Why I Believe - Why I Believe in the Bible, Part 1

Is it intellectually feasible to believe that a collection of 66 manuscripts by 40 different authors written in three languages over a period of 1500 years could actually be the very words of God. Is there any real evidence that support such an outrageous claim find out today welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with the mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians the Bible to wonder is the Bible completely accurate. I mean how can we know for sure every single word from the original script the exact same just a manageable continuous series why I believe by revealing some concrete evidence of lawlessness of God's word why we can trust, and if you're looking for some deeper insight into this important topic. Join us after the message of Scripture some really in depth and practical advice. You're not gonna want to miss all of that here strip with his talk, why I believe in the Bible, you may not know this but before I was a pastor I was a basketball coach and I honestly thought my whole life was going to be a basketball coach and eyed coach middle school and in high school and that my dream was I wanted Bobby Knight's job I wanted either Indiana or Ohio State only to be a major college coach and so had to go to graduate school didn't really want to go back to graduate school, but if you have a Masters degree, then you can't coach in college and so I found a job as a resident assistant at West Virginia University where I could come to teach the freshman level stuff and then they would pay my white which worked out really well and I never forget I was walking into teach one of my classes and I have my books and I had my Bible on it because I was leading a campus ministry at the same time in a very bright PhD student paused. They looked at me and he looked at my Bible says that Bible is again and then sort of with disdain, you don't really believe that do you. And in a moment of faith. I sit, I really do.

And then he walked away. But before he walked away.

I got one of those glances that you've probably gotten.

Oh my gosh I thought you had all your marbles or are you anti-intellectual. How in the world could you be doing graduate work at a secular university and actually believe the Bible and all I can tell you was.

I'm ashamed to say this, I was ashamed of the Bible. I mean I felt like wow he was really big and I was really small and I remember walking down the hall feel like what I feel like there's some in God you change my life and what I realized was I didn't have confidence. I had a personal relationship with God and he was speaking to me through the Bible, but I didn't have the confidence that this is the word of God. I could probably say this is God's truth and by the way, here's why. And so what I want to do in our time is I want to answer some of those tough questions that I went on a journey that I had to know because I don't want to just believe it. I just don't want God to speak to me I would have a level of confidence that this is the very word of God and what I want you to know you can have that same confidence. Here's the questions that were plaguing me questions like is the Bible the word of God or the word of men is the Bible full of myths and legends in fairytales or is it historically reliable is all the Bible true or only parts of it trustworthy can the Bible be translated that many times over hundreds and hundreds of years and and still be accurate and finally what makes the Bible different than other religious writings. I mean you get in the discussion and that group has their holy book and that group has their holy book so what makes it unique and distinctive, and so to go on this journey. I begin to ask questions. So what I want to do is I want to ask a handful of questions and give you the reason of what I learned of why have confidence in the Bible is God's word.

The first question is, isn't the Bible a collection of stories, myths and legends. The answer to that is no and why archaeology. The Bible is a historically accurate document be ready for this. There are over 25,000 specific places in the Old Testament alone that are verified in history. Actual cities actual people I can go to the New Testament, there's inscriptions all the things we've heard about Pontius Pilate Bethlehem Jesus that the census all those things are historical facts that can be verified.

The New Testament the Old Testament is not myths, dreams, legends or stories, its people, places, and real events that can be verified.

The second question don't all religions have their holy book. What makes the Bible so special. The answer Revelation, Revelation, the Bible claims to infallibly reveal the very words in the mind of God. Second Timothy 316 says this all Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, in other words, all Scripture. The very words of the Bible are inspired or God breathe through human instruments and through their personalities, but God superintended it in such a way that what we have is the very word of God.

