Introduction:

A. Matthew 11:2-6 - John had sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the expected Messiah. Why - for their benefit or his?
It was a simple question. But Jesus saw the need for more than a "yes/no" answer. He gave them evidence of His Deity. They were to report back to John, not an answer, but what they had heard and seen.

B. Jesus believed in evidences. He offered His works as proof of who He was - John 10:31-38.

C. If evidences were important to Jesus, they ought to be important to us as well. Next Sunday we are going to begin a series of lessons on Christian Evidences. Before we begin this series, I want to convince you that it is something that we all need to be interested in. We need to study evidences because...

I. We Need Answers

I have titled this series "Faith Builders" because that is what I want to accomplish with it. Our faith needs to be built up, guarded and kept strong.
Ephesians 4:13-15 - our faith is going to be challenged. We live in a world of increasing unbelief.

- The credibility of the Bible and the existence of God are often attacked.
- Atheistic Evolutionists control scientific education, television, museums, etc.
- Skeptics make good arguments:

How do you know God exists, Jesus is real, Bible is inspired?
Why would God allow pain and suffering?
If our faith is going to survive, we must be familiar with these attacks and know how to answer them.

Some may look upon a study like this as a show of a lack of faith. The Bible actually tells us to test all things (1 Thess. 5:21).
Our faith is not a "leap of faith." The convictions of Christians rest upon solid evidence. Searching for answers strengthens our faith if we are honest.

II. We Need To Be Able To Give Answers

1 Peter 3:15 - this verse is not an option. It is a command. God expects us to be ready to give an answer to those who are searching and questioning.
Readiness requires knowledge. So we must study evidences.

We can't effectively respond to religious questions with "this is what my folks believe," or, "this is what my preacher says."
We need to know what we believe and why we believe it.

Our society has changed. These changes require greater preparation on our part.
Pluralism - a variety of religious beliefs exist in our country.
The days of settling religious, moral and ethical questions with a simple "What does the Bible say?" are gone to a large extent.
People don't believe in the Bible like they once did. May first have to convince them that God actually exists, then that the Bible is His word, before they will care to know what the Bible says about it.

We need to be bringing the lost to Christ. If we are not equipped with answers to today's questions, we are not able to reach a growing segment of our own society. We can either write these people off, of be ready with an answer!

III. To Defend The Truth

1 Peter 3:15 - give a defense. Even if souls are not won, we are to defend the truth against attacks from skeptics and unbelievers.

Phil. 1:16-17 - the apostles were appointed to defend the gospel.

Jude 3 - Christians are told to contend earnestly for the faith. To contend means to fight, to struggle. Earnestly gives force.
We must stand ready to fight the good fight.
2 Cor. 10:3-5 - the battleground is the mind.
    - Some hearts are bound by doubt, need to be pulled down.
    - Skeptics make good arguments, they need to be cast down.
    - Some exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, trying to convince us that there is not God. They need to be soundly defeated.

IV. Because Answers Exist

There are a lot of things that I don't know. I may never find the answers that I would like to have. But that doesn't mean that no answers exist.
Deut. 29:29 - the secret things belong to God, but the things that have been revealed belong to us.
Modern science accepts evolution as fact and finds no room for creation. But science actually belongs to the believer. It is both the creation and the revelation of God - Psalm 19:1.
Science does not prove evolution. It points to the existence of God. The evidence is so overwhelming that it takes a fool not to believe:
Psalm 14:1 Romans 1:18-20

        Proof is out there, answers exist. They belong to us.

Conclusion:

A study of evidences is essential for today's Christian. Not only to equip us to reach more people with gospel, but to preserve our own numbers and our own personal faith.
Every Christian needs evidences in his/her arsenal.

Introduction:
A. I was told as a child that the Bible was God's inspired Word. Told this by people that I loved and trusted, so I believed them. But I reached a point when I needed to be convinced.

B. I realize that the Bible claims to be inspired - 2 Tim. 3:16. This claim though, by itself, proves nothing. Does evidence exist which backs up this claim?
1. If not, then the skeptics are right and it should be rejected as a hoax.
2. But, if so, we are duty bound not only to accepts its claim for inspiration as true, but everything it says as true.

C. The Bible is the basis for everything we believe, teach and practice. It is fitting that we begin our study of evidences here. If the Bible is not inspired, there is no point in going any further.

What evidence exists to back up the Bible's claim of divine inspiration?

I. Its Unity

A. If you asked ten people in your town to write about their concept of God, would likely get ten different ideas. If you went on to ask them to write about things like family values, roles within society, views on slavery, premarital sex, crime and punishment, death and suffering, etc., would expect to receive differing views.

B. The Bible is a collection of 66 individual books, written in three different languages (Hebrew, Arabic, Greek) by 40 writers from different backgrounds (the writers include kings, soldiers, shepherds, farmers, fishermen, doctor, cup bearer, tax collector and tent maker), on three different continents, over a period of 1,600 years. It talks about God, but also covers hundreds of controversial topics.
Given the above scenario, one would expect to find within the Bible a tangled mess of contradictions. But just the opposite is true. Perfect unity.

