Sanctifying Christ: Apologetics in a Hostile Age

• Christian Apologetics [00:48:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines apologetics as the rational defense of the Christian faith and explains his personal journey into this field.
• Evangelism and Discipleship [00:49:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses the biblical command to give a reason for the hope that is in us and the necessity of answering questions from those outside the faith.
• Religious Pluralism [00:51:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces the context of the 1993 Parliament of World Religions and the concept of a 'kernel of truth' in all religions.
• Christian Apologetics [00:50:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines apologetics as a task for all believers, tracing its historical roots from Plato and Socrates to Augustine and Francis Schaeffer, emphasizing it is a defense of the faith for the laity.
• Religious Pluralism and Unity [00:51:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor critiques the 1993 Parliament of World Religions and modern 'woke' unity movements, arguing they seek a superficial kernel of truth in all religions while excluding Christianity's exclusive claims.
• Worldview and Cultural Influence [00:55:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using Francis Schaeffer and Andrew Fletcher, the pastor explains how philosophical ideas manifest in arts/culture and then into 'kitchen table' daily conversations, requiring Christians to engage in every arena.
• Persecution and Exile [01:02:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contextualizes 1 Peter within the mid-60s Roman persecution under Nero, describing Christians as 'exiles' and 'sojourners' (diaspora) living in a 'cultural Babylon' similar to Israel's history.
• Redefinition of Truth [01:00:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor warns against the cultural deception of reclassifying biblical doctrine and moral convictions as 'politics' rather than truth, a tactic he compares to C.S. Lewis's concept of subtle deception.
• The Diaspora and Babylon [01:04:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the biblical context of believers as 'sojourners' and 'diaspora' living in 'Babylon' (a hostile culture), using 1 Peter and Daniel to illustrate living in a foreign land with foreign values.
• The Reality of Harm [01:09:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor debunks the idea that good behavior guarantees safety, arguing that believers will face harm even when zealous for good, citing Acts and the specific Greek word for 'harm'.
• Suffering for Righteousness [01:11:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights that suffering is not a result of wrongdoing but a result of doing God's will, referencing Peter as the 'apostle of suffering' and the Beatitudes.
• Fear of God vs. Fear of Man [01:16:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the fear of human persecution with the fear of God, citing Isaiah and Jesus' teachings to show that God is the only one with ultimate power over body and soul.
• Defense of Biblical Inerrancy [01:20:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about the publication of 'Defending Inerrancy' and the fear associated with confronting theological compromise within evangelical institutions.
• Biblical Inerrancy and Apologetic History [01:20:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the history of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and the subsequent need to defend these doctrines against modern compromises, citing his own work 'Defending Inerrancy'.
• Fear of God vs. Fear of Man [01:22:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using an anecdote about Norman Geisler, R.C. Sproul, and J.I. Packer, the pastor argues that apologists must not let the fear of man (criticism from institutions) trump the fear of God.
• Sanctifying Christ as Lord [01:23:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor analyzes 1 Peter 3:15, arguing that the primary task of apologetics is to set Christ apart as Yahweh in one's own heart, establishing His lordship over the defense of the faith.
• Critique of Modern Apologetics and Scholarship [01:24:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor critiques contemporary New Testament scholarship and apologists (like William Lane Craig) for compromising on historical reliability and genre, arguing this stems from a failure to sanctify Christ.
• The Heart as the Center of Being [01:29:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the biblical anthropology of the 'heart' as the core of emotion and loyalty, connecting it to the command to sanctify Christ there, and cites various Old Testament passages.
• 21st Century Cultural Apologetics [01:32:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor identifies the current apologetic battleground as the social sciences, specifically gender and sexuality, contrasting it with the 20th-century focus on creation and evolution.
• Historical Continuity of Apologetics [01:34:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor draws parallels between modern challenges and historical defenses of the faith by figures like Luther, Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards, emphasizing that apologists must address the issues of their specific time.
• Christian Apologetics and Faithfulness [01:36:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses the current cultural battles facing evangelicalism and asserts that believers must be faithful to their specific historical moment rather than wishing for a different era.
• Hope and Conscience in Defense of Faith [01:37:30 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that apologetics requires more than just logical reasons; it must communicate the 'reality of hope' and be grounded in a 'good conscience' and true spirituality.
• Personal Testimony and God's Use of Ordinary People [01:38:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about a family member's suicide and a story about a Sunday school teacher named Dorothy Payne to illustrate how God uses 'normal people' to answer objections and change lives.

• Sermon Illustration [00:48:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares his personal testimony of being raised in a non-church-going family in Iowa, not knowing what a Bible was until age 15, and being converted in high school. He then recounts his time serving in Cabrini-Green, Chicago, where he faced intense questioning from various groups (including Malcolm X's crew) and realized he lacked the answers to defend his faith. This led him to read 'The Case for Christ' at a bookstore on Michigan Avenue, prompting him to study apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary.
• Sermon Illustration [00:51:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the 1993 Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, where leaders asserted that all religions share a superficial 'kernel of truth' rather than one having the full truth.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts a personal story of walking Chicago Avenue, visiting the Moody Bible Institute bookstore, reading 'Case for Christ,' and subsequently moving to Charlotte to study apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary under Norman Geisler and Gary Habermas.
• Sermon Illustration [00:58:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes hypothetical 'kitchen table' conversations Christians might face, such as a child questioning the Bible's truth after taking a class with Dr. Bart Ehrman at UNC Chapel Hill, or dealing with a same-sex wedding invitation from a family member.
• Sermon Illustration [00:54:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the historical example of Augustine's 'City of God' written after the burning of Rome, where Christians were blamed for the disaster, to illustrate the challenge of living for God in a hostile culture.
• Sermon Illustration [01:06:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the biblical figures Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as examples of individuals living faithfully in a persecuted, pagan culture (Babylon).
• Sermon Illustration [01:07:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the structural language shift in the book of Daniel (Hebrew to Aramaic and back) as an analogy for the experience of God's people living in a foreign land, where the text itself immerses the reader in the reality of exile.
• Sermon Illustration [01:20:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story about the nervousness and fear experienced while finalizing the book 'Defending Inerrancy,' specifically regarding the fear of calling out prominent figures and institutions like Dallas Seminary and Trinity for theological compromise.
• Sermon Illustration [01:22:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story of nervousness before publishing 'Defending Inerrancy' and recounts a phone call with the framers of the Chicago Statement (Geisler, Sproul, Packer) where Norman Geisler advised that the fear of man should never trump the fear of God.
• Sermon Illustration [01:24:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor cites William Lane Craig and general New Testament scholarship trends that suggest Jesus may not have spoken the exact words recorded in the Gospels or been in the exact locations, using this to illustrate a lack of sanctifying Christ as Lord.
• Sermon Illustration [01:32:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references a recent news story about a student at Boyce College being fired from a coffee shop job for discussing her Christian views on gender and sexuality, illustrating the current cultural persecution.
• Sermon Illustration [01:33:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor quotes J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' (Frodo and Gandalf) to illustrate that Christians cannot wish for easier times but must decide how to act in the difficult times they are given.
• Sermon Illustration [01:38:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story about receiving a phone call that a family member of 40 years took his life, illustrating the need for hope beyond mere reasons. He then tells the story of Dorothy Payne, a widowed farmer's wife and Sunday school teacher who paid for a child's church camp attendance; that child grew up to become a preacher and was the pastor himself.

