Why Should I Believe?


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The following is a detailed outline of this sermon.
{Click on a scripture reference to read the verse}



1}  Experience -
      But it's limited; only a small part of the gospel.
      Your life changes after becoming geniunely saved and you
      begin to care about God and your lifestyle changes accordingly.


2}  Science - Bible gets science correctly long before mankind made those discoveries.

Psalms 8:8  The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas.
Paths of the sea (shipping currents) are spoken of by David. (Discovered in the 1800's)

Ecclesiastes 1:6  The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit.
Cyclonic wind patterns are spoken of by Solomon. (Discovered in the 1700's)

Job 36:26-28  "Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. (27) For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, (28) Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man.
Hydrological cycle (Discovered in the 1600's)

Job 26:7  He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.
Earth suspended over nothing (No revealing moonshots until 1900's)

Isaiah 40:22  It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
Circle of the earth, not a flat planet (Colombus was inspired by this verse)

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Time (in the beginning), Force (God), Energy (created), Space (the heavens), Matter (the earth)
(All knowable scientific inquiry wasn't broken down into these 5 catagories until the 1800's)

3}  Person of Christ -
All 42 biblical authors, over a 1600 year period, speak of and agree on Christ.

Encyclopedia Britannica speaks of Christ in length.

Historians -
Cornelius Tacitus, Sidonius, Clynius, Thallus, Tertullian
and Flavius Josephus all verified that Christ did exist on earth.


4}  Miracles that Christ performed - (miracles that only God can perform)
a) Power over the body:
Heals leprosy - Mt 8:2-4, Mark 1:40-45, Lu 5:12-15
Paralytic healed - Mt 9:2-8; Mr 2:1-12; Lu 5:17-26
Man with withered hand healed - Mt 12:10-14; Mr 3:1-6; Lu 6:6-11
Issue of blood healed - Mt 9:18-26; Mr 5:22-24; Lu 8:41-56
Deaf and dumb man healed - Mr 7:31-37
The eyes of one born blind opened - Joh 9:1-41
Woman, of eighteen years' infirmity, cured - Lu 13:10-17
Malchus' ear healed - Mt 26:51-54; Mr 14:47-49; Lu 22:50-51; Joh 18:10-11

b) Power over nature:
Water made wine - Joh 2:1-11
First miraculous draught of fishes - Lu 5:1-11
Tempest stilled - Mt 8:23-27; Mr 4:35-41; Lu 8:22-25
Demoniacs dispossessed - Mt 8:28-34; Mr 5:1-20
Five thousand miraculously fed - Mt 14:13-21; Mr 6:31-44; Lu 9:10-17; Joh 6:5-14
Jesus walks on the sea - Mt 14:22-33; Mr 6:45-52; Joh 6:15-21
Miraculous provision of tribute - Mt 17:24-27
Barren fig tree blighted - Mt 21:12-13,18-19; Mr 11:12-24
Second draught of fishes - Joh 21:1-14

c) Power over death:
Widow's son raised to life - Lu 7:11-17
Jairus' daughter raised to life - Mt 9:18-26; Mr 5:22-24; Lu 8:41-56
Lazarus raised to life - Joh 11:1-46
Christ's resurrection (seen by at least 500 people) - Mat 28:1-7, 1 Cor 15:1-7


5} Prophecies (about Jesus) -
No other religion can show prophecies coming true about one individual.

