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Newington Three Angels Church

Apologetics

Eric Walsh

Defending the Faith

You may want to take notes or pictures of some of the slides.

This is, I believe, critical information for what we are facing in these last days.

Our scripture reading, as was read so wonderfully earlier, is from 1 Peter 3, verse 15.

The Bible says, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

Our message today, part 1 of our series on apologetics, defending the faith.

Father God, we thank you for this opportunity to study your word.

We thank you, Lord, for getting us through 2021 and into 2022.

But Lord, we understand that your coming is not dependent on what number we ascribe to a year.

Lord, your coming will happen when your church is without spot and blemish, and when the world has been evangelized.

So Father God, I pray now that you just make me a nail upon the wall, a rusty, sorry nail.

Upon that nail, Lord, I ask that you hang a portrait of Jesus Christ.

Let Eric Walsh not be seen or heard today.

Instead, Father, let us hear a word from the throne room of grace, as our prayer in Jesus' precious and holy name.

All right, so we're going to go to the book of Acts, the book of Acts, the 17th chapter.

And we're going to be looking at the Apostle Paul.

Acts chapter 17 and verse 1, Acts chapter 17 and verse 1.

The Bible says, now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews.

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and 3 Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Paul was on his second missionary journey and Paul is a special Bible character.

If there's anybody in the scripture that warrants a second look it's the Apostle Paul.

You see while Jesus was alive Paul seems to have never been touched by his word, or if he was, he didn't act on it.

Instead, Paul began to persecute the Christians.

He was happy to turn them over to the authorities.

He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen.

At that time, of course, his name was Saul.

But Paul was such a special disciple of Christ that Jesus literally left heaven, returned to earth to convert Paul.

1, as you study Paul you realize or read about Paul, he was a man with a heart for God.

But not only that, Paul was a tool sharpened for the work that God had.

And so this is why we as Christians, as Adventists, we we strive to be educated and to improve upon ourselves so that we can do the most good we can to have the most skills we can to do God's work.

Paul was thoroughly educated, and it pays off as he speaks multiple languages, he writes very well, he's an amazing orator, and of course besides all of his pharisaical training, he is also a tent maker.

And as you will see as we go through these messages, Paul epitomizes the ability to defend the faith and to speak the truth and knowing why we believe what we believe.

Here he reasoned among the Jews and the Greeks in the synagogues on the Sabbath.

This establishes that the Christians were still keeping the Sabbath even after Christ ascended.

Verse 3, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen from the dead, and that Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ.

Christianity is anchored, we talked about this last week a little bit I think, it's anchored on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The crucifixion is where Jesus pays the price but if Jesus never gets out of the tomb, the crucif-, he just becomes 1 of the countless people who were crucified by the Romans.

It is the fact that Jesus gets up out of the tomb and walks out on his own volition.

It is the fact that he defeats death and the grave.

We are Christians because we serve a God who not only came to earth wrapped in the clothing of a child, he, when wrapped in burial clothing, got up and walked out of the tomb.

Listen, if they could find the body of Christ this week in Israel, understand that next week all churches would close.

And believe me, they've been trying to find that body.

Verse 4, and some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devote Greeks, a great multitude, and of the chief women, not a few.

Some of the prominent women began to believe as Paul exhorted.

But watch this, verse 5, But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

When the Jews realized that Paul was preaching a gospel that was being accepted.

They went and got the rabble of the town.

They went and got people who would do violence and they created an uproar in the town in order to stop the spreading of the gospel.

Verse 6, and when they found them not, because Paul by this time they had removed him, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city crying, Watch this, these that have turned the world upside down have come here also.

They had heard what happened in Jerusalem and in some of the other cities where the apostles had gone.

Remember that some of the apostles had gone to Samaria.

By now Ethiopia was on fire As Philip had met the Ethiopian eunuch, the gospel now was beginning to go all through the Roman Empire and word had gotten back to the synagogues to be careful.

And here they said, these are those who have turned the world upside down.

When the gospel is preached the way it's supposed to be when the church is on fire the way it's supposed to be when it is Filled with the spirit of the Living God the world will be turned upside down I'll give you a little a show a little bit about Paul's journey.

You can see, listen, Paul was a traveler, man.

You consider there were no cars or planes in this day.

He traversed Asia Minor, the Holy Land into Europe.

You can see where he travels here and we're talking about when he is up here in near Apollonia up in this area and he travels even further as we're going to see and the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming there went into the synagogue of the Jews.

They are running from the Jews trying to kill them in Apollonia, and they sent them to Berea.

He goes right back into the synagogue and starts preaching again.

Some of us, if we had people chasing us like this, we'd be like we're in a special protection program with the government.

Get to the next town and use a fake name.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

The Bereans, when they heard it, they didn't just take Paul at his word, they began to spend serious time in the Word of God.

