. 927s
Isn't that a great line? 936s
When you read about Thomas, you can't go, okay, Thomas. 938s
There is the pessimistic turn with regard to that. 944s
Let me just touch on it briefly. 949s
Let's go to John chapter 20. 951s
Is everything that we know about Thomas comes from the gospel of John. 954s
John chapter 20, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. 960s
John 20, 24. 969s
The scripture says, but Thomas, who is called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 978s
What's being referred to? 985s
You get the context in verse 19. 987s
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews. 990s
Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you. 998s
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 1001s
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 1006s
Jesus said to them again, peace be with you. 1009s
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. 1012s
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. 1016s
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. 1020s
If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. 1024s
So there's the context there, and then verse 24. 1027s
But Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 1031s
The first reference to Thomas in the gospel of John has to do with the story of the raising of Lazarus. 1038s
Jesus announces that he's going to go to Judea and the disciples think this is a crazy idea. 1045s
Crazy, not in a good sense. 1054s
Let's go to John 11, please. 1056s
John 11. 1059s
And there we see the response here, after Jesus said, let's go again to Judea. 1076s
The scripture says the disciples said to him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, 1082s
and you're going there again. 1087s
Jump down into verse 16. 1091s
Because here's a heroic response by Thomas. 1094s
Verse 16 of chapter 11. 1101s
Thomas, who was called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, let us also go. 1103s
And then here comes Thomas again. 1111s
That we may die with him. 1113s
Okay, so there's the pessimist coming out again. 1115s
So there's the heroic Thomas who's going to follow there with the Lord. 1119s
Let's all go with him here. He wants to go to Judea here. 1124s
We think that's an absolutely crazy idea for you to do, but let's go. 1127s
And then we will die with him. 1132s
Okay, back now to chapter 14 of the gospel of John. 1137s
Chapter 14. 1144s
Here's this up, this beautiful section that I reference in my sermon this morning. 1149s
Jesus says, do not let your hearts be troubled. 1155s
Believe in God, believe also in me. 1158s
My Father's house, there are many dwelling places, if we're not so, what I've told you, 1162s
that I go to prepare a place for you. 1165s
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, 1168s
so that where I am there, you may be also. 1172s
And you know the way to the place where I'm going. 1176s
Here comes Thomas. 1178s
Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you're going. 1179s
How can we know the way? 1181s
I mean, it's just such honesty here, you know? 1183s
I mean, it's just, you see it, especially in the gospel of Mark, 1186s
when you look at the portrayal of the disciples in the gospel of Mark, 1192s
you just kind of scratch your head, you know, with regard to that. 1196s
And then you kind of think, well, if I was there, that's probably my response to. 1201s
But especially in Mark, you see this absolute honesty in terms of the disciples, 1206s
just not getting it. 1212s
They just don't get it. 1215s
Okay. 1218s
Backed out of John 20, with that is the background with regard to what we know about Thomas. 1219s
Verse 24 again of chapter 20, but Thomas, who was called the twin, 1232s
one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 1238s
So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord, 1242s
but he said to them, unless I see the mark of the nails in his hand 1246s
and put my finger in the mark of the nails and in my hand in his side, 1253s
I will not believe. 1259s
See, Thomas would only believe if his terms were met. 1264s
And Jesus lets him wait. 1272s
But such grace as Jesus meets Thomas's terms. 1276s
Verse 26, a week later, his disciples were again in the house, 1284s
Thomas was with them, although the doors were shut, 1287s
Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you. 1291s
Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands. 1296s
Reach out your hand and put it in my side. 1300s
Do not doubt what you believe. 1302s
Thomas answered him, my Lord and my God. 1305s
Jesus said to him, have you believed because you have seen me? 1310s
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe. 1316s
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, 1323s
which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may come to believe 1328s
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing, 1334s
you may have life in His name. 1339s
There is a turn to the Word for us who were not there in the upper room 1346s
to behold Him with the eyes. 1354s
There is a turn to root us in the Word. 1357s
When we deal with people who wonder, does God exist? 1363s
Start with creation, go to conscience, 1370s
but then we need to reveal the author of creation 1375s
and the author of the natural law of the conscience. 1380s
We need to reveal who that is. 1386s
And so that means we root someone right in the Word of God. 1390s
Don't worry what it is that they believe about the Word of God 1397s
because their understanding of the Word of God, if they say, 1403s
well, that's just a bunch of fables that people have shared. 1410s
Just unleash the Word, unleash it. 1417s
Now, can you get any discussions about the authority and reliability of Scripture? 1422s
Absolutely. 1427s
