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

Hey this is Chip and before we get started with today's program. I just wanted to give you a heads up about a brand-new resource that I'm very very excited about and it's called why I believe it's in a book form, but I'm actually more excited about the small group videos that I think would be awesome for a lot of people to do and in a group and here's who I like to talk to. Just before we get started I meeting an awful lot of people that have been in the faith. For a lot of years you really love God, you are actually in your Bible are your faith has been at the core of your life and as a result of the sexual revolution some nephews and nieces or some of your own kids or maybe even your church are changing their values about sexual purity in men and women, transgender, LGBT, and is now raising all kind of issues about can you really trust the Bible and is what you've always believed really true and what I want you to know is we want to give you help and this series is going to answer those questions in a simple, clear, well researched way that you can articulate with people who disagree and do it in a way that's winsome that starts a discussion rather than launching a debate. We got lot more details about how to get it but just want to give you heads up before we start the program ready. Let's roll.

How you respond to someone who says Christianity is way too narrow. How can you say your God is the only one true God. As long as a person is sincere in their belief. It doesn't really matter. That's what I hear all the time but let me tell you it really does tell you why today on the welcome to this Thursday edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram services are Bible teacher of this daily international discipleship program. I picture continues our current series why I believe the message that's gonna encourage and challenge you to think about God in ways you may not consider any of the previous messages in this era of online any time by going to the edge.org will find all the previously aired messages. In addition to chips message notes that are a great tool to you while you listen now with today's talk why I believe in the God of the Bible. Here's our teacher chipping.

I was recently walking through the hallways of our church in between services and I mean it was chaotic. You know one service was coming in.

Another was leaving and people had their kids in the place was super crowded and I was walking I saw an Asian couple that were just standing there. I couldn't tell whether they were lost or needed help with their child or were multicultural church so lots of people from all kind of backgrounds and so I just was prompted I said excuse me, I hope you all everything okay and they said yes actually you can and then it went from not their child being in the class to. He said you know, my wife and I been coming for several months and were exploring Christianity and the place has been very warm here our children the impact on our kids is really good and that my wife actually after the first few months she put her faith in Christ, and we were just sitting here talking because were on our way back to Asia and were going to visit our families. We come from a multi-multi-generation of Buddhist, and we want to thank you we feel like the teaching is been clear. We feel like it's been intellectually grounded that you know we had no idea about the history of of Christianity and and the reasons to believe in and I'm on the verge of making that commitment. But he said the price will be very, very high because when we tell our relatives that we are trusting in Christ were telling them that they are wrong and past generations are wrong and I don't know about you but there's probably not anything more unpopular but more important than asking and answering the question, is it intellectually feasible that there is only one true God and that God is the God of the Bible and we talked about a lot of reasons why I believe and we talked about thinking through faith issues, but this is at the core and this is our final time together so want you to really lean back and in more than just taken information, ask yourself, do I really believe in, and I want to know that I always know there's a in a mixed group of people and whether it's small groups or big groups. You know I want to give you a chance before we end our time that if you have never placed your faith in Christ you have that opportunity.

But I want to know why.

I believe there is 320 million gods in the world today. There's 22 major religions, each with 1/2 million followers are more so the question you gotta ask is, why do you think the God of the Bible is the one true God. Now, just so we are unequivocal.

God makes no bones about this he writes through the prophet Isaiah. This is what the Lord says Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty, I am the first and I am the last. Apart from me there is no God, who then is like me, let him proclaim it, let him declare and laid out before me. God is very very clear with Israel and as will learn Jesus is very very clear that there is a narrow road, and that he is the way he is the truth. He is the life and no one comes to the father except by him now before we jump into this. There's a couple big word presuppositions that I need to talk to you about a presupposition is an unconscious set of thoughts or values that are so part of the culture and so part of your life that you don't even know you believe in, but you just believe them. But like the foundation of the house that's underground. Everything is upon it so we have presuppositions, especially about religious things and in our culture today. I think there's two presuppositions I want to talk about get really clear on and then I will walk through very systematically the reasons why I personally believe that the God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ is the one true God of presupposition number one is it. Aren't all religions. Essentially the same answer is no. Now if you gonna listen to pop psychology or I was recently on a plane with a fellow from another country.

He lives in the Bay Area and we got into discussion about religion in relationship with God and he basically said, well, you know, I know all religions are basically the same. You know like Ms. God is on the top of the mountain and there's many paths and people go up different has and they give him many names, so this is very very common very very common. What I can tell you since I study this if I got a Buddhist, a Taoist, a Mormon of someone from Islam.