And when they started to realize, and remember last week we talked about the prophecies of the Old Testament, when they began they knew the story of what happened with Jesus in Jerusalem and when they began to go through the prophecies the Bereans started to say, wait a minute, this man Jesus who was crucified in Jerusalem, he is the Christ.

Show you another map here, and you can see, so they went from, you know, he was in Thessalonica, here, they went down to Berea, and ultimately, Paul has to flee all the way down here to Athens.

Now, Acts 17.12, therefore many of them believed, also of the honorable women which were Greeks, and of men not a few.

But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people.

So when the Jews and Thessalonica found out he was preaching in the synagogue in Berea, they got the riffraff and they followed him to Berea.

Let me tell you something, the devil does not want the Word to go forward.

And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea, but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

But they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens.

And receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for them to come to him with all speed, they departed.

Faith in Motion

We're going to continue in our series on apologetics.

A scripture reading today comes from Romans chapter 1 verse 16.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.

As it is written, the just shall live by faith.

The second installment of our apologetics series.

It's faith in motion, but I changed it to a living faith.

We thank you Lord for this opportunity to analyze the scripture and philosophy and reason around defending our faith.

Once again, Lord, I pray that you make me just a nail upon the wall, a rusty, sorry nail, Lord.

But upon that nail, I ask that you hang a portrait of Jesus Christ.

There's No point in me being seen today, Father.

We need to hear a word from the throne room of grace.

As our prayer in Jesus is precious in the Holy name, amen.

And just to give you some background on this chapter and where we're gonna jump in before we go into some deeper study of the kind of the science of apologetics.

And Agrippa's kind of side man here, a Festus as well.

Paul is happy for the opportunity to defend himself.

And he says to Agrippa, he's happy, verse 3, because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews.

Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me, Paul says, patiently.

Here we have another episode of the apologetics, the defending of the faith of Paul.

He goes into the fact that he was raised a Pharisee, of the strictest cult of the Jews.

Paul then begins to give the testimony of how he once tried to kill the Christians himself, how he attacked them.

He talks about meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus and how his life was changed all the way around.

And how his name basically was changed from Saul to Paul is wrapped up in that story.

He is here fighting for his life because the Jews want him dead.

In Acts chapter 26 and verse 17, Paul is describing the work that he has been given by God to do.

Acts 26, 17 he says, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles and whom now I send thee.

This is where he's been sent and this is what he says he's sent to do, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Paul says, I've been called.

He himself called out of the darkness of persecuting the Christians.

Paul held the coats of those who stoned and martyred Stephen.

Paul says, I was brought out of that darkness.

He said, now it's my job to open their eyes.

Now it's my job to release them from the power of Satan.

Then he says in verse 19, whereupon O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance.

Paul does not preach, don't miss this, he does not preach some mamsy-pamsy, yellow-bellied form of the gospel.

Paul preaches and says, listen, if you're going to accept Christ as your savior, you've got to repent, but it's not enough that you say you're sorry for what you did.

He says, you've got to do the works, meet for repentance.

In other words, true repentance will not leave you living the way you're repenting of.

He says in verse 21, because he preached this way, the Jews caught me in the temple And they went about to kill me Paul preached in such a man, you know today people say well, you know, you we're gonna talk more about this as we go Through you know, you just got a kind of preach love.

Just just be easy on people Don't don't preach anything that might cause people to be uncomfortable.

That's not preaching, that's motivational speaking.

There's nowhere in the Bible that preaching has no effect on individuals, that does not cause them to realize they're not living the way God says live and that they need Christ as their savior and that they need to turn it over to him.

He says because I preach the way I preach and we took up the offering for religious liberty.

Let me tell you something, most people right now, people think they understand religious liberty.

They have no idea what is about to come upon us no they especially in the united states have no idea what's about to happen paul says I preach the gospel the way it's supposed to be preached and they wanted to take my life.

Then he says having therefore verse twenty-two obtain help of God.

I continue on to this day witnessing both the small and great Saying none other things than those which the prophets and moses did say should come paul says listen I'm not preaching anything.

But what the scripture says this is what moses and the prophet said what happened It didn't matter that they wanted to kill paul paul didn't stop preaching because they wanted him dead Paul preached louder because they wanted him dead.

This is what he says comes from the scripture from Moses and the prophets.

That Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.

And as he thus spake for himself, as Paul was speaking for himself, Festus speaks up.

It kind of gets annoying if you really read this thing carefully Festus speaks up with a loud voice Paul You are beside yourself Much learning has made you mad Festus LM Paul, you know study so much you don't went crazy What are you talking about man?

Here's what Paul and notice the respect Paul gives this guy.

Acts 26 and verse 25, but he said, I am not mad, Most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

He says I'm speaking with a clear mind, the words of truth, most noble Festus.

There's nothing crazy about what I'm telling you.

Acts 26 and verse 26, he turns to King Agrippa.