• Pastoral Charge [01:15:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > Apologists are commanded not to let suffering stop their work, but to rejoice in their calling.
• Pastoral Charge [01:20:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > Believers are commanded to stand firm against threats and prioritize the fear of God over human intimidation.
• Pastoral Charge [01:27:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > Defend the complete Christian faith without compromising on doctrines like the deity of Christ or biblical inerrancy to avoid appealing to generic theism.
• Pastoral Charge [01:28:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > Live under the lordship of Christ as the governing principle for how apologetics is conducted.
• Pastoral Charge [01:41:30 ▶️ 📄]
  > To internally sanctify Christ, maintain moral integrity, and actively share the gospel's hope.

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:10:11] In Psalm chapter 5, David said, Hear your righteousness because of my foes.
[00:10:21] Make your way straight before me.
[00:10:24] There is nothing reliable in their mouth, their inward part is destruction itself.
[00:10:30] Their throat is an open grave, they flatter with their tongue.
[00:10:34] Hold them guilty, O God, by their own devices, let them fall.
[00:10:40] In the abundance of their transgressions, thrust them out, for they are rebellious against you.
[00:10:48] but let all who take refuge in you be glad. Let them ever sing for joy, and may you shelter them that those who love your name may exult in you, for it is you who blesses the righteous one,
[00:11:05] O Yahweh. You surround him with favor as with a large shield. David asks that God would shepherd him, he would lead him in righteousness, and that those that are wicked, not because they are awesome and to be feared but because of the type of people they are that God would hold them
[00:11:27] responsible for the wickedness that David would not sin so we come before holy God asking that his righteousness would cover us and that father we would exalt in him let's bow together in prayer father we echo the words of David as he prays lead me in your righteousness make your way straight
[00:12:05] before you that all of us who take refuge when you would be glad that we would sing for joy because we find shelter in you and in your name we find joy we bless you oh righteous God
[00:12:27] for we know that you are holy that you are above all and that you desire to be worshipped and adored above all things above all others above our imagination our wishes and our own will that father we would come before you in submission to glorify and praise
[00:12:56] your great holy name. For what greater reason do we have to sing than to sing of who you are, worthy of our worship and praise. Be adored by that this morning, and we ask this in Jesus'
[00:13:16] precious name. Amen. You'll find in your bulletin a song sheet. I apologize for the size.
[00:13:27] I don't know if that means this is a children's song sheet or if this is an eye exam if you can read this you have 2020 and you're okay and I've just saved you a trip to the doctor
[00:13:44] but the words are great maybe you need a second to study them we've sung this before in our services it's a new song called Sing let's stand together as we do this together now did you draw

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:14:15] Did you draw a breath as the dawn awoke? And does your heart still beat? Is the mighty word of the living God upholding you? Then sing, oh sing.
[00:14:35] As the Father's love, the Father's love filled your longing heart with grace for every.
[00:14:45] Come and lay your burdens at ease.
[00:14:50] Find new strength to single-seed.
[00:14:57] Lean and ease me.
[00:14:58] Everything breathing must sing.
[00:15:01] Oh, rise up and pray.

[00:15:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:15:07] Turn to the person behind you and say, it is great to hear you sing this morning.

[00:18:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:18:27] It's great to have you here at the King's Chapel.
[00:18:31] My name is Scott Batchelor.
[00:18:32] I count it pure joy to serve alongside this group of people.
[00:18:37] We'll start the catechism this morning.
[00:18:41] In your brochure, you'll find the questions and answers.
[00:18:48] I'll give the questions and we'll answer together.
[00:18:54] First question, is it significant that he, Jesus, was crucified instead of dying in some other way?
[00:19:02] I'm convinced.
[00:19:06] that he shouldered the curse which lay on me.
[00:19:11] Death by crucifixion was cursed by God.
[00:19:17] So why did Christ have to suffer death?
[00:19:20] Because God's justice and truth required it.
[00:19:25] Nothing else could pay for our sins except the death of the Son of God.
[00:19:32] The last question, so why was he buried?
[00:19:37] His burial testifies that he really died.
[00:19:41] Thank you.

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:19:50] God is good.
[00:19:51] And all the time.
[00:19:54] Amen.
[00:19:55] Well, good morning and welcome to the King's Chapel.
[00:19:57] And what a great reminder as we recited together those truths of Scripture and reminding us the work of our Savior.
[00:20:03] Well, welcome to this beautiful Lord's Day morning here at the King's Chapel.
[00:20:07] And if you're a visitor or guest with us, welcome.
[00:20:10] We are so glad that you're here, that the Lord has brought you here by his providence to worship with us in spirit.
[00:20:14] and in truth. And as you walk in here this morning, hopefully you received a bulletin so that you can check out what we have going on here in the life of our church. But before I say that, I forgot
[00:20:25] about the visitors. Hello. If you're visiting with us here at the King's Chapel, we welcome you here to our wonderful church. And in the pew before you, you should see a blue and white connect card.
[00:20:38] And in that connect card, I would encourage you to fill that out and then drop it in the offering plates which will be passed around here in just a few moments, or feel free to take it to one of
[00:20:46] our welcome desks located here in the front of the church and as well as in the gathering hall where you can find out more about what's going on here in the life of our church. And speaking of
[00:20:56] life in our church, now I can get to what the bulletin says. So flip over there with me to the highlights section for just a moment, but today is, if you're a member of the King's Chapel, today is
[00:21:06] the last day to be able to nominate if men that you feel led can be nominated for elder or deacon here in the church. This is the last day for recommendations for that. You have two ways to
[00:21:19] do that. One, you can scan that QR code to the right of the announcement, or at the welcome desk behind me in the gathering hall, you can fill out a paper nomination form and slip it in that brown
[00:21:30] box, which is right beside the desk. And so I would encourage you, again, if you're a member of the church to be able to do that, and today is the last day. For those who have been visiting
[00:21:40] with us here at the King's Chapel, or if you have been, maybe the Lord's stirring in you to become a member of the church, starting point is the first step in the membership process, and that
[00:21:52] starts next Sunday, April 19th at 9 o'clock a.m., and it'll be right in the fellowship hall, so to my left, your right, where Pastor Grant will walk through our beliefs, the gospel, and as well as
[00:22:04] you can find out more information about our church. You can register online for that, or you can just show up on Sunday if you'd like to. But this is the first step for membership here at the
[00:22:16] King's Chapel. And then that following, that same Sunday, excuse me, on April 19th, we are pleased to be able to have Dr. Al Mohler joining us here for worship at 1030, here preaching for us Sunday
[00:22:29] morning, and then that night at 6 o'clock p.m., he's going to be hosting an Ask Anything event, which you are invited to come and, you guessed it, ask anything. And Dr. Muller will be able to do
[00:22:42] that Q&A with you here that evening at 6 o'clock p.m. You do not have to register for that event, so just come on and please invite friends and family. And I'm going to encourage you with that.
[00:22:53] If you have someone maybe in your neighborhood or maybe someone you work with that has questions about the faith or anything like that. This is a wonderful opportunity as a way to be able to maybe
[00:23:04] for that person to ask that question and to be able to engage with Dr. Moeller in that capacity.
[00:23:10] So I would encourage you to please join us next Sunday. Again, he'll be preaching at 10 30 and then of course six o'clock that night for the Ask Anything event. But as you can see in our
[00:23:22] bulletin here, there's a lot more to take place in life in our church and so I would encourage you to check out online as well as stay involved with us here by looking at these events. I'm going
[00:23:32] to ask now if our ushers and deacons will come forward to receive our tithes and offerings. And as they're coming forward, let's go to the Lord in prayer and ask him to bless our time this morning.
[00:23:43] So if you will, bow your head with me in prayer. Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for this Lord's day. Father, thank you for the grace and the mercy that you have given to us this day. Lord,
[00:23:56] the day that you have set apart for your people to come and to worship your great name. Father, I ask that as we continue to worship in song, as we can hear your word in just a few moments,
[00:24:09] Lord, I pray that your Holy Spirit will work in us, convicting us, encouraging us, Lord, in our walk with you. Help us to grow deeper in grace and stir within us deep affections for Christ in our heart. Father, we love you, and it's in Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen.