Now you might say to yourself what chip is little bit of circular reasoning and I will admit that over 3000 times thus says the Lord, it makes it unique. In other words, it's authoritative, so there's lots of holy books. But here's what I want you The Bible claims to be the infallible revealed word of God that makes it unique, but there's something else that makes it unique. Its origin, its structure and its unity, and a lot of people have no idea. You did some guide to sit down and write the Bible. No, are you ready for this. There's 40 different authors. Three different languages. Over 1500 years. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew New Testament was primarily corn, a Greek but also Aramaic and you have these different authors from all these different time frames and are you ready for this in different geographical places with one very central theme from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

It's Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, the coming Savior Jesus Christ the King, Jesus Christ, the one who will fulfill all the prophecies Jesus Christ. Now the center of the Gospels and now Jesus Christ ascended and the Jesus Christ is coming back again Genesis to Revelation. The theme of a book written over 1500 years in multiple languages by multiple authors, one central theme, Jesus Christ.

Now imagine 2 billion publications of the Bible since 1455 and then there's one last thing that makes it very unique.

Its authenticity. You know, most holy books don't show any of the weaknesses of the characters think about this Moses murder David murder and adulterer. The apostle Paul, a murderer, James and John. Anger management issues you know if you are trying to convince someone that this is a book from heaven.

You certainly wouldn't be that authentic, and yet that's what tells me this is from God, because God knows we struggle. He wanted to give us examples of real people in real time to reveal his heart and how he deals with us, not just when were doing well, but when were not doing so well. The third question I want to answer is. It's obvious that the data is strong.

There's a strong case that the Bible is very unique but can it really be the very word of God old answer is yes, because of one very famous name Jesus.

Jesus actually believed the Old Testament to be the very words of God, and he predicted the New Testament to be. Likewise, not just in concepts not in generalities, but the actual words, Jesus would say were from the father there. God's word.

Matthew chapter 5 Jesus is preaching on the sermon on the Mount he says do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the law until it's all accomplished and so he says to them I'm not here to change things. I'm going to fulfill the very word of God. He actually believe that every word was God breathed or inspired. In fact, are you ready for this. Jesus actually basis is proof of the resurrection on the tense of the verb, not just one word but on the tense of the verb and the religious leaders are trying to trap him and so what they do is they come with the story. It's a very familiar one for many of you, and it is about this woman who has multiple husbands and there's no errors and so they say.

When this woman is in heaven like who's going to be her husband because there's seven men what they were really trying to say is, there is no resurrection, listen to Jesus response in Matthew chapter 22 verse 29.

Jesus replied you are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God at the resurrection people will neither marry or be given in marriage, they will be like the angels in heaven now, get this, but about the resurrection of the dead have you not read what God said to you I am present tense, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead. But the God of the living now. Of all the places that Jesus could go to support that he believes in the resurrection. I mean, there's a passage in Job it's really clear. He could've reached into one of the Psalms, but he goes to one little tense of the verb you with that says Jesus actually believes that every word is inspired by God and I think about that. He's the expert witness been on a lot of juries and you know you listen to all kind of expert witnesses, and as they come in, the better their credentials and the more they know, the more weight you give them we have learned that Jesus rose from the dead. We looked at the proof of the resurrection. If the resurrected Christ says I believe in the Old Testament, and I believe the New Testament everywhere.

It's gonna be inspired. I will tell you. For me that gives me a lot of confidence. When Jesus talks about eight Abraham, Noah, Jonah, Adam, Eve, he doesn't say these are nice legends or fairytales. They were actual people in actual space, time, he had full confidence and believed that the Bible was the very word of God.

Now the next question that I want to ask and answer is yes, Jesus views a strong argument but for me, for me, and I think it's because what I was going through the most convincing argument that God spoke to my heart where when I walked out of that place and felt intimidated by that student and went through some rough times in my life this next reason is the one that God used to say Chip, you can believe it, you can walk into any arena.

This is not anti-intellectual. This is the very word of God and this is prophecy.

Notice prophecy sets the Bible apart from all other religions. Now let me give you little background, probably Mike between my third and fourth year in college and I was growing and things were great.

