Good evening everybody
and welcome to another edition
00:00:18.27\00:00:20.68
of the Eleventh Hour
Evidence coming to you live
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from Battle Creek, Michigan.
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I'm your host
Pastor Jason Seiber
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and I'm so glad you
are joining us right now.
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It's time to pull up a chair,
find your pen and your paper
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and sit down and
get ready to think
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and I think that if you
will do that you will leave
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believing this evenings
end. I was just thinking about
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how Pastor
Asscherick has been sharing
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and a verse came
to my mind is found in
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Luke chapter 12 verse 11
and 12, when they bring you
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therefore before the
synagogues and the rulers
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and the authorities,
do not worry about how
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or what you are to
speak in your defense
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or what you are to say;
for the Holy Spirit will teach
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you in that very hour
what you ought to say.
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Eric, you know, I was
just thinking about that.
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Can you imagine what
a mistake it would be
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to bring Pastor
Asscherick into a court room
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and have him share
in his own defense,
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I mean seriously think
about the poor core reporter,
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you know the speed
that kind of goes at and the
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words he uses. You talk to
him about time of trouble ha.
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Anyway we are just so
thankful to have Pastor
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Asscherick with us tonight.
And we are also thankful
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to have Eric Umali
he would be leading us
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in a very special musical
selection, thank you Eric
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for sharing God bless you.
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In letters of
crimson, God wrote His love
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On the hillside
so long, long ago;
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For you and for me Jesus died,
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And love's
greatest story was told.
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I love you, I love you
That's what Calvary said;
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I love you, I love you,
I love you, written in red.
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Down through the
ages, God wrote His love
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With the same hands
that suffered and bled;
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Giving all that he had to give,
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A message so easily read.
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I love you, I love you,
That's what Calvary said;
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I love you, I love you,
I love you. written in red.
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Oh, precious is the flow,
that makes me white as snow;
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No other fount I
know, nothing but the blood,
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the blood of Jesus.
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I love you, I love you
That's what Calvary said;
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I love you, I love you,
I love you, written in Red.
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Thank you, Eric it's
so exciting to know that
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Jesus Christ loves us
and that is written in red.
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Tonight a simple
question could you imagine
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what it would mean
if project phoenix,
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which is right now
swiping the skies looking
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for science of intelligent
life would find that sign.
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Someone thought it
almost happened in 1977,
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a man name Gerry Amen
was scanning the skies
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with the very large ray
at Ohio State University,
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it's a, it was called
the big air to the people
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who had built it an 85
foot tower and he was listening
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to the night heavens in the
early morning hours suddenly
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he heard a signal and that
signal lasted for 72 seconds.
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He went and recorded
that signal on his machinery
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and then wrote on the graph
paper that it was recorded on.
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Wow! And it has
become known as the Wow!
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Signal. No one is ever
been able to resurrect it.
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No one knows
exactly, where it came from.
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But, what it might
be a real Wow if God
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had been sending
signals for 5000 years.
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Could you imagine it and
could you imagine the impact
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that would have if it
turned out that the book
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I'm holding right
here in my hand recorded
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what God had to say
through that signal.
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Can you believe
it, can you trust it.
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Pastor Asscherick
will tell you tonight.
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Pastor Asscherick.
Amen, good evening everyone,
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good evening. How
was your day today, good.
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Good day, good. Amen,
thank you for that wonderful
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introduction Jason.
Did you enjoy that song?
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Amen. Let me tell you
the first time I ever heard
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Eric sing that song
was when we were conducting
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an evangelistic
meaning in Grand Rapids.
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That was probably
what three years ago Eric?
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About two years ago.
And Eric sang frequently
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for those meetings and I
was very thankful to have him
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singing because when
he would sing and I would
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make a call the voice
that God has given him
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just a navel people to
respond more easily to the call.
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And I remember the
fist time he sang that song
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and when he would hit
that second note there
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with I love you it just,
it sent chills at my spine
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and it still does
that. I love that song,
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I love Dr. Umali. And
I'm so thankful he has sang
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for us tonight, amen.
Amen! Alright we have lot
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of information to cover
tonight that's no surprise
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to you is it. Amen!
Now you just totally amazed
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by that, they were
going to be moving rapidly,
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I appreciate that
introduction by the way Jason.
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I wasn't here, but I
heard every word of it.
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We have a lot of information
to cover this evening
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a significant amount
and so what I like to do is
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begin right with prayer we
are going to move as rapidly
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as possible. I had a
dear sister say to me
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one time you know Pastor
Asscherick you speak too fast.
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And I was tempted
to say, but I withheld,
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I was tempted to say
well sister is not that
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I speak too fast is
that you listen too slow.
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I think it was probably
the better part of wisdom
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that I didn't say it to
her. Amen. So, let's begin
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with the word of
prayer. Father in heaven we love
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that song that we have
just heard it's written in red
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the message of
Calvary I love you.
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And father as we come
together tonight to study
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the word of God,
the Bible and not just
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a subject in the Bible,
but father tonight to try
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and understand the Bible itself.
00:09:07.13\00:09:09.28
Father tonight this is a
Herculean task to undertaken
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such a short time.
But, we believe that
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you will be with
us. We believe that you
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will come and teach us and
father I believe in my heart
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of hearts that they are people
in this auditorium as well
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and especially out
in the viewing audience.
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How are going to
hear something tonight.
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That is going to speak
directly to their hearts
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and say the
Bible can be trusted,
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the Bible is the word
of God, the Bible is true.
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Father in heaven we
pray that tonight somebody
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or some group of
people or some significantly
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large number of
people would come away with
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a new or a renewed
conviction that the
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Bible is true and
that it is your word.
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Please father be with us
tonight is my humble prayer
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in Jesus name
everyone can say, amen, amen.
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Alright our message
tonight is entitled is the
00:10:02.15\00:10:05.68
Bible God's word
assessing the evidence,
00:10:05.71\00:10:09.00
is the Bible God's
word assessing the evidence.
00:10:09.03\00:10:13.18
What we are going to do
tonight is try and understand
00:10:13.21\00:10:15.66
why it is that
Christian people hold the Bible
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in such high regard.
Just by showing of hands
00:10:19.16\00:10:22.10
as we commence this
evening, I'm wondering how many
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of you that are in this
room tonight believe that
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the Bible is in fact the
inspired inherent word of God.
00:10:26.29\00:10:30.53
How many of you believe that,
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go ahead and raise your hands.
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So, tonight I'm
preaching to the quire. Amen!
00:10:32.53\00:10:34.91
But, friends there is
more, there is more people
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that are watching
this presentation that
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are just in this room.
You understand that right,
00:10:39.31\00:10:41.01
amen. Amen! To
the tune of thousands
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and perhaps even
millions as these programs
00:10:43.11\00:10:45.33
are aired all over the globe.
00:10:45.36\00:10:46.67
Now even for those who
already believe that the Bible
00:10:47.43\00:10:50.02
is the inspired word of
God my experience as a Pastor
00:10:50.05\00:10:53.02
as let me to believe that
even for those who already,
00:10:53.05\00:10:55.76
even for those who
already to those who already
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that hold that conviction
there is a smaller percentage
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and perhaps even a minority
that really could answer
00:11:02.50\00:11:05.41
some of the tough
questions about the Bible.
00:11:05.44\00:11:07.42
Where it came from,
why are the 66 books,
00:11:07.45\00:11:10.00
why not the 67 and 65.
What really constitutes
00:11:10.03\00:11:13.38
the Old Testament
and the New Testament.
00:11:13.41\00:11:15.09
What were the
criteria by which they decided,
00:11:15.12\00:11:17.35
which books were in
and which books were out.
00:11:17.38\00:11:19.20
Many of us in this room
say oh, I believe the Bible
00:11:19.23\00:11:21.57
the inspired word of
God. But, when its comes down
00:11:21.60\00:11:23.72
to answering some of
the those tougher questions,
00:11:23.75\00:11:25.68
I have found that they are
fewer people then you might
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think that could really
answer them effectively.
00:11:28.25\00:11:30.35
Now I'm tempted to ask
you, how many of you could be
00:11:30.38\00:11:32.31
willing to answer, but I
don't want to embarrass you
00:11:32.34\00:11:33.78
in front of all of your
friends on live television.
00:11:33.81\00:11:36.01
What we were going to do
tonight is try to understand
00:11:36.77\00:11:38.65
whether or not the Bible
can be trusted. Each one of us
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in this room has
already affirmed,
00:11:41.50\00:11:42.88
we are putting our
trust in the Bible.
00:11:42.91\00:11:44.81
What I want to
know tonight is not
00:11:44.84\00:11:46.61
whether you are doing it,
but whether or not it is an
00:11:46.64\00:11:49.24
intelligent decision, amen,
Amen! Just because everybody
00:11:49.27\00:11:53.05
is doing it doesn't mean
that we should be doing it.
00:11:53.08\00:11:55.39
For example, if a
bunch of lemmings go running
00:11:55.42\00:11:57.81
and jumping off of a
cliff what it my mother used
00:11:57.84\00:11:59.71
to say to me. You
don't do it too. Amen, amen.
00:11:59.74\00:12:03.21
Now brothers and
sisters, I wanna go and record
00:12:03.24\00:12:04.99
right now was letting
you know that I do affirm
00:12:05.02\00:12:06.92
the authenticity,
inerrancy, and inspiration
00:12:06.95\00:12:09.12
of the scriptures. I believe
the Bible is the word of God,
00:12:09.15\00:12:11.93
what I want to try to
do tonight is to show you
00:12:11.96\00:12:14.15
why I believe
that. Do you understand
00:12:14.18\00:12:16.80
what we were going to
do tonight yes or no. Amen.
00:12:16.83\00:12:18.91
Alright, what we are
going to look at tonight is,
00:12:18.94\00:12:20.64
is three very simple
points. Number one is the case
00:12:20.67\00:12:24.34
for the Bible.
Number two is the claims
00:12:24.37\00:12:27.10
of the Bible and
that's going to be subdivided
00:12:27.13\00:12:28.65
into two points.
The claims of the Bible
00:12:28.68\00:12:30.58
makes about itself and
the claims of the Bible makes
00:12:30.61\00:12:33.61
about what is out word
right there, the future.
00:12:33.64\00:12:36.19
And the number three the
consistency of the Bible.
00:12:36.22\00:12:38.72
So, the case for the
Bible, the claims for the Bible
00:12:38.75\00:12:41.59
and the
consistency of the Bible.
00:12:41.62\00:12:43.98
Now in order to
commence our study tonight,
00:12:44.01\00:12:45.92
let's begin in
the Gospel of Luke.
00:12:45.95\00:12:47.47
What Gospel are we
going to? Luke chapter 24.
00:12:47.50\00:12:50.67
Our message yesterday
was on the resurrection
00:12:52.53\00:12:54.16
and so I think it would
be well for us to sort of tie
00:12:54.19\00:12:56.35
this altogether and go
to Luke chapter 24 in which
00:12:56.38\00:12:59.63
we find one of the post
resurrection appearances
00:12:59.66\00:13:01.88
of Jesus Christ.
