Mercy Culture Waco | Lead Pastor Les Cody
2023 | The Year of Dunamis - Apologetics: Defending Your Faith
Locations & Times
Mercy Culture Waco
1020 E Waco Dr, Waco, TX 76704, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
God encounters are waiting for you in the Bible.
The Bible Is the Word of God.
The infilling of the Holy Spirit is how Dunamis goes from on you to in you.
⁃ This year He will fortify the foundations of your faith.
⁃ No one stumbles and falls behind. No one loses their faith!
⁃ You will be people of the Spirit and people of the Word (Bible).
⁃ The Word of God (Bible) will strengthen you.
- The Enemy tricking you with... “Did God really say?" will no longer work on you.
- For you will know what is written. You will know God’s Word.
- You will be strengthened by the Word. By reading it and memorizing it.
⁃ No one stumbles and falls behind. No one loses their faith!
⁃ You will be people of the Spirit and people of the Word (Bible).
⁃ The Word of God (Bible) will strengthen you.
- The Enemy tricking you with... “Did God really say?" will no longer work on you.
- For you will know what is written. You will know God’s Word.
- You will be strengthened by the Word. By reading it and memorizing it.
One of the greatest ways to strengthen and fortify the foundation of your faith is to know God’s word.
We must be people of the Spirit and people of the Word!
PRACTICAL ADVICE:
Read the Bible every day.
Read the Bible every day.
God’s Word, the Bible, is the highest authority in our lives.
CAUTION:
Be aware when people devalue or dishonor the Bible It’s the step just before heresy!
Be aware when people devalue or dishonor the Bible It’s the step just before heresy!
Knowing God’s Word (the Bible) is the greatest defense to deception, false teachings and heresy.
“Breathed (Inspired) theopneustos (thee-Onyoo-Stos) “Divinely breathed in”
The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible.
God is the author of the Bible and He used men to write it.
How The Bible Was Formed:
The Old Testament
- The 39 OT Books Has A Few Main Categories…
- In the Hebrew Bible: The Law, The Prophet & The Writings.
- In the English Bibles: Law, History, Poetry/Wisdom, Prophecy.
- The “Canon” was the description of the final compilation of the books.
- “Canon” in Greek = “Rule or Standard”
- The OT was completed around 400 BC, the oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible is about 1,000 AD
- That’s A 1300-year time span from earliest copy of earliest book to the completion.
- Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered that were copies before the time of Christ! This Brought the date range closer to 1000 years.
- After the 100 years they were 95% identical copies and contextually pure. [Most differences were spelling]
- In The OT God Revealed Himself To Abraham And The Storyline Continued and Was Supported By God’s Servants & Prophets.
- God Continued to Reveal Himself and His People Closely Stewarded These Holy Encounters.
- The 39 OT Books Has A Few Main Categories…
- In the Hebrew Bible: The Law, The Prophet & The Writings.
- In the English Bibles: Law, History, Poetry/Wisdom, Prophecy.
- The “Canon” was the description of the final compilation of the books.
- “Canon” in Greek = “Rule or Standard”
- The OT was completed around 400 BC, the oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible is about 1,000 AD
- That’s A 1300-year time span from earliest copy of earliest book to the completion.
- Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered that were copies before the time of Christ! This Brought the date range closer to 1000 years.
- After the 100 years they were 95% identical copies and contextually pure. [Most differences were spelling]
- In The OT God Revealed Himself To Abraham And The Storyline Continued and Was Supported By God’s Servants & Prophets.
- God Continued to Reveal Himself and His People Closely Stewarded These Holy Encounters.
The New Testament
- The New Testament Was compiled and recognized by 290 AD.
- NT Written 50-100 AD. Earliest Completion from 125 AD.
- A Time Span of 25 years (Not even a full generation span).
- 24,000 Copies In Multiple Languages with 99.5 identical copies and contextually pure.
- You should emphasize that by the end of the first century, most of the books of the NT were already recognized as Scripture by the early Church.
- When Alexander the Great Conquered the World Greek Became the common languages…
- 3rd Century BC the cannon was translated in the Greek known as the Septuagint.
- Jesus would have used the Hebrew Bible as His primary Bible, not the Septuagint. But the NT commonly quotes the Septuagint, since the NT was written in Greek, and so the authors would quote the Greek Bible of the day.
- Before Paul wrote his letters, the gospel traditions would have been circulating orally.
- Paul Began writing letters to the church the began to circulate.
- The Gospels soon followed.
- The church then “canonized” the NT.
- 4th Century Emperor Constantine Authorized the compilation of the OT & NT into one book possibly for the first time.
