Authentic - Faith vs. Reason
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
The crime scene is still fresh. In the ambulance nearby someone sits nervously giving his statement to a uniformed police officer. Outside the house is a mass of controlled chaos. Red lights flash everywhere. Yellow, crime scene tape keeps people at a safe distance. All around neighbors watch and whisper as they wonder what’s happened to disturb the peace of this crisp fall evening. It must be bad for an ambulance and this many police officers to be on the scene. That’s when they arrive. Flashing badges, carrying cases of special equipment and wearing jackets emblazoned with CSI – Crime Scene Investigators. These are the men and women of the Crime Lab whose job it is to examine the physical evidence in order to determine who did what to whom and when. Guilt or innocence will hang in the balance on the evidence they collect and analyze. For someone this could mean life in prison, or worse. They take their job seriously and they are meticulous in how they gather and process the evidence, photographing every detail. Like looking for a needle in a haystack they inspect every millimeter of the scene, systematically searching for any substance that might shed light on what really happened.
There’s a popular thought that’s growing and we’re not doing anything to stop it. There is in our world today an idea that FAITH and REASON are contrary to one another, that somehow if you are asked to take something by FAITH you have to throw reason out the door. At best it makes people of FAITH seem ignorant and uneducated. At worst it makes us seem foolish and insincere. But how we appear to others is not the biggest problem. Our biggest problem is that the Bible doesn’t separate FAITH and REASON at all.
Did you catch that? There is no distinction in Scripture between reality and belief, fact and faith. It’s only in this modern age that people have come to think in terms of science vs. spirituality. And from a historic perspective the church is to blame. Partially because many have feared science and the progress it brings, but mostly because we have been lazy in our pursuit of spiritual truth as found in Scripture.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse describes FAITH and REASON as being the same thing. It says FAITH and KNOWLEDGE are one in the same. How many episodes of CSI have you watched where the bad guy was caught and sent to jail because the good guys, “believed” him to be guilty without any evidence? There’s not one. It doesn’t make for good story telling and it doesn’t line up with how the world works. We believe something because of the evidence we are presented.
For example…Gravity – I believe in it…not because my 4th grade science teacher told me that what goes up must come down, but because just the other day Caedmon threw a ball up in the air while I wasn’t looking and it came down right on my head! Caed’s going to throw more balls in the air – I have FAITH they will come back down. Do you see what I’m getting at? Hebrews 11:1 says FAITH has substance and evidence. It’s not blind belief in something for which rational people would never fall. But rather an educated certainty that comes from the substance of your experience and knowledge of the outcome based on the evidence you know to be true.
So how is your FAITH? Does it have substance and evidence? Can people look to your life, the way you treat others, the way you speak to your family, the way you act toward your coworkers and boss and see the evidence of Christ in you? Is there any substance to what you say you believe or are you all talk?
This is what I find unreasonable, not that someone would have faith in something extraordinary or miraculous, but that someone would claim FAITH and use that claim to justify iniquity, amplify ignorance, and avoid the more challenging questions of our lost friends or family.
Stop giving the, “You’ve just gotta have faith”, answer. Get into the Word. Live what you say you believe and show the world the evidence, the substance of Christ in you. Give them a REASON for FAITH.
Love y’all, God Bless,
Notes to Notice
Fall Festival
Tuesday, October 31st from 6:00 – 8:00pm is Fall Festival. This year’s Fall Festival will be bigger and better than ever as we fill both buildings with exciting games, challenging events, inflatable’s, train rides, pony rides and more candy than Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! Parents are encouraged to bring their children in costume. It’s a sports theme (so support your Sooners!)
This is also an incredible opportunity for us to reach out to our community. Invite neighbors and friends. How can members of
Family
Sunday AM, November 5th is ALL HANDS ON DECK! Why? That’s the day we’re asking every member to make special plans to be in Sunday School and Worship and to bring someone with them. It’s a Family Reunion! It’s about relationships! It’s about vision and recognizing the tremendous blessing God has both poured out on us and entrusted to us.
On that day, let’s fill the platform with musicians; Ushers, let’s get ready for the multitudes God will bring; everyone, let’s be ready for the incredible work God will do in us and through us! Make plans now to be here!
