Hans’t science disproved Christianity?

Evidence. The proof that you need in order to believe something exists.

*tell the story of Amanda not telling me I like you back before we were dating… What was the evidence indicating to me?

For those conspiracy theorists out there, Bigfoot is a big deal in the Pacific Northwest. What evidence would we need (or already is available) that would indicate Bigfoot truly exists?

This is how we go through life. We take evidence that is available and derive conclusions from them.

Evidence helps us interpret reality.

And what I want to do tonight is present three three pieces of evidence that answer the question… Does science prove or disprove Christianity?

Tonight I'm not trying to prove Christianity using science.

I'm trying to show you that science is an incredible tool, but it's the wrong tool for disproving Christianity.

*disclaimer — tonight, similar to our other lessons in this series, we will not be going through a passage of Scripture directly. Actually, tonight’s lesson will have very little Scripture references in it. However, we are going to argue with Scripture proofs and themes in order to answer our question.

EVIDENCE #1: SCIENCE CAN REVEAL THE EXISTENCE OF A CREATOR

In actuality, under these three pieces of evidence, we’ll in essence be answering three questions as well. So let’s begin with this one…

Does God in fact exist?

Many of us have grown up always believing in God. Never have we not known that God exists. But even if that’s true of you, most of us may have asked this question to ourselves in doubt or fear. Let me tell you. It’s always ok to ask hard questions! Just make sure you’re asking them to the right people and in the right places. We should not get our answers first and foremost from TikTok, social media, chatgpt, or our peers. Let me encourage you… Ask your parents hard questions about life, about Christianity, about the Bible. I want you to ask me all the questions you could ever think of. Take some time tonight to submit some tough questions with the cards from your seats.

In exploring this first piece of evidence, let me ask this question…

What would be the evidence you would need in order to be fully persuaded God exists? (think as if you weren’t a believer)

You’re probably thinking about the tangibleness of God. If we could touch him. If we could see him. If we could talk to him. If he were embodied.

What's incredible is that Christianity says God actually did that. He entered history. The invisible God became visible in Jesus Christ.

We heard Him. We watched Him. We touched Him. Christianity isn't built on the idea that God stayed hidden forever. He came down in the form of Jesus Christ.

It’d be easier to believe in the existence of God if we could observe him, if we could “experiment” on him, or if we could test him.

Then belief in God would not merely be faith but based on evidence and thereby scientific fact.

Here’s a definition of Science — a systematic way of learning about the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and testing.

So how does science prove the existence of God?

Notice with me what Romans 1:20 states in answering this question.

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

20 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:

Here’s what that verse is saying:

Romans 1:20 NLT

20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

What’s this saying?

The world and everything in it declare the existence of a Creator.

Let’s make it a little more specific… As scientists study birds and come to understand their nature, their composition… they are being pointed to a Creator. More specifically, they’re being pointed to God the Creator.

We’ll talk about this a little more in the next piece of evidence, but… as scientists dissect and learn more and more about our world they’re uncovering evidence for Intelligent Design.

Science proves the existence of God because the findings of science speak to Intelligent Design.

What do I mean by Intelligent Design? (that God created all things)

Briefly let me give you two pieces of evidence for intelligent design / that God created all things:

The Fine-Tuning of the Universe — If the value of the gravitational constant were slightly larger, one consequence would be that stars would become too hot and burn out too quickly. If it were smaller, stars would never burn at all and heavy elements would not be produced.

The Origin of Information in DNA — The idea that biological information, such as the digital code in DNA, carries specific instructions that pattern complex sequences far beyond random chance.

Nobel-prize winning physicist and strong believer in Christ William Philips writes about the link between science and God this way: “I see an orderly, beautiful universe in which nearly all physical phenomena can be understood from a few simple mathematical equations. I see a universe that, had it been constructed slightly differently, would never have given birth to stars and planets, let alone bacteria and people. And there is no good scientific reason for why the universe should not have been different. Many good scientists have concluded from these observations that an intelligent God must have chosen to create the universe with such beautiful, simple, and life-giving properties.”

And his ultimate conclusion is this… Even with the evidences for intelligent design, we must exercise faith in order to believe in God and the atheist must also exercise faith in order to not believe in God.

Science can prove the existence of a Creator, but we are still required to exercise faith. Good thing for believers is that we don’t exercise blind faith.

Turn with me to Genesis 1 and we’ll see evidence #2.

EVIDENCE #2: SCIENCE CANNOT PROVE THE MEANING OF LIFE

Science can tell us a lot of things. Science can give us many facts and pieces of information. Science can tell us the how of our world but can never tell us the why. What do I mean?

Think about it this way… How would science describe you and I? (cells…)

And if that’s all that we are, then we don’t mean anything. There is no purpose. Even Scripture scientifically describes mankind in Genesis 3:19

Genesis 3:19 KJV 1900

for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Science tells us we are just dust. Christianity also tells us that we are dust. But we are not just dust.

The Bible insists that our dust-formed selves have immense and inalienable value, not because we are not atoms and molecules, bags of cells, or dust, but because we are dust that has been fashioned by God and called to unique relationship with him.

Notice how the Bible begins in Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1 KJV 1900

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Then what do we see the rest of the chapter? (God creates everything that we see.)

Look over at Genesis 1:26-27

Genesis 1:26–27 KJV 1900

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

So for Christians, the most important question is not What does science say we are? but rather Who does God say we are?

And this is culturally opposite. Our culture looks at science as the infallible explanation of all things. And some Christians overreact and ignore science and despise science. In fact we are to look at science and value it, because as we saw in point #1, it points us to God. But it is not our only source of knowledge. In fact, if we only value science then we will not have the full picture of our world nor ourselves. We will only have the how, but would miss the why.

It would be like if I jumped off a building and someone found my dead body. They could pretty easily figure out how I died. But that would not satisfy the newspapers or my wife. They would want to know why I jumped.

Science, by itself, cannot tell us why life matters.

Application: Some of you have been trying to find purpose in grades...sports...relationships...success...popularity. Science can tell you how your heart beats. It cannot tell you why your heart was made. The Bible can.

You were created to know God. Sin separated you from Him. The greatest problem in your life isn't whether you understand science. It's whether you've been reconciled to your Creator.

We weren't merely created by God. We rebelled against Him. That's why Jesus came. He lived the life we failed to live. He died the death we deserved. He rose again so everyone who believes in Him can know the God they were created to know. That's the meaning science could never discover in a laboratory.

And this is exactly the point of Genesis 1-3. Genesis is not primarily concerned with science. Moses, in the Creation account, exposes the meaning of life. He answers the question of Who does God say we are?

And here’s what we find Moses recording for us in Genesis — Humanity is made in the image of God and is called into special relationship with their Creator to serve as his representatives on earth. That all of humanity is created in the image of God is the foundation for a moral code shared among humanity.

If we are no more than the features that can be described by science, and our only story is the evolutionary story, we have no grounds for insisting on human equality, protection of the weak, equal treatment of women, or any other of the ethical beliefs we hold dear.

If we only believe in science we don’t just lose the hope of life after death. We lose the meaning of life before death.

But there’s a question concerning science that I have successfully avoided and not answered yet…

Which is right concerning the age of the earth and the creation of mankind? Evolution vs. Creation by God.

Christians disagree on some details of Genesis. Our church believes Genesis teaches six literal days of creation. But whichever view someone holds, every Christian must affirm that God is Creator and mankind bears His image.

And here’s where I want to end with the last piece of evidence.

EVIDENCE #3: SCIENCE CANNOT DISPROVE THE WORD OF GOD

Where we ended last week is exactly where we’ll end this week.

I don’t want to be dismissive of science. I want us to study science as it leads us to God. I want us to grow in our value of science. But we have to realize that science is never enough. Science can tell us many useful and important things, but it can’t tell us the most important truths.

Last week we ended by saying that culture does not tell us what is true. Similarly, science doesn’t tell us the whole truth.

One of those truths that I’ve already hit on is that science reveals God. That’s not entirely true. It reveals an Intelligent Creator. It doesn’t specifically declare that the Creator is our God. That’s why science cannot be the only source of truth.

Psalm 119:160 ESV

160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

John 17:17 KJV 1900

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Science tells us what we observe.Scripture tells us what those observations ultimately mean. If the conclusion science comes to does not adhere to Scripture, then we disregard the conclusion but not the evidence.

What are some conclusions that modern science arrives at that does not adhere to Scripture? (transgender debate, evolution/Big Bang theory…)

Ken Ham, a famous creationist/scientist famously stated this about facts — “Facts don’t speak for themselves. We need to understand that all facts are interpreted, and they are interpreted based on one’s worldview.”

All of humanity interprets facts (observable evidence) through the lens of their particular worldview. So a Christian’s worldview leads them to interpret scientific facts in light of God. An atheist’s worldview leads them to interpret scientific facts in light of the absence of God.

But does it ever seem like all scientists are atheists? Or that all of the teachers at your school are atheists? Or that all smart individuals don’t believe in God? Does it sometimes feel like we have to choose between religion or science?

Let me give some perspective.

Isaac Newton — discovered and popularized the laws of gravity and motion. He deeply believed that God had created the universe, and he wrote more about God than about science.

But what about today? Can leading scientists be Christians today?

Dr. Francis Collins — led the team that first decoded humans DNA. He was not raised as a Christian, but he ended becoming a Christian after one of his patients told him about her faith in Jesus and asked him, “Doctor, what do you believe?”

Joan Centrella — a world expert on black holes. She became a Christian when she was already a top scientist. She said, “I chose to follow Christ because his words impressed me as being true in a very fundamental way.”

When life, your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, or whoever starts to throw tough questions at you about God and science… Know this, you are not alone! God’s people hold to God’s truth. We do not bow to the pressures of the culture around us. We uphold the truth of the Bible as interpreted through the observable evidence around us.

Believers study both Scripture and science in order to truly understand the God who made us and the purpose of our lives.

Science could never disprove of Christianity. Actually it does the opposite.

Even if science convinced every person there was a Creator… science could never tell you that the Creator loves you. Science could never tell you God became flesh. Science could never tell you Jesus died for your sins. Science could never tell you the tomb is empty. For that, we need God's revelation — the Bible.

Science can reveal a Creator. Scripture reveals the Savior.

So instead of asking the question “Can science explain everything?”

The greatest question is, “What will you do with Jesus?” I’ve given evidence to seek God. Creation gives every person enough evidence to seek God. But evidence alone has never saved anyone. Jesus saves.

Science is a wonderful servant but a poor savior. It can reveal aspects of God's creation, but only God's Word reveals God's Son.

Tonight, if you've never trusted Christ, don't just admire the evidence. Respond to the Savior.

Next week we’re going to answer a question that science tries to prove — the question of the natural nature of homosexuality. Here’s the question we’ll ask and answer — Why can’t we just agree that love is love?