Luke chapter 24 and to set
00:13:01.91\00:13:04.94
to context here, two of
the disciples are walking
00:13:04.97\00:13:07.48
on the road to
Emmaus, as they are walking
00:13:07.51\00:13:10.03
on the road
they are discouraged,
00:13:10.06\00:13:11.70
they are dejected,
because the very one and whom
00:13:11.73\00:13:14.36
they had put their
confidence and their hopes,
00:13:14.39\00:13:16.62
the very one who they
were just sure was the
00:13:16.65\00:13:18.94
promised Messiah.
The promised Messiah
00:13:18.97\00:13:21.24
has been crucified
unjustly under Roman rule
00:13:21.27\00:13:24.37
and authority and so
they are walking and they
00:13:24.40\00:13:26.36
are dejected. Verse 13
now the hold two of the men
00:13:26.39\00:13:29.07
were traveling that same
day to a village called Emmaus,
00:13:29.10\00:13:31.50
which was seven
miles from Jerusalem.
00:13:31.53\00:13:33.07
And they talk
together of these things,
00:13:33.10\00:13:34.96
which had happened. So,
it was while they conversed
00:13:34.99\00:13:36.62
and reasoned that
Jesus himself drew near
00:13:36.65\00:13:39.65
and went with them.
Who drew near every one.
00:13:39.68\00:13:41.82
Jesus, Jesus drew
near. Notice verse 16,
00:13:41.85\00:13:44.29
but their eyes were restrained,
00:13:44.32\00:13:46.06
so that they did not know
him. They are so forlorned,
00:13:46.09\00:13:49.06
so dejected, so discouraged
00:13:49.09\00:13:51.41
they don't even
recognize the resurrected Jesus.
00:13:51.44\00:13:54.77
And notice what
happens in verse 17,
00:13:54.80\00:13:56.60
Jesus approaches them and
says what kind of conversation
00:13:56.63\00:13:59.52
is this that you have
with one another as you walk
00:13:59.55\00:14:01.89
and are what's
the last word there,
00:14:01.92\00:14:04.23
sad what were that every one.
00:14:04.26\00:14:06.61
Sad, Jesus says why
are you talking this way.
00:14:06.64\00:14:09.21
Verse 18 then the
one answered whose name
00:14:10.27\00:14:11.93
was Cleopas and said to
Him, "Are You only a stranger
00:14:11.96\00:14:14.58
in Jerusalem and have
You not known the things
00:14:14.61\00:14:16.96
which have
happened here in these days?
00:14:16.99\00:14:18.59
Verse 19 and He said
to them, "What things?"
00:14:18.62\00:14:23.04
So they said to Him,
"The things concerning Jesus
00:14:23.07\00:14:25.19
of Nazareth, who was a Prophet
00:14:25.22\00:14:26.50
mighty indeed and word
before God and all the people,
00:14:26.53\00:14:28.47
and how the chief
priests and our rulers delivered
00:14:28.50\00:14:30.47
Him to be condemned to
death and crucified Him.
00:14:30.50\00:14:32.10
But, we were hoping that it was
00:14:32.13\00:14:33.96
He who was going
to redeem Israel.
00:14:33.99\00:14:35.67
Indeed, besides all this
today is the what day every one?
00:14:35.70\00:14:38.83
Third day, the third day
since these things happened.
00:14:38.86\00:14:40.95
As soon as they said
the word third day something
00:14:40.98\00:14:43.15
should have clicked in
their mind. Amen, amen.
00:14:43.18\00:14:45.57
But, there was so dejected
that they couldn't even bring
00:14:45.60\00:14:48.16
themselves to think
rationally about the
00:14:48.19\00:14:49.83
very things that
Christ told him would happen
00:14:49.86\00:14:51.81
and let us just make a
parenthetical statement here.
00:14:51.84\00:14:53.84
The same is often
true for us. Sometimes
00:14:53.87\00:14:56.63
we get so discouraged,
so dejected and so cast down
00:14:56.66\00:14:59.79
that we forget
the word of God, amen.
00:14:59.82\00:15:03.38
And we say oh it was me and oh,
00:15:03.41\00:15:05.75
why is this be fall on
me. Friends listen if you have
00:15:05.78\00:15:08.71
a heavenly father and
you have committed your life
00:15:08.74\00:15:10.78
to him and you are trust
him, he will take care of you
00:15:10.81\00:15:13.41
and he will never
leave you alone, amen, Amen!
00:15:13.44\00:15:16.63
Now we can look in, we
can look in these disciples
00:15:16.66\00:15:18.42
and we can sort of
laugh at them and say
00:15:18.45\00:15:19.64
ha-ha they should have
know it was the third day,
00:15:19.67\00:15:21.96
but friends let this be
lesson to us when we fall
00:15:21.99\00:15:24.31
into discouragement,
temptation and difficult
00:15:24.34\00:15:26.19
vicissitudes let us
remember that it is the word
00:15:26.22\00:15:28.58
of God that speaks to
our hearts, amen. Amen.
00:15:28.61\00:15:31.24
Notice now in verse 22 it
says yes and certain women
00:15:31.27\00:15:34.16
of our company, who
arrived at the tomb early
00:15:34.19\00:15:35.81
astonished us. When
they did not find His body,
00:15:35.84\00:15:38.14
that's we spoke about
yesterday they came saying
00:15:38.17\00:15:40.55
that they had seen
also a vision of angels
00:15:40.58\00:15:42.29
who said He was, what everybody,
00:15:42.32\00:15:44.07
alive, alive. We
talked about that last night.
00:15:44.10\00:15:46.56
And certain of those who
were with us went to the tomb
00:15:46.59\00:15:48.62
and found it just
as the women had said;
00:15:48.65\00:15:50.26
but Him they did not
see. Now notice verse 25
00:15:50.29\00:15:53.15
then He said to them,
Jesus speaking to these forlorn
00:15:53.18\00:15:56.11
dejected disciples "O
foolish ones, and slow
00:15:56.14\00:15:59.23
of heart to believe
in all that the Prophets
00:15:59.26\00:16:02.69
have spoken!
Ought not the Christ
00:16:02.72\00:16:05.24
to have suffered these things
and to enter into His glory?
00:16:05.27\00:16:07.85
Notice Jesus is
referencing the Bible.
00:16:07.88\00:16:11.10
What's he referencing
everyone? Bible, the Bible.
00:16:11.13\00:16:13.97
He says you should
believe the Prophets.
00:16:14.00\00:16:15.78
Now to the people
to whom he was speaking
00:16:15.81\00:16:18.75
that term the Prophets
man the writings of what you
00:16:18.78\00:16:22.24
and I call the Old
Testament. Notice verse 27
00:16:22.27\00:16:26.16
And beginning at
Moses, who wrote the book
00:16:26.19\00:16:29.13
of Genesis everyone. Moses,
Moses, so where do we begin?
00:16:29.16\00:16:31.80
It began in the
beginning in Genesis.
00:16:33.06\00:16:34.18
And beginning at
Moses and all the Prophets.
00:16:34.21\00:16:36.61
How many of the
Prophets? All, all the Prophets
00:16:36.64\00:16:39.33
He expounded to them
in all the scriptures
00:16:39.36\00:16:42.73
the things concerning
what everyone? Himself,
00:16:42.76\00:16:46.58
himself. What's its saying here?
00:16:46.61\00:16:47.74
In essence the Dr.
Luke is saying that Jesus
00:16:47.77\00:16:50.91
gave them a Bible
study. And notice how he gave
00:16:50.94\00:16:54.06
the Bible study.
He began in Moses.
00:16:54.09\00:16:56.45
He began where
everyone? Moses. And then work
00:16:56.48\00:16:58.95
systematically through
the entire can and the entire
00:16:58.98\00:17:01.80
record of scripture showing
that there was consistency
00:17:01.83\00:17:04.99
that there was coherency
and that it all pointed
00:17:05.02\00:17:08.33
to Jesus Christ divinity.
And notice the same thing takes
00:17:08.36\00:17:11.95
place in verse 44,
Then He said to them,
00:17:11.98\00:17:14.09
"These are the
words, which I spoke to you
00:17:14.12\00:17:16.04
while I was still with
you that all things must
00:17:16.07\00:17:18.55
be fulfilled, which were
written in the Law of Moses,
00:17:18.58\00:17:21.82
the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me. And He opened
00:17:21.85\00:17:25.97
their understanding,
that they might comprehend
00:17:26.00\00:17:28.16
what everyone scriptures.
Now notice Jesus here gives
00:17:28.19\00:17:30.94
three divisions, the
law of Moses that would be
00:17:30.97\00:17:33.41
the first five books,
the Prophets that would be
00:17:33.44\00:17:35.24
all of the Prophets major
and minor and then he says
00:17:35.27\00:17:37.71
the Psalms. That would
be the wisdom book Psalms,
00:17:37.74\00:17:39.99
Ecclesiastes,
Proverbs and Song of Solomon.
00:17:40.02\00:17:42.38
Jesus here sub
divides the Old Testament
00:17:43.76\00:17:45.51
as was common to do in his
days into three compartments
00:17:45.54\00:17:48.81
and says that all of it was
inspired that's what he says
00:17:48.84\00:17:52.04
by implication because
he give him a Bible study
00:17:52.07\00:17:54.40
from everyone of
those sections and everyone
00:17:54.43\00:17:57.04
of those books. Are you
with me now, yes or no? Amen
00:17:57.07\00:17:59.62
Amen. Now here is the
major point I wanna bring out.
00:17:59.65\00:18:01.48
Jesus the resurrected
Jesus affirmed the authenticity
00:18:01.51\00:18:07.57
and the historicity
and the validity of the
00:18:07.60\00:18:10.88
Old Testament.
Could Jesus have performed
00:18:10.91\00:18:13.91
a miracle right
there and there hearing.
00:18:13.94\00:18:15.57
Could Jesus have done
something right there in their
00:18:16.26\00:18:18.01
immediate presence to
prove that he was the Messiah,
00:18:18.04\00:18:20.75
yes or no. Yes. But,
he didn't want their faith
00:18:20.78\00:18:23.55
to be in miracles
friends. He didn't want their
00:18:23.58\00:18:26.09
confidence to be in some
miracle work or because all
00:18:26.12\00:18:29.05
it would take as
another miracle work
00:18:29.08\00:18:30.69
to come down the
road and deceive them
00:18:30.72\00:18:32.77
and get them off track by
the way can devil work miracles?
00:18:32.80\00:18:35.22
Amen. Absolutely
think about Moses their
00:18:35.25\00:18:37.10
in Pharaohs court
and Moses had thrown
00:18:37.13\00:18:39.10
down his staff and
he became a? Serpent,
00:18:39.13\00:18:41.87
serpent that's right or
snake and then what did the
00:18:41.90\00:18:43.79
magicians of Pharaoh do?
Same thing, in fact if you
00:18:43.82\00:18:47.59
go read the first
two of the 10 plagues,
00:18:47.62\00:18:49.33
Pharaohs magicians were
able to even counterfeit
00:18:49.36\00:18:52.15
those incredible
plagues. The blood turning,
00:18:52.18\00:18:54.44
the water turning to
blood and even the plague
00:18:54.47\00:18:56.76
of the frogs. Now
Jesus wants their confidence
00:18:56.79\00:18:59.81
not to be in a miracle worker,
not in a sign in fact Jesus
00:18:59.84\00:19:03.19
in Matthew chapter
24 warns about signs
00:19:03.22\00:19:05.30
at the end of time. We
are gonna talk about that
00:19:05.33\00:19:06.75
more in the future.