C. This poses a challenge to those who claim that the Bible is not inspired. These forty writers, over 1,600 years, were either…
1. Deluded - thought they were inspired when they weren't.
2. Deceitful - were all in on the greatest hoax in history.
3. Divinely inspired.
Which makes the most sense?

II. Its Historical and Geographical Accuracy
If the Bible were of human origin, then one would expect to find mistakes. Books authored by men often require corrections and updates.
On the contrary, the Bible is historically and geographically accurate.

There are hundreds of incidents in which the Bible can be checked against secular history and archaeology for its accuracy. When directions are given, the reigns of certain kings or governors, etc.

A. The Hittites: Skeptics made fun of the Bible's reference to the Hittites (Gen. 23:10, 26:34) because there was no mention of them anywhere else. Archaeological discoveries in Turkey confirmed the existence of an entire Hittite civilization.

B. The book of Acts mentions 32 countries, 54 cities, 9 Mediterranean islands, 95 people (62 of which are not names elsewhere in the NT). His references, where checkable, are always correct. This is truly remarkable in view of the fact that the political/territorial situation of his day was in a state of almost constant flux.

The Bible is too accurate to be the work of man. On the contrary, the places described in the book of Mormon have yet to be discovered in North America.

III. Fulfilled Prophecies
No stronger proof of the inspiration of the Bible exists than the fulfillment of prophecy.

What would you think if you found a book written in 1850 that said that George Bush would be president in the year 2000 and would lead a war against terrorism? A prophecy that precise could not be luck.

The Bible contains many examples of this kind of prophecy.

1. King Josiah's work was foretold more than 300 years before he was
even born (1 Kings 13:2).
2. King Cyrus was named 150 years before he was born (Is. 44:28-45:1).

Messianic Prophecies:
There are 332 (333) Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the life of one man - Jesus of Nazareth.

The Law of Compound Probabilities has been applied to the area of prophetic fulfillment. The probability of one person fulfilling just eight prophecies would be 1 in 10 to the 17th power (that is the number 1 followed by 17 zeros). The mathematical impossibility of this happening by chance has been illustrated in the following way:

"Suppose we take 10 to the 17th power of silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one?" (Peter W. Stoner, 1963).

IV. Scientific Foreknowledge
The Bible reveals knowledge of scientific facts that were not discovered by man until centuries later.

1. Life is in the blood - Leviticus 17:11. It was not until 3,000 years later that man discovered that blood carried life giving oxygen throughout the body.

2. Shape of the earth - Isaiah 40:22. Believed the world was flat.

3. Number of stars - Jeremiah 33:22. For centuries, man believed that the stars numbered just over 1,000. Suggested that over 25 sextillion stars exist.

4. Sanitation laws of Leviticus -
A. Not to eat animal who died naturally. We now know that they
carry disease.
B. Not to eat scavenger animals like pigs, birds of prey or catfish.
They contain bacteria which is harmful if not cooked properly.
C. Bury human waste. We now know that this is an excellent
hygiene practice, but in Moses' day human waste was dumped
in any convenient place. Over 13 million people were killed
during the Middle Ages by the "Black Plague" because of this.

How could man have "guessed" these scientific facts centuries before they were discovered?

V. Its Impartiality
A book written by man would seek to minimize the faults of its heroes while overemphasizing the virtues. This was not done in the Bible. It is perfectly impartial historical account, amazingly objective.

1. Noah was a man who walked with God, but got drunk.

2. Abraham was the friend of God, but lied about his wife twice.

3. Moses was the mediator of the covenant between God and Israel, but
could not enter the promised land because he disobeyed God.

4. David was a man after God's own heart, but committed adultery and
had an innocent man murdered to cover it up.

5. Peter was given the keys to the kingdom, but made numerous mistakes,
including denying the Lord.

Conclusion:
These are only a few of the many pieces of evidence that we have. We can KNOW, with confidence and certainty, that the Bible is inspired by God.
We have received the mind of God, we have our moral compass, our guide in religious matters, our only hope of life beyond this world of sin, death and sorrow.
If we accept the Bible's claim of inspiration, believe that it is truly the word of God, we are faced with a choice. Will we obey what it tells us to do?

Introduction:
        We see it all around us.
   1. Pick up the newspaper and read of a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of teenagers driving home from last night's ball game.
   2. Turn on the radio and hear of severe weather conditions that have claimed lives and destroyed property.
   3. Turn on the TV and watch in horror as airliners are crashed into the WTC by terrorists and thousands or innocent perish.
   4. Get a phone call from a friend who just found out that she has terminal cancer.

