November 30 2014 The Good News of Christmas

The Good News of Christmas

Matthew 1:23 – The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son and they will call Him Immanuel, which means God with us.

Why God Sent Jesus At Christmas

I. To reveal God’s identity.

John 1:18 – No one has ever seen God.  The only one, who is the same as God has made Him known.

John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and lived among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only Son who came from the Father.

John 14:8-9 – Philip said, “Lord show us the Father”, Jesus answered, “Don’t you know Me Philip”?  “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

II. To relate God’s Word to us.

John 18:37 – Jesus said, “In fact for this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth”.

Jesus said, “When you know the truth, the truth will set you free.”

John 12:46 – Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.

III. To recover God’s creation.

Luke 19:10 – Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Matthew 20:28 – I did not come into the world to be served, but to serve and give My life as a ransom for many.

John 12:47 – I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

IV. To reproduce God’s life in you.

John 10:10 – Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it to the fullest.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 – Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.

John 6:47 – I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

January 12 2014 The Reliability Of The New Testament

The Reliability of the New Testament

Why You Can Believe the Bible part 2 

2 Timothy 3:16 “all Scripture is inspired.

THREE TESTS THAT HISTORIANS APPLY TO ANCIENT BOOKS:

1. THE CORROBORATION TEST: Is there any evidence outside of the document that supports the internal claim that the document makes?

No archeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline in clear detail historical statements in the Bible. -Nelson Glueck , archeologist

2. THE HONESTY TEST: Do the documents claim to be reporting the truth?

Luke 1:1 “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us. Just as they were handed down to us by those who were first eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning it seemed good to me also to write an orderly account so you may know the certainty of the things that you have been taught.”

2 Peter 1:16 “We did not follow cleverly invented stories or myths when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

1 John 1:1 “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have looked at, what we have touched with our hands we proclaim to you.”

Luke 3:1 “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar when Pontius Pilot was governor and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea.”

SOME KNOWN MARTYRDOMS OF THE DISCIPLES:

Peter - crucified
Andrew - crucified
Philip - crucified.
Bartholomew - flayed to death.
James the Greater - beheaded
Paul - beheaded.
Mathias - stoned.
James son of Alpheus - stoned.
Thomas - killed with a spear
Matthew - killed with a sword.

3. THE TELEPHONE TEST: Do we have reason to believe it’s been past faithfully through time?

Two Questions That Textual critics ask:

1. What is the time gap between the original copies and the copies we have today?

Other historians who are roughly contemporaries with the Gospel writers.
Pliny the Younger - 750 years
Caesar - 1000 years
Plato, his Tetralogies - 1200 years
New Testament - 50 years (John Ryland’s papyri)

2. How many manuscripts do we have?

Caesar - 10
Plato’s Tetrolgies - 7
Tacitus - 20
New Testament - 24,633
Illiad - 64