A Conversation with Kirby Anderson

PNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together it's reasoned relevant content apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know now from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane welcome to another edition of truth or a new generation. Alex Garland here first Peter 315 set apart the board in your heart. Be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks. The reason for the hope that you have do this with meekness and fear says he will King James. Some translations say do it with gentleness and respect. Another verse I think about is Jude verse three that says that we are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints and know what I think about apologist and people who I could say defenders of the faith. But really, they stand up. The truth, they do what the Bible says and graciously but effectively fruitfully consistently they stand up for the faith, and I think of Kirby Anderson and probe ministries. It's been my joy to be on the Kirby many times in here at the booth or AFR at the NRB convention. We got Kirby Anderson and Stephen cable both from probe ministries how to say welcome guys. Thanks for making time to be with us and up Kirby. Isn't it nice that for once, I think this is the first time you and are doing a radio show and were not a thousand miles apart now is also nice for me to have you interview me because so many times I've interviewed you and Doug have talked about your conferences and all the books that you produced and everything else and for people that are not familiar upper ministry started almost 50 years ago, 173, John Buhl and Jimmy Williams were individuals that were influenced by people like Francis Schaeffer, you would know of shirt and really wanted to help develop this idea of thinking biblically and speaking biblically to the issue.

So, speaking on college campuses are producing books and all sorts of things and really just a more recently we over the last 12 years of said there's some things going on in the culture that you talk about almost every day. Alex and this is why will be talk about the survey today because we felt that it was need for us to know what is going on in the culture. How can we help people answer the questions that they have, and most importantly, there seems to be a real drop-off in terms of orthodoxy in terms of biblical ideas so that's kind of just a basic understanding of what probe is and why were doing what were doing today well I applaud what you're doing and I remember it 10 years ago that the culturally captive Christians. Survey may have been on with you at that time about that but I remember at least, I probably wrote about it for Focus on the Family and for Dr. Dobson but not Stephen. We welcome you as well and so on. Kirby I hear you everywhere ago on the radio Stephen out. What is your role it probe will my role I are right radio programs. I handle all of our statistical analysis. I've take care of doing during our surveys like the one will be talking about today so I have a strong background that area and I want to see it applied to help the church move forward.

Amen.

And it now before we dive into the depth of this working people find you on the web and some of the results of your analysis of the culture and faith working people read that oversaw the website is probe.org so probe ministries and PR OBE we will be a course producing a lot of material from the survey that came out in 20 2011 to give credit to Steve cable because when he produced some of the material from the one in 2010. He also took the time Alex, as you well know, is having worked in Focus on the Family that there are lots of other surveys. George Barna sure you G SSI Christian Smith.

Of course you're familiar with many of those our listeners might say I don't know that there were that many but a lot of different people, some coming from a Christian point of view, others just asking basic questions have been able to give us just an incredible wealth of data, but then we sort of say what we do with it because quite frankly, Alex will talk about this little bit. Maybe today some people haven't taken the time to really dig into the data. Steve cable has and I can't think of anybody that understands those surveys better than he does so again if you go to probe.org.

We even have a special section of some of the various articles already written by Steve cable.

You mentioned some of those names like Christian Smith, whom I've had the privilege of interviewing and others I can and I think about Steve press the arrow who I don't even know if he's a Christian, but he is a very estate academic and he was talking about how he wrote a book of God is not one because so much of the time. The second rule says well all religions teach basically the same thing and put Pharaoh interviewed a lot of people, he said, look, they don't know that they all might be wrong, but they can't all be right, which is absolutely true and folks of eliciting this were talking about worldview were talking about Christianity. One of the things that sets the biblical worldview apart is whether a lot of things but are not the least of which is the empty tomb, only Christ has a physically risen from the dead Savior validating the man in the message Jesus is the son of God gives life and salvation of the world and he can be your savior, Jesus close by us a prayer and so when we talk about the biblical worldview were not merely spouting off our opinions or even preferences for talking about objective truth that is his real regardless of who does or doesn't believe it, and said the biblical worldview has been our foundation and we must rediscover it and pass it on to future generations. But talk about the data. I'll throw this out to both of you. Where are we spiritually as a nation right now 330 million Americans ± what we believe Stephen Wellwood believe a wide variety of things and basically from a Christian perspective on a downward slope right now. We did to the survey in 2010 which was sober downward slope from 2000 and over the last 10 years it's been dramatic for the decline, especially amongst those 18 to 40 years old you are talking about the biblical worldview principles on a minute ago and we look at pluralism 62% of born-again Protestants LBS write and share 52% of them are pluralist. They believe that Mohammed, Jesus and Buddha are equally valid ways to God, that's got a mind blowing you talk about Jesus.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We asked them three questions about Jesus.