        We can not deny the existence of evil, pain and suffering. We have all experienced it to some extent ourselves. We know too well that it is real.
We have also been told since we were children that God exists, and that He is all powerful and all knowing.
        Now we have a dilemma: How can pain and suffering co-exist with what we understand to be true about God?

        We are not the first to ask this question.
        Judges 6:2-6, 12-13 - the people of Israel were suffering. Gideon was told that the Lord was with him. He couldn't see it. He asked what every generation since him has asked, "If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?"

        Epicurus (342-270 BC) said:
   "If there is a God who wishes to prevent evil, but cannot, He is not all powerful, and thus is not God."
   "If He has the power to prevent evil, but will not, then He is not good, and thus is not God."
   "If there is a God who has both the power and desire to eliminate evil, then why is evil and suffering present in the world today?"

        This argument has had a great impact upon our world. It is perhaps the greatest weapon that the atheist has. We can't deny suffering. So, where is this all powerful, all knowing, all loving God of ours?

        It is important that we consider this question in a study of evidences. This is a good question deserving of a good answer. The Bible gives it.
        We need to be ready with this answer, not only for the skeptics, but also for ourselves.

Free Will:
        This whole matter is made much clearer once we understand one thing: God, out of His love for us, created us with Free Will.
        God could have created man without free moral agency, without the ability to think, reason and decide for himself. We would have been programmed to obey God.
Love grants choice. God gives us the freedom of choice and He respects that choice, even when it bring consequences upon ourselves and others.
        With this point in mind, let's consider reasons why we suffer.

I. Because of Our Personal Wrong Choices
        Judges 6:1 - Israel was suffering because they violated God's law. They were suffering the consequences of their sin.

        God has not abandoned man with this Free Will. He has given us rules and regulations to govern us as we make decisions. We have it in His Word.
        1 Peter 4:15 - it does not say that we "might" suffer. Wrong choices will bring suffering. If we murder, steal, commit evil, meddle in other's matters, we will suffer for it.
        Galatians 6:7 - we reap what we sow.
        Proverbs 13:15 - The way of the transgressor is hard.

II. Because of the Personal Wrong Choices of Others
        How many millions of people have been caused to suffer throughout history because of the wrong choices of a few evil people made behind closed doors? Every century has had its Adolph Hitler's, Sadam Hussein's and Ben Laden's.
        Drunk Drivers kill many innocent people every year. Babies are born with defects because their parents used drugs, etc.

        God has given Free Will to everyone. Not everyone uses it wisely. We often have to pay the price for other's freedom of choice.
        It's not right or fair. But it is not right for us to insist that we have Free Will and someone else not to have it. God is not going to do that - Acts 10:34.

        How can we protect ourselves from the consequences of the wrong choices of others?
   1. Make sure we are prepared for eternity, regardless of what happens
here we are ready to face the consequences.
   2. Get busy spreading the gospel. The more people who are converted to
Christ the more people who are making the right choices.

III. Because of the Wrong Choices of Past Generations
        If we enjoy the benefits of the labors of past generations, can we avoid reaping the evils of past generations as well?

        Exodus 20:4-6 - when a generation of people turn their back upon God, events are put into motion that have an adverse affect on future generations.

        Why are innocent children starving to death in parts of the world?
   - In some places, their ancestors adopted beliefs in reincarnation. Will not
kill animals for fear they are departed ancestors.
   - Some places have ignored Biblical principles of agriculture and have
drained the ground of its nutrients. What was once rich soil is now sand
and the people starve.
   - Some corrupt governments sell their country's grain for arms.
Is this God's fault?

        If we look no further than our own immediate suffering we can't understand. But if we look at the whole story, how sin has affected men, women and the earth, we can understand.

IV. Because We Violate God's Natural Law
        We can't break God's law without paying the price - spiritual or natural.
Luke 13:4-5 - these eighteen men died, not because they were worse sinners than others, but because a tower landed on them.
        People are crippled or killed because of natural causes every day.

        Proposed solution: "Why doesn't God just step in and rescue us?" Can you imagine what kind of world it would be? Chaos and disorder.
      God has given us a great world to live in. It is a world that is governed by natural laws. When we violate these laws, we run the risk of injury or death.

        Why is there evil, pain and suffering? God must respect our Free Choice.
   1. Personal Wrong Choices
   2. Personal Wrong Choices of Others
   3. Wrong Choices of Past Generations
   4. Violating God's Natural Law

V. Benefits of Pain and Suffering
        If this is all there is on this subject, then we are hopelessly doomed to endure a world of evil, pain and suffering.

        I believe it was wrong for Epicurus to assume that God wouldn't want pain and suffering. There are some benefits:

        Pain: Tells us that something is wrong, gets us to the doctor in time to get help.