Someone from Judaism. Believe me if I got the top seven or eight religions and got these guys in a room and say okay now line out what you actually believe do they conflict at all. Will the Eastern religions are all impersonal God is not even a person a specific other religions are dramatic, they would start arguing what I can tell you is you can choose to believe what you want to believe but one of the options is not all religions are basically the same, possibly with the exception of Baha'i Baha'i is a sort of interesting religion members sitting actually next to a lady was Baha'i and I asked her what she believed and she said everything 12 that conversation with an amazing wife. But here's what I want you to know it's very clear that there is distinctions between religions in terms of who God is, what it means to have a relationship with him. What it requires to have a relationship with him and what each of the different religions teach the second presupposition is does it really matter what a person believes as long as he or she is sincere and practices those beliefs. These are so common the fellow that I was talking to on the plane. Our discussion first was out there basically the same, and he said all you're probably right now Buddhist are really different than this and that group is really different and but he said you know as long as there sincere I mean this is in the in the water system.

This is what people unconsciously believe what I want to tell you is that the answer is no, you can be very, very sincere, but you can be very sincerely wrong that think about this. Imagine if you will. You use your child is very sick and you go to the doctor and he writes a prescription, and is little bit hard to read, and the pharmacist sincerely fills it out. He sincerely believes this is the prescription and gives your child something different in your child dies.

Being sincere isn't good enough, or in our relationships. No one buys that. Imagine your mate falls in love with someone else and says I'm very sincere.

I used to love you now I love them. Is that okay or current example I will guarantee those in Isis are absolutely sincere.

They actually believe in their Koran in the radical version that you are an enemy and you're an infidel and they are sincerely killing people thinking they're doing it for God. But think of this, even in all the world religions you know who. One of the great heroes.

This is Jesus. They don't believe is the son of God. But Jesus, he's the ideal man. He's the most loving, he cares for the poor, the marginalized, we all want to be like Jesus. Would you like to hear what the most loving person who's ever walked the earth, says this is the loving Jesus enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow that leads to life and only a few find Jesus is not was is the most loving person in the world and what he says this is not about sincerity it's about accuracy.

Now we need to be sincere in our love for Christ that. Here's what I want to do and some of this will be review, but I want to pretty quickly go through.

These are the reasons why I'm not throwing my brain in the trash, but that I absolutely believe the God of the Bible is the one true God. Reason number one. The historical evidence Christianity is subject to objective verification it happen in a crucial place crucial time real people with real events in space-time history. I can verify that we've already talked about the actual historical events from archaeology that the trustworthiness of the manuscripts of the Bible, the evidence from extra biblical sources so it's not just what the Bible says about Jesus is what even historians have said, and then the eyewitness accounts.

I mean in any court of law had been on a number of juries out of the how that works but I end up on juries, and I mean when you have two or three eyewitnesses. It's a slamdunk. There's 500 eyewitnesses and it didn't happen out there somewhere. It happened were to be verified right in Jerusalem. The second reason that I believe God of the Bible is the one true God is. The prophetic evidence predictions of specific future events with 100% accuracy.

Confirmed the authenticity I call it the Isaiah principle. Follow along as I read this passage from Isaiah chapter 44 versus 24 to 28 this is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb.

I am the Lord, the maker of all things, who stretched out the heavens, spread out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners who overthrows the learning of the wise, and turns it into nonsense who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers who says of Jerusalem, it shall be inhabited of the towns of Judah that they shall be rebuilt and all of their ruins. I will restore them, who says to the watery deep be dry and I will dry up your streams who says to Cyrus. He is my shepherd and I will accomplish all that I please. He will say of Jerusalem, let it be rebuilt and of the temple led its foundations related. God is authoritatively saying I am the Lord God Almighty, and he makes prophecies that are very very specific that are undeniable and that art vague. Now this is one that I wanted you to get. I spend a lot of time in one of the other messages talking about prophecy and the fulfillment of all the prophecies of Jesus, but this is 150 years before Cyrus was born and Isaiah is getting a clear prophecy from God telling what's going to happen 150 years, Cyrus the great is born and if you go into this passage very specifically all specific things that God says. This person will do is accomplished and he names them by name and in Jewish prophetic literature. It's quite different than today. Often people make lots of predictions you know like summer right.

Some are wrong. Here's the way it worked with God of real profit is right 100% of the time he's not one of God's prophet and if you claim to be in your wrong.

It's the capital offense. So what I want you to know is that my faith is in a God whose sovereign who knows the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. The third reason I believe in the God of the Bible is what I just called the philosophical evidence. The triune nature of God and the testimony of Scripture best answers life's most timeless and difficult questions that we could spend years on this one and this is an area that was really a part of my coming to know Christ and really believing what's true, it's a bit on the metaphysical and the philosophical side but let me just highlight three things that the God of the Bible answers that other religions down number one. The problem of unity and diversity. If you look at Egyptian gods. If you look at Hindu gods.