Would be the "Seed of a Woman":
OT - Genesis 3:15      NT - Galatians 4:4

Promised Seed of Abraham:
OT - Genesis 18:18, Genesis 12:3       NT - Acts 3:25, Matthew 1:1

Promised Seed of Isaac:
OT - Genesis 17:19       NT - Luke 3:34

Promised Seed of Jacob:
OT - Numbers 24:17, Genesis 28:14       NT - Luke 3:34

Will Descend from the Tribe of Judah:
OT - Genesis 49:10       NT - Luke 3:33

The Heir of the Throne of David:
OT - Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah 11:1-5       NT - Matthew 1:1

Place of Birth:
OT - Micah 5:2       NT - Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-7

Time of Birth:
OT - Daniel 9:25       NT - Luke 2:1-7

Born of a Virgin:
OT - Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6       NT - Matthew 1:18, Matthew 1:21-23, Luke 2:26-35

Massacre of Infants:
OT - Jeremiah 31:15       NT - Matthew 2:16-18

Flight into Egypt:
OT - Hosea 11:1       NT - Matthew 2:14-15

Ministry in Galilee:
OT - Isaiah 9:1-2       NT - Matthew 4:12-16

As a Prophet:
OT - Deuteronomy 18:15       NT - John 6:14, John 1:45, Acts 3:19-26

As a Priest, like Melchizedek:
OT - Psalms 110:4       NT - Hebrews 6:20, Hebrews 5:5-6, Hebrews 7:15-17

His Rejection by Jews:
OT - Isaiah 53:3, Psalms 2:2       NT - John 1:11, John 5:43, Luke 17:25, Luke 23:18

Some of His Characteristics:
OT - Isaiah 11:2-4, Psalms 45:7      NT - Luke 2:52, Luke 4:18

His Triumphal Entry:
OT - Zechariah 9:9, Isaiah 62:11       NT - John 12:13-14, Matthew 21:1-11

Betrayed by a Friend:
OT - Psalms 41:9       NT - Mark 14:10, Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:43-45

Sold for Thirty Pieces of Silver:
OT - Zechariah 11:12-13       NT - Matthew 26:15, Matthew 27:3-10

Money to be Returned for a Potter's Field:
OT - Zechariah 11:13       NT - Matthew 27:3-10

Judas' Office to be Taken by Another:
OT - Psalms 109:7-8       NT - Acts 1:16-20

False Witnesses Accuse Him:
OT - Psalms 27:12       NT - Matthew 26:60-61

Silent When Accused:
OT - Isaiah 53:7       NT - Matthew 26:62-63, Matthew 27:12-14

Beaten and Spit Upon:
OT - Isaiah 50:6       NT - Mark 14:65, Mark 15:17-20, John 19:1-3

Hated Without a Cause:
OT - Psalms 69:4       NT - John 15:23-25

Suffered Vicariously:
OT - Isaiah 53:4-6       NT - Matthew 8:16-17, Romans 4:25, 1 Corinthians 15:3

Crucified with Sinners:
OT - Isaiah 53:12       NT - Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28

Hands and Feet Pierced:
OT - Psalms 22:16, Zechariah 12:10       NT - John 20:25-27

Mocked and Insulted:
OT - Psalms 22:6-8       NT - Matthew 27:39-40, Matthew 27:41-44

Given Gall (sour wine) and Vinegar:
OT - Psalms 69:21       NT - John 19:29, Matthew 27:34

Hears Prophetic Words Repeated in Mockery:
OT - Psalms 22:8       NT - Matthew 27:43

Prays for His Enemies:
OT - Psalms 109:4, Isaiah 53:12       NT - Luke 23:34

His Side to be Pierced:
OT - Zechariah 12:10       NT - John 19:34

Soldiers Cast Lots for His Clothes:
OT - Psalms 22:18       NT - Mark 15:24, John 19:24

Not a Bone to be Broken:
OT - Psalms 34:20, Exodus 12:46       NT - John 19:33

To be Buried with the Rich:
OT - Isaiah 53:9       NT - Matthew 27:57-60

His Resurrection:
OT - Psalms 16:10, Matthew 16:21       NT - Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:36-48

His Ascension:
OT - Psalms 68:18       NT - Luke 24:50-51, Acts 1:9

Sacrifice of the Messiah will remove the sins of His people in one day:
OT - Zechariah 3:1-9, Isaiah 11:1-5, Jeremiah 23:5-6       NT - Matthew 27:45-54, Hebrews 10:1-18