        Suffering:
   1. Learn right from wrong by the consequences of wrong decisions.
   2. Discipline - Hebrews 12:5-6, 11.
   3. Some of the characteristics we cherish and value most (bravery, valor, honor, courage, love self-sacrifice, etc.) are borne out of affliction. We learn the greatest lessons through suffering.
    "Where there is only sunshine, there is desert."
   4. Long for Heaven - If this world was paradise, we would never want to leave, and would never prepare ourselves for eternity.
Revelation 21:4 - Heaven described as a place of rest from pain and suffering.

Conclusion:
        We can't deny the existence of evil, pain and suffering in our world or in our own lives. While it is hard to endure, and there are some questions that we don't have the answer to, it is not a good enough reason to stop believing in God.
        How can we blame God if we, as His creation, are suffering the consequences of our own sins?
        How can we blame God for our suffering after He has given His own Son for us - Romans 5:8.

        We may not always understand, but we know that God will always do what is right - Genesis 18:28.

(Please note that this sermon was taken, almost entirely, from materials published by Apologetics Press. http://www.ApologeticsPress.org ).

Introduction:

A. What child isn't fascinated by dinosaurs? Dinosaurs attracts the attention and interest of everyone, not just children. Advertisers, entertainers and educators know this - so we see dinosaurs everywhere:
Movies ("Jurassic Park" trilogy, "Land Before Time"), toys, books, cartoons ("Flintstones", "Barney"), Sports Mascots, Theme Parks, PC games and programs, Gas Station (Sinclair).

B. Because of the natural interest and curiosity, dinosaurs are one of the most effective tools that the evolutionist has, and uses them effectively. How many times have you watched a program, visited a museum, read a book about dinosaurs that did not teach evolution??
Dinosaurs pose a challenge that Christians need to be ready for.

C. If our children are going to enjoy dinosaurs (and there is no reason for them not to), they need to know what is true about dinosaurs and what isn't. And, they need to know that they don't have to make a choice between dinosaurs and the Bible - they do go together.

I. Did Dinosaurs Exist?

A. Regardless of how evolutionists use dinosaurs, it would be foolish for us to deny the fact that they once lived. Accepting the fact that they lived does not mean that we accept the beliefs, theories and conclusions of the evolutionist.
        One might say, "If dinosaurs existed, we could read about them in the Bible."
        First, I believe they are mentioned in the Bible. The word "dinosaur" did not exist until 1842. By then the King James Version was already over 200 ears old. So the word "dinosaur" is not in the Bible. But that doesn't mean that dinosaurs aren't mentioned.
        Second, the Bible does not mention several animals that I have seen, including sharks, jelly fish, kangaroos and even cats. The Bible was not meant to serve as a catalog of God's creation, but as an account of it.

B. The modern study of dinosaurs dates back to 1822 in England. Dr. Gideon Mentell and his wife collected fossils. Once, while he was visiting a patient, she happened upon a strange looking fossilized tooth. After showing it to friends, it was identified as the tooth of a rhinoceros. Then it was shown to a friend who specialized in iguanas. He said that it looked just like an iguana's tooth, only much larger.
By 1842 , enough of these kinds of fossils had been discovered to convince scientists that a whole group of lizard-like reptiles had once lived. The name "dinosaur" was given to them (from the Greek words deinos and sauros -"terribly great lizard").

C. What we know about dinosaurs comes from fossils. Thus, we are very limited in our knowledge about these animals. Scientists fill in the gaps with their own ideas which are influenced by their views on origins.
        Fossils can tell us things like size, weight, muscle mass, diet and mode of travel.
        They can not tell us things like skin and eye color, how long ago they lived, or if evolution actually took place.
        Fossils are dated according to the layer of rock they are found in. Since carbon dating has proven to be faulty, scientists are guessing when they date the rock and thus the fossil.

II. Dinosaurs and the Bible

A. Genesis 1:20-21, 24-25.
Included in these statements is every kind of animal. "Great sea creatures" would include the dinosaurs that lived in the sea, "beasts" and "everything that creeps on the earth" would include the land dinosaurs.
Although now extinct, dinosaurs were a part of God's original creation. This also tells us that dinosaurs and man lived together; a fact that recent geological and archeological discoveries support.

B. Behemoth (Job 40:15-24).
Some have suggested this was a hippopotamus or elephant. Neither animal has a tail like a cedar tree. We do not know the exact identity of this animal, but it certainly fits the description of the large, plant eating dinosaurs.

C. Leviathan (Job 41).
Some have suggested that this was just a creature like an alligator. Not hardly! This is a creature that could not be killed, caught or tamed. If one did battle with him they would never forget it or do it again. He is said to do something similar to breathing fire (vs. 19-21). Not impossible when we consider the bombardier beetle.
In every culture, there are stories of dragons, which suggests that it was more than just a myth. There is a good chance that a creature similar to a fire breathing dragon did exist.

Some may try to dismiss this conclusion by saying that the description of these two animals is figurative. This is not reasonable. Consider the context, God is trying to impress upon Job His power and wisdom in His creation. How could He use a mythical or figurative creature to do this? These descriptions are literal, these animals existed, and they were likely what we now know of as dinosaurs.

III. What Happened To Dinosaurs?

A. This is the million dollar question. And there are many different theories, which have many different problems.
1. Some suggest that the increasing number of mammals ate all the dinosaur eggs. The problem is that dinosaurs are not the only animals that lay eggs.
2. Some suggest that a virus killed them. The problem with this theory: why just the dinosaurs and not all reptiles?
3. Perhaps the most popular theory is that an asteroid hit the earth, throwing up tons of dust, blocking out the sun, killing all the vegetation, thus starving the dinosaurs. Again, why just the dinosaurs?

B. Genesis 6-8 gives a perfect explanation for the sudden extinction of the dinosaurs: The Global Flood of Noah's Day.
Genesis 7:21-24 - everything that wasn't in the ark perished.

C. The fossil record argues in favor of a global flood. Not everything that dies turns into a fossil. In fact, circumstances have to be just right in order for the remains of an animal or plant to fossilize.
1. A plant or animal must die and be buried very quickly. Otherwise decay or scavengers will quickly consume it.
2. The buried organism must be in contact with circulating ground water. Over time, the minerals in the water replace the elements in the bone and they turn into stone. This does not take millions of years.
3. Erosion is necessary at a later time to expose the fossil.
All three of these steps fit the description of the Genesis Flood.

D. Also, "Dinosaur Graveyards" have been discovered in different parts of the world, including Dinosaur National Monument on the Utah/Colorado border. These graveyards contain jumbled masses of fossilized remains, suggesting that great numbers of dinosaurs died suddenly and were thrown together and buried under sediment quickly. This would be explained by the Genesis Flood.

Amazingly, if we are honest with what we find in the fossil record, it argues more for the Bible than for evolution.

Conclusion:

Dinosaurs did exist, the Bible supports them, and the fossil record supports the Bible. Our children should not avoid dinosaurs, but enjoy them as a great, although extinct, part of God's creation.
What lesson should dinosaurs teach us. If Job's Behemoth and Leviathan were dinosaurs, look at Job's response: Job 42:1-2. We serve a great and powerful God.

Introduction:
        There are two basic explanations given for man's origin: Creation and Evolution.
        We were either created by God, or are the product of a naturalistic process consisting of random chance. Which are we going to choose?
        Religion is looked upon as a system of faith in the unseen, while science says it deals with observable, repeatable and testable things. However, it is important that we remember that evolution is a theory - not a proven scientific fact.
        Neither proposed explanation has been seen, repeated or tested, so BOTH are systems of faith. One works on the belief that there is a God, one works on the assumption that there isn't. Which one is right?
        Christians seem content to let evolutionists have science. True science is a study of God's creation and should not be surrendered to the unbeliever. In this lesson I want to consider some things that are wrong with evolution, not from a Scriptural point of view, but from a scientific point of view. Does evolution pass the test of science?

I. Violates the Law of Biogenesis
        This law states that life comes only from preexisting life, and that living things reproduce after their own kind. This is constantly observed in the physical world, and is counted on by farmers, stockmen and breeders.

This law is also observed in the Bible:
1. Life came from God - Gen. 2:7.
2. Plants and animals reproduce after their own kind - Gen. 1:11-12, 21, 24-25.

        Evolution argues against this established law:
By mere accident a living organism experienced a mutation which caused it to be more suited for survival in its environment. Through "natural selection", this better suited organism became the dominant type and the original type gradually died out.

Problems with this theory:
     1. Does not explain the original existence of matter.
     2. Relies upon the "spontaneous generation" of life from non-life.
     3. Relies upon favorable mutations. Science has yet to observe a good mutation.         Every genetic mutation that occurs is bad rendering the new organism defective, not better suited for survival.

II. Violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics
        The Law of Energy Decay. As energy is transformed from one form into another, less of the total energy is available to be utilized in further transformations. In other words, left alone, all natural processes lead to a less ordered, less organized state.

        What naturally happens to your child's bedroom? Does it naturally become clean and organized or dirty and messy?

        Every system left to itself moves from order to disorder. In other words, the universe is proceeding in a downward, degenerating direction.
        Evolution argues that systems are progressing from disorganized to complexly organized organisms.

III. Mathematical Impossibility
        What are the mathematical probabilities of evolution having taken place? What are the odds? Do they argue in favor of or against evolution?

        The probability of the chance development of a very simple system composed of only 200 integrated parts is 1 out of 10375.
        Mathematicians generally consider any event with a probability of less than one chance in 1050 as having a zero possibility, i.e., it is impossible.

        A 200 part system is an impossibility, yet it falls far short of any living system that we know of. The most basic type of protein molecule that could be classified as living is composed of at least 400 linked amino acids, each made up of a specific arrangement of four or five chemical elements, each with a unique combination of protons, neutrons and electrons.
        The chance formation of even the simplest replicating protein molecule is 1 in 10450.
        The probability of forming the proteins and DNA for the smallest self-replicating entity is 1 in 10,167,626.

> Our children aren't given these odds in biology class. Evolutionists ignore them. <

IV. Not Supported By Fossil Record
        The fossils preserved in the earth's crust provide a kind of "written" record of events that have occurred throughout the history of this planet.
        If evolution happened, then we should find the following things in the fossil record:
     1. very simple life forms gradually appearing.
     2. simple forms gradually changing into complex ones.
     3. many transitional links between different kinds of organisms.
     4. beginnings of new body features, not fully developed, but in the process of development.

        What do we find in the fossil record?
     1. complex life forms suddenly appearing.
     2. complex life forms multiplying after their own kind.
     3. no transitional links between different biological families.
     4. no partial body features, all parts appear complete.

        The fossil record does not give the evolutionist the proof he is looking for. Even Darwin acknowledged this: "The number of intermediate and transitional links between all living and extinct species must have been inconceivable great…" "…intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic change, and this is perhaps the most obvious and serious objection which can be urged against the theory (of evolution)" (Origin of Species).

V. Nature Argues For Design, Not Chance
        Ours is an amazing and wonderful world. It contains an endless list of highly complicated systems and unique organisms which, by their very presence, defy evolutionary explanation.
        Time will not allow us to discuss them all. Instead we will focus upon only one - the human eye. It is one of the most complicated mechanisms in the world. Even Darwin said that it is hard to believe that it could have arisen accidentally.

• Gathers over 80% of the knowledge transmitted to the brain.
- Brain connected to each eye by over 600,000 nerves that send it messages at a speed exceeding 300 miles per hour.
- The eye receives 1.5 million messages at the same time, sorts through them, and sends them to the brain.
- The retina covers less than a square inch and contains 137 million light-sensitive receptor cells, 130 million rods (to see in black and white), and 7 million cones (to see in full color).
- The eye moves about 100,000 times a day, using muscles that, milligram for milligram, are among the body's strongest.
- The eye is self cleaning, using tears and eyelids. The blinking process (3-6 times a minute) keeps the sensitive cornea moist and clean.
- The eye repairs itself while we sleep. And in times of stress, one eye will rest while the other does 90% of the work, then the process is reversed, allowing both eyes equal relaxation.

        Compared to the eye, the most hi-tech camera we have looks like a toy.
        Did this happen by accident? If it did, it happened several times, because eyes appear in several different evolutionary lines.
        Indeed, we are designed and created by God - Psalm 139:14.

VI. Not Enough Time
        One thing that is a must for evolution to be true is time. The evolutionist needs time for these series of genetic mutations and natural selection to give us the different life forms that we currently have on earth.
        How much time? Most evolutionists say that the earth is about 4.5 billion years old.
        Does true science give evidence for an old earth (4.5 billion years old) or a young earth (6,000-10,000 years old, as the Bible supports)? True science supports the young earth view (see sermon outline titled "Can Creation and Evolution Co-exist?" located on this website). If this is true, there was not enough time for evolution to take place!

Conclusion:
        Each one of these arguments delivers a death blow to the theory of evolution. All of them, and many others, combine to prove that evolution could not have taken place.

        Why evolution? Why would people continue to believe in a system that is so seriously flawed? Evolution is not about science, it is about getting rid of God. If we can prove that God does not exist, then we are free to live however we want to.
Psalm 14:1 Acts 17:24, 30-31

        See Can Creation and Evolution Co-exist?

Introduction:
        A. Matthew 27:22 - Pilate finds himself asking a question that every man, woman and child has had to find an answer to since: "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"

        B. Matthew 16:13-16 - Everyone has an opinion about Jesus. Some say He never existed - historical evidence proves He did. Some claim he was a good man, a prophet of God. Some claim he was a liar and a troublemaker. Christians claim Him as their Lord and Savior - the Son of God.

        C. It is not important what others think about Jesus. "But who do you say that I am?" That is the question being asked of you this morning.

        D. The religion of Christ is a system of faith, but it is not a leap of faith. One's acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God does not need to rely solely upon opinion, family tradition, social beliefs, etc. It is based upon evidence.

I. The Way He Spoke
        A. John 7:32, 45-46 - "No man ever spoke like this Man."
        There was something about the way Jesus spoke that made Him different than other teachers (scribes and rabbis) of His day.

        B. Matthew tells us that it was because He spoke with authority (Matt. 7:29). The scribes and rabbis quoted Scripture to authorize their message and demand respect from the Jews. Jesus talked as if His words were Scripture. Quite simply, He spoke as God would speak.

        C. Jesus was a master debater. His enemies often tried to test Him before the multitudes in order to expose Him as a fraud. But He was always able to answer in a way that exposed them, silenced them and increased the listener's faith.

II. His Claims
        Some of the most significant things that Jesus said were claims that He made about Himself.
        A. He was the Messiah - John 4:25-26
        B. He was equal with God - John 5:17-18
        C. He was the Son of God - John 10:30-36
        D. He had the power to forgive sins - Mark 2:5

        These claims were not mistaken by his enemies. He was ultimately killed because of them. He never retracted any of them under the threat of death.

III. The Miracles That Backed Up His Claims
        Jesus was not the first, nor the last, to claim to be the Messiah and the Son of God. But He is the first and only person to back up His claims with miracles.

        A. Mark 2:5-12 - Jesus used the seen (a miracle of healing) to prove the unseen (the power to forgive sins, equating Him with God).

        B. Acts 2:22 - the miracles were a testament to the identity of the Messiah.

        C. John 3:2 - believing Jews realized this.

        D. What is amazing is that even His enemies could not deny that Jesus performed miracles (John 11:47). But instead of believing Jesus, they tried to cover up the evidence (John 12:9-11) and credit His power to Satan (Matt. 9:34, 12:24).

IV. What Others Said About Him
        The New Testament is the testimony of eyewitnesses. How did those closest to Jesus react to His claims and miracles?

        A. His mother. Although his brothers rejected His claims, His mother believed in His power (John 2:3-5). Her silence at His crucifixion is powerful proof that she believed her Son was the Messiah and had to die (John 19:25).
        B. Peter confessed Jesus was the Christ - Matthew 16:16.
        C. John said his faith was based upon what he saw, heard and had experienced - 1 John 1:1-4.
        D. Thomas doubted, but believed when He saw proof - John 20:24-29.
        E. Paul went from persecutor to believer - Galatians 1:23.

        These people died for their testimony, no one knowingly dies for a lie!

V. Fulfilled Prophecy
        Fulfilled prophecy is the greatest argument for both the inspiration of the Scriptures and identifying Jesus as the Son of God.
Fulfilled prophecy does not deal with guesswork or luck, it shows that the omniscient mind of God is at work.

        A. Jesus made very detailed predictions about:
            1. His death and resurrection - Matthew 20:17-19, John 2:19
            2. Peter's denial - Mark 14:30
            3. Destruction of Jerusalem - Matt. 24

        They all came true, to every detail.

        B. Jesus was also the subject of Old Testament prophecy. The Messiah is a major theme in the Old Testament. Mentioned first in Genesis 3:15 and Malachi 4:5 mentions his forerunner - John the Baptist.
        There are 332 Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in one man, Jesus of Nazareth. At least 25 of them were fulfilled in the last 24 hours of His life.

Prophecies include:
1. Birthplace - Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
2. Born of a virgin - Isaiah 7:4
3. He would have a forerunner - Malachi 3:1
4. He would ride on a donkey - Zechariah 9:9
5. Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver - Zechariah 11:12-13
6. He would be killed with transgressors - Isaiah 53:12
7. He would be buried in a rich man's tomb - Isaiah 53:9
8. Hands and feet pierced - Psalm 22:16
9. Cast lots for His clothes - Psalm 22:18
10. Raised from the dead - Psalm 16:10

        When we apply the Law of Compound Probabilities to the odds of one person fulfilling just eight of these prophecies - it is 1 in 10 to the 17th power.
        Fulfilled prophecy, both those He made and those He fulfilled, argue in favor of His being the Son of God.

VI. Does He Fit the Profile of the Son of God?
        If Jesus is really the Son of God, we would expect Him to have the attributes and characteristics of God. Does He?

1. Omniscient - John 16:30
2. Omnipresent - Matt. 28:20
3. Omnipotent - Matt. 28:18
4. Holy - 1 Peter 2:22
5. Sovereign - Col. 1:15
6. Eternal - John 1:1
7. Immutable - Heb. 13:8
8. Forgiving - Mark 2:5-12

        Jesus was everything on earth in the flesh that God was - Col. 2:9.

Conclusion:
        Either Jesus is who He claimed to be, or He isn't. If He isn't He should be rejected as the world's greatest con-man.
        But if His claim to be the Son of God is true, then everything He said is true. He is our Lord and Savior. There is salvation in no other.

        John 20:30-31 - I am not asking you to put your faith and hope of eternal salvation in one that you think is real, but in one that you know is real.

Introduction:
        The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the crowning piece of evidence in our faith. The resurrection gives meaning to everything we have studied in the past weeks. But, if the resurrection did not take place, then we might as well throw our Bibles away and go home. We may have some answers to some questions about the Bible, God and our origins, but without a risen Savior we are still without hope.

"The resurrection is the foundation upon which we base our faith and hope in Christ. Even the enemies of Christ know this. If the resurrection can be disproven, then the entire Bible is nullified as a claimant for valid faith. But if it is true, then it stands as the single greatest testimony to the validity of the Scriptures and the Christian faith. So the question before us now is, did Jesus really rise from the dead?" (Doy Moyer, Standing on Solid Ground, p. 37).

I. What Are the Facts?
        The resurrection can not be proven from a scientific point of view. Belief in the resurrection comes from historical evidence, the accounts of eyewitnesses.
        What do we know about the events surrounding the claim of the resurrection of Jesus?

1. Jesus of Nazareth was a real person, not a myth or legend.
2. Jesus died on a Roman cross.
3. He was buried in a new and well guarded tomb.
4. On the third day the body was missing.
5. Jesus was seen alive by many witnesses for 40 days afterward.
6. These appearances suddenly stopped.
7. The church was established within two months of His death.
8. The disciples, who were fearful and downtrodden, were now preaching
with boldness and power.
9. The church grew rapidly, with the resurrection of Christ as one of its
main doctrines.
10. Within 30 years, these churches were spread throughout the entire
Roman empire.

        These are the historical facts. Do they argue in favor of or against the bodily resurrection of Jesus?

II. What Happened to the Body of Jesus?

1. Still Buried.
        Some suggest that the disciples went to the wrong tomb. This is not possible:
    A. The women were careful to observe where Jesus was buried - Luke 24:55.
    B. The enemies knew where He was buried. They placed a seal upon the tomb and set a guard to watch it.
    C. When the apostles began to preach the resurrection (Acts 2:24, 29), the body would have been produced by the Jewish leaders to disprove this myth.

2. Enemies Stole It.
    A. It was to their best interest to keep Jesus in the grave, the very thing they tried to do (Matt. 27:62-64).
    B. Again, why wasn't the body produced when the apostles began preaching?

3. Disciples Stole It.
        Some claim that Jesus' disciples stole the body away and claimed that He rose from the dead. This is the very story that the chief priests came up with to discredit the resurrection (Matt. 28:11-15).
    A. The disciples still did not understand that Jesus was going to raise from the dead. How could they stage something they did not foresee happening?
    B. There is no way the body could have been stolen. These guards would not have allowed that to happen.
    C. The disciples ultimately died for their testimony of the resurrected Christ. Why would they agree to die for a lie?

4. Jesus Survived the Crucifixion and Walked Out of the Tomb.
        This is the popular "Swoon Theory." It claims that Jesus just passed out on the cross and later revived and was able to get out of the tomb.
    A. History does not record any survivors of crucifixion.
    B. The Roman guards, who knew how to kill people and when someone was dead, saw that He was dead - John 19:33.
    C. They verified this with a spear to the heart - John 19:34.
    D. Pilate verified His death - Mark 15:44-45.
    E. Jesus' body was bound - John 19:40. If Jesus was buried according to the custom of the Jews, it was impossible for Him to walk out of the tomb. The body was wrapped three different times - once from the feet to the armpits, again from the feet to the neck, and finally from the feet to the head. Spices were mixed in with the cloth. Myrrh was like an adhesive. The total encasement would have weighed 117-120 pounds.
    F. The stone sealing the tomb was very large - Mark 16:3-4. The women couldn't get in - how could Jesus have gotten out?

        How could Jesus have survived the crucifixion and the spear to the heart, fooled professional executioners, wrestled Himself out of the grave clothes, moved the stone, and gotten by the guards?

5. Jesus Rose From the Dead.
        The only valid option left is that Jesus did just what the Bible says He did. It may defy scientific explanation, but it fits with the facts that we have.
And there is the testimony of eyewitnesses - 1 Cor. 15:5-8.

III. Significance of the Resurrection
        What makes the resurrection so special? Why should we care that Jesus really rose from the dead?

1. Validates our Faith.
        1 Cor. 15:12-19 - if Jesus didn't raise from the dead:
    A. preaching is vain (v. 14)
    B. faith is vain (v. 14)
    C. apostles were false witnesses (v. 15)
    D. still in our sins (v. 17)
    E. dead have perished (v. 18)
    F. we are most pitiable (v. 19)

2. Ultimate Proof That Jesus is the Son of God.
        Romans 1:3-4 - the resurrection was the means by which God declared Jesus to be His Son.
        It was also the means by which Jesus declared Himself. Jesus said that He would rise from the dead. Jesus speaks of His predicted resurrection 15 times in the gospel accounts.
        "Jesus was a good man, but He didn't rise from the dead." If He didn't rise from the dead He wasn't a good man, He was a false prophet.

3. Proof of a Future Judgment.
        Acts 17:30-31 - the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the assurance of our own resurrection. And with that resurrection a judgment.
        How can we take the resurrection lightly knowing that it proves the fact that judgment is awaiting us?

Conclusion:
        Christianity stands or falls with the resurrection. Either Jesus rose from the dead like He said He would, proving He is the Son of God and gaining victory over death. Or He didn't, proving that He was lying.
        There is no middle ground.
        We can have our opinions about the resurrection of Jesus, but what does the evidence say?
        If you believe that Jesus rose from the dead, why not act upon that belief by repenting of your sins, confessing your faith and being baptized for the remission of your sins?

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