The Bottom Line Evidence

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The Bottom Line Evidence</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id289.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Examining The Claims, Part 2"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id291.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible Versions, Part 1"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Examining The Claims, Part 3: The Bottom Line Evidence - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ</B></div> <div> <B>Series: Why We Can Trust the Bible, Part 6</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, November 11, 2001pm</B></div> <bR> <div> This section draws on unpublished writings of Dr. Bob Pyne, Dallas Seminary</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Why We Can Believe It</U></B></div> <div> <B>The Tomb of Jesus Was Empty</B></div> <div> A. Eyewitnesses testified to this from the beginning (John 20). Regarding eyewitnesses, it usually takes a couple generations for a legend to develop, after eyewitnesses were gone. (In 1 Corinthians 15, many eyewitnesses were still alive at the time of the writing of that letter.)</div> <div> B. Even opponents testified of it (Matt 28:13-15).</div> <div> C. Why would early disciples give their lives for a lie? They would have known whether it was the truth or a lie.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Tomb Was Empty Because Jesus Was Raised From the Dead</B></div> <div> A. Was the body stolen by the disciples? Guards were posted to prevent this (Matt 27:62-64, 28:11-15).</div> <div> B. Did the Jewish leaders take it? They would have produced it to prove he was dead.</div> <div> C. Did Jesus really die? This was confirmed by secular authorities (John 19:32-37).</div> <div> D. He appeared to many eyewitnesses (Lk 24:36-49; Acts 1:3; 1 Cor 15:3-8).</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Resurrection Proves the Truth of Christianity</B></div> <div> A. Matthew 12:38-40 - Jesus offered the sign of his resurrection as proof of who he was.</div> <div> B. John 8:58-59 (Exodus 3:14) - Jesus used “I AM” to identify himself as God. This is why the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him right then.</div> <div> C. 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17 - Christianity stands on the truth of the resurrection. Who Jesus was (God) was proven by the fact that he rose from the dead as he said he would.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Why It Matters</U></B></div> <div> <B>Jesus Confirmed the Authority of the Bible</B></div> <div> A. Jesus believed in the authority of the Hebrew Scriptures (John 5:46-47; 10:35; Matt 19:4).</div> <div> B. Jesus promised the authority of the New Testament (John 14:25-26; 16:12-15).</div> <div> C. The Apostles believed their writings possessed the same authority as the Hebrew Scriptures (1 Tim 5:18; Titus 1:1-3; 2 Pet 1:19-21; 3:16; Rev 1:1).</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Process of Elimination</B></div> <div> A. The Koran does not recognize the deity of Jesus Christ or the Trinity.</div> <div> B. Mormon theology does not recognize the full deity of Jesus Christ or the Trinity.</div> <div> C. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus and the Trinity.</div> <div> D. They can’t all be right.  If Jesus was who he claimed to be (God, proven by his resurrection), then the Bible is true. The other books are wrong about Jesus, and therefore they are wrong and not authoritative (even if they possess some elements of truth).</div> <div> “The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14-16).</div> <bR> <div> <B>Three Key Areas for Evaluating Other Faiths</B></div> <div> A. Their view of the Trinity.</div> <div> B. Their understanding of who Jesus is.</div> <div> C. Their beliefs about grace and salvation.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2002, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>