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:25:13] Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that he should give his only Son to make a wretch his treasure.
[00:25:40] How great the pain of searing The Father turns His face away As wounds which mar the Chosen One Bring many sons to glory A man upon a cross, I see upon his shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice among the scoffers.
[00:26:53] As my sin that held him there It was a calm His death has brought me life I know that it is finished I will not boast of anything No gifts, no power, no wisdom But I will boast of Jesus Christ
[00:27:48] His death and resurrection Why should I gain from His reward?
[00:28:01] I cannot give an answer, but this I know with all my heart.
[00:28:17] His wounds have paid my ransom, I gain from his reward.
[00:28:37] And one of the most wonderful hymns which tells the story of God's amazing grace

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:29:43] is found on number 104 in your hymnal.
[00:29:45] Amazing Grace how sweet the sound would you stand as we sing

[00:29:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:29:50] together now Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me once was lost but now am was blind But now I see T'was grace, t'was grace That taught my heart Grace, my fears
[00:31:15] Relentious did That grace appear The hour I first believed many dangers grace I have brought if thus far and grace will lead me home Ladies, sing this

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:32:39] fourth verse, just ladies.

[00:32:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:32:41] As if God's word.

[00:34:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:34:38] But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed.
[00:34:43] Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.
[00:34:47] But in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good
[00:35:03] conscience so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. This is God's holy word. You may be seated. In 2012, I went to a Ligonier
[00:35:29] conference down in Orlando, and I heard a message that really changed my life. Sometimes you have those experiences. And the message was a message that R.C. Sproul gave on apologetics, on the defense of the Christian faith. And I remember being up in the balcony at First Baptist Orlando
[00:35:53] and I had never really given much thought to how to defend the Christian faith.
[00:36:02] But what struck me and what has stayed with me ever since then is that Christianity is rational, meaning we're not asking anyone to take a blind leap into the dark.
[00:36:20] Faith is based on facts and reason that we see in God's word.
[00:36:29] And so since that moment, I have studied the science of apologetics, how to defend the Christian faith in a secular world.
[00:36:41] And this morning, I'm excited because a friend of mine, a theologian and an apologist named Dr. Bill Roach, is going to come and do a message on a defense of the Christian faith.
[00:36:57] Dr. Bill Roach is a theologian and apologist He served as president of the International Society of Christian Apologists He also wrote, I should say co-authored the book Defending Inerrancy Affirming the Accuracy of Scripture for a New Generation
[00:37:20] And he wrote that with the late Norman Geisler Y'all remember Norman Geisler?
[00:37:25] He co-authored that book with Norman Geisler He's written other books. He wrote a book on sola fide. He's married to his wonderful wife, Molly, and he is a good friend. He's a friend, and he did his elder interview this morning to
[00:37:43] join the King's Chapel. So he is joining this work here at the King's Chapel, so I know it will be a rich blessing hearing from Dr. Bill Roach. Thank you, Bill, for being here this morning to preach
[00:37:58] God's word. Now, if you would, go to the throne of grace with me in prayer. Heavenly Father, we praise your righteous and holy name. You are worthy of all of our worship and all of our praise
[00:38:23] because of the fact that you created us. We owe all praise and glory to you, and because you redeemed us, you've given us your grace and your mercy in Jesus Christ. You've saved us when we
[00:38:35] have no hope and so Lord we ask that we would be living in holy sacrifices acceptable to you Lord we pray that we would worship you this morning in spirit and in truth in spirit that
[00:38:49] our hearts would testify that you are indeed the living God and that we would testify rightly and truly about who you are, that you are one God, three persons, eternal, omniscient, all-powerful, sovereign, merciful, just, all together loving to your creatures. Lord, we praise your name. We thank
[00:39:20] you for all that you are and that all that you've done for us. Lord, we pray that we would be a faithful church, Lord, that our hearts would not grow cold in our worship of Christ, that we would
[00:39:38] be blazing hot, not lukewarm, Lord, that our hearts would be stirred, that we would love one another, that our love and our kindness towards one another would overflow, that we would be faithful in sound doctrine, faithful to the truth, unwavering amidst a dark secular world.
[00:40:08] Lord, help us to be stalwart in our convictions. Lord, help us to use our spiritual gifts for the service and uplifting of the body. Lord, may this be a church where everyone serves, where everyone
[00:40:22] uses their giftings for the edification and the building up of the body of Christ, that we may all reach a level of maturity in Christ.
[00:40:34] We pray, Lord, that we would do the work of evangelism, that the gospel would be flowing up from our hearts and spilling forth from our tongues, that we could not help but speak of the wonderful work
[00:40:51] that Christ has done for us, that we would speak of Jesus Christ and him crucified, his righteous life and death, vindicated in the resurrection, that we would speak of his ruling and reign at the right hand of God the Father. Lord, may we be a joyful people.
[00:41:15] You have given us so much to rejoice about. And so, Lord, may we not be dour Christians, joyless Christians Lord fill our hearts with joy and may that joy overflow in our lives Lord we desire to be joyful now as we continue to sing lift up our hearts in praise Lord may we rejoice
[00:41:41] in your abundant goodness and mercy we pray for Dr. Roach as he comes to deliver this message we pray, Lord, that you would fill him with your spirit, that you would enlighten our minds, help
[00:41:56] us to focus on what he is saying, Lord, that we could understand that Christianity is truth and the only true religion in the world. And we pray this in Christ's name. Amen.

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:42:12] Well, let's join together and sing and rejoice over Psalm 150. A paraphrase of number Psalm 150, Praise the Lord Let's stand together as we sing You made the starry host

[00:42:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:42:43] You traced the mountain peaks You paved the evening skies With wonder The earth, it is your throne From desert to the sea All nature testifies Your splendor Praise the Lord Sing His greatness All creation
[00:43:17] Praise the Lord Raise your voice You heights and all your depths From furthest east to west Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord Through the dust With love your spirit breathes, you've formed us in your very life.
[00:43:53] All your wondrous works, you tell your mighty deeds, join the everlasting.
[00:44:01] Face the low in this, all face your voice, and all your death, from further ceasing the hand.
[00:44:30] the Lord. Symphonies resound. Let symphonies resound. Let drums and choirs ring out.
[00:44:51] Heaven hear the sound of word. The King is in you. And you may be seated. Amen. Let us pray.

[00:46:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:46:45] Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, and we just pray that you will bless our time this morning as we work to preach your word, that we stand here to exalt you as our Savior. God, I pray
[00:46:59] for each and every one of us today. God, I pray for us that we will let the word of Christ dwell richly within us. Heavenly Father, we pray that you will let us sanctify Jesus Christ as Lord in
[00:47:14] our hearts that we will be able to give a defense of the Christian faith and to communicate the hope that we have. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Well, good morning everyone. Like they said, I am
[00:47:29] Bill Roach and it is good to be here with you. And you know, I was a little nervous today because you know, I had my elder interview right before the service and I thought to myself,
[00:47:39] what happens if that doesn't go so well? This is going to be a really awkward moment for somebody here today, but I think it went well. So I just want to say thank you, and we've been attending
[00:47:50] here for a little while now, and I guess now we are joining here. So I just want to say thank God for this church. You know, the music is wonderful. God is doing great things here, and I'm very
[00:48:02] excited to see what the Lord is going to do in this church. Now, as he was saying, I have a background in Christian apologetics, which is the rational defense of the Christian faith. And a lot of
[00:48:15] people wonder, what kind of background do you come from in order to become a Christian apologist?
[00:48:20] And I didn't come from a family that was committed to the Lord. I was saved out of a family that was not a church-going family. I was raised in Iowa, and I did not even know what a Bible was
[00:48:35] until I was 15 years old, literally. You would have held this up. I would have been like, ah, it's some kind of book. I don't know. Do whatever you want with it. And I was converted
[00:48:44] in high school. And after high school, I went off to Bible college, and then from there, the first church that I served at was in the city of Chicago in a community called Cabrini-Green.
[00:48:58] Anybody ever heard of it? One of the most notorious gang projects in the history of the United States of America, truly fulfills the motto that in Chicago there's only two types of people, the quick and the dead. There's nothing in between. And while we were there, we were bombarded
[00:49:15] with all sorts of questions. We're located literally in the heart of the city. And you have individuals coming from the universities into the community. You have Malcolm X and his university crew coming in. You have different religions and cults, and as a church, we were
[00:49:35] tasked with the ability to disciple these people, and I found myself with one glaring problem.
[00:49:42] I couldn't answer people's questions, and I knew that the Bible commands that we are to give a reason for the hope that we have, and I was left in this predicament. I either have to stop sharing
[00:49:54] my faith, or I need to find answers. And the Bible doesn't make it an option for us to stop sharing our faith. And I remember one night, the end of a long week, I'm walking up Chicago Avenue,
[00:50:09] and I go to Michigan Avenue, and I walk the magnificent mile. And on my way back, I popped into a bookstore, Moody Bible Institute's bookstore, and I picked up the case for Christ.
[00:50:20] read it that weekend and I said I know exactly what I want to do I want to go into Christian apologetics so I packed my bags I moved to Charlotte North Carolina to study at Southern
[00:50:33] Evangelical Seminary under figures like the late Norman Geisler and Gary Habermas Wynn Cordwin and many others and and from there God allowed me to enter into the task of Christian apologetics which brought me to Raleigh, North Carolina. Did a PhD under a former member at Christ Baptist,
[00:50:53] Bruce Little, longtime professor of apologetics at Southeastern. And this is what I want to do today. I want to work to equip you. The science of apologetics is not something for the other person.
[00:51:08] It's not for the experts. It's for people like you in the pews today. So with that said, let's set the context of this. In 1993, there was a group that met in Chicago of world religious leaders,
[00:51:22] and it was the Parliament of World Religions. And they met there under the banner that all doctrines found in each religion was superficial and that there was a, quote, kernel of truth in each religion, meaning Buddhism has a little bit, Islam has a little bit, Christianity may have a
[00:51:42] little bit, but there was no one religion that had it all. And what they sought to do is they wanted to bring people together under this idea of religious unity and this unified spirituality.
[00:51:58] Now, some of the things that they sought to bring together were things like this. They wanted to bring under this new spirituality an end to war, the end to hunger through the redistribution of the world's resources and population control. That's Marxism, by the way. The conservation
[00:52:17] of the earth's resources. The genuine equality amongst all races and religions. A truly global ethic in this regard. And they wanted to, quote, bring on the dawn of an entirely new age of human achievement and potential. Doesn't this sound like the world we live in today? We're not that
[00:52:44] far away, really, from 1993. It's almost like a woke conference broke out in 1993 in the city of Chicago. And they met under this banner, we want to unite or perish. And they kept preaching
[00:53:00] unity, unity, unity. But if you notice anything, it's only unity for those who agree with what they have to say. They were opposed to these, what they called obstacles of unity. And guess which group was the number one group they were focused on? Christians. Why? Because we as
[00:53:23] Christians affirm things like Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can come unto the Father except by me. We affirm the idea that there is one God and one mediator between
[00:53:37] God and man, the man Christ Jesus. We herald with the apostles for salvation is found in no other name under heaven other than that which is Christ Jesus. Now, the task of apologetics is not anything
[00:53:53] new. The word apologetics or apology goes way back to Plato with Socrates in the Apology in which he was accused of corrupting the youth and impiety towards the gods. But early Christians were able to pick up on that term because just as Socrates sought to defend himself, Christians sought to
[00:54:17] defend the historic Christian faith before their accusers. And that's where we get this idea of setting forth a defense. And historically, there's been a variety of books that have done this, but none has done it better than the city of God by the late Augustine. And during this time,
[00:54:39] Rome had burnt down, and the charge was the Christians were responsible for it. Their religion, their ethics, their way of life is the reason that we had such disunity and ultimately which led to the destruction of Rome. And Augustine set forth his defense. And the key issue that he's
[00:55:02] looking at that drives us today is how do you live for the city of God when you live in the city of man? Think about that. The title of the book was The City of God. The parallel is that there's
[00:55:16] two different cities, the city of God and the city of man. And the question is, how do you live for the city of God in the midst of the city of man? Bringing it up into our context, how many of you
[00:55:28] are familiar with the late Francis Schaeffer? For some, the hand goes up. For others, it doesn't.
[00:55:36] Schaeffer's been gone for almost four decades now. And Schaeffer stressed the reality that we as Christians have a worldview. The way that we look at the world and the questions that we answer pertain to how that worldview is addressed. Where did I come from? Who am I? How shall we live?
[00:55:59] And where are we going? And one of the key things that Schaeffer sought to show us is that there are different levels at which people answer that question. The first level comes really from just
[00:56:12] the ideas as such. The philosophy as such. Coming from the key thinkers throughout the history of ideas. The figures like Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hume, the post-modernists. We see this everywhere.
[00:56:29] But then it also manifests itself at a second level. We could call this at the level of the arts and music. Or the way that culture functions as such. Because everything is downstream from the
[00:56:42] ideas. And one individual named Andrew Fletcher captures this better than anybody else. And listen to these words. He says, give me the making of the songs of a nation and I care not who writes its
[00:56:55] laws. Think about that. He who controls the arts and the music and the culture is a manifestation of the values that takes place within that culture. It's the manifestation of the ideas in that culture, which brings us to the third level. If it starts at the ideas and it works
[00:57:20] down into the culture, how many of us here have conversations around a dinner table?
[00:57:26] The day-to-day conversations. This is what we would call kitchen table conversations, in which you have individuals asking questions about what's going on in the world in which we live. But I want you to see ideas have consequences, and ideas have origins, and ideas have effects
[00:57:49] that work their way down to the youngest, to the oldest, and to every arena in which we live. And you may be asking yourself, well, what kind of questions could those be for us? Well, for example,
[00:58:03] What if you had a son or a daughter, and you're planning to send them off to UNC Chapel Hill this fall, and they decide to take a class with Dr. Bart Ehrman? And all of a sudden, they start
[00:58:18] coming home, and they ask, how do I know my Bible is true? That's a kitchen table conversation.
[00:58:26] Or how do you work to make disciples in a culture today that has replaced the concept of original sin with things such as systemic racism or the idea that I was, quote, just born that way? Or how do you deal with it when a well-dressed individual comes to your door,
[00:58:53] tie, nice white shirt? Hello, I'm from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[00:59:00] what do you say let's keep looking at this what do you do if one day you go out and you check your mail and you get the bills and the electric you throw aside the gas you throw aside but you
[00:59:13] get a wedding invitation and you open up and you look in there and you get a wedding invitation from a family member and suzy's getting married to sally do you go do you not go these are all
[00:59:31] questions and manifestations of day-to-day life that the Christian has to think about.