Christmas Plans – “Christmas | Past…Present…Eternal”
This December we’ll celebrate Christmas all month long! How!? The first weeks of December we’ll celebrate with a dinner theater:
“As Time Goes By” – A lifetime of Christmas traditions and celebrations through the eyes of faith, family & Friends.
Written by our very own, Randy Thomas, this funny and family-focused drama will capture your heart as it captures the heart of Christmas throughout multiple generations. This is not musical theater – but a three act play. We’ll need volunteers for acting, stage craft, costuming, technical arts, hosting, food services and everything in between. To volunteer contact Randy Thomas, Randy.Thomas@esp-tulsa.com, or
Sunday Night, December 10th - “Christmas | Past…Present…Eternal” with the Celebration Choir and Praise Band, Instrumental Ensemble, KICK & PreKICK Choirs! During this great concert we’ll share Christmas music and family Christmas stories…stories of Christmas past, present and eternal! We’ll have a Dress Rehearsal on December 9th, from 9am - Noon.
Sunday Night, December 17th - “A Family Christmas HomeComing” with the Families of FBCO. This is the night we sing our favorite Christmas songs as a congregation. This year we’ll have a twist – our special music will come from families within FBCO. Great music combined with stories of family Christmas traditions will make this a night people won’t forget.
Christmas Eve – Sunday Night, December 24th - Every year our Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Service is standing room only! This year we will pack the Worship Center TWICE – with two, hour long opportunities for the people of our community to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We’ll ask every available Choir, Praise Band, Instrumental Ensemble, KICK and Tech member to be available for BOTH Christmas Eve Services.
Christmas Eve Rehearsal 4:00pm
Christmas Eve FIRST SERVICE 5:00pm
Christmas Eve SECOND SERVICE 7:00pm
House Cleaning – the Logistics of Details
Online Blog
Catch current and previous issues of theScore online @ www.thefarpoint.blogspot.com
Online Resources
At www.fbcowasso.org you can now click RESOURCES. Under that heading you will find several categories. Mostly this is Praise Band and Congregational music, but some of these charts include Instrumental Ensemble music and ALL of them include VOCALS – hopefully this can be a resource for us all in the coming days!
Weekly Schedule Reminder
Here are the CALL TIMES for a typical SUNDAY AM – Remember, ON TIME = EARLY | EARLY = READY and from 8:30 – 8:50 we’ll clear the platform and all meet in Fellowship Hall for a light, continental style breakfast and for last minute instructions, prayer & consecration. I look forward to seeing everyone there!
SUNDAY
Þ 7:15am TECH PREP
Þ 7:30 Drama Sound Check and Rehearse
Þ 7:45 Praise Band Sound Check
Þ 8:00 Instrumental Ensemble
Þ 8:15 Special Music
Þ 8:20 Celebration Choir
Þ 8:30 Stage Clear, Doors Open, Background Music & Announcements Run
Þ 8:50 Countdown begins
Þ 8:55 Prelude – Live, instrumental, congregational or choir…
Þ 9:00 Service Begins
WEDNESDAY
Þ 6:00pm Instrumental Ensemble WC
Þ 6:30 Celebration Choir | Tech Prep RM 800 & WC
Þ 7:00 Praise Band with IE WC
Þ 7:30 ALL
Þ 7:30 Drama Team RM 800
Þ 8:05 Praise Band & Praise Teams WC
Þ 9:00 Cookie Time!
Sunday AM – 10-01-06
AweStruck – “I Am the Vine” | John 15
Pre-service – COUNTDOWN | CD
PRE-SERVICE
Instrumental Ensemble
SERVICE START |
CONGREGATIONAL MUSIC
Friend of God – E, CHART
Let the Praises Ring – E, CHART
WELCOME
Dr.
WELCOME MUSIC
‘Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus – G, BH – 411
CHOIR SPECIAL
You Will Be Our God – A, CHART
VIDEO
Be Still – 1:38
CONGREGATIONAL MUSIC
My Heart, Christ’s Home – F, CHART
Amazing Grace – F, NEW CHART
MESSAGE
Dr.
INVITATION
I Will Say Yes – G, CHART
OFFERING | ANNOUNCEMENTS
Page Cole
Presentation of New Members
Close
Let the Praises Ring – E, CHART
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