New Convert-Proofs of Christ
The excitement of a new believer
Acts 9:19-31
Objective: It is my objective that to show that when a person truly accepts Jesus Christ, there is a boldness to share the Gospel. That boldness usually leads to many changes in his life. If there are no changes, there is not salvation.
1. Ready Acts 9:19‑31
2. What happened to Saul
a. Pharisee
b. Persecutor of the church
c. Aggressive—Needed an extreme make over
d. Personality did not change—Go getter and stayed a go getter
3. Paul at salvation;
a. After being saved
b. Immediately was baptized-Pattern of the early church Acts 9:18-19
c. Dynamic debater and had a great grasp on
4. Put all the dots together
a. I have come to Jackson—Still connecting the dots
b. Saul had all the dots-
1. He knew the OT Law
2. He knew the prophecies
3. He knew about Jesus Christ
4. He had not connected the dots to put them all together
c. It took the God Himself to connect the dots in Saul’s mind and life.
Saul, Why are you persecuting me
Who are you, LORD
I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting
Acts 9:1-9
5. Saul began to explain who Jesus was
Acts 9:22 ESV But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
6. Jews reaction to the truth
a. Could accept it
b. Could try to destroy the messenger
7. Principles to look at:
I. Proof that Jesus is the Christ
1) A man in History
‑‑More documentation in history for Jesus actually living than for any other person alive
‑"No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non‑historicity of Jesus" Otto Betz
‑‑Bible can be relied upon to give an accurate portrayal of Jesus Christ
‑‑Other sources in History
==Cornelious Tacitus
==Lucian
==Flacius Josehpus
==Seutonius
==Plinius Secundus, Pliny the younger
==Tertullian
==Justin Martyr
==Jewish Talmuds
2) Jesus as a God
a. Direct claims
b. His trial showed Him to be God
Mark 14:61‑64
Matt 27:43
c. Equality with the Father
John 10:30‑33
John 5:17‑18
d. "I AM"
John 8:58
cf. Exodus 3:14; Isa 43:10‑12
e. Given the same honor as God
John 5:23‑24
f. Believe in me
John 14:1, 9
g. Worshiped which is reserved only for God
Matt 4:10
h. Paul
Phi 2:9‑11
i. John the Baptist
Luk 3:22
j. Peter
Acts 2:36
k. Thomas
John 20:28
l. Stephen
Act 7:59
3) Jesus is Jehovah
4) Jesus titles
1) Old Testament
‑‑Prophecies
‑‑Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament
2) New Testament
II. What if we were wrong?
1 Corinthians 1:21-24. 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ESV
Warning: 2 Peter 3:17. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ESV
A. Questions:
1. What if we are all wrong
2. What if what other religions believe is right?
3. They are just as convinced that they are right.
4. Except the Spirit of God draw them, they will perish.
--Not some feel good statement
--Not some feely – wow, was I blessed because I felt good about it.
III. Can we show people that Jesus Christ is the only way?
A. Facts are necessary before someone can be saved
B. The Holy Spirit must draw a person
C. What can we say logically to back our beliefs
1. Finding different truths in other religions
a. Let’s just extract the truths and all come to God
b. While you may find truths, you will also find lies that will keep you from God
c. Hitler did many things that were considered Good.
