Defending the Faith Part 1

Welcome

Welcome to Boys Bible study and Basketball. As you remember from last week. We commuting to grow together as a Team. With the idea that we are building together both in the Spiritual sense and the physical.

This week we are beginning the Bible lessons. We will begin with Defending the Faith part 1.

Genesis 1:29–30 KJV 1900

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Job 38:4 KJV 1900

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.

Lesson Preview

In this lesson we will take a look at how different people view the universe and living things based on their belief about the past. Some people explain the past through a naturalistic viewpoint, while others hold fast to the biblical view of history. We’ll also take an in-depth look at the different between observational and historical science.

Survey Questions

Do you think the Bible is relevant today?

Do you think the Bible’s history, like the account of Noah’s flood, is true?

How do you think the universe came into existence?

How do you think man came into existence?

Do you think science disproves the Bible?

Do you think dinosaurs lived at the same time as man?

Who determines right and wrong?

Do you believe in absolute authority?

Who determines absolute authority?

Questions to Think About

Why do you think the creation/evolution issue generates so much controversy?

It’s not a battle of religion vs. Science - Its a battle between two different worldviews: one that explains the world with God and one that seeks to explain the world without God. It’s a battle for the hearts and minds of modern man. If there is no God, as some people would like us to believe, then man has complete freedom to determine truth and can do as he pleases if the consensus of people agrees. On the other hand, if there is a God, then God, the Supreme Being, is the absolute authority who determines right and wrong. Thus, man is accountable to God for his behavior.

There is also a lot of confusion between the two different types of science- “observational” science and “historical” science, which we’ll talk about in this lesson.

2. Would you agree or disagree that creationists and evolutionist have the same evidence? Explain your position.

Evolutionists and creationists have the same evidence, but they interpret it differently because they “see” the world differently- according to their presuppositions/ biases. They have different worldviews- one that explains life without God and the other that explains life with God. Some people readily accept what they read, see and hear in the media without question.

3. Think about the opportunities you have had to defend your faith. What kinds of questions have come up? What have been the most challenging topics?

Try to find out some challenges that the students have encountered when defending or sharing their faith with others. Discuss how they will be better equipped to answer questions about the Bible after going through these lessons. Hopefully all of us will gain some knowledge and be able to give a defensible answer in today’s skeptical world.

Video Presentation

30 minutes - You have questions to fill out as Dr. Ham goes through just to help you to be able to retain the knowledge talked about in the lesson.

Video Review Questions

Using the chart in your notes describe how a person with a naturalistic worldview would explain the following. Then how would a person from a biblical worldview do the same.

Origin of the universe?

Naturalistic: The Big Bag explosion billions of years ago. Life appeared and evolved from there. In the Beginning was the cosmos.

Biblical: In the Beginning (6,000 Years ago) God created everything in six normal days.

Origin of Man?

Naturalistic: Man Evolved from ape-like ancestors. We are here by natural processes.

Biblical: We were created in God’s image on day 6 of creation, Adam was the first man.

Grand Canyon?

Naturalistic: Formed as a result of erosion over millions of years.

Biblical: Formed as a result of the worldwide flood in Noah’s day and the events to follow.

Dinosaurs?

Naturalistic: Lived long before man, evolved and died millions of years before man through a global event that killed them all.

Biblical: Created on day 6 along with man.

Death?

Naturalistic: Death has been a part of the universe since the beginning, long before man entered the world.

Biblical: Death entered the world as a result of sin.

Truth?

Naturalistic: Man determines truth

Biblical: God is the absolute authority. He is truth and determines right and wrong.

2. Let’s return to the question we asked before the video- would you agree or disagree that creations and evolutionists have the same evidence? He your answer changed? Why or Why not?

Evolutionists and creationists have the same evidence, but they interpret it differently because they “see” the world differently- according to their presuppositions/ biases. They have different worldviews- one that explains life without God and the other that explains life with God. Some people readily accept what they read, see and hear in the media without question.

3. List and describe the major events of history as covered by the Seven C’s of History.

Creation: God tells us in the book of Genesis that He created everything in 6 normal days

Corruption: Because of Adam’s sin, God cursed His once-perfect creation.

Catastrophe: Over time man became so wicked that God told Noah, the only righteous man, that He would send the great flood to destroy the entire earth.

Confusion: Because man’s disobedience at the tower of Babel, God confused the language of people so they couldn’t understand each other.

Christ: God’s Son, Jesus Christ, stepped into His creation to become a man so that He might save us from our sins.

Cross: Around 4,000 years after Adam sinned, God sent the perfect sacrifice in the form of His son, Jesus Christ, to take away the sin of the world, fulfilling the promise God made in Genesis 3:15.

Consummation: God has promised to someday remove the Curse He placed on His Creation. God has promised to make a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no death, crying, or pain.

4. Explain why, biblically, the earth cannot be millions of year old.

If death existed before sin, it would contradict God who called everything that He made very good. If someone believes the earth is millions of years old, it also means that they believe death, pain, killing, disease, cancer, brain tumors, thorns, suffering and extinction happened before Adam’s sin. This contradicts God’s Word. For instance, we know that animals did not eat other animals before the Fall because Genesis 1:29-30 tells us that God gave plants to the animals to eat.

Plants, when eaten by man and animals. do not experience death in the biblical sense because they are not considered nephesh, the Hebrew idea of a “breathing creature.”

5. Explain why we see death and suffering in the world today.

Death and suffering is all around us because of a choice Adam made in the garden about 6,000 years ago. The saddest day in all of history is the day that Adam rebelled against God by eating the forbidden fruit. Adam’s decision to reinterpret God’s Word showed God that he wanted to determine truth for himself. And Romans 5:12 tells us that we all sin in Adam. Because of our sin, there is death and suffering in the world today.

6. Do Fossils exist in the past or the present? Explain your answer.

All evidence, including fossils, exists in the present because we exist in the present. When you dig up fossils, you are digging up the present because they only exist in the present.

7. Describe the difference between observational and historical Science.

Observational science is bases on repeatedly testing thing in the present. It includes things you can test using your five senses. Historical science involves deciphering what happened in the past. You can’t test the past directly, and you certainly can’t repeat the past events.

8. What are some of the limitations of observable science in regard to interpreting the past?

It is limited when it comes to non-measurable processes - we aren’t able to measure events that have happened already.

9. What does Job 38:4 say about the past? Can you quote it?

Review

In these final minutes, let’s review what we’ve learned in this lesson. Creationists and evolutionists have the same evidence, but they interpret it differently based on their starting points that consequently lead to different ways of thinking about the present. The two main worldviews- biblical and naturalistic - have different explanations of the past. The naturalistic view teaches that there is no God, life is a result of natural processes and the earth is millions of years old. The biblical worldview explains the history of the universe, which can be summarized with the seven C’s; Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation.

There is an extremely important difference between observational science and historical science. Origins science deals with past events, while observational science deals with the present. You can’t test the past. However, using the Bible (the written record provided to mankind by one who claims to have created everything) as our starting point, we can make sense of the world, and it does not conflict with observational science. In fact, the Bible’s record is in harmony with observational science. The naturalistic worldview cannot make this claim.

Assignment

Time for Reflection page: take it home and reflect on this lesson and then what can I take away from it all. Think of one person with whom you would like to share your faith with. Write their name and consider the view that person may have on each topic.

For next week, please memorize and meditate on these verses in preparation for the second part on defending the faith.

1 Peter 3:15 KJV 1900

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Closing Prayer

Ask someone to close in prayer while being mindful of the topics discussed in this lesson.