I I stayed for summer school so I could plan a basketball league and I had this weird experience. I did know anything about it. I would learn later that you know, theologians and and mystics would call it the dark night of the soul, and every now and then sometimes God will allow the emotional connection with him to sort of fade away and help you learn to trust him and just out of the blue. One day I had this thought it was a deep doubt and it wasn't like I wonder if this passage over here is right or wrong. It wasn't like you know, I wonder about that book.

It was like I wonder if any of this is true. I literally was Setanta coming up just like I wonder if my salvation is drawn. Wonder of Jesus is real. Whenever you trust the Bible and it was horrendous and and my emotional connection with God. Just like evaporated and so I remember deciding regardless of how I felt I would get up as was my custom now and I would read God's word. I read God's word every day and I didn't feel anything, but I realize might my faith can't be built on my experience in all my feelings. It had to be on truth and so I hung in there and I hung in there and I happen to be reading through the Old Testament and I was reading through Isaiah and I came across this passage that I'm gonna tell you it was so encouraging and so blew my mind. It's Isaiah 46 it says remember the former things, things of long ago. I am God. There is no other. I am God.

There is none like me.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times and what is still to come. I say my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.

Now there's a bigger context and in the context what is going to do.

In chapter 44, 45 in there and 46. It's a comparison of who is a true God who is a false God, and Isaiah, speaking for the Lord basically says our God can tell the future beginning to end, and he makes prophecies and they come through 100% of the time and that he give some examples and I just begin to think way to second. Do I believe this or not, and I mean like I could've gone to lots of different places, but I remember someone saying there were over 300 prophecies alone that Jesus fulfilled in his first coming.

I thought to myself okay.

I mean, I knew a few of them like okay 30 pieces of silver.

Remember that you be born of a virgin account heard that and then I did some research and found out those things were predicted 700 years before he was even born and all the sudden I began to realize why I did a study on prophecy and what I realized was a God who is sovereign and who is all knowing and can say this is going to happen and it happens 100% of the time is mind-boggling. And when he does it specifically about God the son. All I can tell you is my faith got infused and I thought to myself, you know something everybody trust someone's word. Think about that. I mean that PhD student was like popular culture set of the Bibles out. He trusted someone's word that we trust someone's word. Some kids their mom and dad sometimes it's an authority figure. Sometimes it's on you know what we hear on the TV. Everyone trust someone's word you are going to trust someone's word about all kind of things in life. What I'm telling you is the evidence is overwhelming. We can trust God's word and prophecy is the thing that over the edge and help me to hang on just listening to the first part of his message.

Why I believe the Bible knows you may or may not know there's actually a lot of solid verifiable evidence that supports Jesus existence and his ministry.

The real challenge is articulating that other biblical truths to those who genuinely want to know more. So how do we do that will in this series chip shares ways we can effectively and win simply answer honest questions about our faith that will attract people to the gospel not repel them from it. For more information about why I believe, or our resources go to LivingontheEdge.org the chipping remap or call AAA 333-6003 will before we go any further chips.

Join me here in studio and chip. I can see that you're wanting to jump in here real quick to talk to her listeners about something that's on your thanks Dave.

I want to share an important request with you in Living on the Edge is ministering to you. Would you consider returning the favor and if you been listening, but haven't yet become a financial partner with Living on the Edge. Would you prayerfully consider sending a gift today and if you've given but could do it monthly.

I can't tell you make a huge difference if we all pitched in, it would just make an incredible difference in terms of what we can do here to reach and care for more people. So thanks so much for all that you do and thanks for just praying and doing whatever God chose you to do and we will receive it with great gratitude will as you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry I would remind you that every gift is significant when you partner with Living on the Edge you multiply our efforts and resources in ways that only God can do. Make your donation of LivingontheEdge.org or through the chipping remap or if it's easier you can text the word donate 741 41 that's donate to 741 41. We appreciate your help will chip let's get to that application. We promised as we wrap up today's program. I would remind you of the very last sentence in our teaching time everyone trust someone's word about what's true you do, I do. Everyone does, and we trust her parents are the TV you're a college professor or the Internet or a book that we've read and that's what led me on this journey.