[00:59:36] What do you do when your angry Marxist neighbor plasters signs all over their yard and they don't talk to you for years on end? What do you do if you are in HR and you're going through resumes
[00:59:50] and all of a sudden you see John Smith colon he slash him? This is the world that we live in and this is the context that we live in. Will you or will you not bake the cake? And that's what I want
[01:00:07] you to see here today as we open up into our text of 1 Peter 3. There are a lot of people now, and we're going to do an apologetic before we get into the text. You're going to raise two questions
[01:00:17] or two objections to me right now. The first one is going to be something like this. I hear what you're saying, Bill, but please do not bring politics into the pulpit. And you know what I
[01:00:28] want to do is I want us to remind ourselves back to this idea when we're asking these types of questions. Are you familiar with C.S. Lewis and the screw tape letters? He showed us that deception
[01:00:39] rarely works by outright denying the truth. There's a reason when a person goes hunting, they wear camouflage. You want to cover things up. It works by subtly redefining the concept of truth.
[01:00:56] Sin is relabeled, categories are shifted, and what is evil begins to look reasonable, sometimes even virtuous. The most dangerous lies are the ones that no longer appear to be lies at all. But think about this as applied to the concept of theology. Instead of answering biblical truth and biblical
[01:01:22] questions with biblical arguments, our culture simply reclassifies it. Doctrine and moral convictions are no longer treated as matters of truth, but they're dismissed as politics.
[01:01:38] And once that shift has been made, the conversation seems to be ended. This is the danger facing the church today, not just the opposition to truth, but the quiet redefinition of it, where the battle
[01:01:52] is no longer about what is true, but about which categories we're allowed to use and talk about and which ones we're not allowed to talk about. And the second thing is this. You're going to
[01:02:05] have a lot of people who are in many respects hearing the echo of Isaiah, whom shall I send and who shall go for us? And your answer is, there is John, Lord, send him. I don't want to do it.
[01:02:21] If this is what I got to do, Lord, please, I don't want to go down this. And I want to encourage you today, as you look through the text, apologetics or evangelism or discipleship is not for specialists. It's for people just like you. This is something you can do. So with that
[01:02:37] said, I want us to have four characteristics from 1 Peter today that Grant's already read about the nature of apologetics, about the nature of what you can do today. The first characteristic is this. Christians living in a pagan culture, just like ours, must recognize we
[01:02:58] are not the first ones to face persecution. When you look at this, the backdrop of 1 Peter sets the stage for why the epistle is a handbook for ambassadors living in a foreign land.
[01:03:12] Written in the mid-60s, 64-65, the importance of this is that this is when Nero and Rome was devastatingly oppressing and murdering Christians all throughout the land.
[01:03:30] And Christians were found to be the scapegoat for this act.
[01:03:35] And they were beaten, tortured, and killed.
[01:03:38] But when you look at this passage here, if you look in your Bibles, look at chapter 1, verse 1.
[01:03:43] It says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as exiles scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia and who are chosen. Now many of your translations right in the very beginning here will use the word reside as exiles or sometimes it'll say things like
[01:04:03] reside as sojourners to depict the lives of these people. That language harkens back to the Old Testament where the people of God were scattered living as exiles because Israel was sent off and Judah was sent off by Assyria and Babylon. And this idea is brought in, this notion known
[01:04:27] as the diaspora, the scattering. And when you're reading Peter here, your translations that you've seen, this idea of reside as exiles, sojourners, there's a word that's in there where it says diasporas in the original. This idea that you see here is the people are referred to as the elect
[01:04:53] sojourners who are diasporas. And the Apostle James uses the exact same language in his epistle to refer to this scattering of the people. This is the context in which 1 Peter is being written.
[01:05:07] You are people living scattered amongst the nations.
[01:05:12] We see this even more in 1 Peter 5, verses 12 through 13, where he gives us this idea where it says this, through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I regard him, I have written to you briefly exhorting and bearing witness
[01:05:27] that this is the true grace of God.
[01:05:30] Stand firm in it.
[01:05:32] Verse 13, she who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son. When you're reading this passage, the notion of Babylon here is a reference to you living in the midst of a cultural Babylon. You are living in a scattered
[01:05:57] land as the people of God. So the point is that the Babylon and the Diaspora hold significant theological weight throughout the Bible. Due to Israel's sin, they were taken out of the land, sent off to Babylon, sent into exile. They endured all of the hardships of living in a foreign land
[01:06:18] under the tyranny of a foreign ruler, surrounded by those speaking a different language, worshiping different gods. They were accommodating to it left and right, and this is the context that Peter is being written in. And we know the nature of what it was like at this time.
[01:06:36] Who are the key figures that we think of when we think of Babylon?
[01:06:40] Daniel, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, standing forth as individuals living in a persecuted culture.
[01:06:52] And think of the context of that for us today.
[01:06:56] Doesn't this sound like the world we live in?
[01:07:00] Sojourners, living in the midst of Babylon, on, feeling like people are speaking a completely different language. And I'm not talking about Spanish or French at this point. I'm talking about a world in which the values and the terminology
[01:07:17] and the ethics that they affirm are completely foreign. You know, it's one of the interesting things about the book of Daniel. We all recognize, you know, Daniel didn't cave. He didn't bow down.
[01:07:30] but there's something structurally about the book of Daniel. When you look at the text, chapters 1 through chapter 2, they're all written in Hebrew. Chapter 2 verse 4 to chapter 7 verse 28, very clear, it's written in Aramaic. And then the remainder of the book is written in Hebrew.
[01:07:52] You wonder, why in the world would they do that? Seriously, I mean, did the guy like wake up one day, had Hebrew on his mind, Aramaic. We know that's not the case. The case is that the Bible's
[01:08:05] inspired by God. There must be a purpose behind it. Well, what happened in those central chapters?
[01:08:13] That's when the Gentile rulers were over them. So structurally, as you read the book of Daniel, The people of God enclosed by their native tongue Sent off into the foreign land Living in the foreign land
[01:08:31] And as you recount that and as you read that It's in Aramaic And the reason for this structure is we find this The very structure of the language of the book of Daniel Is forever preserved to communicate the fact
[01:08:43] That in the very reading of the text of Daniel You the reader experience the reality of what it looks like to live in a foreign land. And it's with this context in mind, we come to our first verse here.
[01:08:58] Verse 13. Look at what it says. And who is there to harm you? Maybe like they did Daniel.
[01:09:06] If you prove zealous for what is good. Another way of stating this is that if you do everything right and you try to be a good person, you try to run your business well, you try to not get angry at
[01:09:22] people at the grocery store or Capitol Boulevard's off. You can do whatever you want there, believe me. Who's going to say anything or do anything to you? The text here offers this conditional kind of sentence. If you prove zealous in the context of the original language, this condition isn't
[01:09:43] just a mere hypothetical. It's saying in the context of which we're finding ourselves, it's giving us a different reality and could be understood since these people will harm you even if you prove zealous for good works. The reality of these believers living in the Roman
[01:09:59] Babylon is that they will face harm. One of the key things is that whenever you try to live in a culture opposed to Jesus Christ, people will oppose you, even if you try to do everything
[01:10:13] right. And what you find here is that the word harm in this passage, it's ensuring in this particular context that harm will be coming upon them. The exact same word here is used throughout the book of Acts. Acts chapter 12 verse 1. Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some
[01:10:36] who belonged to the church in order to harm them. There's a specific hatred. You find it in Acts 14 too. But the unbelieving Jews instigated and embittered. The word embittered there is the same Greek word for harm here. The minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. Third one, there's
[01:10:58] very specific persecution given. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, do not be afraid but go on speaking and do not be silent for I am with you and no man will lay a hand on you
[01:11:10] in order to harm you for I have many people in this city. The text continues to go on here into verse 14. It says this, but even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. This
[01:11:29] passage is communicating the harsh truth, you're in trouble because you did nothing wrong. The nature of suffering for righteousness' sake is that the notion that you were doing exactly what God wants you to do and requires of you, and yet you are still suffering. The Apostle Peter, when
[01:11:52] you read his writings, can almost be understood as the apostle of suffering. Throughout the New Testament, the word suffer is used 41 times. It's used 12 times by Peter. More than any other New Testament book, you see Peter communicating the reality of suffering. The implications of this
[01:12:19] are quite interesting. Peter highlights the fact that goodness, or proper Christian living, is no guarantee that you will not suffer.
[01:12:31] You may go to work, you may go to school, or live in a society and do everything that God requires of you and still face persecution.
[01:12:43] But notice this.
[01:12:45] What does he say here?
[01:12:46] You are blessed.
[01:12:49] Think about this.
[01:12:51] The Lord Jesus Christ says these words.
[01:12:53] Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.
[01:13:11] For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. There's a truth that I've learned over the years, and I've learned this in counseling sessions, in apologetic situations, is that if an individual thinks or believes or has convinced themselves that they're the only
[01:13:37] one going through something, it seems to make matters worse. But the second an individual starts to realize, I'm not the only one. Other people have experienced this. I'm not the first worker to ever be oppressed. I'm not the first individual to proverbially have tomatoes thrown
[01:14:00] at me by my neighbor, it seems to do something to them. It seems like this broader vision, the normalcy of a situation, seems to ease a person in the midst of that trial.
[01:14:16] And the reason we bring this up is that in the context of engaging questions and engaging issues of apologetics, the natural reaction is persecution. When you try to disciple people according to the standards of Scripture, you're going to face pushback. If you as an individual
[01:14:40] are trying to run a business that honors Jesus Christ, you're going to face pushback.
[01:14:47] and this is what we find here in the context of the entire book of Romans it's the normal Christian life for whoever desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will what be persecuted or face persecution when you look at this let the eternal vision
[01:15:11] of the fact that suffering is normal and part of the Christian life provide you reason to rejoice you are joining the great cloud of witnesses from Hebrews chapter 11 and our Lord Jesus Christ who learned obedience through suffering we join with the apostle Paul that we can never be
[01:15:38] separated from the love of Christ and as apologists each of you apologists in this age Do not let suffering detract you from your calling before God. Rather, rejoice with Christ and the people of God. That's our calling before the Lord. Which brings us to our second
[01:16:02] characteristic. Christian apologetics means living under the lordship of Jesus Christ in the battle for truth. Look at verse 14. And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled.
[01:16:22] When you look at this, some of your Bibles may have this in all capitals, capitalization through there. Some may not. The point is, is that it's actually a quote from the Old Testament. And when
[01:16:34] you look at this and you read your Bibles, you go back and you look at those passages. And it's coming from Isaiah chapter 8. And in the context of this, it hearkens back to guess what again?
[01:16:45] The diaspora. The scattering. And the language used here warns about the coming Assyrian invasion.
[01:16:56] The issue the people were struggling with is having the same fears and not relying upon Yahweh.
[01:17:04] And the principles underlying this passage are very clear. It's very straightforward. The people of God should not be afraid if what sinful men and sinful women attempt to do to you. It's a natural reaction. People are going to come at you, and the Bible says do not be afraid of them. Isaiah 8.13
[01:17:26] says, it is Yahweh of hosts whom you should regard as holy. Now listen to this, and he shall be your fear, and he shall be your cause of trembling. The apostle Peter applies these principles to
[01:17:43] Christians who are facing significant harms and suffering in this culture. Peter is not alone.
[01:17:51] As we remember, the Lord Jesus Christ says this, and do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. Look at what he says here, but rather fear him who is able to destroy
[01:18:04] both body and soul in hell. Jesus' words are very clear. There are people in this world who do seek to harm you as a Christian, but there's a limit to their persecution. There's a point in which
[01:18:24] they can't go any further. They may be able to kill your body. They may be able to destroy your name on social media. They may be able to ruin your reputation, but they can't kill your soul.
[01:18:41] Amen? What we find here is, is that in this passage, Jesus is teaching that believers ought to see the great magnitude of our God. This magnitude should cause us to fear God, for God is holy and God is just. Because God is holy and because God is just, He cannot overlook sin,
[01:19:11] including the sins of those who are persecuting you. God will bring them to punishment. God will see that every careless word spoken against you or act done against you will have a full accounting.
[01:19:28] And that's why it says here in this context of this passage, there is a true reality of the doctrine of hell. In this passage, what we find here is, is that both Peter and Jesus are telling
[01:19:42] you to not be intimidated by unbelievers who will use fear and intimidation to silence you, to coerce you, to get you to compromise, to fudge just a little bit. Don't back down to their threats, and don't let their threats trouble you. Rather, fear God.
[01:20:13] You know, a number of years ago, Grant brought this up. We published the book Defending Inerrancy, and in the history of American evangelicalism, there was a battle for the Bible. And in that battle, you had individuals like R.C. Sproul and J.I. Packer and Francis Schaeffer, John MacArthur
[01:20:33] and others who recognized there's a slide taking place within our churches and there's a slide taking place within our seminaries. We've seen this. We've seen this. It's the nature of the reality. People questioning the total truthfulness of the Word of God. And what they did is they
[01:20:51] convened an organization called the International Society, I mean, yeah, the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, and it met in Chicago. And they produced what was known as the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, a series of affirmations and denials saying exactly what do
[01:21:09] we mean by this? And that statement went forth throughout the evangelical world, defining and defending exactly what we mean when we say that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God. Fast forward. People held to it. Compromises occurred. And I'm starting to have
[01:21:37] a conversation with Dr. Geisler saying, hey, I'm seeing this, and I'm reading that. And we started to have a conversation related to this, and we decided that it's time to write another book, hence Defending Inerrancy. And in that book, we did exactly what we laid out to do. Namely,
[01:22:00] we explained exactly what the biblical doctrine was, we named names, we named institutions, we dealt with issues and in the midst of this we knew the book was getting ready to come out i already had it it hadn't come out i'll admit i was getting nervous talk about fear in a passage
[01:22:19] because you think oh man you know we're going to call out guys at dallas seminary and trinity and even some of our southern baptist institutions that's going to go over like a concrete balloon and i got nervous and we convened and had one final conversation because it was written with
[01:22:36] all of the living framers of the Chicago Statement. And I remember being on that phone conversation. Geisler was there. Sproul was there. Packer was there. And I was there. What is that all about? And Norm said this, Bill, there are two fears in life, fear of God and fear of man.
[01:23:05] and never let your fear of man trump your fear of God. That's exactly what this passage is trying to communicate to you. In the midst of people coming against you, whether inside the church or outside of the church, fear the Lord. Which brings us to our next passage, verse 15, the key
[01:23:28] passage of apologetics here. Let's read it. But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. In this passage, this idea of making a defense, an apologia, you hear the term apologetics
[01:23:47] coming out? It's in this passage. But what you have to find here is, is that when you look at the context, what many people in the field of apologetics fail to see in this passage is Peter
[01:24:02] is making a clear imperative. Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. The first task of any person setting out to do Christian apologetics is to make the Lord holy in your own heart, to set your heart
[01:24:20] apart for the things of God. You're going to need it. It's not going to be easy. And the idea here is to treat him with the holy reverence due unto Christ. And I'm telling you, this is not the case
[01:24:36] in most apologetics today. A lot of people will bend on their convictions. Oh, what does it matter if Genesis 1 through 11 is really historically reliable? It's just a fact of creation, not the details of it. You ever hear that? Who would say that? William Lane Craig. Think about that.
[01:25:06] Individuals saying, Jesus didn't really say these words or go to these places. Rather, the genre of the New Testament allows them to make up speeches in places. So when Jesus was on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus wasn't really at a place that's on a mount. He didn't really say it
[01:25:28] in that exact way. Rather, there's a literary freedom, doesn't that sound wonderful, to depict the words and the places and the engagements of Jesus Christ. You know that's the predominant view of New Testament scholarship amongst most New Testament scholars today? And I would tell
[01:25:53] you it's because they have not sanctified the Lord Jesus Christ in their heart. When you look at this passage here, it hearkens back to the Old Testament, going back to Isaiah 8 again.
[01:26:06] In 1 Peter 3.14 and 15, he picks up on this motif, and in 3.15, in the second half of the verse, he says this, sanctify Christ as Lord and your heart. And here, what we find here is he's making
[01:26:22] a connection to the Old Testament, and the word used in the Old Testament would be translated as sanctify Christ as Yahweh. Not just a ruler, but Yahweh God as ruler. Here we find the apostle
[01:26:38] Peter commanding the church to set apart, to sanctify Jesus Christ, not as some generic Lord, but as Yahweh. And in this passage, you find him here declaring Jesus Christ to be God.
[01:26:55] sanctify Christ as Yahweh. Peter is explicitly telling the people that Jesus Christ, the Lord of the new covenant, is Yahweh of the old covenant. In 1 Peter, we find this overarching theme is you do not fear men, but you fear God. And in this passage, the apostle Peter makes
[01:27:25] a similar apologetic. We're not to fear men, but we're to sanctify Christ, to fear Jesus Christ.
[01:27:34] Why? Because He's truly God. The lordship of Jesus Christ should rule how we do apologetics.
[01:27:45] We don't set the bar so low and make the target so broad. We have a very specific thing that we're trying to defend the whole Christian faith. We do not want to come to the point where we have