Jesus wants their confidence
00:19:06.78\00:19:09.50
to be in the
scriptures. In what everyone?
00:19:09.53\00:19:14.10
Scriptures. He
wants them to be confident
00:19:14.13\00:19:16.22
of his messianic identity,
of his reality as the son
00:19:16.25\00:19:20.16
of God not based
upon what he told them
00:19:20.19\00:19:22.46
or what he showed them,
but upon what the Bible said.
00:19:22.49\00:19:27.35
So, friends I want
you to recognize something
00:19:28.36\00:19:29.74
very important
here. Jesus affirmed,
00:19:29.77\00:19:33.13
Jesus unequivocally
affirmed the authenticity
00:19:33.16\00:19:37.01
and the historicity of
the Old Testament scriptures.
00:19:37.04\00:19:41.80
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:19:41.83\00:19:43.33
Alright so this sort of
this gives us a frame right now
00:19:43.36\00:19:45.60
and we are going to
begin to move forward
00:19:45.63\00:19:47.56
into our message
number one the case,
00:19:47.59\00:19:49.24
number two is the
claims and number three
00:19:49.27\00:19:50.97
the consistency of the
Bible. Let's talk about the case
00:19:51.00\00:19:53.36
for the Bible.
First of all number one,
00:19:53.39\00:19:55.34
I'm going to give
you several points here
00:19:55.37\00:19:56.82
and the first one
I wanna talk about is
00:19:56.85\00:19:57.99
internal
coherency. Internal coherency.
00:19:58.02\00:20:01.44
In fact what we are going to do,
00:20:01.47\00:20:02.64
is we gonna to come back
to that point toward the end
00:20:02.67\00:20:04.24
of this message. Let's
look at number two manuscript
00:20:04.27\00:20:07.40
consistency.
Manuscript consistency.
00:20:07.43\00:20:10.17
The New Testament
consists of a number
00:20:10.20\00:20:14.32
of different
books. 27 different books
00:20:14.35\00:20:15.96
and these books were
originally written probably
00:20:15.99\00:20:18.61
in the Greek language.
In what language everyone?
00:20:18.64\00:20:21.20
Greek. Greek
language. Now let's just try
00:20:21.23\00:20:24.16
to understand something
here. We do not have the
00:20:24.19\00:20:26.93
original writings of the
Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
00:20:26.96\00:20:29.64
What are call the autographs,
00:20:29.67\00:20:31.31
they are gone, but let
me tell you what we do have.
00:20:31.34\00:20:34.57
We do have five
thousand extent that would
00:20:34.60\00:20:38.61
mean existent. Five thousand
extent Greek manuscripts
00:20:38.64\00:20:43.41
dating from the
middle of the second century
00:20:43.44\00:20:46.18
down to modernity that,
that are basically portions
00:20:46.21\00:20:50.05
of or the entire New Testament.
00:20:50.08\00:20:52.19
How many manuscripts
did I tell you we have?
00:20:52.22\00:20:54.12
Five thousand, five
thousand. Now that's only Greek.
00:20:54.15\00:20:56.45
That's not Latin manuscripts
or syriac manuscripts
00:20:57.63\00:21:00.01
that's only Greek manuscripts.
Now listen very carefully.
00:21:00.04\00:21:03.95
When scholars and intellectual
critics and other they,
00:21:03.98\00:21:06.75
they take those
manuscripts and put them down
00:21:06.78\00:21:08.38
and they compare
them with one another.
00:21:08.41\00:21:11.92
What did they do
everyone? Compare.
00:21:11.95\00:21:14.48
They compare them
would you like to know
00:21:14.51\00:21:16.93
what the degree of
consistency that is to say
00:21:16.96\00:21:20.45
the degree of sameness is
between those five thousand
00:21:20.48\00:21:24.05
manuscripts. What
you think the percentage
00:21:24.08\00:21:26.39
of consistency and agreement is.
00:21:26.42\00:21:28.79
It's between 97 and 99%
consistency in five thousand
00:21:30.75\00:21:37.02
existent Greek manuscripts.
And friends the differences
00:21:37.05\00:21:41.73
are not huge differences
they are commas or punctuation
00:21:41.76\00:21:46.02
or of course they
don't have commas in the way
00:21:46.05\00:21:48.22
we have them, but that
helps you to understand
00:21:48.25\00:21:50.18
the minor points.
That what kind of points?
00:21:50.21\00:21:52.82
Minor points, minor
points. Now think about the
00:21:52.85\00:21:55.71
significance of that
these manuscripts date for,
00:21:55.74\00:21:57.99
for over a thousand
years and when you bring them
00:21:58.02\00:22:00.95
altogether the amount
of agreement between them
00:22:00.98\00:22:03.96
is between 97 and 99%.
Now this was before the
00:22:03.99\00:22:06.61
time of fax machines,
hard drives, cell phones,
00:22:06.64\00:22:10.98
copy machines and all of
that, what is it tell us?
00:22:11.01\00:22:13.80
Christ has preserved his
New Testament for you and I.
00:22:13.83\00:22:18.63
Amen, now let's talk
about the Old Testament
00:22:18.66\00:22:21.38
very quickly. The Old
Testament is actually quite
00:22:21.41\00:22:23.70
a bit easier to understand
because in the Old Testament
00:22:23.73\00:22:26.06
the Jews took very
seriously the preservation
00:22:26.09\00:22:28.99
of the Old Testament Canaan.
By the way how many of you
00:22:29.02\00:22:31.46
heard that word Canaan
before, the Canaan of the Bible.
00:22:31.49\00:22:34.22
Do you know what the word means?
00:22:34.25\00:22:35.22
It means basically a measuring
rod or a measuring tool.
00:22:36.44\00:22:39.63
Okay, so when we talk
about the Canaan of scripture,
00:22:39.66\00:22:41.92
we are talking about
that by which we measure
00:22:41.95\00:22:44.42
everything else. If I
said you wanted to go ahead
00:22:44.45\00:22:46.86
and measure the
ceiling from the floor.
00:22:46.89\00:22:49.01
And if you
measure it and said, oh,
00:22:49.04\00:22:50.24
yeah Pastor
Asscherick that's about 20 feet.
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.68
I said yeah you
are probably about on,
00:22:52.71\00:22:54.29
but if somebody
else came along and said
00:22:54.32\00:22:55.76
no that's 146 feet.
What would we assume
00:22:55.79\00:22:59.33
about that person. You
are thinking we do assume
00:22:59.36\00:23:03.26
that he is crazy.
Probably what we assume
00:23:03.29\00:23:05.64
is he is using a
different measuring standard.
00:23:05.67\00:23:09.07
Do you
understand that yes or no?
00:23:09.10\00:23:10.85
See a foot is
uniform. A yard is uniform
00:23:10.88\00:23:14.48
and inch is uniform that's
why we can talk intelligently
00:23:14.51\00:23:16.93
about distances.
When the Bible is referred
00:23:16.96\00:23:19.28
to as the Canaan
what we are saying is,
00:23:19.31\00:23:21.20
is that this is
the uniform measurement
00:23:21.23\00:23:23.73
by which we
measure every other thing
00:23:23.76\00:23:26.56
in the human experience.
Are you understanding
00:23:26.59\00:23:29.14
yes or no? So the
Jews took very seriously
00:23:29.17\00:23:31.63
the preservation of
the Old Testament Canaan
00:23:31.66\00:23:33.63
from Genesis to
Malachi. Now several hundred
00:23:33.66\00:23:36.94
years ago actually just
a few hundred years ago,
00:23:36.97\00:23:38.68
maybe only 200 years
ago biblical criticism
00:23:38.71\00:23:42.25
was at an all time high.
That is to say that it was,
00:23:42.28\00:23:45.10
it was considered
savvy and it was considered
00:23:45.13\00:23:48.78
popular and intellectual
to make fun of the Bible
00:23:48.81\00:23:52.20
and to sort of poke it and
say that it couldn't be trusted,
00:23:52.23\00:23:54.66
it had been copied so
many times and scribble
00:23:54.69\00:23:57.30
interpret relations,
scenarios and other things.
00:23:57.33\00:23:59.42
things. Surly the
Bible that we have today
00:23:59.45\00:24:00.81
could not be
the Bible Jesus had.
00:24:00.84\00:24:02.48
In 1947, a young boy
was going out and searching
00:24:03.85\00:24:09.13
for his father's goat.
His fathers what everyone?
00:24:09.16\00:24:12.32
Goat, goat, in the area
in and around the Dead Sea
00:24:12.35\00:24:15.44
and he thought
that may be that goat
00:24:15.47\00:24:17.38
had gone into one of the
caves the area around Dead Sea
00:24:17.41\00:24:19.89
is a limestone area
and so you have many caves
00:24:19.92\00:24:22.28
and rugosity sort of
in the, in the limestone
00:24:22.31\00:24:25.53
walls there. And
he being a little boy
00:24:25.56\00:24:27.19
was afraid to go
rushing into those caves
00:24:27.22\00:24:29.18
as you can imagine they
were dark and he decided
00:24:29.21\00:24:31.77
that he would take a
stone and he would throw
00:24:31.80\00:24:34.38
the stone into the
cave to scare the goat out.
00:24:34.41\00:24:37.35
Right that makes
good sense doesn't it.
00:24:37.38\00:24:39.34
And so he was going you
know long trying to throw
00:24:39.37\00:24:41.59
this the stones into
the caves hoping that some
00:24:41.62\00:24:44.18
goat would comes scampering out,
00:24:44.21\00:24:45.30
but on one occasion
he picked up a stone
00:24:45.33\00:24:47.11
he threw it in their and
instead of a goat scampering
00:24:47.14\00:24:50.05
out he heard a sound a
sound like braking glass,
00:24:50.08\00:24:53.94
will that scared him.
He wasn't used to that
00:24:53.97\00:24:57.62
and he didn't
know what it might be
00:24:57.65\00:24:58.65
and he was afraid to
rush in on his own so he ran
00:24:58.68\00:25:00.37
back he got the
village elders they came back
00:25:00.40\00:25:02.38
with their light
sources they were in there
00:25:02.41\00:25:03.89
and what they found friends?
Was pots many, many pots,
00:25:03.92\00:25:07.72
dozens of pots that
contain scrolls that contain
00:25:07.75\00:25:12.39
what word did I say? Scrolls,
scrolls now this was back
00:25:12.42\00:25:14.43
before they had
the codex form of books
00:25:14.46\00:25:17.33
that's what you called
as a codex when you have
00:25:17.36\00:25:19.02
a binding in two
covers. In those days,
00:25:19.05\00:25:21.14
In those days, the
books were all in the form
00:25:21.17\00:25:22.28
of scrolls. And so
what they had stumbled upon
00:25:22.31\00:25:24.97
was an ancient library.
An ancient what everyone?
00:25:25.00\00:25:29.01
Library, library
and these have come down
00:25:29.04\00:25:31.44
to be known as
the Dead Sea scrolls.
00:25:31.47\00:25:34.14
Now let me just
sort of walk you through
00:25:34.17\00:25:35.36
something here.
Those Dead Sea scrolls
00:25:35.39\00:25:38.46
contained portions only
of a Old Testament books.
00:25:38.49\00:25:41.39
There was no New
Testament parchment in
00:25:41.64\00:25:44.11
any of those
scrolls, which caused him to
00:25:44.14\00:25:45.83
wonder why that might
be. The reason we know now
00:25:45.86\00:25:49.03
is that those
scrolls are dated to 600 B.C.
00:25:49.06\00:25:53.00
that has to say 600 years
before the time of Christ.
00:25:53.03\00:25:55.87
Every single book of
the Old Testament with
00:25:56.40\00:25:58.66
one exception was
fond in those Book or in
00:25:58.69\00:26:02.01
those scrolls that has
to say portions of every
00:26:02.04\00:26:04.40
single book out of
the Old Testament was
00:26:04.43\00:26:05.86
found somewhere in that library.
00:26:05.89\00:26:07.77
By the way does
anybody know what
00:26:07.80\00:26:08.83
was the only book
that was not found?
00:26:08.86\00:26:10.58
Esther. The book of
Esther that's exactly right.
00:26:10.61\00:26:12.51
Now one of the best
finds in this ancient
00:26:12.54\00:26:15.24
library was the book of Isaiah.
00:26:15.27\00:26:18.27
The book what did I
say everyone? Isaiah.
00:26:18.76\00:26:20.42
Isaiah. And they, the
whole scroll was there
00:26:20.45\00:26:23.75
from start to finish
Isaiah and they lay out
00:26:23.78\00:26:26.44
that Isaiah scroll
and when they made a
00:26:26.47\00:26:28.64
comparison friends and
please listen carefully
00:26:28.67\00:26:30.55
with that ancient
manuscript of Isaiah
00:26:30.58\00:26:33.62
that ancient scroll
of Isaiah dating from 600
00:26:33.65\00:26:37.30
years before the time
of Jesus and they lay it
00:26:37.33\00:26:39.98
side our modern day
Hebrew manuscripts of Isaiah.
00:26:40.01\00:26:42.90
Would you like to guess
what's the percentage of
00:26:42.93\00:26:45.28
agreement was?
Better then 99% friends.
00:26:45.31\00:26:50.74
Now think about the
significance of that.
00:26:51.15\00:26:52.65
Before the advent of
hard drives, before the
00:26:53.59\00:26:55.89
advent of copy
machines, fax machines,
00:26:55.92\00:26:58.07
telephones and all
of the technological
00:26:58.10\00:27:00.32
amenities that we have today.
00:27:00.35\00:27:01.49
God over a period of
2600 years basically perfectly
00:27:01.52\00:27:06.29
preserved his book
for you and I and all of
00:27:06.32\00:27:09.33
those liberal
scholars, who were protesting
00:27:09.36\00:27:11.24
against the Bible
and mocking the Bible in
00:27:11.27\00:27:12.98
it's authenticity were
instantaneously shook shut up.
00:27:13.01\00:27:16.88
Amen, Amen! Now
think about that in the
00:27:17.51\00:27:21.05
Old Testament and
in the New Testament we
00:27:21.08\00:27:22.98
can have confidence
in the manuscript scroll
00:27:23.01\00:27:25.83
consistency of the
Bible. If somebody says to you
00:27:25.86\00:27:28.55
well how can you be
sure the Bible is the Bible.
00:27:28.58\00:27:31.10
All this proves
friends is not that they know
00:27:31.13\00:27:33.38
anything about the
Bible and it's history,
00:27:33.41\00:27:35.15
but that they are
ignorant about the facts
00:27:35.18\00:27:37.41
of the Bible and it's
history manuscript consistency.
00:27:37.44\00:27:41.74
Now number two is
historical reliability
00:27:42.78\00:27:45.10
and is very simple. The
Bible has proven to be a
00:27:45.13\00:27:48.29
very, very
reliable document when it
00:27:48.32\00:27:52.01
comes to history. What
kind of a document did I say?
00:27:52.04\00:27:54.46
Reliable. Reliable.
In fact you take in the
00:27:54.49\00:27:57.13
New Testament
probably the, the writer
00:27:57.16\00:28:00.01
that was most
marked for his version of
00:28:00.04\00:28:03.31
history was the
third gospel writer Luke.
00:28:03.34\00:28:06.00
And people sort of
poke on a Luke and say well
00:28:06.03\00:28:08.16
this off on this date
and oh, we got that wrong
00:28:08.19\00:28:10.45
and wrong location
here, but archaeological
00:28:10.48\00:28:13.29
discovery after
archaeological discovery
00:28:13.32\00:28:15.50
began to indicate
Luke and began to show that
00:28:15.53\00:28:17.90
Luke was not you
know off in the cloud
00:28:17.93\00:28:19.55
somewhere, but that
he was speaking very
00:28:19.58\00:28:21.18
intelligently about the
times, places and events
00:28:21.21\00:28:24.24
of which he wrote. In
fact today many modern
00:28:24.27\00:28:27.15
scholars, most modern
scholars consider Luke
00:28:27.18\00:28:29.48
to be one of the
best and most thorough
00:28:29.51\00:28:31.97
historians in all
antiquity. Amen, Amen!
00:28:32.00\00:28:35.86
So, once again the
Bible stands firm and the
00:28:35.89\00:28:38.32
liberal scholar has to
go ooop! Now that leads us
00:28:38.35\00:28:42.08
into number four
archaeological accuracy,
00:28:42.11\00:28:44.76
archaeological accuracy.
Archaeology is the window
00:28:44.79\00:28:48.61
through which historian
see the world that came before.
00:28:48.64\00:28:51.61
Have archeological
discoveries by enlarge
00:28:52.32\00:28:55.12
supported what the Bible says.
00:28:55.15\00:28:56.89
The answer is absolutely
yes. Let me show you a
00:28:57.78\00:28:59.58
couple of
quotations to that effect here.
00:28:59.61\00:29:01.32
Notice this first one.
The interval then, this is
00:29:01.99\00:29:05.42
actually a
quotation does not exactly by
00:29:05.45\00:29:06.93
archeology, but it's very
potent it actually talking
00:29:06.96\00:29:09.08
about the manuscripts.
Notice this, the interval
00:29:09.11\00:29:11.80
then between the dates
of original composition
00:29:11.83\00:29:14.15
and the earliest
extant evidence becomes so
00:29:14.18\00:29:17.13
small as to in fact be
negligible and the last,
00:29:17.16\00:29:21.26
at last the foundation.
And the last foundation
00:29:21.29\00:29:24.85
for any doubt that
the scriptures come, have
00:29:24.88\00:29:27.20
come down to us
substantially as they
00:29:27.23\00:29:28.79
were written has
now been removed.
00:29:28.82\00:29:31.26
Both the last authenticity
and the general integrity
00:29:31.29\00:29:35.11
of the books of
the New Testament maybe
00:29:35.14\00:29:37.70
regarded as finally,
what is the next word?
00:29:37.73\00:29:40.86
Established.
Established, that's taken
00:29:40.89\00:29:42.20
from Classic
Scholar Sir Fredrick Kenyon.
00:29:42.23\00:29:43.96
In other words what
he saying is, is that the
00:29:43.99\00:29:45.80
manuscript show
consistency and the, the
00:29:45.83\00:29:48.48
early date with
which we have many of these
00:29:48.51\00:29:50.53
manuscripts affirms
that the New Testament that
00:29:50.56\00:29:52.93
you and I have in our
hands is in fact the very
00:29:52.96\00:29:55.56
same New Testament
that is existed from the
00:29:55.59\00:29:57.77
very time of Jesus, Amen? Amen.
00:29:57.80\00:29:59.97
Now, notice these
incredible statements on
00:30:00.00\00:30:01.94
archeology. The
first one, it is worth
00:30:01.97\00:30:06.33
emphasizing that
in all this work no
00:30:06.36\00:30:09.19
archeological discovery
has ever contraverted a
00:30:09.22\00:30:13.09
single properly
understood Biblical
00:30:13.12\00:30:16.06
statement. Can
you say, Amen? Amen.
00:30:16.09\00:30:18.32
Take it from
Nelson Glueck, Reformed
00:30:18.35\00:30:19.98
Jewish Scholar. There
has never been a single
00:30:20.01\00:30:22.32
archeological
discovery that is controverted
00:30:22.35\00:30:24.75
even one point
found in the Bible.
00:30:24.78\00:30:26.94
Now, I find that
remarkable, amen. Amen.
00:30:26.97\00:30:29.44
Friends the
Bible is a historically
00:30:29.47\00:30:31.68
reliable document.
Now, notice this one.
00:30:31.71\00:30:34.04
The Bible is
supported by archeological
00:30:34.43\00:30:36.29
evidence again and
again. On the whole, there can
00:30:36.32\00:30:39.61
be no question that
the results of excavation
00:30:39.64\00:30:42.03
have increased the
respect of scholars for
00:30:42.06\00:30:44.57
the Bible as a collection
of historical documents.
00:30:44.60\00:30:46.94
The confirmation is
both general and specific.
00:30:46.97\00:30:49.78
The fact that the
record can be so often
00:30:50.16\00:30:51.98
explained or illustrated
by archeological data
00:30:52.01\00:30:54.60
shows that it fits
into the framework of
00:30:54.63\00:30:57.05
history as only a
genuine product of
00:30:57.08\00:31:00.17
ancient life could
do. What they're saying by
00:31:00.20\00:31:02.17
that is. Is that the
Bible could not have been
00:31:02.20\00:31:03.95
something written later,
it must have fit into the
00:31:03.98\00:31:06.66
original ancient
framework. Are you with me on
00:31:06.69\00:31:09.90
that, yes or no? Yes.
He goes on in addition
00:31:09.93\00:31:12.29
to this general
authentication; however,
00:31:12.32\00:31:14.33
we find the record
verified repeatedly,
00:31:14.36\00:31:17.38
he goes on, at
specific points. Names of places
00:31:17.41\00:31:20.94
and persons turn up at
the right places and in
00:31:20.97\00:31:24.65
the right
periods, periods taken from
00:31:24.68\00:31:26.72
Millar Burrows,
from Yale University.
00:31:26.75\00:31:28.80
Do you
understand the significance
00:31:28.83\00:31:30.19
of that, yes or no?
Amen. I read an archeological
00:31:30.22\00:31:32.61
book one time and
it said, that when an
00:31:32.64\00:31:34.28
archeologist goes
into the area in and around
00:31:34.31\00:31:37.21
ancient Palestine,
they take two books with
00:31:37.24\00:31:39.00
them. Number one
is the Field Guide to
00:31:39.03\00:31:40.95
Archaeology and the
other one is guess what book.
00:31:40.98\00:31:43.35
The Bible and friends
they're not taking the
00:31:43.87\00:31:45.20
Bible along for
devotional readings,
00:31:45.23\00:31:46.91
they're taking it
along because they say that
00:31:46.94\00:31:48.88
what this book says
happen is actually what happen.
00:31:48.91\00:31:52.78
Amen. Now, that tells us
if the Bible can be trusted
00:31:52.81\00:31:55.59
historically, it lends
itself very strongly to
00:31:55.62\00:31:59.45
be entrusted in
spiritual matters as well.