Paul turns to the king for the king knows of these things.

Before whom also I speak freely for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner." King Agrippa, you know that Jesus was crucified by Pilate.

You know that there were soldiers sent to guard his body.

You know that there were witnesses that saw that he came out of the grave.

500 witnesses were there when he ascended to heaven.

Paul says, Acts 26 and verse 27, King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?

King Agrippa, you remember earlier in the chapter, he says that King Agrippa was educated and knowledgeable in the customs and the writings of the Jews.

He turns to him here, and he says, King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?

Makes him make a decision, as my Jamaican mother would say.

He says, if we're driving and somebody wouldn't make up their mind.

She'd say 711 or 21 Make up your mind do you either you believe in the prophets or you don't?

And then Paul really gets him I like this 1 Paul then looks the king in his face and says I know you believe Acts 26 and verse 28 is really powerful a Gripper responds the king responds and says unto Paul, almost you persuade us me to be a Christian.

If God, Why Evil?

I hope you all are enjoying the brisk weather.

And Donnie's already asking for spring, So I agree with him on that 1.

We're gonna get right into God's word today.

We're gonna go to the book of Proverbs chapter 16 and verse 4, which was our scripture reading.

The Lord hath made all things for himself, Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Our message this Sabbath is entitled, If God, Why Evil?

If there is a God, why then in the world is there evil?

And this is a part of our series on apologetics.

Father God, we thank you for this opportunity to study a word and to deal with this most crucial issue.

Lord, more than ever today, I need your Holy Spirit.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon this place and Lord have him fill each of our hearts.

Make me once again, just a nail on the wall, Lord, a rusty, sorry nail.

Lord Eric Walsh need not be seen nor heard today, but Lord, we do need to hear a word from the throne room of grace.

It's our prayer in Jesus' precious and holy name.

So, just a little recap before we get into today's message.

As Christians, Can you give an answer for what you believe?

In fact, the text we use for this is found in 1 Peter 3.

It says, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

So we are instructed that we are supposed to be able to give an answer for what we believe.

So some of the things we talked about, when we talked about the different arguments, we're looking at defending Christianity, we first start with the existence of God.

We then talked a bit about the historical evidence.

And you remember we quoted 2 great historians, the Jewish historian Josephus, and we quoted the Roman historian Tacitus, both of whom support the New Testament narrative about Christ.

But we also, of course, went to the Dead Sea Scrolls and found that at least 100 years before the birth of Christ, the Book of Isaiah was in its complete form and would translate exactly to the English we have of it today if you translate the book of Isaiah that they found in those caves in Israel.

Meaning, the prophecies of the book of Isaiah, which all came true in the life of Christ, especially in the birth of Christ, all of those prophecies then existed before Christ did, which means you can trust the Scripture.

1 little sliver of how prophecy supports the authority of the scripture.

And we talked about how archaeology comes together with that.

And so we talked about the authority of the scriptures as well.

In fact, we quoted Psalms chapter 14 and verse 1 in speaking to the existence of God.

The Bible says, the fool have said in his heart, there is no God.

So we talk about the fact that in the ancient days, it was the fool who said there was no God.

Today, if you go to college in the United States, you're a fool if you believe in God.

Throughout antiquity, no 1 would have been foolish enough to believe that all the universe came into existence all by itself.

And you can go back and read Socrates on this.

Socrates himself spoke of a transcendental being, someone who had to be higher and bigger, someone who had to exist outside of time, basically, Socrates.

And obviously, We don't agree with all of the teachings of Socrates, but even Socrates understood the world could not come into existence if someone didn't cause it, someone didn't design it.

And as you begin to fall away from God, 1 of the things that happens, of course, is that morally, man begins to fall apart.

But we talk about cause and effect, I was just mentioning, right?

And God has no cause, because in order to cause God, you'd have to have an adequate cause.

Some of them say, well, where did God come from?

When Moses asked him, whom shall I tell them sends me?

When Jesus was speaking, he said before the world was, I am.

In fact, here's how you have to understand it.

And we talked a bit about natural theology and natural revelation and how nature reveals it.

We talked, you know, I mentioned like the bombardier beetle.

I studied, I was a biology major undergraduate.

When you study these things, you understand there's so much design.

I was talking about the flippers on whales, the way that the bombardier beetle can shoot fire, it was a chemical fire, but can shoot fire.

Even the design of your eyes and sight, It would be impossible for it to randomly come into existence by accident but that's what they want you to believe.

There is a God who created the world, who designed you.

David says you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

When I was in medical school, the 1 thing that every day when I went to class and I studied, the 1 thing that kept coming back to me is God is a powerful God to design man, even something as simple as the Krebs cycle we studied in medical school, in biochemistry.

These things are powerful when you begin to look at how these chemical reactions have to happen.

There is no way by chance these things would have evolved.

We talked about the authority of the scripture and the text for that.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

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