[01:28:03] people believing in generic theism, a halfway reliable Bible, a mediocre doctrine of justification, a terrible view of the church, and we send them out all over the universities saying that these are our representatives defending the Christian faith. Rather, this passage is saying is that
[01:28:25] if Christian apologetics means anything, it means living under the lordship of Christ.
[01:28:31] And this passage is not calling you to make Jesus just a merely earthly king, but your divine, eternal Messiah, Yahweh in the flesh and the battle for truth. Why? You're going to need it.
[01:28:48] Which brings us to our next portion here. Notice this. He says, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. The Bible routinely uses body language to talk about things. Have you ever noticed that?
[01:29:01] Stand firm, legs. Take up the full armor of God, strong body. Gird your loins with truth, protect your legs. The breastplate of righteousness, to shod your feet in preparation of the gospel of peace, your feet. Peter in this passage is specifically calling you to sanctify
[01:29:23] Jesus Christ as Lord in your heart. Throughout the Old Testament, the heart was considered the central place of our emotions, the core of our being. And we have a very similar approach today.
[01:29:37] I love you with all of my heart. And several passages of the Old Testament depict this.
[01:29:43] Genesis 6-5, then Yahweh saw the evil of man was great on the earth and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. We see the overflow who we are coming out in our hearts.
[01:29:58] Exodus 7, 3, but I will harden Pharaoh's heart. Proverbs 3, verse 5, trust in Yahweh with all of your heart. Proverbs 12, 25, anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him
[01:30:16] glad. In the context of today's passage, we must connect it to the two verses. Where would fear reside in the midst of a persecuting culture in which you're doing apologetics? In your heart.
[01:30:33] Where would loyalty unto Christ reside? In your heart. Peter is warning those who grow either faint-hearted or disheartened due to the heartache of harms and persecuted to not become broken hearted. This is a reality for those who are undergoing significant trials. In the midst of
[01:30:59] hardship where God's presence may seem dim or distant, let the Lordship of Christ rule in your hearts. One of the key things that I want you to see here is, is that if Jesus Christ is the Lord
[01:31:13] of your life, certain issues are already settled. Certain conversations will be had, but the Bible is going to determine the answer. If Christ is Lord of your heart, there's no person who can sway you, no issue that can touch you. Christ's Lordship determines the doctrines we're to believe
[01:31:36] and how we are to defend them. Now, I will tell you this, that I have said in many respects, The apologetic situation of the 20th century was that of the hard sciences, creation, evolution, those types of things. We've all seen that, and I'm not saying that they haven't gone away.
[01:32:01] But what do you think the apologetic situation is of the 21st century? That of the social sciences.
[01:32:10] And what I want you to see is that we are going to live in a culture today that's going to deal with those things radically different. For example, news broke recently up in Kentucky.
[01:32:23] Student at Boyce College was fired from her job for talking about her Christian faith, in particular, as it relates to gender and sexuality. This is a girl at a coffee shop losing her job for that. Because here's what I want you to realize. With very few exceptions,
[01:32:45] you're not going to be persecuted and fired for defending the deity of Christ or creation.
[01:32:55] There's really not a lot of legal teeth in that. But there's a lot of legal teeth today in taking a stand for the fact that Jesus said, for God created them male and female and that marriage
[01:33:10] exists as the union between one man and one woman. This is a dividing line. This is the apologetic situations of our day. Why? Everything starts in the realm of ideas, and they work down into the
[01:33:25] issues of culture, and then they became a topic around the kitchen table. And what I want you to see here is that Peter is giving us clear things as it relates to what it means to live for the
[01:33:38] city of God in the city of man. And that's where he gives us this idea of making a defense, the next key thing in this passage. You may be thinking, I don't want to live in a culture that deals with
[01:33:50] that. Send me back to the 80s or the 50s. Make it easier. But we hearken back with Tolkien when he says this with Frodo. I wish it need not have happened in my time, said Frodo. So do I, said
[01:34:07] Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. And that's exactly what we find here, is that
[01:34:22] in Peter's letter and in the times that we live, being able to make a defense to the Christian faith is the normal thing for the Christian. Jesus did it. Peter did it. Paul did it. We find that
[01:34:35] Stephen did it and gave his life for it. All the apostles gave their lives for it. And we've seen the debates throughout the history of the church, the early Trinitarian debates, the issues related to is Jesus Christ truly man or truly God? The first attack was on his humanity,
[01:34:55] the Gnosticism that came into the church. As Christianity grew and it expanded going into the Greco-Roman world, we see individuals struggling with this idea of how do we engage with their view of the gods and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord of all in that context.
[01:35:15] Coming in through church history, we see this. There's nothing new under the sun. When you have figures like Luther and Calvin defending justification by faith alone, they were rightly defending the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the issues of their time. And just
[01:35:35] remember, during the Reformation, the issue was not Scripture or grace or Christ or faith or the glory of God. But during the Reformation, the issues were about Scripture and grace and Christ and faith and the glory of God alone. Amen? And these issues set the tempo for the marks of the
[01:36:03] church, and you start to see as the Protestant Reformation took forth, the issues did not go away. You have figures like Jonathan Edwards and the early Puritans coming in. What was Harvard, Yale, and Princeton founded as? Christian institutions for the training of men for the sake
[01:36:18] of ministry. We've lost that today. But think about this. Some of Edwards' early books on original sin, religious affections, how the nature of revival worked, were all written in the context of the debates during his day. And Edwards, even at one point in time, served as the president of
[01:36:42] Princeton Theological Seminary for a very short time. The point is, is that we live in a time right now where we must deal with the issues of our day. We're downstream of the various issues
[01:36:57] facing evangelicalism. Battle for the Bible. The battle for God. Defending classical theism.
[01:37:03] The battle for the true nature of Christ. And I want you to see here in this passage, you are called to be faithful to this moment in time, not the moment in time in which you hope
[01:37:15] or you wish you could live in, which brings us, as we look here, the nature of the Christian apologist is to have two key things here, to communicate the reality of hope and doing it
[01:37:30] with a good conscience. And you ask yourself, why the hope of the gospel? There's many things that we could look at here. There's many things that we find here. Yes, we give reasons. Yes, we give
[01:37:41] explanations, but we're people that are more than reasons and explanations. When the rug is pulled out from underneath your feet, you have to have something more than just reasons and explanations, nothing less than reasons and explanations, but you have to ground the fullness of the Christian
[01:38:02] faith, the practical application of the Christian faith. And we know what it's like in a world that's lost hope you know in the midst of writing this this week we were preparing and i get a phone
[01:38:16] call a phone call that nobody ever wants to get to find out that a a family member of mine lost hope he took his life was raised with him shared the gospel with him known him over 40 years
[01:38:35] when you're making your defense of the christian faith yes it is answers yes it is reason but it has to communicate the hope of the gospel there has to be some kind of true spirituality there
[01:38:52] where the significance of the resurrection of jesus christ means more than a bare proposition that we affirm it has to change our lives and it's manifest in how we live and the good conscience that we have. In the world in which we live, I want you to see that people will bring accusations
[01:39:09] against you, but as the passage ends here, if you have a good conscience, there's only one opinion that matters, the Lord's. So let me finish with this. A number of years ago, I read this story,
[01:39:25] it was really an obituary, about a woman named Dorothy Payne. If any of you ever heard of her, she did missions work. None of you have ever heard of her. I guarantee none of you have ever heard
[01:39:35] of her. And I'm reading through this, and the gist of the story is Dorothy was converted, young age, served this little tiny country church as a Sunday school teacher to the youth, played the piano for over 50 years, married with children, went on mission trips,
[01:40:00] no big name no flash no zeal none of it she became a widow lived as a widow for 35 years running a farm working with her family there and in the midst of it the communication was Dorothy
[01:40:23] was a faithful woman and she heard an objection one time not a normal objection that the objection went something like this. All of the kids were going to go to church camp, and in the midst of
[01:40:37] it, one kid said, well, we can't afford to go to the church camp. So Dorothy, being the widowed farmer's wife at this point, answers that objection, writes a check, sends the kid to church camp. Kid becomes Christian, starts preaching all throughout country churches, different venues,
[01:41:04] goes to Bible college, goes to seminary. That kid was me. You have to realize God uses normal people. God uses you to answer the objections before you. Sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart.
[01:41:30] Keep a good conscience. Proclaim the hope of the gospel to come. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We pray that you will bless our time as we leave here. Lord, we pray that
[01:41:42] you will let this church stand in defense of the gospel. We pray that you will turn this church into a platform that is known for heralding the lordship of Jesus Christ. I pray for the people
[01:41:59] here who go forth with difficult jobs, difficult circumstances, different difficult lives. Let them show the hope of the gospel in christ's name we pray amen in closing let's stand together as

