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 Or Outdated Myth?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