Common Sense- Not So Common!

Jeff Needleman, New Beginnings Church

I write this to those who would argue that God does not or can not exist!

There’s a song entitled Crazy Love, which I heard for the first time at a funeral of all places! A line from the song really rocked me! The singer, Lee Brice sang: “don’t outsmart your common sense”.

Wow… that makes so much sense… I’ve watched so many others do it, I know I’ve done it, and I know you’ve done it whether you want to admit it or not! With all of our great intellect and with all our all advanced intelligence, we somehow manage to outmaneuver our common sense.

What does common sense have to do with God? Everything really! Our superior brainpower tells us God can’t exist because He is not available to our five senses; if we can’t see, touch & feel, hear, smell or taste Him, then He just isn’t real. So, for the most part, we’re saying the supernatural can’t exist because it’s… supernatural! That’s called circular reasoning & it doesn’t make a lick of sense to me— it’s not common-sensical. But it was my stance for many years!

Common sense says that since the existence of an active & participatory sovereign God is such a big issue in life, we need to spend time investigating any of our arguments against Him- instead of merely jumping to conclusions. That’s what I ended up doing. However, first I had to make a decision to allow for the possibility that so many could be right about God’s existence, and I could be wrong. By the way… I was!

If we stop and look around, if we stop to consider those things all around us, questions start to arise! If water is such a basic component of life, why is the Earth the only place where water is proven (emphasize proven vs. claimed). Why are there only two genders; why not three? I’m sure your own questions have arisen as well.

There are so many things that don’t make sense unless the Hand of the Divine was involved in it. When we ask the question “why” and the answers are not easily forthcoming, it’s wise to follow Sherlock Holmes’ advice:

When you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains however improbable must be the truth.

It’s only common sense! And the truth is… God does exist. Now while our intellect says that He can’t exist, the truth is once we allow for the possibility of God, our common sense tells us He can’t NOT exist.

The Bible describes one of the ways we can tell of His existence.  I love using different versions of Scripture to paint the best possible understanding of God’s message to us. Let’s read:

Ps 19:1-4 NLT The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. 

The same passage in another version reads:

Ps 19:1-4 MSG God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.  Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening. Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

And it is. All of nature proclaims a Creator. So don’t outsmart your common sense. The truth is we know that our God exists and is right there… right in the place you are reading this! Spend a few moments asking Him if He’s real… and if so to reveal Himself to you.

And just in case, thank Him for his Crazy Love for us, which we see all around us.

Jeff Needleman, Lead Pastor

New Beginnings Church

Fernley, NV