FAKE NEWS OR GOOD NEWS?

HOOK (Give the Big Idea)

Open by talking about the Corona Virus (Show some photos)

Illustration: Show slides—news about Corona Virus while asking these questions:

Did you ever receive a news and you aren’t confidently sure that it’s real?

How would you feel if you aren’t sure about the news that you’re getting?

How would you know if the news your getting are fake news?

Why would you believe the news that you are fed?

Perhaps the first things that you’re gonna look into are:

What happened?

Where it happened?

When it happened?

Why it happened?

How it happened?

And most importantly, Who wrote the news? — or from whom the news originally came from?

Now, these questions might be the same questions that you have when it comes to the “Good News”— The very foundation of our faith

How can we be so sure that the Bible is what it says it is? — the Word of God

And if you are not so sure—How can you be so sure about what you believe, and how confident will you be about your eternal future if you doubt the book that says you’re receiving eternal life?

Though the Bible is the most published and translated book in circulation, it is also the most highly debated book in the history of our existence

While we believe that it is the truth, It is not the only holy writings that came to exist and still existing today—we have the:

Quran is the holy book of Islam—1.8 Billion followers (30%)

Vedas written in Sanskrit, the holy book of Hinduism—1.1 Billion (18.4%)

Torah—Pentateuch or the first 5 books of the Holy Bible is revered by the Judaism religion—15 Million (0.25%)

Tripitaka— the traditional term for the Buddhist scriptures—500 Million (8.36%)

The Holy Bible—our book of Christianity—2.4 Billion (40%)

And the rest of the smaller religions (2.78%)—who also have their holy books

Don’t you think these religions are claiming that their books contains the truth?

How will we know that the Bible is what it says it is?

If you already know with 100% confidence that the Bible is truly the Word of God— how will you respond to the claims of its critics that the Bible isn’t?

When Peter talked about suffering for doing good, he said never to return insult with insult—

Have you been insulted because of what you believe?

Or probably the better question is...

How many times have you been insulted because of your dependence on the Holy Bible?

Instead of exchanging insults, Peter said…

1 Peter 3:15–16 NIV

15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

When Paul gave instructions to his spiritual son Timothy about how he must deal with false teachers he said, “stay away from stupid arguments, do not be quarrelsome but instead be kind to anyone— able to teach”

2 Timothy 2:25–26 NIV

25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:

You truly believe that the Bible is what it says it is, how could you be so sure?

Unless you are super confident beyond whatever doubt you have about the authenticity of the book that you considers as supreme authority over your life, you won’t be able to teach— you won’t be able to answer others convincingly—you won’t be able to instruct!

Earlier I said that as we test the news, we subject it to microscopic scrutiny by asking ourselves the following questions:

What happened?— That’s the news itself — in the case of the Bible— it is the birth, life, sufferings, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ—The central figure of the Bible

Why it happened? — Is answerable by the core message from the Father—John 3:16

Where it happened?— Geographical Evidence

When it happened? — Universal Timeline

Why it happened? —

How it happened? — Historical Evidence

And most importantly, Who wrote the news? — from whom the news originally came from?

BOOK (Examine the Scriptures)

LOOK (Expound the Passages)

TOOK (Appeal for Application)