00:31:59.48\00:32:02.15
Think about this for
just a moment. If the Bible
00:32:02.18\00:32:04.06
was totally off,
totally inconsistent and totally
00:32:04.09\00:32:06.83
inaccurate in its
history and it's archeology.
00:32:06.86\00:32:09.16
Would you trust it for
your eternal salvation?
00:32:09.19\00:32:11.58
It's hard to imagine
that any person would take
00:32:12.26\00:32:13.81
the Bible
seriously. Yeah we can see that
00:32:13.84\00:32:15.81
the historically and
archaeologically accurate.
00:32:15.84\00:32:18.76
Number five is
scientific compatibility
00:32:18.79\00:32:20.90
and let me just
say a sentence on this
00:32:20.93\00:32:22.20
because we gonna have a whole
00:32:22.23\00:32:23.20
night dedicated to
this. All true science will
00:32:23.21\00:32:27.54
support biblical
teaching. Amen, amen.
00:32:27.57\00:32:31.13
Because the author
of science is the same
00:32:31.16\00:32:34.23
author of the word. The
author of science is the
00:32:34.26\00:32:37.30
God of the Bible and
the God of science is the
00:32:37.33\00:32:40.04
author of the word of
God. Amen, we comeback to
00:32:40.07\00:32:42.97
that on a further night.
So, there are five reasons
00:32:43.00\00:32:45.94
now notice number six
timeless personal relevancy,
00:32:45.97\00:32:50.13
that is to say that
this book written beginning
00:32:50.16\00:32:53.04
almost 4000 years
ago is still perfectly
00:32:53.07\00:32:56.45
calculated to be
relevant to a modern day society
00:32:56.48\00:33:00.44
and culture, Amen!
Now think about how
00:33:00.47\00:33:03.26
quickly things get
outdated. We have new cars
00:33:03.29\00:33:06.61
every single year,
right? And all they do is they
00:33:06.64\00:33:09.31
change you know the
fender and they change
00:33:09.34\00:33:11.05
the light and they put a
different color on it and
00:33:11.08\00:33:12.87
you oh, I've got to
have the new car, right.
00:33:12.90\00:33:15.59
Cars are outdated
very rapidly and computers
00:33:15.62\00:33:18.52
were out you know
every two or three years
00:33:18.55\00:33:20.17
yet remarkably, in
an age in which things
00:33:20.49\00:33:23.70
become obsolete so
quickly the word of
00:33:23.73\00:33:26.43
God is unquestionably
still relevant today in a
00:33:26.46\00:33:30.25
modern context as it
was in an ancient context.
00:33:30.28\00:33:33.86
Amen! Amen. Let me
tell you a little story,
00:33:33.89\00:33:35.78
let me bear my soul
here a personal story.
00:33:35.81\00:33:37.59
Probably five months
ago, I was trying to go
00:33:40.01\00:33:42.42
to sleep and it was
very unusual for me because
00:33:42.45\00:33:44.18
when I try to go
to sleep it's easy
00:33:44.21\00:33:45.44
for me to go to sleep.
My wife jokes that I have
00:33:45.47\00:33:47.17
button under my arm
and I just lifts it up,
00:33:47.20\00:33:48.74
push the button, I'm
out. She doesn't like that
00:33:49.16\00:33:52.74
much because
sometimes I fall asleep
00:33:52.77\00:33:54.00
mid conversation.
Anyway, I had gone to
00:33:54.03\00:33:58.12
sleep and
unusually I was woken up at
00:33:58.15\00:34:00.87
3'o clock in the morning.
I try to go back to sleep
00:34:00.90\00:34:02.59
and was unable to and
so I thought well may be
00:34:02.62\00:34:04.32
all just get up and
spend time praying. So, I went
00:34:04.35\00:34:06.26
into my office
and began to pray.
00:34:06.29\00:34:07.45
As I note down I began
to pray in the spirit of
00:34:07.97\00:34:10.87
God just rushed up on
me. And I just had this
00:34:10.90\00:34:13.62
sense of my
failures, my inadequacies and
00:34:13.65\00:34:16.83
my short comings as a
Pastor, as a Christian,
00:34:16.86\00:34:20.19
as a father, as a
husband and the more I prayed I,
00:34:20.22\00:34:22.67
I just had the sense
the spirit of God was giving
00:34:22.70\00:34:25.05
me the spirit of repentance.
And the second strange
00:34:25.08\00:34:27.69
things started to happen
not only I was up at this
00:34:27.72\00:34:29.84
time in the
morning, which is unusual,
00:34:29.87\00:34:31.15
but then I started to
cry and I'm not a crier
00:34:31.18\00:34:33.57
I wish I would cry
more sometimes I look at
00:34:33.60\00:34:35.92
friends of mine they
are crying because some
00:34:35.95\00:34:37.26
pastor tells a
beautiful story and I think
00:34:37.29\00:34:39.03
I probably should be
crying too. But, I just
00:34:39.06\00:34:40.66
can't bring myself to
do it. Well here I'm very
00:34:40.69\00:34:43.86
unusual, I'm crying and
it's very early in the morning.
00:34:43.89\00:34:48.00
I've been praying
for about 20, 20 minutes
00:34:48.03\00:34:50.32
and I'm just overwhelmed
with a sense of my failures
00:34:50.35\00:34:52.99
and inadequacies. And
so I sit up and I said
00:34:53.02\00:34:55.28
Lord Jesus I'm
gonna be crushed out here.
00:34:55.31\00:34:57.26
I'm not gonna be able
to make it, I need you to
00:34:57.89\00:34:59.86
give me some
encouragement from your work.
00:34:59.89\00:35:02.04
Now whenever I need
encouragement I go to
00:35:02.69\00:35:04.29
the book of Psalms.
Where do I go everyone? Psalms.
00:35:04.32\00:35:07.08
Go with me to Psalm
chapter 34, I just open
00:35:07.11\00:35:09.49
up the Psalms just randomly.
Just the first Psalm that
00:35:09.52\00:35:12.44
I came to and I
said Lord I need you to
00:35:12.47\00:35:13.99
speak directly to
my heart, now I don't
00:35:14.02\00:35:15.47
recommend this is the
way to study the Bible
00:35:15.50\00:35:17.35
as a systematic
way to study the Bible.
00:35:17.38\00:35:19.47
But, in this moment I
was desperate and I said
00:35:19.50\00:35:21.76
Lord I need you to
speak right to my heart,
00:35:21.79\00:35:23.41
I need some encouragement Lord.
00:35:23.44\00:35:25.28
And so I just
opened up the Psalm 34,
00:35:25.89\00:35:27.84
here I was in my
room, crushed, burden by
00:35:27.87\00:35:30.60
essence of my failures
and inadequacies crying
00:35:30.63\00:35:33.32
tears, running down
my cheeks and the very
00:35:33.35\00:35:35.78
first verse that my
eyes fall on Psalm 34
00:35:35.81\00:35:39.15
in Verse 6, this poor
man cried and the Lord
00:35:39.18\00:35:43.41
heard him, and saved
him out of all his troubles.
00:35:43.44\00:35:48.32
Amen! Friends do you
think, do you think that
00:35:49.09\00:35:51.86
I had a sense of the
immediate nearness of
00:35:51.89\00:35:54.43
God in that room,
yes or no? Friends, God
00:35:54.46\00:35:57.28
was just as real to me
in that moment as you are
00:35:57.31\00:35:59.25
in this room right
now. Instantaneously in a
00:35:59.28\00:36:02.49
moment, God had spoken
through an ancient book
00:36:02.52\00:36:05.93
to a modern need.
Can you say, Amen? Amen.
00:36:05.96\00:36:09.23
Friends if you would
get up in the morning
00:36:09.26\00:36:10.55
and you will have
those same kinds of
00:36:10.58\00:36:11.91
devotional
exercises, I guarantee you
00:36:11.94\00:36:14.22
time and time again.
You will have a sense
00:36:14.25\00:36:17.24
that God is not just
a God, but he is your
00:36:17.27\00:36:20.16
personal God,
your personal father,
00:36:20.19\00:36:22.47
right there tenderly,
pleadingly coming over
00:36:22.50\00:36:26.02
you, bowing over
you to help you and
00:36:26.05\00:36:28.10
encourage you and
strengthen you for your
00:36:28.13\00:36:29.85
day and for your
life, Amen! Amen! Friends
00:36:29.88\00:36:32.62
it has timeless
personal relevancy.
00:36:32.65\00:36:35.63
An antiquated book speaking
so powerful to modernity.
00:36:36.24\00:36:39.70
Number seven
transformational potency,
00:36:39.73\00:36:42.52
the Bible is
powerful to change lives.
00:36:42.65\00:36:45.72
Go with me in your
Bibles to first Peter chapter 1,
00:36:45.75\00:36:48.26
New Testament
first Peter chapter 1.
00:36:48.29\00:36:52.37
I want you to notice
something remarkable here.
00:36:54.26\00:36:56.11
First Peter chapter
1 and I'm beginning in
00:36:56.14\00:36:58.85
Verse 22, first Peter
chapter 1 in verse 22.
00:36:58.88\00:37:01.81
It says since you
have purified your souls in
00:37:02.62\00:37:04.99
obeying the truth
through the spirit in
00:37:05.02\00:37:06.58
sincere love of
the brethren, love one
00:37:06.61\00:37:08.86
another fervently
with the pure heart.
00:37:08.89\00:37:10.59
Notice verse 23,
having been born again,
00:37:10.92\00:37:13.96
having been what
everyone? Born again,
00:37:14.56\00:37:16.15
born again that just
like what Jesus said in
00:37:16.18\00:37:17.83
Nicodemus in John 3
said you must be born again.
00:37:17.86\00:37:20.18
Now notice in this
context what Peter says
00:37:21.20\00:37:23.01
though, he says
having been born again not of
00:37:23.04\00:37:25.74
corruptible seed, but
incorruptible, through
00:37:25.77\00:37:28.97
the what
everyone? Word of God which
00:37:29.00\00:37:33.60
lives and abides
forever. Is verse 23 telling
00:37:33.63\00:37:36.04
us that we are born
again through the word
00:37:36.07\00:37:37.52
of God is that what
is telling us? Amen.
00:37:37.55\00:37:39.30
Friends, I'm gonna
tell you right now, you
00:37:39.33\00:37:40.94
cannot be born
again, if you do not have an
00:37:40.97\00:37:43.43
devotional dynamic
experience with God in
00:37:43.46\00:37:47.25
his word, Amen,
Amen! The Bible says we can
00:37:47.28\00:37:50.84
be born again,
how are we born again?
00:37:50.87\00:37:53.43
By exercising saving
faith in Jesus and then
00:37:53.46\00:37:55.74
coming to his word and
saying father I need you
00:37:55.77\00:37:58.05
to strengthen me
today. I need to be born again
00:37:58.08\00:38:00.62
in the word. Amen,
Amen. Friends transformational
00:38:00.65\00:38:04.74
potency think of the
thousands and millions
00:38:04.77\00:38:07.37
of lives that
have been transformed.
00:38:07.40\00:38:09.30
Drunkers have become
sober and thieves have
00:38:09.33\00:38:11.33
become honest and
wife and peers become
00:38:11.36\00:38:13.69
loving and kind and
sweet, transformation what?
00:38:13.72\00:38:16.63
Through the word.
Amen! I saw a fellow
00:38:16.66\00:38:20.44
with a T-shirt at
one time that said, said
00:38:20.47\00:38:22.22
something like this
Bibles that are old and
00:38:22.25\00:38:24.33
worn out and torn
down usually belong to
00:38:24.36\00:38:27.22
people who are old
and worn out and torn out.
00:38:27.25\00:38:29.76
Amen! Friends put
that thing to use, Amen!
00:38:29.79\00:38:32.61
Turn off the TV
and pick up the BIBLE.
00:38:33.18\00:38:36.03
Number eight the
proof of predictive prophecy
00:38:36.80\00:38:39.54
will come back to
that. Number nine Jesus'
00:38:39.57\00:38:42.13
resurrection the
Bible tells about Jesus
00:38:42.16\00:38:43.78
resurrection and
last night we learned that
00:38:43.81\00:38:45.22
Jesus' resurrection
is historically valid.
00:38:45.25\00:38:47.86
Can somebody say Amen!
Amen. And Jesus' endorsed it.
00:38:47.89\00:38:51.34
Remember we have
read there in Luke 24,
00:38:52.29\00:38:53.89
Jesus gave his
endorsement of the word
00:38:53.92\00:38:56.76
after his
resurrection. When everyone?
00:38:56.79\00:38:59.83
After his resurrection,
so those are 10 reasons
00:38:59.86\00:39:02.61
that's the case for the
Bible. Now notice let's go
00:39:02.64\00:39:06.17
to the claims of the
Bible, let's began by noting
00:39:06.20\00:39:08.47
some of the amazing
claims that the Bible
00:39:08.50\00:39:10.33
makes about itself.
You remember our message
00:39:10.36\00:39:12.73
on the messianic
identity of Jesus we said, that
00:39:12.76\00:39:15.60
Jesus was one of
three things because of the
00:39:15.63\00:39:17.97
claims that he made,
he was either a liar or a
00:39:18.00\00:39:21.53
lunatic or the Lord.
Do you remember that,
00:39:21.56\00:39:25.01
yes or no? Yes. Based
on the claims that Jesus
00:39:25.04\00:39:27.79
made about himself,
we must consign him to
00:39:27.82\00:39:29.93
one of those three categories
listen very carefully.
00:39:29.96\00:39:32.01
Based on the claims
that the Bible makes
00:39:32.04\00:39:34.18
about itself, we cannot
say oh, that's good literature.
00:39:34.21\00:39:36.96
We can put a right next
to Harper Lee's to Kill a
00:39:37.25\00:39:39.33
Mockingbird or Pearl
S. Buck the Good Earth
00:39:39.36\00:39:41.05
and say, oh that's,
that's good literature.
00:39:41.08\00:39:42.83
Friends the Bible
claims to be the word of God
00:39:43.05\00:39:45.43
and because it makes
that kind a far reaching
00:39:45.79\00:39:48.53
claim it must be one of
three things. It's either
00:39:48.56\00:39:50.90
factual, fictitious or it
is in fact friends a farce.
00:39:50.93\00:39:56.68
I tonight maintain that
the Bible is factual that
00:39:58.00\00:40:00.87
it is not fictitious and it
is not fairy tails or a farce.
00:40:00.90\00:40:04.20
The Bible is in fact
the inspired word of God.
00:40:04.23\00:40:09.03
Amen! Now it calms to
be the inspired word of
00:40:09.06\00:40:11.74
God go with me to
second Timothy chapter 3.
00:40:11.77\00:40:14.17
Second Timothy
chapter 3, that's right toward
00:40:14.20\00:40:17.85
the end of the New Testament
Second Timothy chapter 3
00:40:17.88\00:40:20.39
and notice with me
verse 16, notice this
00:40:20.42\00:40:22.08
remarkable claim that
the Bible makes about itself.
00:40:22.11\00:40:24.49
Second Timothy chapter
3 and I'm reading in verse
00:40:24.52\00:40:27.79
16, actually we
pick it up in verse 15.
00:40:28.52\00:40:30.41
Paul writing to
Timothy says and that from
00:40:30.87\00:40:32.42
childhood you have
known the Holy Scriptures,
00:40:32.45\00:40:34.10
which were able
to make you wise for
00:40:34.13\00:40:35.32
salvation through faith,
which is in Christ Jesus.
00:40:35.35\00:40:37.44
Verse 16, all
scripture, how much scripture,
00:40:37.73\00:40:41.00
all scripture is given
by inspiration of Paul,
00:40:41.03\00:40:44.47
inspiration of Mathew,
inspiration of who everybody?
00:40:45.85\00:40:49.81
God, inspiration of
God and is profitable for
00:40:49.84\00:40:53.18
doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for
00:40:53.21\00:40:54.91
instruction in righteousness,
why that the men of
00:40:54.94\00:40:57.36
God maybe
complete, the king James says
00:40:57.39\00:40:59.67
perfect thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
00:40:59.70\00:41:02.29
Notice that the
Bible here claims to be
00:41:03.15\00:41:04.72
actually breathed by
God. That's what the actual
00:41:04.75\00:41:07.77
Greek word means it's
just the position of two
00:41:07.80\00:41:09.64
words, Theos and
Numa, which is God breathed.
00:41:09.67\00:41:13.23
The Bible here claims
to be the word of God.
00:41:14.31\00:41:16.24
Now search the
whole round of so called
00:41:17.09\00:41:19.88
secret books and holy
books. You can go to Hinduism
00:41:19.91\00:41:22.06
they have the Bhagavad Gita.
00:41:22.09\00:41:23.41
You can go to Islam the Quran.
00:41:23.44\00:41:25.29
You can go to
Mormonism the book of Mormon.
00:41:25.32\00:41:27.22
Just search the
whole spectrum of so called
00:41:27.25\00:41:29.49
Holy Books and you
won't find any of the
00:41:29.52\00:41:31.74
Holy Books that make
that kind of a claim that
00:41:31.77\00:41:34.44
all of it is not the word
of man, but the word of God.
00:41:34.47\00:41:37.38
Amen! Friends that a
remarkable claim, amen.
00:41:37.41\00:41:40.56
Now just making the
claim doesn't make it
00:41:40.59\00:41:42.46
true, but it's important
that it makes the claim.
00:41:42.49\00:41:45.10
Now let me show you
another passage this
00:41:46.44\00:41:47.69
was taken from second
Peter, still right their in
00:41:47.72\00:41:49.56
the New Testament.
Second Peter chapter 1,
00:41:49.59\00:41:52.64
second Peter chapter 1
and notice what is said here.
00:41:53.78\00:41:57.62
Second Peter chapter
1 beginning in verse 19,
00:41:58.61\00:42:01.33
second Peter chapter
1 beginning in verse 19,
00:42:02.26\00:42:03.98
it says so we have the
prophetic word confirmed
00:42:04.01\00:42:07.13
that you do well to
take heed as a light that
00:42:07.52\00:42:10.25
shines in what
kind of place everyone?
00:42:10.28\00:42:12.09
Dark, dark place
until the day dawns and the
00:42:12.12\00:42:14.24
morning star
rises in your hearts.
00:42:14.27\00:42:15.83
Verse 20 knowing
this first, knowing this
00:42:15.86\00:42:19.04
what? First, first that
no prophecy of scriptures
00:42:19.07\00:42:22.19
of any what kind
of interpretation?
00:42:22.22\00:42:23.99
Private interpretation
why not. Verse 21 for
00:42:24.02\00:42:26.88
prophecy never
came by the will of man,
00:42:26.91\00:42:29.14
but holy men of
God spoke as they were
00:42:29.39\00:42:32.18
moved by their
emotions, by their feelings,
00:42:32.21\00:42:36.30
by their culture,
where were they move by?
00:42:36.92\00:42:39.03
Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit.
00:42:39.06\00:42:40.73
Now friends the Quran
doesn't make that claim.
00:42:41.66\00:42:43.62
The Bhagavad Gita
the one of the Hindu
00:42:44.47\00:42:46.22
Holy Books does
not make that claim.
00:42:46.25\00:42:47.89
The Bible here
makes the claim to be in
00:42:47.92\00:42:50.71
inspired by God to
be the word of God.
00:42:50.74\00:42:53.19
Amen! And notice
this inspired by God the
00:42:53.95\00:42:56.35
word of God, Jesus
said in John chapter 10 in
00:42:56.38\00:42:58.11
verse 35 the
scriptures "Cannot be broken"
00:42:58.14\00:43:00.30
that's what Jesus
said. The scriptures cannot
00:43:01.10\00:43:03.30
be broken. It is the
authoritative revelation
00:43:03.33\00:43:05.62
of God, it is historically
reliable we've talked
00:43:05.65\00:43:08.54
about that. It is
supernaturally powerful.
00:43:08.57\00:43:11.85
In fact let me show you
a verse of scripture that
00:43:13.33\00:43:14.92
is so piercing so was
to almost be chilling.
00:43:14.95\00:43:18.24
Go with me in Hebrews chapter 4.
00:43:18.27\00:43:20.16
Hebrews is in the
New Testament and notice
00:43:21.81\00:43:23.57
this incredible verse
of scripture verse 12.
00:43:23.60\00:43:26.69
Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12.
00:43:26.72\00:43:30.26
What verse we are
going to look at everyone?
00:43:30.29\00:43:31.70
12, verse 12, notice
this it says in verse 12 for
00:43:31.73\00:43:35.36
the word of God is
the king James says quick
00:43:35.39\00:43:37.76
the new king James says living.
00:43:37.79\00:43:39.78
The word of God is,
what everyone? Living,
00:43:40.90\00:43:42.76
living and
powerful, and sharper then any
00:43:42.79\00:43:46.45
two-edged sword,
piercing even to the
00:43:46.48\00:43:48.43
division of soul and
spirit, and of joints and
00:43:48.46\00:43:50.44
marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts
00:43:50.47\00:43:52.78
and intents of
the, what? Heart, heart.
00:43:52.81\00:43:55.46
What the Bible here is
saying about itself is,
00:43:56.17\00:43:58.31
is that this
book is supernatural.
00:43:58.34\00:44:00.47
That you can be
reading this book and all the
00:44:01.10\00:44:02.71
sudden you realize that
it's not just the word of
00:44:02.74\00:44:04.61
man, but you are
under conviction about some
00:44:04.64\00:44:06.59
sin in your life
that nobody knows about.
00:44:06.62\00:44:08.77
But, God knows about
it and he speaks to you
00:44:08.80\00:44:11.33
through his world.
And before you know it the
00:44:11.36\00:44:13.36
thoughts and intense
of your heart have been
00:44:13.39\00:44:15.17
exposed by a supernatural book.
00:44:15.20\00:44:17.34
Amen, Amen! The
problem is that you can't
00:44:17.37\00:44:19.97
have that exposure if
you stay away from the book.
00:44:20.00\00:44:22.25
And don't be afraid of
that sharp two-edged sword.
00:44:23.23\00:44:25.08
Because there is a
big difference between a
00:44:25.43\00:44:26.76
surgeon and a butcher.
A surgeon cuts to heal,
00:44:26.79\00:44:30.14
but a butcher cuts to
kill. And our Lord and savior
00:44:30.17\00:44:33.12
is a surgeon not a
butcher, Amen, Amen!