I had real doubts about the Bible you know I had all these PhD's, looking at me like did you throw your brains in the trash. I mean what's wrong with you Ingram. It's all I had to find out. I mean, is it intellectually feasible to actually believe that this really amazing and miraculous book written over this long period of time with the central theme of Jesus.

Could it really be the word of God. And honestly I said, like, probably a lot of people. It's pretty far-fetched. I mean, of all the things that have been a struggle for me it's can you really believe the Bible, but that's the foundation of everything, it's the teaching about Jesus is the teaching about what's real.

It's about teaching about heaven is his teaching about how to live your life and so as I went on the journey I began to start with. Well, where did this book come from, and as you heard in our teaching time today. The Bible is historically accurate.

That may not be a big deal to you right now but I will tell you if you studied some other religions like I have reviewed examine some of the cold sore. Some of the other religious books.

I will tell you it is absolutely unique that you can look at the archaeology for now. A couple thousand years, and I mean Pontius Pilate was a person. Bethlehem is a place all these different things that happened I can go in space, time, history, and know that what is written in this book actually happened to me. That was huge. The second thing was that the outrageous claim you know there's a lot of religious books that say, you know, here's some great wisdom or hear some philosophy or here's what our spiritual guru or our leader says about this or that. The Bible claims to be the infallible revealed very words of God. It is so outrageous that the Bible was God breathed these actually speaking through this and then you sort of leaned back, at least I did. I thought over 1500 years. How would you weave all those languages in all that time in 40 different authors. I mean it's mind-boggling to think of what it is and how it's come together and then the unity the structure. I mean even some of the pragmatism you to billion Bibles published since 1455 from Genesis all the way to Revelation 1 central theme. There is a Messiah coming. His name is Jesus.

He is Emmanuel. He is God with us and those things were helpful to me. I mean, those were very very helpful. But as I shared in the teaching time and this is what I would challenge you with at some point in time. We need something irrefutable were going to trust someone's word and this can be a sociology professor or or some critic will be intimidated by someone who appears to be very intellectual but for me when I looked at what the Bible says about prophecy and the hundred percent accuracy things that happen in the Old Testament, the New Testament, I'm recently reading through the Gospels and especially Matthew right now, and in many of you that are that are followers of Christ, you, you'll probably have version like minded every time it quote something from the Old Testament. It'll be you know a little bit different kind of tight. Maybe it's all block letters are bold or italics or something.

As you read through Matthew the theme of that is there is a king and there's a reigning King and he's fulfilled all this proxy because Matthew was written to the Jews, and as I read through that and begin to ponder that 700 years before any of these things happen where he would be born and what he would say and how it would happen in 30 pieces of silver. I don't know about you, and I don't know whose word you get a trust that I can tell you this that these things have convinced me that the Bible is worthy of exploring with all my heart and trusting it with all my soul that here's my question for you.

Do you really trusted you really trusted enough to read it you really trusted enough to obey it.

You really trusted enough to stand up against the criticism or the doubts that people begin to throw at you or your kids or your grandkids. You need to come to a conviction about is the Bible true or not and we would love to help you. This is a time that I'd really encourage you get the notes review them. Let us be a help to you on your journey good word ship will you'll find the message notes chip just mentioned it a couple places go to LivingontheEdge.org and click the broadcasts tab Listeners will find by tapping fill in notes.

This is a tool available for every program. So let me encourage you to get this resource before you listen to us again.

Chips notes include his outline all of the Scripture references.

Lots of fillings to help you remember what you're learning will really help you get the most out of every program will join us again next time, Mr. continues a series why I believe Kelvin this is Dave Drury say thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge