Creation and Evolution

Creation vs. Evolution

Evolution: Good Science? Or Outdated Myth?

(adapted from workshop by Dr. Phil Fernandes, AWANA conference, Spokane, 2013)

• Founders of Modern Science
• They were Bible-believing Christians:
• Galileo, Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, Johannes Kepler, Blaise Pascal
• the “conflict between science and faith” is baloney! Intellectually honest science will acknowledge God, if that’s where the evidence points. Cowardly science will not acknowledge God, even if their evidence points to Him.
• Presuppositions:
• take a minute to admit your presuppositions:
• Do you believe God exists?
• Do you believe God does not exist?
• how you answer that WILL flavor how you interpret the evidence! Admit it!
• Case for Creation
• Creation or evolution: neither is a scientific theory (cannot be observed)
• They are both models --  Different ways to interpret the evidence based on circumstantial evidence
• evidence of events of the past
• Which model is more plausible?
• We will compare four areas

1: The Beginning of the Universe

• Big bang model & 2nd law of thermodynamics (entropy, energy deterioration)
• the universe had a beginning and a cause
• if science says “all nature needs a cause”, then all natures cause is (by definition) super-natural
• the cause of all nature MUST be supernatural
• the creation model is more plausible

2: Origin of First Life

• a single-celled animal contains enough information to fill 20,000 volumes of encyclopedia (source, Richard Dawkins) (That’s like all Wikipedia!)
• Only intelligence can cause this amount of information!
• Creation model is more plausible

3: Origin of new/more complex life forms

• Fossil record -- new life forms appear suddenly & fully developed
• Gaps in fossil record -- no undisputed evidence for missing links (transitional forms)
• Human brain contains enough information to fill 20 million volumes of encyclopedia
• mutations only garble the already existing genetic code
• scramble the alphabet and you don’t get 27 letters, you get gibberish!
• no new information is added
• where does the single-cell animal get code for hair and teeth?
• again, intelligent design is needed

4. Evidence for Intelligent Design

• irreducible complexity
• cannot be simpler and still work (we find this even on the sub-molecular level!)
• Anthropic principle -- the universe “appears” as if it was fine-tuned to support human life on the planet earth (even Richard Dawkins believes this)
• so... maybe it WAS designed for us!

Conclusion of case for creation

• the origin of the universe, first life, and complex life forms show the creation model to be more plausible than the evolution model
• The Scientific Case Against Creation
• the Evolution Model has many unproven assumptions:
• something from nothing
• Dr. Fernandes: “Nothing is nothing. Nothing can do nothing. Nothing can cause nothing.”
• complexity from non-complexity
• life from non-life
• intelligence from non-intelligence
• No Undisputed Evidence of:
• multi-cell animals from single-cell animals (NO proof of this)
• animals with backbones coming from animals without backbones
• common ancestry of fish, reptiles, birds & mammals
• missing links between apes & men
• Read “Bones of Contention”
• Evolution itself is an unproven (and unprovable) assumption
• Conclusion
• evolution needs God
• God does not need evolution

Jesus on Wise and Foolish Builders

Jesus on Wise Builders

The Carpenter of Nazareth teaches how to build a house

Matthew 7:24-29

The builders and their houses

1. Therefore...Since it isn’t enough to say, “Lord, Lord”, you have to DO the will of God
2. The Wise Builder: Hears Jesus and responds with action, changed heart, new Practices

Time and the storms of life will prove the strength of one’s foundation, even when it is hidden. We may be surprised when we see who has truly built upon the good foundation. “At last, when Judas betrayed Christ in the night, Nicodemus faithfully professed him in the day.” (Trapp)

3. Jesus may have had in mind: When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation. (Proverbs 10:25)
4. The House on the Rock: stands the test of life’s storms. It is strong and stable. This is a huge, temporal blessing that Christ offers the believer: that though life’s storms come, we will be secure. He is offering the thing we can never buy for ourselves: Security!
5. The Foolish Builder: To hear is not enough, put into practice Christ’s lessons.
6. “Put into practice”= to make something a practical reality. We are hear the words of Christ, and make them a reality in our lives... but who can do that with 100% fidelity?
7. The House on the Sand: It crashes, obviously! But Jesus said it’s crash was great. We may hear a lot of spiritual words, we may SAY a lot of spiritual words... but if we are living without a close relationship of obedience to Christ, our life will be “unfit for habitation” and the inevitable storms of life will be too much for us to bear.

The crowds:

They were amazed...Duah! In verse 21 Jesus suggested that people would stand before the judgement seat and call him “Lord”. WOAH! Doesn’t that mean they were worshiping as God? Isn’t Jesus claiming deity here? and look in V 23: Jesus says HE will be the judge at Judgement Day! That is definitely a God-Claim. And finally: He says that we must hear the words HE speaks and put them into practice. He is not referencing the authority of scripture, saying, “Do what the Lord says, and has said in His Word.” No, Jesus says, “...but I tell you...”, and “...I never knew you...” and “... these words of mine...” No wonder the crowds were amazed! Jesus was saying in effect: I AM GOD! That is a claim you either have to believe, and be changed, or disbelieve and grab rocks to stone the blasphemer!
(His disciples must have been freaking out!... “don’t say that! They will kill you!)

Jesus on false teachers and false “Christians”

Matthew 7:15-24

The Cherry Tree Story: the best way to settle a dispute whether or not it’s a cherry tree is to wait for June. If you are eating cherries, it’s a cherry tree!

1. False Teachers... look like sheep... ravenous wolves. Some will try to guide you down the broad path (leading to destruction), and tell you  it’s to heaven. Jesus calls them wolves in sheepskin. They may even believe they are on the narrow way, but they are not. These pretenders destroy the true flock. Jesus has nothing positive to say about them.
1. Step One Beware of them
2. Step Two Check their fruit (Love, Joy, Peace... it’s not a banana, folks!)
2. These fruits are of the heart of who we ARE. Sometimes we have to wait a while to see the fruits of someone’s true heart. The wolf can have a convincing sheep costume, but in the end, his “fruit” will contain hair and bones, not digested grass.
3. Jesus states that these fruits are either “good” or “bad”, there are no “you could eat it, but it tastes like dung” fruits (bonus if you get the movie reference). Throughout the SoM Jesus has been consistent: One way to Heaven, all other ways to Hell. Good/Bad. no 3rd
4. Firewood Season: Everyone without good fruit will be cut down and burned. Not just the ones with bad fruit.
5. Read Matthew 21:18-22... what is the stated meaning? Can you make a meaning that applies to this idea of fruit?
6. Read Luke 13:6–9, what do we learn about God as a nurseryman? Contrast this to the story of the cursed fig tree above.
7. Read Matthew 12:33-37- strong teaching from Jesus about one of our “rotten fruits” being malicious talk and angry speech. We will have to give an account.
8. Judging Others: didn’t Jesus just say don’t judge others or you are a Plank-eyed “saint”
9. Ask yourself first: do I bear fruit unto Christ’s glory? Do I have the fruit of the spirit in increasing measure? Am I gratefully aware of my forgiven state?

“Lord, Lord”  

10. Look clearly: They called him LORD! They said a sinner’s prayer! These guys must be saved! Right? No! a verbal confession is not enough. In this story Jesus is calling us FIRSTLY to relationship.
11. Any clever speaker can manipulate an audience to feel guilty and say a sinner’s prayer, or buy a timeshare in Reno, or invade Poland. Tears and altar calls don’t make it a true conversion. Jesus used the phrase “Born Again” with Nicodemus. A total reset- restart.
12. So how to know if you are saved? Do you call him Lord and mean it? Does the Spirit tell you you are saved? Do you have the fruit (singular) of the Spirit? Is your life changed?
13. Read James 2:14: we see your works (fruit) and know your faith. Faith (fig tree) without works(figs) is dead(dead). God will fertilize one’s faith for a while, but eventually if one doesn’t come to repentance (fruit) he will slash and burn. (Lk13:6) When the Son of Man comes and asks to see your fruit (That Day), you had better show some fruit! (Mt21:18)

“Prophecy, Exorcism, Miracles”

14. These false christians had some serious church cred! They would be Ministry Rock Stars in most churches I’ve ever been in!
15. This is flashy stuff! Notice what works they didn’t have: sleepless nights in prayer, concentrated fasting, giving until it hurts, forgiving again and again, victory over sin...
16. They even said they did these things “In your name”. Again, the words are cheap.

