Apologetics Sermon Illustration #82: Bad reasons to call 911 and thoughts on what’s one’s worldview’s understanding of one’s greatest problem

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Point: Everyone has a worldview.  Different worldviews also understand differently what’s  man’s biggest problem.  Of course what is seen as the greatest problem will shape what one thinks should be the solution (if any).  I think a helpful evangelistic and apologetics discussion question is “What do you think is the biggest problem in the world today?” and chances are someone would identify what’s a legitimate problem (though not always); yet what they think is a dire problem might not be the biggest problem from God’s perspective.  

How can we transition that point to sharing the Biblical worldview and also give an analogy for the nonbelievers to “step into the biblical worldview” and have the point driven home?

Picture: I read a news article about silly things people call 911 for.  911 in the United States and America is the number you call for emergency services such as police, fire fighter, etc.  Some of things shared are silly.  But for the individuals making the call no doubt for some of them it was a mental emergency; but that belief is shaped by their views of the world.

Here’s some that the article mentioned:

• A “caller who requested assistance deleting a voicemail from their phone”
• A “caller whose bathtub drain was clogged” 
• A”caller who used the emergency line to avoid being put on hold in a request for paperwork”
• A “prank caller reporting a “cougar,” which turned out to be referencing the colloquial term for an attractive older woman.
• A “roommate had eaten their take-out order”
• A “caller reported a “hostile cat” in their neighborhood”
• A “caller reported they were out of milk and a caller reported that swallowing a mosquito had caused them to choke and lose their dentures”

We would say some of those are issues but not serious enough to be the big problems associated with calling 911.

In the same way people can think their biggest problem are other things.  But the Biblical reveal the biggest problem is with our sins against God and the wrath of God we deserve.

Fortunately there’s the greatest news ever: Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins, if we trust in Christ’s work and Person!

POSSIBLE SCENARIO FOR EMPLOYING THIS ILLUSTRATION DURING APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM

CHRISTIAN: What do you think is the biggest problem according to your worldview?

NON-CHRISTIAN: I think the problem is X.

CHRISTIAN: Those are problems but I think its not the biggest problem.  The biggest problem is your sins against God.  In light of that your problem is a side issue/or an issue that stems from the root cause of sin.  <Insert Analogy>.  

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