1

Who Says the Bible Is Gods Word? Part 3

Now I dont know about you guys, but after High School I figured I was finally through having to learn stuff. I figured I could just sit back and enjoy life without having to crack the books. But as Im sure most of you have found out, the learning process not only did not stop but I was about to embark on a lifelong journey of learning. However, Im no longer bummed out about it because some of the things I have learned in life have proven to be quite beneficial. In fact, I want to show you a few of the important things that Ive learned over my lifetime that I think are valuable to all of us. 1. Never lick a steak knife. 2. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time. 3. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think shes pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment. 4. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers. 5. Sooner or later your wild oats will turn into prunes and All Bran. 6. If God wanted us to touch our toes, He would have put them on our knees. 7. You will always find a dog with no legs right where you left him. 8. He who laughs last thinks slowest. 9. When the chips are down the buffalo is empty. 10.Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Yes, there are a lot of important things in life we all need to learn arent there? But if you were to ask me what is one of the most important things in life that people all over the world need to learn, especially Christians, it would have to be this. That the Bible really did come from God! But unfortunately, as weve been seeing, this is no longer the case, is it? And you know why? Its because the Bible has been under attack by false criticism over the last century. And because most Christians dont know how to respond to these arrogant accusations, the people of the Bible are starting to doubt the Bible. And now when an evangelical Christian responds that the Bible is Gods Word, most people reply, Oh yeah! Who says the Bible is Gods Word? Therefore, in order to make sure that none of us here have any doubts about the Bible being the Word of God, were going to continue on our series Who Says the Bible is the Word of God? Weve already seen the first 7 out of 10 lines of evidence giving us solid proof that the Bible really came from God. And there we saw that the Bible says so, Jesus says so, the Apostles say so, the Early Church and Church History say so, Transmission Standards say so, Manuscript Data says so, and Archaeology says so.

Oh, but the evidence doesnt stop there. We still have three more to go. So lets get started. 1 Peter 1:17-25 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you. Who says the Bible is Gods Word? Well what did our text say? The Word of the Lord stands forever. Why? Because God alone knows the beginning from the end. In fact, He knows the end before it even happens. And thats why the 8th line of evidence showing us that the Bible came from God is the Predictive Prophecy says so. And people whether you realize it or not, prophecy is yet another powerful way to demonstrate that the Bible really did come from God. I mean, stop and think about it. If a book were to have really come from God then one would expect that it would contain things that one God could know,
3

right? So the questions is, Does the Bible contain things that only God would know? Absolutely! In fact, it doesnt contain just a few things but tons of things only God could know. Let me share just a few of them with you. For instance, the Bible predicted over 300 minute details surrounding the birth of the Messiah all of which were fulfilled in Jesus. And I dont think we catch just how amazing this is until we look at the odds of this taking place. By using the modern science of probability, we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled just eight prophecies is 1 in 1017. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, it can be illustrated by taking 1017 silver dollars and laying them on the face of Texas, which would be enough to cover the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars with a red X and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing just 8 prophecies and having them all come true in any one man. Furthermore the odds of just 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one man would be 1 in 10157. And to give you an idea of just how big of a number that is, the estimated number of electrons in the whole universe is around 1 in 1079.

Now folks, Im not a rocket scientist, but Id say its pretty obvious theres no way that Jesus fulfilled 48 prophecies by accident. And by the way, He didnt fulfill just 48 but over 300. Oh, but thats not all. The Bible also predicted in the Book of Daniel centuries before if happened the long-awaited arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem. And not just a good guess either, but down to the exact day! Daniel predicted in Daniel 9 that 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, that the Messiah would come to Jerusalem and be cut off from His people. Now thats pretty specific, dont you think? So what happened 173,880 days after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem? Well, that puts us as March 30 AD 33. And can anyone guess what happened on that day? Hey, thats right! Thats the exact day when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem! Oh but that still not all. The Bible also predicted the rebirth of the nation of Israel specifically in the last days prior to the return of the Messiah. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Theyd Return to the Land Again (Isaiah 43:5-6) Theyd Become a Nation Again (Isaiah 11:11-12) Theyd Become a Nation Again in One Day (Isaiah 66:8) Theyd Become a United Nation (Ezekiel 37:21-22) Theyd Have a Powerful Military (Zechariah 12:6) Their Currency Would Become the Shekel (Ezekiel 45:12,13,16) Theyd Blossom as a Rose in the Desert (Isaiah 35:1-2) Theyd Become a Source of World Conflict (Zechariah 12:2-3)
5