“That Day”

17. Notice the image of “That Day” (of judgement). Who is doing the judging? Who directly condemns these false christians to hell? Jesus! wow! His rationale: I never KNEW you. Not a casual recognition. Not an acquaintance. Not knowledge about. He is speaking of intimate knowledge here. Like when Adam “Knew” his wife and she bore a son.  
    Read this with fresh eyes again.
18. I’ve heard people say, “I can’t believe a loving Jesus would send anyone to hell.”
    Have you READ his stuff? He says it right there in red and white! I’m sending these people, who think they are Christians, and say they are Christians into eternal separation and torment. They didn’t make it!
19. Are you SURE you are saved? I don’t ask this to make you doubt your faith... ok, yes I AM asking this to make you doubt your faith!
20. As Baptists, we believe “Once Saved Always Saved” but we had not EVER let salvation become a sinner’s prayer. It’s not magic words, it’s not holy sprinkling, it’s not heritage. “Away from me you lawless ones, I never knew you.”
    (note, they didn’t lose their salvation, they never had it to begin with!)

If you see someone who is doing miracles, prophesying, and such, they had better show the quieter fruits as well. No true prophet speaks without prayer, fasting, giving, forgiving, fighting sin, etc. If you think you are a Christian, look for these in your life. If they are not there, you may not be saved. Get on your knees and spend some quiet time searching with God, before “That Day” comes and you stand before Christ and show what fruit you have.

These are the true fruits: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. If you know Jesus, and He knows you, these will be yours in increasing measure

The Golden Rule and the Narrow Gate

(check out this picture!)

The Golden Rule and the Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:12-14

1. The Golden Rule is unique to Jesus. He is the only one who stated it as a positive: DO GOOD unto others... not “DON’T DO anything bad to others”
1. This “Silver” rule is found in many antiquated moral writings:

• Hindu : do naught to others which if done to thee would cause thee pain.
• Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains yourself
• Muslim: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. (note: this was written after the Gospels were widely published)
• Bhai: He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfil.
• Jewish: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men.  That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary
• some Greek guy: Do not do unto others what angers you if done to you by others.

2. This sounds to me like Jesus was rephrasing a saying or proverb common to the audience. But as Jesus usually did, he turned it on its head and totally challenged our attempts at self-righteousness! It is not enough to AVOID treating others poorly, I must go and DO UNTO OTHERS... the responsibility of first action is MINE! I should make the first move! This is just the sort of thing Jesus did.
3. “For this sums up the Law and Prophets” So in application: If we keep this Golden Rule, we keep the Law. Right, and if I jump a 100 foot high bar, I will have cleared the 6 foot bar as well... Thank God for his grace!
4. By extension: any interpretation or application of God’s law that does not conform to the Golden Rule is a misapplication.

• When have you lived out the Golden Rule in the last week?
• When have you applied the GR and had someone NOT reply in kind?
• Does the GR apply to our civic life and law as well as our personal behavior?
• Have you ever seen Christians apply God’s law to people in a way that violates the GR?

5. “enter through the narrow gate...”  this phrase describes an event. A decision. A moment in time.
6. narrow gate... narrow road... Leads to life. The gate is the decision of salvation. The road is what follows the gate, it is the Christian life of following Christ. Not an easy path!
7. Wide gate... broad road... leads to death. What statement could stand more in contrast to our post-modern humanist cultural religion? People say “all paths lead to God”, “all religions are equally valid” ... blah blah blah...  Except that Jesus pretty much gave this idea the smackdown here in verse 13. So (as Jesus usually does) he forces us into a philosophical corner: He says we are either on the path to life, or the path to death. No third choices. Furthermore, he says that most people are on the path to death, not life.
8. “in all ages the real disciple of Christ has been looked on as a singular, unfashionable character; and all that have sided with the greater number, have gone on in the broad road to destruction.” Matthew Henry
9. If there were a sign over the narrow gate what would it say? “To Heaven” If there were a sign over the wide gate what would it say? (“To Heaven” because it lies!) So what do the people on the wide path think they are doing? Going to Heaven!
10.  Other verses that talk about gates to life and death:
1. Jeremiah 21:8 "Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.
2. Deuteronomy 30:19 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”
3. Jeremiah 6:16 “This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'”

• Who is on the narrow road?
• Who thinks they are on the narrow road, but are in fact on the wide road?
• What lies does our culture tell about the narrow and wide roads? How does Jesus’ statements apply to these beliefs?
• What are the “ancient paths”? Why do you think God calls them ancient, instead of merely good paths?
• What are the opposite of the “ancient paths”? What are the modern paths?

