Why do you believe? If you consider yourself a follower of Jesus, why are you following Him today? What is it about Jesus, or what has happened in your life, that has brought you to this point? And if you have had reasons to reject faith in Jesus because of difficult life experiences, intellectual doubts, or the hurts you’ve experienced at the hands of other believers, why have you pushed those reasons aside and continued to believe?
Why don’t you believe? If you do not consider yourself a follower of Jesus, why do you not believe? What is it that holds you back from believing all that Jesus said about God and what it means to know Him? What doubts do you have, what experiences have damaged your faith, or what else has led you to declare that you do not believe?
It’s a simple question, really, but one that you may not often take the time to reflect on and articulate. If you believe in Jesus, if you follow the God of the Bible and are trying to live out the purpose of life as He revealed it, why have you made that decision? And if you do not believe – if you reject that portrait of God or the Bible’s description of brokenness and salvation and what it means to really live – why not? I’d really like to hear your story.
This past Sunday, we launched a new page on our church website called “Why Believe?” in anticipation of an upcoming sermon series I’ll be giving beginning on Easter Sunday, March 23rd. I will be taking five Sundays to deal with some of the biggest reasons that people reject faith in Jesus – questions like “how can God allow THAT to happen in my life or in the world?” and “how can Christians claim that theirs is the only right religion?” Statements such as “I can accept Jesus as a good teacher, but I can’t believe all the miracles of the Bible” or “I would be more likely to follow Jesus if it weren’t for all those hypocritical, intolerant Christians.”
The purpose of the “Why Believe?” site is to give people a chance to share their stories of why they do or do not believe. The beauty about stories and personal experiences is that they are true to us – we have experienced them and no one can really argue with what we’ve experienced. If you follow Jesus, sharing your story is a chance to put a face to the name “Christian,” a chance to let spiritual seekers or atheists know that there are real people with genuine reasons to believe. And if you have rejected faith in Jesus or are still trying to figure it out, this is an opportunity to let Christians know that there are real people with genuine reasons to reject the God of the Bible or the Christian church. Personal stories can be an excellent bridge-builder between people with different views, as well as an opportunity to interact with real people with real stories instead of just general “issues” and “theories.”
So, as I prepare for this upcoming sermon series, I want you to do me two favors. First, I would ask you to visit the website at www.newlife-glastonbury.org/whybelieve and share your story of why you do or do not believe. Once you’re there, click on “How to Share” near the top of the page, and that will guide you through how to add your story. Keep in mind that, as the moderator, I reserve the right to block stories or edit anything that does not contribute in a positive manner to the discussion. Secondly, I want you to invite others you know to share their story, especially anyone you know who does not believe. My hope is that this site will become a forum for honest conversation about the question of belief in Jesus.
At the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey everything he has commanded. I believe that the salvation and new life that Jesus offers is for everyone in this world, and it is in this spirit that we have created this opportunity to both share what we believe and listen to the stories of those who don’t believe. May God use this website and sermon series to reveal to our world who He truly is, in all of His majesty, holiness and beauty, so that all might believe.
Write a comment