If you look at that the Western gods of the Greeks and the Romans they solve the problem of individual gods diversity if you look at the Eastern gods of Buddhism or reincarnation. What you find is the Eastern's they solve unity were all one, one drop, going back into the ocean. The challenges the individual gods competed with one another. The gods of unity are impersonal and only the tri-unity of the one God three persons in one essence really answers the question of how can there be both unity and diversity in the world.

Second is the problem of evil and justice. Every religion has this problem. How do you account for the evil and the suffering and the injustice in the world.

Many religions have a God that has a good side and a bad side. Were there others to gods or in the forest right you know the dark side of the force.

It's interesting biblical Christianity answers this I think in the most compelling way.

God is a good God who is perfect, who's made a perfect world. He gives humankind mankind freedom and the world that we live in is not the world that he desired. It is our sin that separates and brings what was called the fall and now we have a good God, whose sovereign, who gave us freedom to accept or reject him and that the evil in the world is a temporary evil that he will actually come and die in our place to pay for our sin and then make all things right so evil and suffering has a very clear source and beginning and there is a good God who gives us the freedom but in essence is willing to love us so much to solve that very problem. I think the third philosophical issues I would just call it the enigma of man. I mean, think about this mankind is noble, creative mean our technology. We put a man on the moon. We have a cell phone for everybody in the worldly week medicine, heart transplants, heart-lung transplant, mankind is brilliant, amazing, creative art, music, and yet on the other side. The enigma is cruelty, hate, jealousy, prejudiced, Hitler, Stalin, the Holocaust, I mean it's it's hard to imagine how the human species could be so beautiful so wonderful so noble so made in the image of God and yet so cruel. The history of mankind as war after war after war after war on unmentionable cruelty and pain and and and and the marginalizing of people that look different or a different color, hatred, and starvation. How can that happen. The Bible would say man is made in the image of God and so he's noble but he's a fallen, sinful creature and he needs to be redeemed. The fourth reason that I believe in the God of the Bible is not just call it the evidence of impact your every religion has impact. You can go different countries and you can know sort of what the religion has been and you can come to look around and say well this is what is produced after hundreds of years. I spent some time in India a lot of time in China time in the Middle East. I don't know anyone that travels in India for business that it's it's heartbreaking.

I mean, so much of India despite that the technology and the growth in some areas is the saying that has been you see there's a caste system, formal or informal, and people are getting what they deserve. So I shouldn't help that person because you know that's karma they're just getting what they deserve and there is poverty everywhere fearful of their ancestors, limited education except for missionaries came in and begin to do the teaching and create the hospitals that were Christians impact of Christianity. When you begin to study what happened as a result of the teaching of Jesus. And actually the laws of the Old Testament, the nation of Israel from one nomad I meet Abraham you know he is running around on a camel somewhere and God chooses him. And from that he develops this nation. Abraham and then Moses the laws of Israel. We don't think about all the ceremonial laws. Guess what they did know about germs the circumcision on the eighth day they did know. That's when the blood clots. I mean, you think of the loss of of hygiene you think of the economic laws. Here is a religion that says this is what we can do for the poor.

Every seven years were to reset the dial every 50 years. Economically working to reduce things back to the way it was. So you don't have the superrich and everyone else is poor.

I mean, what the Bible has done what God is done the mustard seed conspiracy. This tiny little group of people following Jesus that gets birthed.

The changes the world. The liberation of women that the liberation of slaves. The basis of our jurisprudence economic impact the care for the poor Wilberforce you know, he stood on Scripture in England and stopped it to decades and stop the horrendous slavery that was had.

When you find and do research, you find that Christians have been in key areas that have changed the course of history will ship will be right back with some additional thoughts about what you just heard.

But if you're just joining us for your listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram's message today why I believe in the God of the Bible is from his series why I believe the evidence is solid, a living, loving heavenly father is ready and able to be your intimate friend, but being able to articulate this and other biblical truths in a competent engaging way can be a challenge, which is why chip taught these messages and why we hope you'll get the series for yourself for your kids, your grandkids, your church and your friends are mission is to help you know the truth and then one simply answer the honest questions of people around you to help you do that the group study resources for why I believe are currently discounted, including free resources.

If you commit to taking your high school or college group through the series. For more information or to order your copies of why I believe. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 you before I come back and talk about today's program and give you some specific application. I just want to take a moment and share a letter from a listener that really struck me that I think you'll love dear Chip just finished reading the book. Why I believe, and had to tell you what an awesome read. It is so much research and study given to produce such an informative work. I ordered five more copies to give as gifts to my family members that have asked questions some of which I had no answers for. Thank you for creating such an easy read and so complete with answers to some very important questions. I've been in a relationship with the Lord for 30 years now and I'm seeing God transform her family by his love in so many ways. Many miracles of taken place revealing the transforming power of his love forever grateful for people such as you.

Responding to the needs of others so that the life-changing power of Christ can be easily understood by anyone.

