I mentioned last Sunday that Bev and I attended a seminar at Calvary Baptist called “Questions Every Christian is Afraid They’ll Ask.”  It was hosted by Lee Strobel, Mark Middleberg and two other guys I’ve never heard of.  One of the guys who I had never heard of was introduced by Mark Middleberg, he said this guy is scary smart – and he was!

The one thing I really took away from this seminar was a reminder that it is okay if we do not have the answers to people’s questions.  Walter Martin earned the name the “Bible Answer Man” because he hung around an area where there were lots of street preachers.  Walter talked with the street preachers and asked them to send people over to him who had tough questions they could not answer.  Walter would answer the question if he could; if he could not, he would tell the person he didn’t know.  Then he would ask that person to come back in a week, and promised he would have an answer.

We do not have the answers to everyone’s questions and probably never will, but if we are willing to be honest with people and tell that, then we have the option to either get back to them or even send them to someone who may know.

 
The other thing we need to stop fearing is what if we “fail?”  And by “fail” I mean, what if the person I am talking to does not accept Jesus?  Or worse yet, what if I am so bad I wind up making a fool of myself?  First of all, I want to remind you that you cannot fail.  Because Jesus told you to teach them what He has taught you, and He sent the Holy Spirit to remind us of what we have been taught.  The Bible is a very complicated book, Christianity is a very complicated way of life; you are not expected to have all the answers.  It is enough that you tell people your salvation story – you cannot “fail” at that.  Second, let’s say they don’t believe you, or they make fun of you and they make you look like a fool.  So what?  Oh sure, I know it’s embarrassing, but come on, really – would it be the first time?  The answer is no, it wouldn’t.  Even if it is the first time you were made fun of, you would not be the first one.  They mocked Jesus right on the cross! 

 
Again, remember, their response is just that – their response!  A spiritually dead person cannot understand spiritual things.  It would be like describing an aircraft carrier to John the Baptist!  Our job is not to make converts; our job is Bringing the Great News of a Great God to the People of the Great Basin!  What they do with it is on them.

Bill