00:44:33.15\00:44:35.89
He cuts to heal, oh!
Yes, far better to be cut
00:44:35.92\00:44:39.09
and then heal then to
not be cut, Amen, Amen!
00:44:39.12\00:44:42.00
The word it says is
powerful and living.
00:44:42.03\00:44:44.39
Friends you can
actually have an ongoing dynamic
00:44:46.27\00:44:49.77
relationship with the
limitable God of heaven
00:44:49.80\00:44:52.66
in his word, Amen.
And yet many of us turn on
00:44:52.69\00:44:55.87
the television before
we open the Bible, shame.
00:44:55.90\00:44:58.74
Oh, friends think
it through take your
00:45:00.13\00:45:02.03
television unplug it
and put the Bible on top of
00:45:02.06\00:45:04.25
your TV, so that when
you go to sit down and
00:45:04.28\00:45:05.90
you are lazy boy and
pick up your remote control.
00:45:05.93\00:45:07.90
Click, click, huh,
huh, oh! that's right, and
00:45:07.93\00:45:11.67
plunged you have to go
over and you'll have to
00:45:11.70\00:45:13.62
reach behind the
television and then try
00:45:13.65\00:45:15.91
to get the plug, you
see the Bible and maybe
00:45:15.94\00:45:18.49
God will speak to
your heart, Amen, Amen!
00:45:18.52\00:45:20.74
Are you with me, now
prayer 2 listen before
00:45:21.29\00:45:24.44
you go to bed
tonight take your shoe,
00:45:24.47\00:45:25.75
I'm gonna guarantee you
will have time for prayer.
00:45:25.78\00:45:27.40
Take that shoe and
toss it under your bed.
00:45:27.70\00:45:29.70
Amen, whatever
shoe you gonna wear them
00:45:30.69\00:45:32.42
out, toss it under
your bed you gonna wake up
00:45:32.45\00:45:33.83
tomorrow, wipe the
sleep out your eyes,
00:45:33.86\00:45:36.13
get ready to work and
you gonna start looking
00:45:36.16\00:45:37.53
around for you
shoes. Oh! Where is my other
00:45:37.56\00:45:39.52
shoe? Oh, then you
remember, put it under
00:45:39.55\00:45:41.18
the bed and then you
get down on your knees
00:45:41.21\00:45:43.24
to get it out from
on your knees and when
00:45:43.88\00:45:45.43
you get down. Why are
you down there say a prayer.
00:45:45.46\00:45:47.97
Amen, Amen! Friends
we have to get serious
00:45:49.97\00:45:52.60
about this, Amen. We
have to get in the word
00:45:52.63\00:45:55.24
and we have to
get in the prayer.
00:45:55.27\00:45:56.38
If you believe
that say Amen. Amen.
00:45:57.38\00:45:59.31
Brothers and sisters
I'm preaching strongly
00:45:59.34\00:46:00.90
because we are living
in dangers times and many
00:46:00.93\00:46:03.53
of us are more
interested in television
00:46:03.56\00:46:05.40
then in the vision.
Amen. Let us continue.
00:46:05.89\00:46:10.33
It is
supernaturally powerful, it is a
00:46:10.36\00:46:12.17
revelation of God
by God and nobody is
00:46:12.20\00:46:14.88
better qualified to
tell us what God is like then
00:46:14.91\00:46:17.38
God himself.
Amen. Amen. Not even the
00:46:17.41\00:46:20.98
words of the
most eloquent Pastor.
00:46:21.01\00:46:22.58
Listen it's okay to
come out and here good
00:46:23.17\00:46:24.44
preaching, but make
sure you are getting it
00:46:24.47\00:46:26.05
straight from the
source. Amen, Amen!
00:46:26.08\00:46:28.07
You cut the
middle man out, right.
00:46:28.10\00:46:30.29
There is nothing
wrong with hearing good
00:46:30.32\00:46:31.45
preaching, but let's be
sure that we are not just
00:46:31.48\00:46:33.03
eating once a week,
but we are eating every
00:46:33.06\00:46:35.27
morning, fresh bread
from ovens of heaven.
00:46:35.30\00:46:37.77
Amen! Amazing claims
of the Bible about the
00:46:37.80\00:46:40.62
future now this is
incredible. Jesus says in
00:46:40.65\00:46:43.20
John chapter 14 in
verse 29 see I have told you
00:46:43.23\00:46:46.56
before it comes to
pass, that when it is come to
00:46:46.59\00:46:49.47
pass, you might
believe. I'm telling you before,
00:46:49.50\00:46:53.74
I'm telling you
what everyone? Before,
00:46:54.11\00:46:55.56
before so that when I
say what's going to happen,
00:46:55.59\00:46:58.47
happens you can have
confidence in everything
00:46:58.50\00:47:00.40
I've said, Amen,
Amen! Now here something
00:47:00.43\00:47:02.62
incredible, go read
the Quran, no prophecy.
00:47:02.65\00:47:05.77
Go read the writings
of Buddha, no prophecy.
00:47:06.44\00:47:09.34
Go read the writings
of Confucius, no prophecy.
00:47:09.72\00:47:12.53
The writings of
Hinduism, no prophecy.
00:47:12.56\00:47:14.55
Why no prophecy
because friends in order
00:47:14.58\00:47:17.35
to declare the
future, in order to make a
00:47:17.38\00:47:19.62
prophetic
statement about the future.
00:47:19.65\00:47:21.39
You must first know
the future, Amen, Amen!
00:47:21.42\00:47:24.69
And yet remarkably 30%
of the Bible is prophecy.
00:47:24.72\00:47:27.52
30% of this word is
God's staking his ability
00:47:28.31\00:47:31.52
to for tale future
events and has he done it with
00:47:31.55\00:47:34.56
accuracy? The answer
is yes, notice this the
00:47:34.59\00:47:38.49
Rise and fall of
Babylon perfectly
00:47:38.52\00:47:40.06
predicted in the book
of Daniel. The Rise and
00:47:40.09\00:47:41.59
fall of Medo-Persia.
The Rise and fall of Greece.
00:47:41.62\00:47:43.90
The Rise and fall of
Rome. The Division of the
00:47:44.31\00:47:45.98
Roman Empire. The
oncoming of the Dark Ages.
00:47:46.01\00:47:48.59
The Rise, fall,
and resurgence of Papal
00:47:48.62\00:47:50.93
Rome or the Papacy.
In Daniel chapter 2,
00:47:50.96\00:47:54.39
Daniel was given,
Nebakanezer was given
00:47:54.42\00:47:56.37
a vision and Daniel
interpreted it, there was
00:47:56.40\00:47:58.10
that metal man. And
that great metal man
00:47:58.13\00:48:00.18
had a head of gold and
that represented Babylon.
00:48:00.21\00:48:02.11
Chest and arms of
silver, Medo-Persia,
00:48:02.14\00:48:03.73
belly and thigh
of bronze was Greece,
00:48:03.76\00:48:05.22
the long legs of iron
were Rome and the feet
00:48:05.25\00:48:07.63
of iron and clay
were divided Rome and then
00:48:07.66\00:48:09.57
a stone smash
that image to bits.
00:48:09.60\00:48:12.30
God here was giving a
prophecy about future ages,
00:48:12.67\00:48:16.28
what kind of ages?
Future. Friends anybody can
00:48:16.31\00:48:18.95
tell you what happen
in the past, anyone of the
00:48:18.98\00:48:20.80
mere historian can do
that, but God says I'll tell
00:48:20.83\00:48:23.27
you what's gonna
happen in the future.
00:48:23.30\00:48:24.58
Amen, Amen! Friends
let me tell you when
00:48:24.61\00:48:27.14
I was converted 8 years
ago it was the prophecies of
00:48:27.17\00:48:29.55
the word that
made me stop and think.
00:48:29.58\00:48:31.08
Oh, there must be
something in that book.
00:48:31.42\00:48:32.92
And friends we go
into, notice this from Edward
00:48:35.35\00:48:38.59
Gibbon the historian
and he said the images
00:48:38.62\00:48:40.20
of the gold, silver,
or brass, that might serve
00:48:40.23\00:48:42.60
to represent the
nations and their kings, were
00:48:42.63\00:48:44.28
successively broken by
the iron monarchy of Rome.
00:48:44.31\00:48:46.50
What did the
modern historian Edward
00:48:46.53\00:48:48.10
Gibbon get that imagery
from. The gold, the silver,
00:48:48.13\00:48:50.41
the bronze and the iron,
where did he get it from?
00:48:50.44\00:48:52.81
From the word friends.
See he knows it is history,
00:48:53.39\00:48:56.54
but God knew it as
prophecy and he declared it.
00:48:56.57\00:48:59.52
Notice this, also the
Bible foretold the rise
00:49:01.36\00:49:04.23
of the United States.
Yes you heard that right.
00:49:04.26\00:49:06.08
The Bible foretold the
rise of the United States
00:49:07.31\00:49:09.20
and we are gonna talk
more about that in the
00:49:09.23\00:49:10.46
future meeting. The
Bible foretells the rise
00:49:10.49\00:49:12.79
of the ecumenical
movement all the churches coming
00:49:12.82\00:49:15.09
together,
everybody get in together.
00:49:15.12\00:49:16.65
But, they are uniting on
a platform of error friends.
00:49:16.68\00:49:19.91
And we gonna talk
about that as well.
00:49:19.94\00:49:21.34
The Bible foretold the
rise of modern spiritualism.
00:49:21.37\00:49:23.81
The overthrow of
Jerusalem and scores of
00:49:23.84\00:49:26.90
historical events were
foretold in the word of
00:49:26.93\00:49:29.97
God and have come
to pass with perfect
00:49:30.00\00:49:32.97
accuracy and
exactitude. Amen, Amen! Friends
00:49:33.00\00:49:36.27
that's remarkable.
A God that knows the
00:49:36.30\00:49:38.92
future, knows your
future. Amen. And if you knows
00:49:38.95\00:49:42.20
your future, you can
trust him. Amen, Amen!
00:49:42.23\00:49:45.67
I saw a bumper sticker
one time it said I know
00:49:45.70\00:49:47.51
the future. God
wins, Amen, Amen!
00:49:47.54\00:49:53.59
Hallelujah. Now
notice this last one, but not
00:49:53.62\00:49:56.55
least the consistency of
the Bible. We have looked
00:49:56.58\00:49:58.52
at the case for the
Bible, the claims of the Bible
00:49:58.55\00:50:01.59
and now the
consistency of the Bible.
00:50:01.62\00:50:03.01
Keep in mind that
the Bible is written by
00:50:03.04\00:50:04.51
nearly 40 authors.
Written on three continents.
00:50:04.54\00:50:08.08
The authors are from
diverse cultures and times.
00:50:08.11\00:50:11.84
They had varying
personal backgrounds.
00:50:11.87\00:50:14.14
And yet there is a
remarkable unity on the
00:50:14.17\00:50:17.28
most controversial
subject known to man
00:50:17.31\00:50:19.67
namely God's existence.
So, Moses aggress with
00:50:19.70\00:50:23.78
Malachi. And Luke
aggress with Mathew.
00:50:23.81\00:50:27.02
And Mathew aggress with Hosea.
