Practical Athesism
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good Morning the title of today’s message is practical atheism. We all know the meaning of Atheism, it is the disbelief in the existence of God. some famous atheists are people like George clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Daniel Radcliffe, Hugh Hefner (no surprise there), Bruce willis (that is sad considering his declining condition), Joaquin Phoenix, Jodie foster, Amber Heard (again no surprise there), Morgan Freeman. Any of these name shock you? I personally nothing shocks me anymore. But of course there are a lot more atheists than that. A lot of so called intellectuals are atheist Steven Hawking, Richard Dawkins to name a few. Many scientists are atheist which is funny because that goes against everything scientists are taught. In fact Marcelo Gleiser a 60 year old prize winning Physicist and professor at Dartmouth wrote in 2019 that Atheism is inconsistent with the Scientific method. The augment goes on. Also do not believe that just because we are in church that Atheists are not present with us. In fact i lead an atheist (who grew up in the church, and who’s father was a deacon) to the lord when I was a youth pastor in Virginia Beach.
I idea of practical atheism, not just what someone believes, but how someone lives their life is really a fools errand. The definition of practical atheism is The view that one should not only disbelieve in the existence of God, but that one should live their life with disregard towards God... Do you see the irony here? An atheist does not believe in a God so much that they make it their life goal to prove there is no God, but takes it a step more as to live their lives to disregard towards God… I mean if there is no God then why spend so much time and effort trying to prove there is no God and going even further to live your life in disregard of God? Anyway that is atheism in a nut shell. We scratch our heads even make jokes about atheists and then go on.
The “fool” (nāḇāl) is neither ignorant nor an atheist. The word “fool” is synonymous with wicked (cf. TWOT, 2:547). It reflects the wisdom tradition where the “fool” aggressively and intentionally flouts his independence from God and his commandments (cf. 53:1; 74:18, 22). The wicked were fools when they acted corruptly, shamelessly (Deut 32:5–6), and in willful disregard for the ways of God. The opposite of “fool” is “wise,” or one who understands (v. 2). A portrayal of the evil nature and practices of the ungodly “fool” is given in Isaiah 32:4–7.The denial of God is not an absolute denial of his existence. The pagans around Israel believed in many gods, and the impious in Israel did not rationalistically deny the historic and cultural links between the Lord and Israel. In his impudence the fool disregards God’s expectations. God is not important in his life. He shuts off the affairs of this world from divine intervention and denies any personal accountability to God for his actions
But today i wanna to ask you a question how many times in your life and even throughout your journey have you been a practical atheists? What? no I am a professing christian i have never been a practical atheist, how dare you ask that question? I am gonna ask it again and I want you to be totally honest with yourself have you been a practical atheist or are you now a practicing atheist? You see atheism comes in many forms lets see what the Bible has to say about this and how we will see that atheism is not just for the spoiled celebrity or the intellectual
Turn in your Bibles to Psalm 14
In our text today we will see that atheism is not such a cut and dry situation that many of us have flirted with this concept and still do, oh we may claim too believe in God but the question remains, do we really? In our text today David addresses the condition unbelief, Not technically atheism. This condition of unbelief is of course seen in the Lost non-Christian the person of the world, and it is the condition of one who maybe at one time had a profession of faith but has backslidden and followed their own plans and schemes and has God caught up in idolatry, making themselves their own little god. Today we look at three vital indicators of a detrimental heart condition...
I. They proclaim that God is not real - vs 1 Now here is a perfect example of why we must read carefully and accurately the Bible and read it with intention. Because over the years I have heard preachers use this scripture to make fun of atheist and tell everyone in the congregation that this is about self proclaimed atheism. But read carefully Ps 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.” Now the atheist that we know will say with their mouths, but this statement goes much deeper. You see it is the heart of a man that really matters. You may say that you are a believer in God, you may even say that you are a Christian, but as we know words are cheap. In what ways can a “church person” be a practical atheist? well actually quite a bit. We become foolish when we disregard what God says, when we disobey, rebel, and even want to justify our ungodly behaviors and thoughts by changing what the word of God says. We see it all the time (voddie baulkman video about apologizing for what God says about adultery).
We disobey wilfully - This is where we read God’s commands or know what God demands from us and say “I will not follow that, I know what is best for me”. When that happens what we are really saying is that I truly do not believe in God. Because if we did if we truly believed in God and His standards His holiness, His wrath and justice then we would think twice about our actions. 2 Tim 3:1-7 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Sam 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.””
We run to idolatry - This is tied really to the first one we make ourselves doubt God to the point of where we really in our hearts don't believe there is a God and we make ourselves god. We will make excuses and play out every single scenario then decide that we know whats best. Col3:5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Isa 44:9-11 “All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.”
It changes our behavior - We in our own delusions thinking that we have control and power. When we choose to make ourselves god and choose not to live to gods standards then our behavior runs contrary to God’s. First if you trust yourself you have issues. I don’t even trust myself to choose dinner. If we depend on our own devices what we are saying is God I don’t need you and I don’t want you in fact I don’t even know you are there. I become a practical atheist Heb 10:26 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” Titus 2:12 “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,”
II. There is no good in them yet they believe otherwise - vs 1-3 The bible is clear about the state of humanity. I mean I joke a lot about how wretched and jacked up you are, and i pick on myself as well. But the reality is we are wretched and jacked up, if it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit and me being born again i would as bad a hitler, manson, Mussolini. If not for the Grace of God. I don’t trust myself, i knew who i was.
1. They are corrupt - the word corrupt means: marred, spoiled, ruined, rotted. When we say in our hearts that there is no God, by doing our own thing we are rotted and morally perverted. 2 Pet 2:19 “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” Gal 6:8 “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
2. Their behavior is an abomination to the Lord - Their actions do not line up with God’s holiness. This of course stems from their foolishness of their hearts. Their depravity started in their hearts and manifested itself in their actions. Every time we put god in the backseat of our lives we become practical atheists Pro 17:15 “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” Pro 16:5 “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”
3. They have turned aside - vs 3 this is why this scripture is not Just about the atheist we are familiar with but this is about all who turn aside from God. 1 Tim 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,” 2 Pet 2:20-22 “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”” Heb 3:12 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”
III. They will fall under God’s Judgment and wrath if they do not repent - vs 4-5 God’s nature will not allow for wickedness and corruption. God will not be mocked. That is why Jesus’ main message is “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Rom 2:5 “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Eph 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
This is the heart of man. But God is. a fool may say in his heart there is no God But we are given 3 facts about God
1. God is - vs 1 The greatest knowledge is knowing God is, the greatest wisdom is living like it Ex 3:14 “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”” John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”” Rev 1:8 ““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.””
2. God seeks - vs 2 God is seeking those who would be saved he is seeking you and me. This shows God is a God of compassion and grace. 1 Chron 28:9 ““And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.” Ps 27:8 “You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”” Lk 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”” Jeremiah 17:10 ““I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.””
3. God Saves - vs 7 It is God and God alone who saves and He is our only hope. Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” Eph 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””
you cannot save yourself, you cannot run, you cannot make excuses the fact are here the only thing that you must do is respond to the gospel message, God is reaching out to you asking you to follow him as Jesus did…what will your response be?