Fall 2016 Week 1
It was wonderful to be back this week! So exciting to see returning students and new students! We served hot ham and cheese sandwiches with chips, clementines, water, and cake. During the summer, we obtained a catering license and all food is cooked in a professional, state-approved kitchen.
For the next 8 weeks, we are discussing, "Who is Jesus?"
The Bible is the roadmap for our lives! As an illustration, we used these compasses - they give us direction, just like the Bible does!
After a brief message at the beginning of Jesus Lunch, we walked around from table to table, discussing how we can tell the Bible is true. Click here to download the PDF of today's message. Otherwise, read on below!
These lunches are known as the Jesus Lunch. Therefore it seems appropriate for us to learn about Jesus! Who was He? What did he teach? How does He impact my life? These are the questions we will discuss the next 8 weeks at the Jesus Lunch.
The first place for us to begin this exploration of Jesus is in the Bible. This is the book that tells the story of Jesus’ life.
What is the Bible? GOD’S ROAD MAP FOR OUR LIVES. You could think of the Bible as God’s GPS. When you need directions for a destination, what do you do? You go straight to your smartphone! When you don’t know what to do in life, where should you go? Go to the Bible.
Here are some facts to help confirm its validity:
Archaeological Evidence. Again and again archaeological discoveries have verified the accuracy of the historical and cultural references in the Bible. The more they dig, the more it confirms the Bible. “It is important to note that Near Eastern archaeology has demonstrated the historical and geographical reliability of the Bible in many important areas.” E.M. Blaiklock, The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology.
Eyewitness Accounts. The Bible was written by people who witnessed the events it describes; many were persecuted or martyred but never changed their story. Would you die for something you knew was untrue? “It is no moderate approbation of Scripture that it has been sealed by the blood of so many witnesses, especially when we reflect that they died to render testimony to the faith …with a firm and constant, yet sober, zeal toward God.” John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion.
Corroborating Accounts. There are plenty of references in non-biblical sources to the events described in the Bible. The Jewish historian Josephus, born in 37 AD, “provide(s) indispensable background material for the student of…New Testament history. In them, we meet many figures well known to us from the New Testament. Some of his writings provide direct commentary on New Testament references.” J.D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary.
Literary Consistency. The Bible contains 66 books written over 1,500 years by 40 different writers but it tells one "big story" of God's plan of salvation that culminated in Jesus Christ. You can't even pass a secret around a circle of 12 people and get the same message at the end. “There is indeed a wide variety of human authors and themes (in the Bible). Yet behind these…there lies a single divine author with a single unifying theme.” John R.W. Stott, Understanding the Bible.
Leader Acceptance. A majority of the greatest leaders and thinkers in history have affirmed the truth and impact of the Bible. "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong.” Abraham Lincoln.
Global Influence. The Bible has had a greater influence on the laws, art, ethics, music and literature of world civilization than any other book in history. Can you think of one that even comes close? “Christianity”, as set forth in the Bible “is responsible for a disproportionately large number of the humanitarian advances in the history of civilization—in education, medicine, law, the fine arts, working for human rights and even in the natural sciences….” Craig L. Blomberg, in Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith.
Changed Lives. From St. Augustine to Martin Luther to Joni Eareckson Tada to countless everyday men, women and children, the words of the Bible have transformed lives unmistakably and forever. “As unnamed masses of Christians down through the ages have shown us, the Bible is the most reliable place to turn for finding the key to a life of love and good works.” T.M. Moore, The Case for the Bible.
Go to www.answersingenesis.org. Learn more about the age of the earth, Biblical archaeology and its history, creation vs. evolution, science, world views, and more!
To see how the Bible has changed people’s lives, go to www.iamsecond.com and listen to their stories!