[01:42:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[01:42:18] we sing behold our god who has helped the oceans in his hands who has numbered every grain of sand Kings and nations tremble at his voice All creation rises to rejoice Behold our God Seated on his throne
[01:43:09] Come let us adore him Behold our King Nothing can compare Come let us adore Who has given counsel To question many of His words Who can teach the one who knows all things Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds?
[01:44:05] Behold our God, seated on His throne.
[01:44:14] Come, let us adore the Lord.
[01:44:23] Nothing can compare.
[01:44:26] Come, let us adore the Lord.
[01:44:45] As felt the nails upon His hand.
[01:44:49] Bearing all the guilt of sinful man.
[01:44:56] God eternal, humble to the grave, Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign.
[01:45:10] Behold our God, hid on His throne, come let us adore Him.
[01:45:23] behold nothing can compare come let us adore him together men now he will reign forever in forever behold our god behold our god let us adored. Behold, nothing can compare. Come, let us adore together now. Our God, seated on his throne.
[01:46:40] Come, let us adore. Nothing. Let's lift our hands together as we join in singing the doxology.

[01:47:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:47:07] thank you so much bill for that message and that encouragement you know i think dark days are ahead

[01:48:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:48:05] where does the power come from to stand in the midst of a crooked and depraved generation obviously it comes from the holy spirit but yet we must as bill reminded us sanctify the lord as holy in our hearts and so we have to humble ourselves and say we need christ power christ
[01:48:26] strength and we need to submit ourselves more fully to the lordship of Jesus Christ even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no fear of them nor be troubled but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy always being prepared to make a defense to anyone
[01:48:51] who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect go in the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ.