Why do you believe what you believe?
That has been the question we’ve been considering over the last three weeks
WHY - do you believe what you believe?
To be sure - you believe something - so this question applies to you
Maybe you might think, “Well, I don’t believe what you believe!”
-if that’s what you think - it’s good to recognize that
-so, Why do you believe what YOU believe?
Everyone believes something
-even if you think you’re an atheist:
“I don’t believe any of this stuff - I’m just here because it’s Easter!”
-it’s good you’re here
-but you believe - there is no God - that’s what you believe
-you probably believe life in this world is all that there is to life
-so, now, & now only is the time to live
-when it’s over, it’s over
-if you’re an atheist - that may be WHAT you believe
WHY do you believe that?
If you’re an agnostic - you’re thinking, you don’t know WHAT to believe
-so, I think it’s good to also ask you, WHY don’t you know what to believe?
-is it that you don’t want to believe?
-you have a lot of choices - don’t you?
-there are many different god’s by different names
-& many concepts of god without a name
-& even by the name Christian, there are many ways to believe
-there are a lot of choices - WHY should you believe anything in particular?
Most of us who come to this church - believe about the same thing
-about God & eternity
-& it’s good for us also, to ask, “WHY do we believe what we believe?”
Let’s start at the beginning - How did we get here?
It doesn’t matter how you think it all came to be - or how long it took
-there has got to be a mastermind behind all this life & universe
-it’s much easier to understand that there’s a God of some sort
-an intelligent being - who directed the formation of all this
-rather than thinking it happened all just by chance & no direction
-it makes the most sense, that a Supreme Being - call it “God”
-is behind the beginning & putting this all here
-& there’s a God who oversees this universe somehow
Now, Who, or What is God?
Here we have a book that claims to introduce God to us
-this book claims to be what God wanted us to know about Him & us & life
We have the O.T. that records some events of God throughout history
-from the beginning until a man named Jesus
-& we have the N.T. which describes the life & teachings of Jesus
-& a movement of faith He started - which we call Christianity
Why do we believe - or why should we believe this Bible?
It has been confirmed to be very accurate down to the original writing
-so, what was originally written, has been preserved to what we have today
i.e. There are more than enough very early manuscripts
-to give you all the reason to believe that our Bible is accurate
-& equal to what was originally written
-now, what was originally written, was written by firsthand eyewitnesses
-or associates of firsthand eyewitnesses who sought to write the history
-of what really happened
-it was written by people who knew what happened
-& it was originally circulated by people who knew what happened
-& many of these people who were around at the time
-didn’t want the teachings of Christ to be accepted
-but, this historical account survived
-because it was accepted as accurate history
Bottom line - what this covers - really happened
-so, we have every reason to believe
-what we read about Jesus - what He did & taught - really happened
-& the same with the disciples who followed
-what they did & taught - it really happened that way
So, look at Jesus - He claimed to be God
At first, you should react - “That’s preposterous!”
-that’s as wild of a claim as anyone will ever make
-everyone thinks of Jesus as a good man - & no one has a problem with that
-but Jesus really claimed to be God - that’s why He got into all the trouble
Are there good reasons for believing that Jesus was/is God?
(we talked about this last week)
-when you look at all the things He did & knew & taught
-He actually did things only God could & would do!
-in fact, it’s the only thing that makes sense - Jesus was God in person
-He was God & man at the same time!
-way more than just a good man
He claimed to be God - not just a good man
-it doesn’t make sense that He was lying
-it doesn’t make sense that He was confused & delusional
-it only makes sense, that He was God!
He had the qualities & character & abilities of God! Jesus was/is God!
We have all the reason to believe that!
John 20:30-31
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Why should you believe Jesus to be God?
-look at what He said & did
-when you really look at it - you can’t help but conclude - He was God!
Now - let’s take this a step further,
Why should you commit & devote your life to Him?
Why should it make a difference to you, that Jesus is God?
Jesus claimed to be God - He also claimed to be the author & giver of life
John 14:1-7
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
That’s a bold suggestion! “Trust in me, like you can trust in God!”
-there’s no doubt, Jesus knew He was God!
-there’s a lot of responsibility in telling people they could trust in Him
-like trusting in God!
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.
Can you believe Jesus enough to follow Him?