- In the 1400’s Johannes Gutenberg Invented the Printing Press and Began Printing the Bible!
- The New Testament Was compiled and recognized by 290 AD.
- NT Written 50-100 AD. Earliest Completion from 125 AD.
- A Time Span of 25 years (Not even a full generation span).
- 24,000 Copies In Multiple Languages with 99.5 identical copies and contextually pure.
- You should emphasize that by the end of the first century, most of the books of the NT were already recognized as Scripture by the early Church.
- When Alexander the Great Conquered the World Greek Became the common languages…
- 3rd Century BC the cannon was translated in the Greek known as the Septuagint.
- Jesus would have used the Hebrew Bible as His primary Bible, not the Septuagint. But the NT commonly quotes the Septuagint, since the NT was written in Greek, and so the authors would quote the Greek Bible of the day.
- Before Paul wrote his letters, the gospel traditions would have been circulating orally.
- Paul Began writing letters to the church the began to circulate.
- The Gospels soon followed.
- The church then “canonized” the NT.
- 4th Century Emperor Constantine Authorized the compilation of the OT & NT into one book possibly for the first time.
- In the 1400’s Johannes Gutenberg Invented the Printing Press and Began Printing the Bible!
QUESTION:
How were the books in the Bible selected?
Short Answer:
By God!
How were the books in the Bible selected?
Short Answer:
By God!
CAUTION:
There will always be critics who will challenge the Bible. Upon further study you will find the answers to the critics.
There will always be critics who will challenge the Bible. Upon further study you will find the answers to the critics.
There is no other book in the history of the world that has withstood the amount of attacks, scrutiny and demonic resistance that the Bible has!
PRACTICAL ADVICE:
Don’t waste time arguing with people over the Bible.
Don’t waste time arguing with people over the Bible.
QUESTION:
How do we know we can’t trust the accuracy of the Bible?
How do we know we can’t trust the accuracy of the Bible?
QUESTION FOR YOU:
“What other historical text do you question the reliability of?
“What other historical text do you question the reliability of?
If the critics want to disregard the New Testament, then they must also disregard ALL other ancient writings by Plato, Aristotle, and Homer.
QUESTION:
What is the second most historically accurate ancient text?
What is the second most historically accurate ancient text?
Standards For Historical Reliability
1. What was the time span from the original document to the first copied manuscript?
2. How many copies of the original manuscript were made?
1. What was the time span from the original document to the first copied manuscript?
2. How many copies of the original manuscript were made?
The Bible is the most historically accurate and preserved document in the history of the world.
The Bible is:
- Unparalleled in its accuracy.
- Unequalled in its reliability.
- Unsurpassed in its relevance.
- Unparalleled in its accuracy.
- Unequalled in its reliability.
- Unsurpassed in its relevance.
PROBABILITY = the extent to which something is probable; the likelihood of something happening or being the case
⁃ Christ to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
⁃ Christ to be preceded by a messenger (Isaiah 40:3 & Malachi 3:1)
⁃ Christ to enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)
⁃ Christ to be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14)
⁃ Christ to be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12)
⁃ The money Christ was sold for be thrown to “The Potter” in God’s house (Zechariah 11:13)
⁃ Christ to be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7)
⁃ Christ to be executed by crucifixion as a thief (Psalm 22:16) (Zechariah 12:10) (Isaiah 53:5)
⁃ Christ to be preceded by a messenger (Isaiah 40:3 & Malachi 3:1)
⁃ Christ to enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)
⁃ Christ to be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14)
⁃ Christ to be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12)
⁃ The money Christ was sold for be thrown to “The Potter” in God’s house (Zechariah 11:13)
⁃ Christ to be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7)
⁃ Christ to be executed by crucifixion as a thief (Psalm 22:16) (Zechariah 12:10) (Isaiah 53:5)
Don’t attribute things to God that He never said!
1. “God will never give you more than you can handle!”
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
2. “Follow your heart.”
Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
3. “I follow my conscience.”
Proverbs 14:12 ESV
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
2. “Follow your heart.”
Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
3. “I follow my conscience.”
Proverbs 14:12 ESV
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
ADVICE:
Ask yourself, “From where do I get my values?”
Ask yourself, “From where do I get my values?”
Everywhere Jesus went and everywhere his Apostles went, miracles and healings followed.
We shouldn’t be shocked when we enter His presence and people get healed, we should be shocked when we enter His presence, and no one is healed.
We shouldn’t be shocked when we enter His presence and people get healed, we should be shocked when we enter His presence, and no one is healed.
“The manifestation of God’s power reveals the truth of God’s word.”
The greatest defense of the Bible is an encounter with its author!
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