9. Theyd Rebuild the Temple (Revelation 11:2) People of God, theres almost 2,000 prophecies mentioned in the Bible. In fact, 1/3rd of the Bibles content deals with predictive prophecy, all of which has already been fulfilled or is on the verge of being so. Therefore, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that if all the 300 prophecies came to pass concerning Jesus 1st Coming, then what do you think is going to happen to the 318 prophecies concerning His 2nd Coming? People of God, its high time we wake up! Jesus Christ is coming back and it might be sooner than you think. The point is to make sure youre ready. But as you can see, predictive prophecy is a powerful way to show us the Bible really came from God. And thats why one researcher states this. Unlike any other book, the Bible alone offers a multitude of specific predictions-some hundreds of years in advance-that have been literally fulfilled. This shows us that the Bible alone contains things that only God can know and thus reveals its divine inspiration. Limited beings know the future only if it is told to them by an omniscient Being. If an omniscient Being is known to exist and highly improbable predictions are made in His name, which come to pass without fail, then it is reasonable to assume that they were divinely inspired. And if the Bible contains such predictions, then they are a sign of the Bibles divine origin. People you cant have it both ways. You cant agree with some of the Bibles teaching and then turn around and deny its authenticity. Why?
6

Because predictive prophecy clearly presents the Bible as the genuine Word of God. And anything short of this is called hypocrisy. Oh, but thats not all. Who says the Bible is the Word of God? Well, the 9th line of evidence is that Science says so. Now how many of you have heard it said that the Bible is full of errors and contradictions? It seems to be the constant cry of the critics, right? And one of the most popular areas of supposed contradictions in the Bible is in the areas of science. So the question is, Does the Bible contain false data concerning science? Well folks, youll be happy to know that not only does the Bible not contradict science but that its science who is catching up to what the Bible has been saying all along! Let me show you what I mean. 1. The Universe had a beginning: (Genesis 1:1) 2. No new matter is being created: (Genesis 2:2) 3. The universe is running down: (Psalm 102:25-27) 4. Life produces after its kind: (Genesis 1:24) 5. Humans made from earth: (Genesis 2:7) 6. Water returns to its source: (Job 37:16) 7. The earth is round: (Isaiah 40:22) 8. The earth hangs in space: (Job 26:7) 9. The sea has paths and channels: (Psalm 8:8) 10.The sea has boundaries: (Proverbs 8:29) 11.Life is in the blood: (Leviticus 17:11) 12.Disease can be spread by physical contact: (Leviticus 13) 13.Law of conservation of mass and energy: (2 Peter 3:7) 14.Hydrologic cycle: (Ecclesiastes 1:7) 15.Vast number of stars: (Jeremiah 33:22) 16.Atmospheric circulation: (Ecclesiastes 1:6) 17.Gravitational field: (Job 26:7)

Now gee folks, I wonder how much money we could save the American taxpayer if we could only get those scientists to just read the Bible? And folks, this kind of information comes in handy when you run across those people who will only give credence to what they can see or explain scientifically like this guy. An atheist came to a preacher one time and stated, I dont believe anything in the Bible. The preacher said, You dont believe anything? And the atheist said, Nothing. I only believe what you can prove scientifically. Then the atheist continued, If you can prove one verse out of the Bible, scientifically, Ill believe it. So the preacher said, Okay. So he grabbed the atheist around the neck, grabbed his nose, and began twisting it back and forth, back and forth. And pretty soon, blood was pouring down the atheists face. So the atheist exclaimed, Man, what are you doing? And the preacher replied, I was proving the Bible to you. It says in Proverbs 30:33, Surely the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood. Now, I dont recommend you give a skeptic of the Bible a bloody nose to prove its scientific accuracy. But what you can do is point out the fact that its actually science whos catching up to what the Bibles been saying all along! And people, thats why you cant have it both ways. You cant agree with some of the Bibles teaching and then turn around and deny its authenticity. Why? Because the Bible not only contains no

contradictions to science but it even knows scientific data centuries before modern science figured it out! And this clearly presents the Bible as the genuine Word of God! And anything short of this is called hypocrisy. Oh, but thats not all. Who says the Bible is Gods Word? Well, the 10th line of evidence is that the Nature and Scope of Data says so. People, one of the most convincing proofs of the Bible really being the Word of God is simply by observing its nature and the data it contains. And once you do, youll see that the Bible is unlike any other book or piece of literature on the planet. Let me show you what I mean. 1. Written over a 1,500-year span. 2. Written over 40 generations. 3. Written by more than 40 authors, from every walk of life including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc. 4. Written in different places, wilderness, dungeons, palaces, etc. 5. Written at different times, times of war or times of peace, etc. 6. Written during different moods, from heights of joy or from the depths of despair, etc. 7. Written on three different continents, Asia, Africa, and Europe. 8. Written in three different languages, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. And people what youve got to realize is that even with all these differences in time, place, circumstances, etc., that the Bible completely retains its unity and continuity throughout the Old and New Testaments. Oh but thats not all. Now add to this fact the incredible scope of the various topics that the Bible covers from law, marriage, government, life,