00:50:27.67\00:50:29.26
You have unity in the
Bible, you have what everybody?
00:50:29.29\00:50:32.41
Unity, unity how can it
be. If you and I sat down
00:50:32.44\00:50:36.53
and I said, hey,
let's write a book on food.
00:50:36.56\00:50:38.47
And we select 40
authors from this room.
00:50:39.26\00:50:41.15
We are gonna write a
book on what everyone?
00:50:41.18\00:50:42.59
Food, food and we
are gonna go off to
00:50:42.62\00:50:44.39
different cultures and
different continents and
00:50:44.42\00:50:46.67
we're gonna be from
a period of over 1500
00:50:46.70\00:50:49.29
years and we are
gonna write a book on food
00:50:49.32\00:50:50.96
and then we are
gonna put it altogether
00:50:50.99\00:50:52.13
in a compendium. You
think that book would
00:50:52.16\00:50:55.06
make any sense.
Hardly friends you will have
00:50:55.09\00:50:58.02
one person saying the
best food in the world
00:50:58.05\00:51:00.44
is lasagna. And here
somebody else saying,
00:51:00.47\00:51:02.76
oh, the best food
in the world is tacos.
00:51:02.79\00:51:06.18
And somebody else is
says oh, these guys are
00:51:06.21\00:51:07.57
all wet, the best food
in the world is bananas
00:51:07.60\00:51:10.65
there been rhyme, no
reason, no consistency
00:51:10.68\00:51:13.94
and that's on in an
innocuous subject, a
00:51:13.97\00:51:15.95
baleen subject food.
But, friends here you
00:51:15.98\00:51:19.14
have the most
controversial and the
00:51:19.17\00:51:21.13
most discussed and
written about subject in
00:51:21.16\00:51:23.53
all of the human experience God,
00:51:23.56\00:51:26.02
40 authors on three
continents over 1500 years
00:51:26.81\00:51:29.22
sitting down to right.
No collusion, no getting
00:51:29.25\00:51:31.70
together and making it
up and saying well this
00:51:31.73\00:51:33.25
be fun. And you put it
altogether in a compendium
00:51:33.28\00:51:35.73
and it presence a
perfectly beautiful,
00:51:35.76\00:51:37.70
powerfully
cohesive picture of God.
00:51:37.73\00:51:41.66
Friends that is
proved that the Bible is
00:51:42.01\00:51:43.65
inspired word of
God. Amen! Now I don't
00:51:43.68\00:51:46.21
want to poke fun
here, but contrast that with
00:51:46.24\00:51:48.46
our dear friends
the Muslims. Our friends
00:51:48.49\00:51:51.11
the Muslims have the
book called the Quran
00:51:51.14\00:51:52.69
and it was revealed
allegedly by the angel
00:51:52.72\00:51:56.02
to Mohammad. And
that book was written
00:51:56.05\00:51:58.38
by one man. By
how many man? One man.
00:51:58.41\00:52:01.39
So, the fact
that you have internal
00:52:01.42\00:52:02.75
consistency in a
book written by one man is
00:52:02.78\00:52:04.74
hardly impressive.
All it says is was that he
00:52:04.77\00:52:07.13
agreed what he said of
his at the end of his life.
00:52:07.16\00:52:09.14
As at the beginning of
his life and even that is
00:52:09.17\00:52:10.95
disputable. Friends the
point here is incredible.
00:52:10.98\00:52:15.05
The Bible is
internally consistent, which
00:52:15.08\00:52:17.77
proves powerfully that it
is the actual word of God.
00:52:17.80\00:52:21.56
Amen! We are wrapping up
now, it presents a coherent
00:52:21.59\00:52:25.79
picture of God we have said
that it is non-contradictory
00:52:25.82\00:52:28.97
Amen, Amen! Friends
there are no contradictions
00:52:29.00\00:52:31.44
in the word. Now you
might think there are
00:52:31.47\00:52:32.74
contradictions, but
doesn't improve this
00:52:32.77\00:52:34.10
contradictions it just
proves that you are dull.
00:52:34.13\00:52:35.83
Amen, Amen! I've
people come to me and say
00:52:37.64\00:52:39.58
no, Pastor Asscherick
here is the contradiction
00:52:39.61\00:52:41.70
and I said really is
that a contradiction well
00:52:41.73\00:52:43.30
let's look here, let's
look here and I began to
00:52:43.33\00:52:45.21
explain the actual
text to them and by the
00:52:45.24\00:52:47.65
whole time it was
done I said to them now
00:52:47.68\00:52:49.28
where is the
contradiction and they
00:52:49.31\00:52:50.45
are, I'm not
sure. It disappeared.
00:52:50.48\00:52:53.94
Friends it's not the
word of man, is the word of
00:52:55.05\00:52:57.14
God, Amen, Amen!
And last, but not least.
00:52:57.17\00:53:01.75
Our dear friends the
Catholics and I have to
00:53:02.18\00:53:03.91
say this because
my, my father is former
00:53:03.94\00:53:06.55
Catholic and not
only that I have many good
00:53:06.58\00:53:08.41
friends who are Catholics
and they love to say oh,
00:53:08.44\00:53:10.01
Pastor Asscherick
you preach the Bible with
00:53:10.04\00:53:11.54
power, but just
remember who gave you the Bible.
00:53:11.57\00:53:13.84
It was the church that
wrought the Bible together.
00:53:14.09\00:53:16.23
Friends this is not an accurate
00:53:16.26\00:53:18.52
reflection of history.
The canonization of the Bible.
00:53:18.55\00:53:22.95
The putting together
of the Bible began in the
00:53:23.23\00:53:25.54
second century. In
the middle of the second
00:53:25.57\00:53:28.74
century, when it began everyone?
00:53:28.77\00:53:30.15
Middle of second century.
And bear in mind that the
00:53:30.18\00:53:32.00
Old Testament was
already canonized.
00:53:32.03\00:53:34.04
The Old Testament was
canonized in the day of
00:53:34.31\00:53:35.88
the Jesus. Amen!
The New Testament began
00:53:35.91\00:53:39.07
to be canonize
friends in the middle of the
00:53:39.10\00:53:40.77
second century and
the first council of the
00:53:40.80\00:53:43.50
church that God
together to establish
00:53:43.53\00:53:45.49
what books were
written what books were out
00:53:45.52\00:53:46.87
didn't take place to
almost the fifth century.
00:53:46.90\00:53:49.40
Friends listen very
carefully the Bible is
00:53:49.88\00:53:51.96
not a collection of
authoritative or it is a
00:53:51.99\00:53:54.43
collection of authoritative
books not an authoritative
00:53:54.46\00:53:57.69
collection of books. Do
you see the distinction,
00:53:57.72\00:54:00.51
yes or no. The
authority is in the books not in
00:54:00.54\00:54:04.06
the collection. And
our friends wanna say oh,
00:54:04.09\00:54:06.62
the church is
assembled it and then the church
00:54:06.65\00:54:08.40
put their stamp
of approval on it.
00:54:08.84\00:54:10.23
Oh, no friends
these were already the
00:54:10.26\00:54:12.36
authoritative
books. These were the books
00:54:12.39\00:54:14.56
that were already in
circulation that the early
00:54:14.59\00:54:16.30
Christians were
using and all the church
00:54:16.33\00:54:18.16
basically did is put
a rubber stamp on it.
00:54:18.19\00:54:20.55
The thing was
already established.
00:54:20.58\00:54:22.19
It is an authoritative
co, it is a collection of
00:54:22.40\00:54:25.14
authoritative books
not an authoritative
00:54:25.17\00:54:27.41
collection of
books, Amen, Amen! As we
00:54:27.44\00:54:29.96
prepare to close I
want you to open your Bibles
00:54:29.99\00:54:31.65
to Isaiah chapter 40.
Isaiah chapter 40, as we
00:54:32.01\00:54:37.15
go to our final verse
right there in the middle
00:54:37.18\00:54:39.10
of Isaiah, Isaiah
chapter 40, I want you to notice
00:54:39.13\00:54:43.01
a powerful passage of
scripture. We have just
00:54:43.04\00:54:45.18
had time to touch on
the many evidences, but in
00:54:45.21\00:54:48.49
Isaiah chapter
40 I wanna read you
00:54:48.52\00:54:50.43
beginning in Verse 7
these powerful two verses.
00:54:50.46\00:54:53.53
Isaiah chapter 40 and
what verse everyone? 7,
00:54:53.56\00:54:56.11
The grass withers,
the flower fades, because
00:54:56.14\00:55:00.49
the breath of the
Lord blows upon it; Surely
00:55:00.52\00:55:02.73
the people are grass.
The grass withers, the
00:55:02.76\00:55:05.43
flower fades, but the
word of our God stands
00:55:05.46\00:55:09.86
for how long everyone, forever.
00:55:09.89\00:55:11.72
The word of God stands
for ever because it's not
00:55:12.40\00:55:14.56
the word of man, it's
the word of God, Amen!
00:55:14.59\00:55:18.26
Friends I urge upon you
tonight, I urge upon you
00:55:18.72\00:55:21.63
tonight the same
thing that we began with the
00:55:21.66\00:55:23.58
resurrected Jesus
sat down and he gave his
00:55:23.61\00:55:26.07
disciples the Bible
study. Friends the resurrected
00:55:26.10\00:55:29.25
Jesus in the person of
spirit wants to give you
00:55:29.28\00:55:31.21
a Bible study
tonight and tomorrow morning
00:55:31.24\00:55:34.10
and the next morning
and the next morning.
00:55:34.13\00:55:36.10
Friends it's not just
the word of God, this is
00:55:36.13\00:55:38.84
God's love letter to
you. Amen! I recommend to
00:55:38.87\00:55:42.29
you tonight, I urge
upon you tonight to take
00:55:42.32\00:55:44.31
seriously this book.
The claims of this book,
00:55:44.34\00:55:47.66
the consistency of
this book, and the case for
00:55:48.65\00:55:50.67
this book prove that it
is a supernatural book and
00:55:50.70\00:55:53.20
extraordinary
book. Friends this book
00:55:53.23\00:55:55.08
should become the very
centerpiece of your life.
00:55:55.11\00:55:57.32
Amen. Are you
hearing me, yes or no? Amen.
00:55:57.35\00:55:59.69
The Bible is the
written word and Jesus Christ
00:55:59.72\00:56:01.87
was the living word.
Friends, I urge upon you
00:56:01.90\00:56:05.02
tonight and these
times in which we are living
00:56:05.05\00:56:06.60
paralyze times take
seriously the Bible.
00:56:06.63\00:56:09.22
Make it the very
centered, the very cornerstone,
00:56:09.78\00:56:12.05
the very foundation
of your life and be sure
00:56:12.08\00:56:14.53
that you are studying
it daily, prayerfully,
00:56:14.56\00:56:17.32
sincerely, are you
with me on this yes or no?
00:56:17.35\00:56:19.98
Amen! Brothers
and sisters tonight
00:56:20.01\00:56:22.04
I recommend to you,
I plead with you in the
00:56:22.07\00:56:24.00
name of Jesus. I plead
with you in the name of
00:56:24.03\00:56:26.45
the living
word, heed the written
00:56:26.48\00:56:28.86
word, won't you do that tonight.
00:56:28.89\00:56:30.99