Jesus on Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Jesus on Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Matthew 7:7-12

Have you ever prayed for something and God said No? What is that all about? Can we trust a God who doesn’t give us what we want?

What did Jesus Say?

1. Jesus shifts from speaking about Judging and showing discernment back to a speech on Prayer. Prayer is important enough to earn another look in the Sermon on the Mount.
2. The first section on prayer (“The Lord’s Prayer”) focused on the condition of our heart in prayer and our relationship to God (father) and others (forgiveness). This section describes what such prayer LOOKS like (ask/seek/knock) and helps us see God as a loving provider.
3. Ask... Seek... Knock... What progression/pattern do you see in these three?
4. What is the reward Jesus promises for Asking? Seeking? Knocking?
5. The idea of knocking also implies that we sense resistance. After all, if the door were already open there would be no need to knock. Yet Jesus encouraged us, “Even when you sense that the door is closed and you must knock, then do so and continue to do so, and you will be answered.”
6. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says he stands at the door and knocks. He asks entrance, he notifies us of his willingness to enter our lives. He makes the first move.
7. Ask... How? Persistence, intensity, within the will of God (don’t say “in Jesus Name” unless this is a prayer you could truly write “From Jesus” at the end of.)
8. Why does God want us to ask with persistence? Ask with fervent intensity? Why does he require that? Isn’t it his will to do the thing? Is he reluctant and we must wear him down? Is he busy and forgets?
9. God values persistence and passion in prayer because they show that we share His heart. It shows that we care about the things He cares about. Persistent prayer does not overcome God’s stubborn reluctance; it gives glory to Him, expresses dependence upon Him, and aligns our heart more with His.
10. You WILL receive - you WILL find – it WILL be opened. God’s promise binds him. This is the same God who said “Do not murder”, and this statement binds God as surely as “Do Not Murder” binds man.
11. God will not change his nature and fail to answer your prayer!
12. ...Will you give him a stone... a snake? What a comforting knowledge of God! Of course he is not reluctant to provide; he LOVES to provide for us! How much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him!
13. Note: When we doubt that God answers our prayers we are really saying “I am evil, but I give gifts to my kids. God is worse than evil.” Call it straight: Blasphemy! God is LOVE, not neglect!

So what is the significance?

14. Obviously, God is not a Cosmic Vending Machine: drop in a dime-tithe and turn the prayer-crank a time or two and out pops whatever we ask for. Ridiculous!
15. Some limits:
1. “Your kingdom come, your will be done...” 6:10 it must be within His Will (that might not include prosperity and peace for you and yours!)
2. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3
3. “and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us.” 1 John 3:22-23
16. God is not obligated to answer our prayers the way we want. If we ask for a serpent, he will still give us a fish. When I ask that a loved one turn to Christ (a prayer I KNOW is in his will) and they don’t, my heart can identify with God’s just a little more, because his heart breaks for the lost too. When I ask that I could find my wedding ring, and I can’t, possibly God is telling me to care less about stuff.
17. Look at Job. He prayed for healing and restoration, but when he finally met God, he said “I spoke without knowledge” in effect, I’ll shut up now! When we KNOW God, we doubt him less and less.

Now what should we do?

I have a phrase with L, “Just take your vitamin N.” It works like this: she asks for some “serpent” type thing, and I say no. She asks more and more, and I finally tell her to “take your vitamin N”. Accept the no and move on. trust me, I am looking out for your best interest.  Sometimes, learning to accept God’s “no” can make us a healthier Christian. We need a steady stream of NO in our lives to keep an accurate view of God.

18. How does knowing God help us accept his negative answers?

19. What is Jesus’ advice on prayer?