Jesus died to redeem us, will he come again to save us and deliver sinless life on earth, and less than half of born-again Protestants agreed with those three statements. It was leisure.

Mike is, how can they be apart again positive and not believe those three things about Jesus that is true because what's happening our culture today is the culture of continually pounding, pounding, pounding that Christianity is not true and and seek in blazing things about it is a good teacher but no Lord we can effectively break station folks this is powerful. You need this.

Don't know why women come right back with more of Stephen cable Kirby Anderson on this additional generation. Alex is written many books to help you defend your faith. One of them answers questions from skeptics it's cleverly titled 10 answers for skeptics today. Skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity, and straightforward truth and in the book Alex McFarland identifies the 10 most common types of skepticism that plagued doubters minds. It offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity. Learn how to answer intimidating questions. Identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantled the spiritual bombshells dropped by atheist plus find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love. The ultimate apologetic Christians could offer as a witness to our loving God, check out 10 answers for skeptics. When you visit Alex McFarland.com you know Alex is been writing for many years, and one of his classic books is still great. Today is a basic introduction to the Christian faith.

It's called stamp courtrooms must know for unshakable faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt onto solid ground. You'll read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are one inspiration of the Bible to the virgin birth.

Three. The deity of Christ for atonement. Five. Christ's resurrection and six. Christ's return know Alex mixes it up with humor and stories gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages things to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ. Simple and straightforward stand courtrooms you must know for an unshakable faith available wherever Christian books are so timeless truths in a soundbite culture for a new generation radio program, having a great conversation with Kirby Anderson who I have followed for 70 years and now think about this is unique, that I'm getting to interview you for your before go to much for your such a great resource.

Both of you give the website how can people find you online and avail themselves to your your research and broadcast and again it is it that www.probe.org and Kristi cable with me and I might even encourage people to go there really put up a banner soon so that they can find these survey that were talk about today, but the previous surveys and the analysis that Steve cable is done with those surveys is already there so I hope they'll go back and again and again to the website and course if you want to learn more about politics and economics apologetics theology Colts world religions history.

We have all sorts of different aspects and there just hundreds and hundreds of articles that you will be able to find as well as transcripts of a ready program. Well, thank you so much. You know I was talking to James Dobson back in December about seven or eight months ago and that he was talk about during World War II. How many churches have liked all my prayer vigil's and United we were lamenting the theological and moral state of the culture and I said well you know but God sends revivals and he said yeah but Alex, this is different.

The church is so fragmented. The church is not really biblically literate and there's not unity. Dr. Dobson said.

He said you've got to remember very critical. Our during the time of World War II there were churches that they would gather with two days notice and have all my prayer vigil's and were discussing anything like that right now so II say that to to kinda queue up this line of discussion we know the Lord can do anything and in revive the church but are we.

Maybe not a post-Christian culture, but a pre-Christian culture.

In some ways I think that's exactly right when we look and see that less than 3% of those under 40 have a biblical worldview and were looking at the church and will look at the buildings and people in the buildings.

That's not the church. The church of those Christian believers who have a biblical worldview are able to interact with the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And when you say it's 3 to 5% of the population that I think were exactly what what you're saying were in a pre-work and I start again and the world needs that there are people out there floundering fine. Some of the believe that you know in panel discussions in an Kirby you might speak to why this is serious but I've had college students say will.

Jesus might've send you yeah and I am talking young adults that profess to be believers and I had a student what challenged me about a month ago and said what would be wrong. You know he's still a good man, Jesus could of sand may be, and I said no that's not true, but what why is having an accurate picture of Jesus so vitally important. Kirby will certainly as you just pointed out and we done that in surveys ask rigid Jesus live a sinless life and is amazing how many times you don't get an answer.

This yes and so they are are a lot of these issues, but these issues kinda fall off pretty quickly is like a watershed if they don't believe in absolute truth, then there much more open to use. Like all critical race theory postmodernism that doesn't believe in absolute truth, and we found that a very high percentage of them do not. If they don't believe that there is a personal Satan will then there not to be very successful spiritual warfare. They don't even realize her spiritual warfare and so as a result, once you can begin to deny some of the Orthodox foundations of the Christian faith you're open to anything. Does it not start and and I cannot be a little bit harsh on pastors because I have been one and believe me I know the dynamics of the shepherding a local flock small and large but I've got to believe that some of the biblical illiteracy over the last 3 to 5 decades.

