StoneBridge Community Church
UNEXPECTED #1: The Miracle of the Resurrection
Pastor Jeff Cheadle
Locations & Times
StoneBridge Campus
4832 Cochran St, Simi Valley, CA 93063, USA
Saturday 5:30 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
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Matthew 28
Bob Utley, "Matthew 28" from the series The First Christian Primer: Matthew
http://bit.ly/2ovX93E1. Christianity rises and falls on…
1. Christianity rises and falls on the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
"The Incredulity of St. Thomas" 1601-1602. Caravaggio. Oil on canvas. Sanssouci, Potsdam.
For reflection/discussion
Some skeptics argue that Christians believe in the resurrection of Jesus because they want it to be true. Does the argument cut both ways? Are there any reasons why those who don't believe in the resurrection might not want it to be true? Obviously truth isn't based on what people wish were true, but on facts. Is it possible to discover the truth about the resurrection?
2. Becoming a Christian is…
2. Becoming a Christian is an informed decision, not a blind leap of faith.
JAMA Article
William D. Edwards, MD; Wesley J. Gabel, MDiv; Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI, "On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ" Journal of the American Medical Association, March 21, 1986—Vol 255, No. 11.
http://bit.ly/1FpPq9uHistorical Evidence for the Resurrection
Matt Perman, "Historical Evidence for the Resurrection" Desiring God, 9/12/2007.
http://bit.ly/1h1MWUjAncient Evidence for Jesus from Non-Christian Sources
Michael Gleghorn "Ancient Evidence for Jesus from Non-Christian Sources" Probe Ministries.
http://bit.ly/2oC25pp
The Testimony of the Women
"Celsus, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 2nd century AD, was highly antagonistic to Christianity and wrote a number of works listing arguments against it. One of the arguments he believed most telling went like this: Christianity can’t be true, because the written accounts of the resurrection are based on the testimony of women—and we all know women are hysterical…
Do you see what that means? If Mark and the Christians were making up these stories to get their movement off the ground, they would never have written women into the story as the first eyewitnesses to Jesus’ empty tomb. The only possible reason for the presence of women in these accounts is that they really were present and reported what they saw."
—Timothy Keller, King's Cross, Dutton, Penguin Group (USA) 2011. Quoted in Relevant.
http://bit.ly/2oetJWVDo you see what that means? If Mark and the Christians were making up these stories to get their movement off the ground, they would never have written women into the story as the first eyewitnesses to Jesus’ empty tomb. The only possible reason for the presence of women in these accounts is that they really were present and reported what they saw."
—Timothy Keller, King's Cross, Dutton, Penguin Group (USA) 2011. Quoted in Relevant.
The Three Marys at the Tomb of Jesus, Tanner
"Faith is not a leap in the dark; it is the exact opposite. It’s a commitment based on evidence… It is irrational to reduce all faith to blind faith and then subject it to ridicule. That provides a very anti-intellectual and convenient way of avoiding intelligent discussion."—John Lennox
Alternate Explanations to the Resurrection
An article that discusses and critiques alternative explanations to the resurrection including the swoon theory, the hallucination theory, the spiritual resurrection theory, the theft theory, and the unknown tomb theory. —J. Hampton Keathley III, "False Theories Against the Resurrection" Bible.org website
http://bit.ly/2oKyLO7For reflection/discussion
(1) What is the difference between blind faith and evidence-based faith? (2) Some of the arguments for the historicity of the resurrection include the medical evidence, the empty tomb, the unimpeachable testimony of eyewitnesses, the changed lives of the disciples, the existence of the church and the New Testament, and the role of women in the account of the resurrection. Which if any of these arguments do you find most compelling? (3) Unlike other religions which are primarily based on the teachings of their founders, Christianity is based on an historical event— the resurrection. In what ways does this make Christianity both more compelling and more vulnerable? (4) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the various alternative explanations for the resurrection?
3. God's plan is…
3. God's plan is that we become followers (disciples) of Jesus to become like Jesus.
Disciples/ Discipleship
Michael J. Wilkins, "Disciple, Discipleship" Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
http://bit.ly/2p5bbfJFor reflection/discussion
Jesus instructs his followers to "go and make disciples of all nations…" What is a disciple? What is the difference between believing in God and being a disciple? What are the marks of an authentic disciple? StoneBridge Community Church holds three core values: worship, community life, and service. How do these three values contribute to our members and attenders growing as disciples?
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