10

death, heaven, hell, etc. It even utilizes various literary types such as poetry, history, biography, diaries, parables, allegories, etc., and even with all this it still holds on to its unity. Oh but thats still not all! The Bible alone is unique in its circulation. No other book in history has had such a circulation. In fact, each year there are so many Bibles sold that it consistently tops the New York Times bestseller list but its left off due to the fact that it would always be listed as the number one best seller. The Bible has been read by more people and published in more languages than any other book in history. And absolutely no other book even begins to compare with that of the Scriptures. Oh but theres more. The Bible has survived attack after attack by people seeking its destruction. Yet throughout history the Bible keeps coming out on top as Voltaire learned the hard way. Voltaire the French infidel who died in 1778, said that in 100 years from his time, Christianity would be swept from existence and passed into history. But what happened? Voltaire has passed into history while the circulation of the Bible continues to increase in almost all parts of the world. And concerning the boast of Voltaire on the extinction of Christianity and the Bible in 100 years, only 50 years after Voltaires death the Geneva Bible Society used his press and his house to produce stacks of Bibles. Now folks, I dont know if you realize it or not, but thats Gods way of saying, Nanny nanny boo boo in Jesus Name! You see, you cant have

10

11

it both ways. You cant agree with some of the Bible teaching and then turn around and deny its authenticity. Why? Because the incredible nature and scope of the Bible clearly presents it as the genuine Word of God. And anything short of this is called hypocrisy. People of God, whatever you do, dont be fooled by the skeptic who spouts off a bunch of intelligent sounding facts. Why? Because we all know that intelligent sounding facts can be deceiving, like these guys learned. Two guys named Al and Joe are bungee-jumping one day and Al says to Joe, You know, we could make a lot of money running our own bungee jumping service in Mexico. So Joe, being a guy and all, thinks this is a great idea. And so they pool their money together and buy everything they need; a tower, an elastic cord, insurance, etc. And soon they travel to Mexico and begin to set up on the square. And as they were constructing the tower a crowd began to assemble. And when theyd finished, there was such a huge crowd that they thought itd be a good idea to give a demonstration. So Al goes ahead and jumps and bounces at the end of the cord, but when he comes back up, Joe notices that he has a few cuts and scratches. But unfortunately, Joe isnt able to catch him, and so Al falls again, bounces again and comes back up again. And this time he is bruised and bleeding. But again Joe misses him. So Al falls again and bounces back up. And this time he comes back pretty messed up. Hes got a couple of broken bones and hes almost unconscious. But luckily Joe catches him this time and says, Man, what happened? Was the cord too long?

11

12

And barely able to speak, Al gasps, No, the bungee cord was fine. It was the crowd... WHAT THE HECK IS A PIATA? Yes, intelligent sounding facts can be deceiving, cant they? And those two guys thought they had all the intelligent facts they needed on how to have a successful Bungee jumping business in Mexico. But they left out one important fact about Piatas, which almost cost the one guy his life, didnt it? And people, Im here to tell you that its the same thing with the skeptics of the Bible. They spout off bold claims that the Bible cannot be trusted, that the Bible is full of errors. Yet all the time it is they who refuse to look at the evidence. So I ask you, just whos the real hypocrite here? People I dont know if youve noticed this, but our world is in a frantic search for purpose and direction in life. People are full of questions like, Why do I exist? Where did I come from? Is there life after death? And how sad and ironic it is that this mysterious book that everyones in search of can be found on bookshelves, collecting dust, in virtually every home in America. Its called the Bible and it really came from God! People of God, be encouraged today. You dont have to give into the attacks of the skeptic. You dont have to give into doubt. And you dont have to give into one bit of criticism. What we hold in our hands is the genuine Word of God! Amen?
12

13

_____________________________________________________________ To find the way to God, to understand the truth of God's Word, and to received the gift of eternal life, begin by repentance and faith through a prayer like this: Dear God, I understand that I have broken Your Law and sinned against You. Please forgive my sins. Thank You that Jesus suffered on the cross in my place. I now place my trust in Him as My Savior and Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. ___________________________________________________________

13