And if you ever want to go back, we've had past classes on that. 1431s
Just call the office and they'll get that to you. 1435s
If you ever want to get into those kind of discussions, 1437s
and those can be fruitful discussions, absolutely. 1440s
But one is never argued into the kingdom. 1443s
One is always simply, you unleash the gospel and the spirit does the work. 1447s
You see, we don't believe that the Scriptures are... 1454s
or we don't believe that Jesus is true in terms of the cross 1459s
because we believe in the inerrancy and the fallabetic Scripture, 1462s
we believe that the Scripture is an errant in the fallibility 1466s
because we believe in Jesus. 1469s
Okay? 1471s
Now, they didn't go back and you can see how the Word came all together 1473s
and you can see that substantiated. 1477s
But one comes to an understanding in terms of the Word of God 1480s
because of faith in Jesus. 1485s
And so, as one author puts it, 1487s
you don't need to defend the Word of God. 1491s
Just let the tiger out. 1494s
Just let the tiger out. 1497s
And the tiger is going to do what the tiger is going to do. 1499s
In some ways, that's a bad kind of imagery there. 1503s
But think of the tiger in a good sense here. 1507s
In terms of the power and the roar of the Word as it goes forth 1510s
and God uses that Word to bring people to faith. 1516s
Let's go to 2 Corinthians, the 5th chapter, Matthew, Mark, 1522s
Luke, John, Acts, and Romans. 1526s
1 Corinthians, and then 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 7. 1529s
And think now of the backdrop of the communication to Thomas here. 1538s
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 1550s
We walk by faith and not by sight. 1554s
What's the verse in amazing grace? 1560s
I was blind, but now I what? 1563s
But now I see, you see, that the vision that we have is born out of our faith, 1566s
To those wondering, if God is turn them into the Word, 1580s
God's Word calls for hearing ears and not big brains. 1587s
It calls for hearing ears and not big brains. 1592s
And so just let the Word out and turn it, turn the person to that. 1597s
The Bible not only corroborates the knowledge of God, 1604s
which human beings have by nature. 1607s
There are very few people that truly believe there is no God. 1611s
It's really a small minority when you think of it. 1617s
So that means that most people that we come into contact already have a sense 1623s
that there is some type of higher power or something out there that has created all of this. 1628s
That gives us a wonderful opportunity to turn to creation, to turn to conscience, 1635s
and then say, now let me tell you about the one who created and the one who gives conscience. 1641s
The Bible has a threefold purpose. 1649s
It saves human beings from sin and damnation through faith and Christ. 1653s
It educates and trains his children in holiness of life, 1657s
and it is to magnify his glory. 1661s
The Christian knowledge about God, the source is the Word. 1666s
And so turn that person to the Word by sharing the Word with them. 1675s
Let's go to Romans chapter 10. 1683s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1685s
Romans chapter 10, verse 17. 1688s
So faith comes from what is heard and what is heard comes through the Word of Christ. 1702s
You see the kindness that you show to someone, simply because you are a Christian. 1718s
That's different than sharing of the Word. 1727s
One will not be converted by kindness. 1731s
Kindness is a bridge over which the Word travels. 1734s
And so as you are building relationships with people, in the end, 1739s
what is not going to come and say, I believe in Jesus Christ too, 1744s
because you're such a kind person. 1748s
There are kind persons in a whole host of other faiths. 1751s
The only thing that will convert is the sharing of the Word. 1755s
So the kindness is the bridge over which the Word will travel. 1760s
Let's go to John chapter 8, verse 43. 1767s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John, John chapter 8, verse 43. 1771s
Why do you not understand what I say? 1793s
It is because you cannot accept my Word. 1796s
You see Jesus used the Word, of course, his Word. 1800s
Jesus uses the Word that he places in our minds and our lips to share with other people 1803s
to bring the Word of comfort of the existence of God. 1812s
So you're in a conversation with somebody and you say, well, I'm looking forward to go into worship on Sunday. 1817s
And somebody says, you believe in God? 1830s
Well, I don't believe in God. 1838s
A little line that you can use is, tell me about the God you don't believe in. 1842s
Tell me about the God you don't believe in. 1848s
Because when someone says, oh, I don't believe in God, you can turn it and then you can say, 1852s
well, tell me about the God you don't believe in. 1858s
There's a springboard that puts you immediately into the listening capacity. 1861s
And then you can spring then to creation, conscience, and then into, let me tell you the author of creation and the author of conscience. 1866s
And then you're right into the Word. 1877s
When you're in the Word, you're letting forth that incredible power of God that God uses to change the heart of the people. 1878s
Remember, you don't convert someone. 1889s
And with the imagery, it's the farmer who plants the seed and says, I'm going to get a crop and reaches down to try and pull up the plant. 1894s
It doesn't work that way. 1902s
We cast the seed, we unleash the Word, and we trust that God is going to use that word to His glory and His goodness. 1903s
Okay, well, we want to go to Part B then next week in terms of, well, is God good? 1912s
If there is a God, then is God good? 1919s
And so we want to explore that together. 1923s
Thanks for being in this class. We'll continue next week. 1926s