May God continue to use your ministry to reach the masses. Blessings, Jean and South Carolina.

Well, first thanks Jean and I think the reason I'm so passionate about this why I believe series is because I found these answers and literally they change my life. I did not grow up as a follower of Christ, and shortly after, you know, kind of a real strong growing spurt. I just got slammed by intellectual people about shipped again when you don't really believe the Bible to you and Jesus being the only way you know what about evolution and and I'll just be honest with you I literally had to dig in and study and and be honest to say you know what if there's not good answers.

I'm not gonna throw my brains in the trash to be a follower of Christ but what I want you to know is that the product of that study, I didn't throw my brains in the trash and you and your friends and your kids and your grandkids. They don't have to throw their brains in the trash, either, but they need to understand why they believe, not just what they believe and the research is just obvious. Most Christians in America, let alone their children or grandchildren can't articulate what they believe and so what we've done is we put together a book we put together a small group study and we've done it in a way that in a simple without being simplistic way we can answer those questions we want to encourage you like never before to get this small group series, or if your reader get the book and began to ask and answer these questions for yourself.

You can go to LivingontheEdge.org and an order it or if you prefer a phone you can go to 888-333-6003.

No, here's what I'm gonna tell you I personally and we Living on the Edge of our board. Our staff we have deep concerns about some of the trends in America, and especially trends in the church and so were pulling out. I guess I would call it a full-court press and we want to get this series in the hands of as many people as possible. So here's a couple things listen very carefully. If you will teach this to a group of high school students or you'll teach this to university students. We will give it to you and ship it to you for free. You heard me correct yes will give it to you and will ship it to you for free. I am so deeply concerned about the next generation. Second, what I know is that you could read this book.

Or you could do this on your own and it would have some impact but what I know for sure is if you'll do this with the group.

It'll have exponential impact. So what we've done is we've put it in a group format and we've lowered the cost beyond anything we've ever done, so people will literally buy five or more of the workbooks and then do it as a family or doing your Sunday school class or your men's group. Your women's group work make it the next couple study what we want you to know is that we are asking you to really join us and create a movement if you will, were Christians in America would know what they believe, why they believe it and then share it in a winsome and loving, nonjudgmental way with the people around 20 think that make a difference. Here's my plea. Join us. Will the way to join us is simple either. Visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 to help you take advantage of this new resource group bundles of study guides are discounted and if you'll make the commitment to take a high school or college group through the study will send it to you absolutely free were doing everything we know how to get why I believe in the hands of as many people as possible not only to fortify your convictions, but to pass them onto the next generation of young believers to get your copies of this completely revised study why I believe just go to LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. Without your strip with a final thought as we close today's program. I went through what I call for reasons that I have personally come to of why I believe in the God of the Bible of the historical. The prophetic the philosophical and then impact and I really want to encourage you as we think through this together. And as we learn how to articulate this to people in our culture that somehow think that if you disagree with them that your narrower bigoted. The fact of the matter is, is that there are some really sound reasons that are verifiable about why we believe in the God of the Bible is so don't miss next broadcast. But here's the thing for today in reality, every religion or truth claim and I can only think of one exception, which is a very unusual Baha'i faith.

Every religion or truth claim thinks their way is the only way so the fact the matter is his Christianity is not alone. The real issue is what is really true as soon let me just ask you, in light of your study or lack of it of other religions or Christianity in general, or even your family of origin and where you come from, what choices have you made and what do you believe honestly about the God of the Bible. Here's what I can tell you, and why this series is so important.

It is going to be more and more challenging and the cost of being a follower of Jesus is getting higher and higher, and so as a follower of Jesus, it's going to be important for you to know what you believe and why. And then be able to articulate that in a kind and winsome way. And second, you know, we find a lot of people happen to tune in.

I get emails and letters all the time and people so you and I was driving my car and I was pushing some buttons and I was tired and this program came on and I want to speak to some of you that you might even call yourself a skeptic in the farthest thing from a follower of Christ.

But as I was speaking you said yourself. Almost reluctantly I should check this out.

I want you to know there is a God who loves you and whose for you and wants to reveal himself to you.

And can I encourage you to to find an easy to read the New Testament and begin reading it. Give us a call or email us in the book why I believe it's my personal journey. I've done the research and I would love to share that with you to check out Chip's newest book. Why I believe just go to your website. LivingontheEdge.org chips completely revised it chapter by chapter. In it you'll find topics like did Jesus really rise from the dead. Can I trust that the Bible is the true, accurate word of God and his life after death a reality.

Along with the book, you'll find ships video teaching of the same messages and study guides. If you'd like to go through it with a few friends for all the details just go to our website LivingontheEdge.org well for Chip and everyone here, this is Dave Drewry saying I hope you will be with us again tomorrow and thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge