The Christian Atheist - Introduction

 





The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is going through the book The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel.  A Christian Atheist is someone who believes in God but lives as if He doesn't exist.  If you are courageous enough to admit that sometimes you act like a Christian Atheist along with us we can shed some of our hypocrisy and live a life that truly brings glory to Christ.  To hear the audio of the study group session, click on the YouTube Thumbnail 


To get your copy of the book click this LINK or the image of the book at the end of my notes for the study.  



The title may be a little misleading because you think how can a Christian be an atheist?   The author Greg Groeschel is using a little play on words.  The definition of the word “Christian” is a person who is a believer in Jesus and His teachings.  The definition of the word “atheist” is a person who disbelieves or lacks belief In the existence of God or gods.  So Greg’s definition of a “Christian Atheist” is a person who believes in the existence of God but acts like He doesn’t exist.  




Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Lifechurch, a pacesetting multi campus church and creator of the popular and free YouVersion Bible App. He is the New York Times bestselling author of several books. Craig and his wife, Amy, and their six children live in Edmond, OK.

Craig Groeschel and Life.Church are known for using innovative technology to spread the Gospel to multiple locations around the U.S. and globally via Church Online. With a passion for serving the Church and partnering to reach people for Christ, Life.Church shares its tools, ideas, and resources with churches worldwide.




He starts the introduction to the book with a statement that is similar to the one an alcoholic makes when introducing him or herself.  




HI, MY NAME IS CRAIG GROESCHEL, AND I’M A CHRISTIAN ATHEIST.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve believed in God, but I haven’t always lived like he exists. Today my Christian Atheism isn’t as large of a problem as it once was, but I still struggle with it. Like a recovering alcoholic careful never to take sobriety for granted, I have to take life one day at a time.




Like a lot of Christians he grew up in a family that had all the trappings of what this culture sees as the Christian home; the big family bible that has all the birth dates of the children, and other important family dates, they pray the standard prayers before eating, they teach the children to pray before they go to bed, they go to church on Christmas,  Easter, Mother's Day, and a few other times during the year.  Plus they hung around with other “Christian families”. 




Also like many other Christian Atheists he went through some experiences that made Him scared of God.  I bet you had some of those experiences that made it seem that God was an ogre just waiting to “get you” when you did something wrong.   




He then talks about how hypocritical some of us were, and still are.  Preachers talk about it every Sunday of how hypocritical it is when we come and worship on Sunday,  Bible studies, prayer meetings, and leave and act like we never heard what we sang or read or said Amen to it's like,




James 1:22‭-‬24 (NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.




He tells a story that I can certainly relate to about his fraternity Bible Study and their prayer in the early days of that study.  “God protect us when we party. God, keep Joe's girlfriend from getting pregnant. God, don’t let us get caught cheating on the American history test.”




We’ve all had that moment when we realized that with all of our trying to live right to please this God that we believe exists.  His was when he read;




Ephesians 2:8‭-‬9 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.



Mine was when I realized that God really does forgive us when we agree with Him that Jesus came and died for my sin and that He paid the ultimate price so that I didn’t have to. 




Romans 10:9‭-‬13 (NIV) If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Then even if I mess up, because of the price that Jesus paid for me I can confess that I messed up and ask God to forgive me, and He will do it every time.




1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Greg ends his introduction with what I want us to get out of this study.  I’ll read it right from the book.

    
Maybe like so many, you’re a member of a church, but you’re secretly still ashamed of your past. Perhaps you’ve heard about the love of God, but you’re still not convinced that God totally loves you. Or though you’re convinced God exists, your prayer life isn't what you know it should be. Perhaps like many other well-meaning Christians, you know what God wants you to do, but you still do whatever you want. Or you genuinely want to trust God as your provider, but you find it so hard to actually do. Possibly you believe in heaven and hell, but sharing your faith with others is still foreign or simply way too intimidating for you. Or you may believe in God but don’t see much need for the church.




What comes to mind when you hear or read this scripture?




Titus 1:16 (NIV) They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

When you study Titus you learn that Paul was actually talking about the false teachers that were infiltrating the church however it also fits our definition of a Christian Atheist 




Let’s first go back and look at some terms:




THEISM belief in the existence of God




ATHEISM disbelief in the existence of God




PRACTICAL ATHEISM acting with apathy, disregard, or lack of interest toward belief in God 




CHRISTIAN  one who professes belief in the teachings of Christ 




CHRISTIAN ATHEISM  believing in Christ but living as if he doesn’t exist




Three levels of knowing God         




Level 1: I believe in God, but I don’t know him

Level 2: I believe in God, but I don’t know him well.




Galatians 4:8‭-‬9 (NIV) Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces ? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?




Level 3: I believe in God, know him intimately, and serve him wholeheartedly.




Example: David is described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).




1 Samuel 13:14 (NIV) But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord ’s command.”



Acts 13:22 (NIV) After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

Psalm 63:1-4 (HCSB)1 God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.2  So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory.3  My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life.4  So I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands.




Psalm 9:10 (HCSB)  Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You, Yahweh. 




If you seek God with all of your heart he will reveal himself to you 




Deuteronomy 4:25-31 (HCSB)25  “When you have children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, and if you act corruptly, make an idol in the form of anything, and do what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, provoking Him to anger,26  I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will quickly perish from the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not live long there, but you will certainly be destroyed.27  The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be reduced to a few survivors among the nations where the LORD your God will drive you.28  There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see, hear, eat, or smell.29  But from there, you will search for the LORD your God, and you will find ⌊Him⌋ when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.30  When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the LORD your God in later days and obey Him.31  He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them by oath, because the LORD your God is a compassionate God. 




Ephesians 1:17-19 (HCSB)17  ⌊I pray⌋ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.18  ⌊I pray⌋ that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints,19  and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. 







What you call God often reveals how well you know him.



What are some of the things or names we call God?



Father

Savior

Lord

Provider

Shepherd

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)

El Elyon (The Most High God)

Adonai (Lord, Master)

Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)

Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)

Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)

Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)

Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

El Olam (The Everlasting God)

Elohim (God)

Qanna (Jealous)

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)

Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)




Belief isn’t the same as personal knowledge.  There’s the account in the book where Greg writes about George Bret.  He knew everything about George Bret but didn't really know him at all.  




One of the things that I said last week is that what you call a person says a lot about how much you know a person.  Greg's example is what people call him.



Psalms 9:10 NKJV And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord , have not forsaken those who seek You.



He gives this example:



My phone rings. I answer. You’re on the other end, and you say,  “Good afternoon, Mr. Gress-shuhl. I’d like to talk to you about your phone service.”  I can tell one thing right away: You don’t know me. You don’t even know how to pronounce my name!
        

Or my wife and I are in a restaurant, and I give the hostess my name while we’re waiting for a table. After a few minutes, the hostess calls -SHELL, party of two!”??The hostess knows my name and how to pronounce it. But we’ve just met. We don’t know each other.
       
If you call me “Pastor Craig,” chances are you might know a little about me. You know what I do, maybe you’ve heard me speak, and maybe you’re familiar with some of my favorite topics and my up-front personality. But your use of my title doesn’t mean that you know me personally.
       
You might just call me “Craig,” and I’d usually assume that you know me even better.  My friends call me Craig. We’re close.
       
But if you call me “Groesch,” that means we’ve been friends for a long time. It means we've got stories. (And you’ve promised not to tell them.) “Groesch” dates us back at least twenty years.
       
Then there are those who possess exclusive rights to a few specialized, far more intimate forms of address. These are the six beautiful, small people, very dear to me, whom I allow to climb up in my lap. They rub their hands on my face and say things like? “You need to shave” and “You’re the best” and “Can I have some candy?” They call me “Daddy.” They know me so much better than even those who call me “Groesch.” The name reveals the intimacy.
       
What do you call God? The Big Guy in the Sky? The Man Upstairs? Dear eight-pound, six-ounce Baby Jesus? Then you don’t know him. Those titles may be clever or funny,  but they certainly aren’t intimate.





God cares about how we live. And a relationship with God naturally will flow out in daily attitudes and actions. So if you look good, you are good, right? Well, maybe not. Knowing God can lead to a positive lifestyle, but the reverse isn’t true. Our outward actions alone don’t prove that we enjoy an inward relationship with God. Just because we do good doesn’t mean we know the One who is good. The Christian Atheist, page 35 – 36




Knowing God requires more of us than simply believing God exists 




James 2:19 ERV You believe there is one God. That’s good, but even the demons believe that! And they shake with fear.

And it requires more of us than dutiful adherence to Christian rules




Galatians 4:6‭-‬11 NIV Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “ Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces ? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.




Knowing God requires loving obedience, an obedience that comes from the heart.




John 14:23‭-‬24 NIV Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.  Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.




Romans 6:17 NIV But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.



On the other hand go to 




1 John 2:3‭-‬6 NIV We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.



Briefly review the following list of statements and place a checkmark next to those you feel are true for you.




I believe God loves everyone, but I sometimes struggle to believe that God loves me.

I often feel disconnected from God.

I pray when I need help, but I don’t routinely spend time with God.

 I feel trapped in a cycle of shame about my past.

 I don’t feel much need or desire to read the Bible.

 I sincerely believe in God, but I can’t say I prioritize my life around him.

 I don’t feel the same devotion to God as I did when I first became a Christian.

 There are some things about me that I know aren’t what they should be, but I don't

             know if I can ever really change.

 My belief in God doesn’t seem to keep me from worrying a lot.

 My lifestyle, actions, and decisions don’t always line up with what I say I believe about God.

I don’t talk about my faith with people who don’t believe in God.

I don’t experience worship or express praise to God in my daily life.

I find it difficult to forgive people who have hurt me.

My sense of security is impacted more by how I am doing financially than by how I am doing spiritually.

I believe in God, but I’m not so big on the church.

I’m not sure my heart breaks for the things that break the heart of God.

I tend to diminish or overlook my sins and failures rather than grieving them.

I don’t often experience a passionate desire to please God.

It feels like a long time since I’ve heard God’s voice or experienced God’s leading in my life.

I sometimes feel God is not fair.

It’s rare for me to feel completely surrendered to God. 

Sometimes I’m not even sure I want to be.
         

What two or three statements on the checklist best describe where you're at spiritually right now. Or maybe there is something that is not here.        
       
Based on your responses from the checklist which level are you at now.




Level 1: I believe in God, but I don’t know him

Level 2: I believe in God, but I don’t know him well.

Level 3: I believe in God, know him intimately, and serve him wholeheartedly.





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