Some of the blame lies at the feet of pastors. I think the big thing is the pastors are teaching these truths to use an audience that they believe believes them is already predisposed to accept them because that 4050 years ago. That was true today. It's not so they have young people, young adults out there that are hearing them say things about behavior, etc. and they say all is this that's what he talking about loudest turn it off because I know all my friends in the culture saying that's that's hogwash and the pastor thinks well he's he's coming right through you know it's it's it's get in there. One of our fundamental presuppositions that we've got to reiterate that the Bible is the authority and you know we can talk about evidence and we can talk about so many things to support the tenets of the biblical worldview, but I thought we have to reiterate to our people over and over word of God is infallible, eternal, and for life, faith, behavior, everything. We must draw our conclusions from the Scriptures. I would think so, and course and just to be fair, the pastors may be talking about some of that but as Steve points out, they may assume that there is more agreement in the use than there really is believed to be fair to the pastors also have valid has an interesting situations because Alex 10 years ago, one of the things that we did was not only do a survey but we provided material for churches to evaluate the congregation and I'll use an example from a churches down the road for broadcasting right now in which they actually did a survey of the people in the congregation and the pastor is a professor at Dallas theological seminary, and so you can actually believe that he was actually teaching godly people and he was teaching biblical truths, but then we did the survey we found all sorts of individuals that did not hold to what you would consider to be orthodox Christianity now to be fair, there'd been a tornado in one of the church is nearby, so there were probably some people come from the other church but there's two parts of communication.

You know that only the will is the speaking and listening is a sometimes it may even be that the pastor is speaking God's word and making the Bible the authority of the listeners are just tuning out or there may be redefining it in some significant way. And so that's just I think another thing to pay attention to pastors, you're going to have to be more diligent than ever before, and maybe even begin to have some of your sermons.

Start with the assumption that you're really dealing with non-Christians because on one or two sometimes a dozen different issues there not thinking like a Christian should be thinking time split with that I take a brief break, stating that Stephen cable Kirby Anderson of Pro ministries on this edition of truth for a new generation America today is like a patient struggling to live yet is being forcibly euthanized by her quote doctors. The life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself team of quote caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient economy is crashing crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex Farland has one single purpose to get you prepared the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow. Regardless of what tomorrow brings. The assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and local Christian bookstores are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country but you don't know what to do about it.

That's why truth and liberty coalition was founded. We want to equip you to take back our country and impact the world. Here's how we do it educate broadcasts conferences in our website resources that form equip and motivate unified by collaborating with like-minded organizations like the family research Council, the family policy and my feet mobilize by providing practical tools you can use to impact your local community as Christians we are called to make disciples of together we can change the course of our country for good. Join truth and liberty to connect with believers in organizations not only want to see change in our nation but a community that is actually doing something about it. Join us online for our broadcast describe the relevant updates on our website. Truth and liberty.net in the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism.

Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to the truth for a new generation radio back to truth for new generation such a privilege to be talking to an apologist in worldview, speaker, for whom I have the utmost respect Kirby Anderson and also Stephen cable had to want to remind everybody our next trip for new generation apologetics conference is coming up October 15-17 this this year were in Myrtle Beach and listen folks, it's a restaurant Mecca. Although I hate these were Mecca, but lots of hotels, great restaurants you have every reason in the world to go to Myrtle Beach okay but listen, here's the best reasons Frank Turek EW Jackson Sandy Rios more than a dozen speakers. I want to see you there because it TMG fall 20, 21 to be talking about the origins of the work movement. A Christian response to witness critical race theory.

So many of the worldview voices that are battling for the souls of this nation. You can go to my website which is Alex McFarland.com. Please pray promote plan to attend guys, I want to get back to talking about biblical worldview and Stephen drew break you were making the point that you know if if we might be sharing biblical truth. But if the ears of our listeners are in some other place.

It's gonna what rolloff like water off the back of the dock.

Could you reiterate that for the listeners. Please write it for them to be sharing Christ with a Muslim.

