🤔 Question of the day: Have you ever been in a conversation about Jesus with someone who doesn't identify with any religion? Let me know in the comments. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇
This is my second comment. I had an interaction with another man yesterday and I told him that Jesus loves him. He told me that he used to be in the church and he used to go with his grandmother as a child frequently. He is 35 years old now. He told me that when he was a child, he had a lot of questions and when he asked his questions, he was shut down by his pastor who told him he shouldn't be questioning God. He told me that he had questions about Noah and the ark. He was asking the pastor how Noah, who had no experience with building boats, was able to construct the ark. He asked how Noah was able to fit all the animals in the ark. He asked how Noah cleaned up their bowel movements and urine. He asked how Noah kept the predators from eating their prey. I told him that it is OK to have questions. I told him that I had wondered how Noah kept the birds from flying away. I then told him about the Ark Encounter in Kentucky and told him that was on my bucket list of places to visit. He told me that he grew up Southern Baptist and he doesn't know what to believe. He said he read the Bible from cover to cover but he didn't believe what is in it. He said that he had done a lot of studying of Roman history. He said that he found a story of a man who wrote that he fished out people (actual bodies) from the sea. Then he said to me that when Jesus said that his disciples would be fishers of men, it was in the literal sense. He said that Jesus is possibly a fictional character derived from the historical life of a person he found in his history books. That is obviously heresy. I told him that he may need to have an actual encounter with Jesus instead of relying on his grandmother's faith. I told him that I'm sorry that he was hurt by his pastor all those years ago. I explained to him that I have been hurt by people in the church as well, but I learned to separate the humans from Jesus and realize that when I am hurt, Jesus is hurt more. I also told him that when I myself fall short and hurt people, it hurts Jesus. And I told him I've had to ask God for forgiveness for misrepresenting Him. Then the man kept going back to his story about how he thinks Jesus is a fictional character. He also said that the Bible is contradictory. He said that one part of the Bible says that Adam was made from dirt and Eve was made from dirt. Then he said that another part of the Bible says Eve was made from Adam's rib. I asked him where in the Bible it says Eve was made from dirt. He was convinced it was in the Bible. I told him I've never seen it and I've only seen where Eve was created from Adam's rib. He was at work and had to leave to finish closing. I asked him if I could share my testimony with him. He asked me to come see him at his job in the future. Do you have any feedback on how I could engage with him? Also he kept talking about how Jesus was a fictional character, he did KEEP saying over and over that but he could be wrong. He is lost and searching and not unwilling to engage in further conversation. I would like to go back to speak to him fully equipped, however.
Sounds like a good conversation. Rather than getting bogged down in the deals of the Noah story, I'd focus on the question of Jesus' existence and move to 'Who is Jesus?" since this is central to the Gospel. Perhaps my talk on the Historical Jesus and responding to the Jesus' myth theory might be helpful. ruclips.net/video/ZXePxjPgF9Y/видео.htmlsi=23TfG0cQta32CJeX
I have a dear friend at my church. This woman claims not to be a believer, and has a Jewish background. She has been coming to church for months, and is wrestling with how Jesus can be the Jewish Messiah. I think this is something I can point her to.
Just yesterday, I had a man say to me, "The Bible says that Jesus is a 'mere man.' So to me that means he had flesh and he walked around the earth. God never came to earth before. He spoke to Moses in a burning bush. I used to be Christian," he said, "but now I'm not. I would say that my dad is my god because I came from him." He was was hostile. I told him that Jesus was God in the flesh. He was God in human form. He said, "Why do bad things happen in this world?" However, since he was visibly angry, I decided not to further engage. Do you have any recommendations for me regarding how I could have addressed him?
He might not have been open to a real conversation, but asking open questions and listening to understand is key. Get the backstory as to why he is so angry about this, pray for him, and ask God for wisdom to engage with courage and compassion when he is open to dialogue--not just debate.
