Discover Bible School Dealing With Objections

1. Discover Bible SchoolDealing With Objections Doctrinal Lifestyle Baptismal Candidates

2. How Satan Works • 2 Cor. 4:4 - He blinds people’s minds. • 2 Tim. 3:1-8 - He blinds people’s minds with 20 categories of sins. • Eph. 4:17-19 - He causes people to lose religious sensitivity. • Rev. 14:8, 17:8 - He causes people to believe false ideas.

3. Basic Principles of Dealing With Objections

4. Primary Principles • Never argue! • “That’s a good point.” • “My mother believed the same thing.”

5. Primary Principles • Always look for some common ground. • “Lots of people.” • “I used to believe that too. . .”

6. Primary Principles It is always easy to say, “Well, let me tell you this about that!” • But that kind of statement usually closes the door to further study.

7. Primary Principles • Always find a way to point toward the Bible answer. What the Bible teaches What people believe “That’s interesting. I find a lot of people confused on that point. Let’s review what the Bible says”

8. Primary Principles • Always find a way to point toward the Bible answer. • “Let’s review what the Bible says” • That leads back to the lesson and the Bible.

9. Primary Principles • In your explanation, stick with the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church and the list of questions on the baptismal certificate. • Key study resource – Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology: (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000).

10. In a Small Group • “Good question. What do you think?” • Keep the answers focused on the point. Focus on the lesson. Don’t wander all around.

11. In a Small Group • There are questions that often come up in a given lesson. • Have someone in the group ready to answer the question. • “Henry, what do you think?”

12. In a Small Group • Henry: “Why don’t we look up [Bible passage] and see what it says.” • “That’s the text beside question . . . .”

13. Doctrinal Issues

14. Common Issues that Come Up • Roman Catholic. • Baptist. • Pentecostal/Charismatic. • Variety of non-Christian religions. • Islam • Hindu

15. Resources • Reaching and Winning series [Advent Source]

16. Resources • Reaching and Winning series [Advent Source] • Mark Findley, Studying Together: A Ready-Reference Bible Handbook. • Gerhard Pfandl (ed.), Interpreting Scripture: Bible Questions and Answers (Biblical Research Institute), 2010. • http://www.bibleinfo.com • John Earnhart, Bible Marking (Review and Herald Publishing Association), 2008. • J. L. Schuler, Helps to Bible Study (Review and Herald Publishing Association) 1999.

17. Common Issues that Come Up • Roman Catholic • Authority of the church vs the authority of the Bible. • The role of a priest. • Worship services and the mass. • The role of the Virgin Mary.

18. Basic Principles • Roman Catholic • Don’t focus on the mark of the beast and the evils of medieval Catholicism. • The objective is to refocus Roman Catholic eyes from the church to Jesus.

19. Basic Principles • Roman Catholic • You can present the prophecies in a way that leads Roman Catholics to draw their own conclusions. • Become familiar with some basic Roman Catholic vocabulary.

20. Basic Principles • Roman Catholic Second Coming 312 AD - Constantine End of 2300 years Restored The truth “Cast to the ground”

21. Basic Principles • Roman Catholic • John 2:5 – The Virgin Mary’s viewpoint about Jesus: • “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”

22. Basic Principles • Roman Catholic • Hebrews 9:1-14. • All this is done away with.

23. Common Issues that Come Up • Baptist • Predestination vs free will. • Almost all Baptists take this for granted. Most have never even heard of free will. • Baptists believe this to protect the sovereignty of God.

24. Common Issues that Come Up • Baptist • Predestination vs free will. • Two issues arise from this view: • I don’t have to choose to be saved. • Once saved – always saved.

25. Common Issues that Come Up • Pentecostal/Charismatic • The authority of the Holy Spirit vs. the authority of the Bible. • “The Holy Spirit said to me.” • Speaking in tongues as a sign of sanctification.

26. Common Issues that Come Up • Pentecostal/Charismatic • How will I replace my friends and church family?

27. Common Issues that Come Up • Variety of non-Christian religions. • Islam • Hindu

28. Lifestyle Issues

29. Official Wording Fundamental Belief No. 22 • “We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with biblical principles in all aspects of personal and social life. • “For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things that will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. • “This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty.

30. Official Wording Fundamental Belief No. 22 • “While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit. • “It also means that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently.

31. Official Wording Fundamental Belief No. 22 • “Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. • “Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness.”

32. Emphasis Fundamental Belief No. 22 • All aspects of personal and social life. • Amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. • Dress is to be simple, modest, and neat. • True beauty does not consist of outward adornment. • Bodies . . . care for them intelligently. • Abstain from the unclean foods. • Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics.

33. Baptismal Vow Church Manual pp. 48,49; Baptismal Certificate. 10. Do you believe that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; and will you honor God by caring for it, avoiding the use of that which is harmful, and abstaining from all unclean foods; from the use, manufacture, or sale of alcoholic beverages; from the use, manufacture, or sale of tobacco in any of its forms for human consumption; and from the misuse of or trafficking in narcotics or other drugs?

34. Dress, Adornment. Etc. • Church Manual p. 141. • “Let us remember that it is not outward adornment that expresses true Christian character, but “the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3, 4). We should avoid the use of cosmetics not in keeping with good taste and the principles of Christian modesty.”

35. Dress, Adornment. Etc. Church Manual p. 141. • Rational: “The wearing of ornaments of jewelry is a bid for attention not in keeping with Christian self-forgetfulness.” • Non-wearing of jewelry is not a test of fellowship. It is a Christian standard accepted by the Seventh-day Adventist church. • Usually a person is ask not to wear jewelry during a baptismal ceremony.

36. Baptismal Candidates Baptismal candidates go through a process: • A personal decision. • Preparation by an evangelistic team, pastor, lay person, Bible instructor, etc. • A vote by the church to accept them as members once they are baptized.