Killed 6 million Jews
d. Cake with all the right ingredients, one has arsenic
D. If there is any other religion, that says truth, you can get it all from Jesus
IV. Truth—Heaven and Hell—
A. Jesus talked about Hell
B. We will all be in one place or the other
C. Truth according to you—or Truth according to God’s Word
1. Who is God?
2. Who is Jesus?
3. Are you willing to follow our Great God
a. Is your God, true God or false god
b. Is the Jesus we worship the Jesus that walked 2000 years ago
V. Sincerity—They sincerely believe it to be truth.
A. Does sincerity really matter?
1. Truth gets you to God, not sincerity.
2. There are so many people in other religions
Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, etc. –3 ½ Billion going to Hell
B. God is a Jealous God—Worship no one but me.
1. 10 Commandments—1st command—God is the only one
2. You cannot worship a false God
3. Jealousy
a. Neighbor’s mom or dad—starts calling them dad
b. God wants us to worship HIM ONLY
C. Other religious leaders
--Interesting fact
--Jesus gave to us
--Mohamed demands we give to him
--1 million followers—is it true or a lie yet
--Still a lie—God is not intimidated by numbers
D. Fact—Everyone is worthy of hell and death
--One thing that saves us – Jesus died for our sins
VI. Specific differences:
A. Every religion has a founder
1. What did Jesus Claim about Himself
2. “I am God in the flesh-to Save man
3. No one else has made those claims
B. Jesus backed it up
1. What takes us beyond words?
2. More than a regular human with just words
3. Jesus took command over weather, sickness, etc.
4. Jesus raised people from the dead
Blind to see
Deaf to hear
Lame to walk
C. Jesus fulfilled countless prophecies about Himself
1. 100 % of every prophecy
2. If Jesus did these things, then we can agree that he is telling the truth
a. People do not want to believe that they are true
D. If you could go back and prove that they are all true, then would you believe in Jesus Christ?
VII. Can we believe the Gospel Accounts?
A. Criticisms people will make
1. They are History—The Bible isn’t history
a. Written so long after the fact—15-40 years after the event
b. Historians use to determine what is accurate.
c. Why do we believe that George Washington saying he was president
--No one denies it is true
d. 2nd most proven source of events—Iliad by Homer
--has over 600 documents that corroborate
--1st document was written 500 years after—643 documents
e. Earliest biography of Alexander the Great, written 323 BC
400 years after his death
f. 10 documents – gallant wars by Julius Caesar
g. 2nd most—643 corroborating documents
B. 1st is the New Testament—24,000 corroborating documents
Supporting New Testaments by eye witnesses
1. Jesus was crucified about 33 AD
--Paul died before 70 AD—
--Many documents—how can you remember
--Details of what happened (child born)
2. Magnitude of the event—helps remember
--Someone walking on water
--Healing someone born blind, lame, etc.
C. 3 year window
1. Memory works—Oral tradition is essential
2. We have become a society of people who do not think much
a. Process change—10.00 for 6.73—How much change
b. Before printing press—People lived on memories
VI. Examine the resurrection:--Is it really true?
A. Truths about the resurrection
1. If Jesus did rise from the dead
2. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, our faith is in vain
B. Questions: Pretend he died and stayed dead
1. How would the disciples have responded?
--Human nature is embarrassment
--I guess we were wrong
--There is the Roman guard
--Let’s not talk about this—Jesus is just a regular man
--Is it logical that they would preach that He rose from the dead?
Jerusalem—can prove by the seal and stone
2. 24,000 supporting documents—for the New Testament
None say that he did not raise from the dead?
They stayed silent, had motive to do this
3. Jesus walked on earth 40 days—History records that he appeared to 500 plus women and children.
4. Common knowledge that rose from the dead.
5. 3000 in one day came to Jesus
6. Many more thousand
7. How did Saul become Paul if Jesus did not rise from the dead
C. Outside of the Bible evidences
1. Clement—95 AD—“Resurrection our Lord Jesus Christ
Common Knowledge
2. Ignatius—110 AD—Christ….truly raised from the dead
3. Justin Martyr—
4. Many more quotes—
5. Flavius Josephus 37-97 AD—Historian—Quoted the disciples and others
6. People today who have searched for the evidence
Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel,
Conclusion:
1. If you can accept that Jesus really rose from the dead, give your heart to Jesus Christ.
2. Get busy reaching out to those who are teaching the false religions
3. All other religious leaders died and stayed dead
What have you done with Jesus
Have you had a "crisis" experience with Jesus Christ?
A Case for the Real Jesus.
Good Resource:
A Case for the Real Jesus. By Lee Strobel