Brothers and sisters in Christ, good morning! Before we dig into the word this morning, I just would like to add a personal note. I like to say that I have the best seat in the house. I get to see you coming into church on Sunday morning. I don't know if I can convey this well, but it is such a joy to see you, and it is such a blessing to worship God with you. I know you have to make an effort to be here. You make a choice to be here. And it's for God. But I want you to know it's a blessing to see you and to witness your faith. Thank you, and God bless you.

We are continuing our series about questions people ask. The question this morning is a tough one: how do you respond to a person who rejects God? Probably many of us have such people in our lives. This question came from someone who does chaplaincy work in hospital. He regularly visits people in the hospital, to get a feeling for their spiritual needs and to ascertain whether they would like a chaplain. This person is on the front line. And the question becomes, "What if a person is lying in a hospital bed and says, 'I don't want anything to do with God. What's God done for me lately? I reject God.' How do you respond to a person like that?" Maybe you have situations in your lives that correspond to this one. How do we deal with it?

I'd like to invite you to consider three steps in dealing with people who reject faith or reject God. There are three Ls:
    Lock in on your faith.
    Listen intensely.
    Love tremendously.

First of all, lock in on your faith. Remember that the person you're talking to is a beloved child of God. Even if he or she seems to be rejecting the Lord, even if he offers all kinds of clever arguments against faith, he is still a child of God. Not necessarily an opponent to be argued with, but, like the prodigal son, someone who has wandered away. Just because this person rejects God, he doesn't destroy God. Just because this person rejects Christianity, he doesn't destroy 2000 years of Christianity. This is a person who is wandering, who doesn't know the comfort of faith.

So let's deal with that person in a way that becomes a Christian. The way of a Christian is not to be argumentative or confrontational. The way of the Christian is to be embracing and inclusive and loving.

So, the first thing to do is to lock into your faith. I have a digital camera that I love. I look through the lens, and I can focus on a subject, and then I push the button half-way down and it locks it in. So no matter how much of the background I get, I still have my subject in focus. Maybe you have a camera like that. Lock in on your personal faith. When we're dealing with a person who rejects God or rejects, it makes our faith shake a little bit, doesn't it? Lock in on what you believe.

I want to tell you today about the anchor of my faith. When everything else is shaking, here is the idea I go back to. Now, forgive me if you've heard this before, but it's foundational. It's the anchor. It's called Miracle 101. It's something I discovered back in seminary. I was going through a hard time personally in my life. I was studying my seminary books deep in the night. I remember the desk and the lamp and where I was in that tiny room. And I remember coming across this sentence by theologian and mathematician Ludwig Wittgenstein. He said, "The greatest miracle of all is that we exist." Let's extend that. The greatest miracle of all is that there is anything at all. Behold the miracle of creation. Behold the miracle of creation in your mirror. I don't need cosmologists to tell me whether God exists.  I don't need to understand the Big Bang and evolution to know whether God exists. I know God exists because we – you and I – are here now. There's never been a moment like this, and there will never be a moment like it again. That's what excites me, and that's what makes me say, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." The only reason it is so is because there is a creator, and that is the anchor of my faith. If anything else shakes, I go back to that, and you can, too. Keep your faith in focus. Realize that though you may be dealing with a wanderer, your faith is solid. Miracle 101.

The other thing to remember when you're dealing with a person who rejects God, rejects faith, rejects a creator, is – I don't mean to make light of it – but it's kind of like two goldfish talking to each other. Goldfish One goes up to Goldfish Two and says, "I just can't believe in this thing, Water. It's just too much for me. I don't get it."
And Goldfish Two says, "What do you mean? You're swimming around in it."
Goldfish One says, "But I can't see it." Goldfish Two says, "You breathe it. It's all around you."
"Yeah, but what has it done for me lately?"
"Would you be surprised to know that 98% of you is Water?"
"I can't understand that. I don't look like that. I just don't get it. If I can't see it, I won't believe it."
Goldfish Two might say, "Well, try flopping around on land for a while and see what happens," but he's not that cynical or confrontational.

Here's the point: in the book of Acts it is written: "In Him we live and move and have our being." Isn't that a beautiful scripture? God is all around us. He not only created us; He created us out of Himself. If the theories that scientists develop are true, and the explosion of stars was the start of life, then you and I are miraculously made of stardust. And the brilliance and the genius of God have caused it to be so. So don't worry about God in that way. God's shoulders are broad, and He will still love and accept the non-believer. Focus on your faith. God is, and in the cross of Jesus Christ, God cares.

The second step: Listen intensely. It could be that the person you're talking to has been hurt, or has endured more than he can stand, and he has to lash out at something or someone. So he lashes out at God. God's shoulders are broad enough. He can take it. It's our job to listen intensely and see where the hurt is. Maybe he just needs your soft eyes to listen and care and understand. Maybe that alone will move him toward God. 

Over the years I've had occasions, in my office, talking to people, where people have been heartbroken or disillusioned by the church. You can see in their soul a longing to come back.  But there's that hurt. It could have been from someone at church. It could have been from a clergyperson. If the moment feels right, I say to them, "You know what? As a clergyperson, on behalf of all clergypersons everywhere and those that offended you, I apologize. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have gone through that. Will you accept that apology?" It is a blessing sometimes to see tears of relief and hear the word 'yes', so they can go on.

The second step is to listen intensely and care about the person who seems to be rejecting God. Sometimes I think that people are more religious than we think they are. What they need is a caring heart and a listening ear.

And third, Love them. Love them wonderfully. Love them magnificently. Love them tremendously. That person may be more touched by your love and your patience than by anything else. Remember that Jesus prayed for those that crucified Him, didn't He? Love them, and watch what happens.

And so, dear friend, if you have people in your life who are struggling with faith, struggling with God, remember your own faith and hold fast to it. Listen intensely. Love them very much. Part of loving them is praying for them. You might pray, "Lord, please bless these people." And I pray that you might hear the Lord's voice saying to you, "I already am. I'm blessing them with you."

God loves you. I do, too. Have a wonderful week. Amen.