Jesus asks us to lay down our lives for Him - in full commitment & devotion
-to sacrifice our lives for Him - WHY should you?!!!
#10 Luke 9:23-24
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Why should you say no to yourself & yes to Jesus?
Why should you sacrifice your life for Jesus?
Of course, you know, He sacrificed His life for you
-but that’s not all - He rose again from the dead
-the resurrection makes all the difference when it comes to WHY we believe
The resurrection of Jesus - Jesus coming alive after being dead for 3 days
-that should convince you to believe & follow Him
-that’s the big - probably the biggest, WHY of all
WHY do you - or should you believe in Jesus?
He died & rose from the dead!
WHY should you devote your life to Him as your Savior & Lord?
He died for you & rose from the dead!
On that night before Jesus was to give His life as a sacrifice for our sin
-Jesus tells the 11 remaining disciples
-they could trust in Him - essentially, they were trusting in God
-He was going to go to heaven & get it ready for them
-for when they died
-we all die - you should know & believe that
-well, this is a big thing to be putting your trust in Jesus for - isn’t it?
Death! And what comes after death!
You better have this one right!
-you can pick an investment firm to invest your money for retirement
-if you pick the wrong firm - you stand to loose your money
-but that’s nothing compared to this
-if you pick the wrong thing to believe in, when it comes to life after death
-you loose out forever!
Why Jesus?
Why can or should we believe & follow Jesus for this?
Thomas was wondering - Why? How can we know where or what this is about?
John 14:5
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Later that night, all the disciple ran in fear when Jesus was arrested
-or was illegally accosted
-they watched from a distance as He was crucified & buried
-& you get the sense, they didn’t know what to think
-as they went into hiding
-but then, when they realized He really rose from the dead
-this gave them reason to commit their lives fully to the cause of Jesus
John 20:19-20
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Look at how important the resurrection was to Thomas
-it literally transformed his thinking
vv.24-31
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Why Jesus? Look at all that happened - things He did & said
-& to top it all off - the resurrection
Did the resurrection really happen & if so, what does it mean?
There are many reasons to be sure & confident about the resurrection
-as really taking place
-just one way of being sure about the resurrection
-is look at the response of these men
-these disciples & many others - now proceeded to give their lives for Jesus
-they literally gave their lives for Jesus
-historically, this is what we understand about these men:
-Peter - crucified
-Andrew - crucified
-Matthew - killed by sword
-John - natural death
-James - son of Alphaeus - crucified
-Philip - crucified
-Simon - crucified
-Thaddaeus - killed by arrows
-James - brother of Jesus - stoned
-Thomas - speared
-Bartholomew - crucified
-James - son of Zebedee - killed by sword
-the Apostle Paul - beheaded
If anyone knew if the resurrection was true or false - it would be these men
-first, they sought to give their lives to follow Jesus
-but when He was crucified - it seems they were ready to give up
-they lost their leader
-however, the resurrection changed everything
-these men, & others - people who would have known for sure
-if Jesus really had died & rose again
-these men, now wholeheartedly gave their lives
-& literally - they all persisted until death to follow & serve Jesus
-they knew this all to be true
-they wouldn’t have all done this just for a lie!
-they went & proclaimed this message with a vengeance
-because they knew the resurrection to be true!
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
What does the resurrection mean to you?
More than any event in all history - the resurrection has changed more lives
-for the good
How has it changed your life?
How will it change your life today?
Why should you believe in Jesus?
You have every reason to understand & now believe that He is God
Jesus - God the Son - asks you to give your life for Him
-to follow Him in commitment & devotion
-to become His disciple & follow Him
You have every reason to commit your life to Him
He died for you & rose from the dead
Yes, it really happened!
Nothing in all this life or all of history, transforms lives as much as the resurrection
Quote from Adrian Warnock - author of -
Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything
There is no historical doubt whatsoever that a man called Jesus lived and was crucified 2,000 years ago. It is also without dispute that a group arose quickly after his death claiming he was risen. Despite the apparent absurdity of such a claim and vigorous attempts to persecute them off the face of the earth, this group grew quicker than any other before or since. Soon the whole Roman Empire became a Christian state without a sword being raised by the all-conquering new faith. This remarkable growth is impossible to explain without the Resurrection.
The resurrection really happened!
How does Jesus change your life?
You have every reason to fully commit yourself to Him & follow Him!
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