🤔 Question of the day: Have you ever been in a conversation about Jesus with someone who doesn't identify with any religion? Let me know in the comments. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇
This is my second comment. I had an interaction with another man yesterday and I told him that Jesus loves him. He told me that he used to be in the church and he used to go with his grandmother as a child frequently. He is 35 years old now. He told me that when he was a child, he had a lot of questions and when he asked his questions, he was shut down by his pastor who told him he shouldn't be questioning God. He told me that he had questions about Noah and the ark. He was asking the pastor how Noah, who had no experience with building boats, was able to construct the ark. He asked how Noah was able to fit all the animals in the ark. He asked how Noah cleaned up their bowel movements and urine. He asked how Noah kept the predators from eating their prey. I told him that it is OK to have questions. I told him that I had wondered how Noah kept the birds from flying away. I then told him about the Ark Encounter in Kentucky and told him that was on my bucket list of places to visit. He told me that he grew up Southern Baptist and he doesn't know what to believe. He said he read the Bible from cover to cover but he didn't believe what is in it. He said that he had done a lot of studying of Roman history. He said that he found a story of a man who wrote that he fished out people (actual bodies) from the sea. Then he said to me that when Jesus said that his disciples would be fishers of men, it was in the literal sense. He said that Jesus is possibly a fictional character derived from the historical life of a person he found in his history books. That is obviously heresy. I told him that he may need to have an actual encounter with Jesus instead of relying on his grandmother's faith. I told him that I'm sorry that he was hurt by his pastor all those years ago. I explained to him that I have been hurt by people in the church as well, but I learned to separate the humans from Jesus and realize that when I am hurt, Jesus is hurt more. I also told him that when I myself fall short and hurt people, it hurts Jesus. And I told him I've had to ask God for forgiveness for misrepresenting Him. Then the man kept going back to his story about how he thinks Jesus is a fictional character. He also said that the Bible is contradictory. He said that one part of the Bible says that Adam was made from dirt and Eve was made from dirt. Then he said that another part of the Bible says Eve was made from Adam's rib. I asked him where in the Bible it says Eve was made from dirt. He was convinced it was in the Bible. I told him I've never seen it and I've only seen where Eve was created from Adam's rib.
He was at work and had to leave to finish closing. I asked him if I could share my testimony with him. He asked me to come see him at his job in the future.
Do you have any feedback on how I could engage with him? Also he kept talking about how Jesus was a fictional character, he did KEEP saying over and over that but he could be wrong. He is lost and searching and not unwilling to engage in further conversation. I would like to go back to speak to him fully equipped, however.
Sounds like a good conversation. Rather than getting bogged down in the deals of the Noah story, I'd focus on the question of Jesus' existence and move to 'Who is Jesus?" since this is central to the Gospel. Perhaps my talk on the Historical Jesus and responding to the Jesus' myth theory might be helpful. ruclips.net/video/ZXePxjPgF9Y/видео.htmlsi=23TfG0cQta32CJeX
@@apologeticsguy Thank you so much!!!: I'll definitely check it out!!
I have a dear friend at my church. This woman claims not to be a believer, and has a Jewish background. She has been coming to church for months, and is wrestling with how Jesus can be the Jewish Messiah. I think this is something I can point her to.
Just yesterday, I had a man say to me, "The Bible says that Jesus is a 'mere man.' So to me that means he had flesh and he walked around the earth. God never came to earth before. He spoke to Moses in a burning bush. I used to be Christian," he said, "but now I'm not. I would say that my dad is my god because I came from him." He was was hostile. I told him that Jesus was God in the flesh. He was God in human form. He said, "Why do bad things happen in this world?" However, since he was visibly angry, I decided not to further engage.
Do you have any recommendations for me regarding how I could have addressed him?
He might not have been open to a real conversation, but asking open questions and listening to understand is key. Get the backstory as to why he is so angry about this, pray for him, and ask God for wisdom to engage with courage and compassion when he is open to dialogue--not just debate.