For example, we know little bit about Islam and what their worldview is and how they think about things so that we can talk about the issues where Christianity creates a big difference. Same thing when talking to today's American young adult. There they don't have the view of the Bible, the view of Jesus Christ that may have had 20, 30 years ago that they had when I was at the young person they have a view that says your God may have created things, but he's not involved anymore and Jesus may have been a good guy but no more than that and you say don't come at it from the stamp was well. We know that Jesus is what light through the life and he said that we should do this.

You've got to go back to those basics and that God created Welby's involvement today and Jesus Christ is the son of God, who gave his life for you and the resurrection is the thing that tells you it's true. I'm glad you said that the resurrection is the thing that tells you it's true, Stephen would use if somebody said you give me the top one or two reasons that you believe Christianity is true when he was at the resurrection habit you Kirby. If somebody said to you get give me one or two reasons to believe that Christianity is true, what would you say in the resurrection course in first Corinthians 15, but let's add something else that surfaces in the survey and that is is the Bible true because what were finding Alex's you've got top with the generation Y millennial's, and generation Z more more of them are saying. Well, I'm not sure it's true in all areas and so that's a challenge that comes either from science or it's a challenge.

It comes from sexuality medically helpful sections which we have asked questions about in terms of sexuality in size. May we go back and do a future one on that because what happens is either they all go and they take a science class and they began to say you know I really am pretty convinced that evolution is true. So how does that fit in, so I began to think maybe the buyout Bible is not scientifically accurate or on sexuality I've got friends that are part of the LGBT Q particular group and some of things. The Bible says don't seem right. And so that whole issue of the authority the Bible as you pointed out just a few minutes ago is really key and if you begin to compromise on that in a watershed that takes you in the wrong direction on all sorts of other issues.

That's why I encourage pastors in small group leaders in Sunday school teachers and and moms and dads teach through the book of Genesis and for goodness sakes, believe it, you know, and maybe may be on another show.

We can talk about that but let me throw a new wrinkle in here, at least in my experience with him, I would've said college through high school.

Now I would say even down the middle schoolers questions of power and motive, because were living in a time when there is the mindset and secular education and the secular media have certainly encourage this mindset. But if you say look at the Bible is true.

Jesus is real. The gospel is relevant. There seems to be among young people this idea. Okay, what's your angle are you trying to play me your you're an authority figure in a what you trying to do here.

So my TiVo question is do you guys think this is the case that people you can have all the evidence in the world and we know we do, but they're suspicious of our motive and they think that were coming over them somehow from a power base. How do you address millennial's in younger there questions of power and motive do some asking what I think first of all what you would want to do is seven may be diffuse some of that, because it in some respects this is a generation where everybody's been selling them something for you and so there okay what you're selling.

And so there is the old philosophy that they don't really care what you know until they know you care so you per Josh per gallon. You and many other people Sean McGowan all sorts of Eva J. Warner walls a lot of us when we do apologize. We say you do really have to develop a relationship and if you don't have a relationship and they just perceive that you are silicone selling something selling the gospel well, that's the end of that or the power trip as well so I think there is a sense in which I've said before that and Christian should be the best citizens we after all, should have the humility of mind to end of Philippians 2 talks about that in terms of the fact that even Jesus actually humbled himself, and we should follow that same thing we should be good stewards of the resources we have. We should also follow the golden rule treat other people as we like to be treated.

So if we are seen as people that are humble, gracious and loving then that whole question about power and authority fades away a little bit because you seem to be real for the keyword for a typical millennial authentic often and that's going to make a big difference in terms of the kind of impact that you have on those individual and as you know, if you look at the media portrayals on television and movies. Christians are per trade is just opposite what career say that we have to take this step to actually address that and explain this is there's nothing in it to be gain for me.

There is no place in the Bible is as I receive 1000 bonus points for every person I bring to heaven with me.

It's only for you. The only reason I want to share is to help you yes well this is wonderful. You know, regrettably, we've got to pull away, because were about out of time for today you in your research, which is just impeccable and I applaud you for for the work you do a John Wesley, the founder of Methodism said the local congregation deserves the highest scholarship the church has to offer and you. You are certainly personify that answer so she can listen to true for new generation I had were out of time will get a visit with these guys again say encouraging to rise to the challenge of first Peter 315. Knowing what you believe and why. And as a representative of Christ, always be ready. TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland ministry, PO Box 10231 is Burrell, NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God in the number one or give online@alexmcfarland.com while you're there, listen the program archives.

Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time is we bring you more true for a new generation fund TMG radio