Worldview and Apologetics Final

Redemption as a Necessary Solution

- The problem is sin, we can't fix it

- General revelation (observation, seeing the reality of a broken world) can teach us about the fall, but only special revelation (Scriptures) can teach us about salvation.

- All other human religions besides Christianity rely on human efforts and good works to "fix" the world

General revelation (observation, seeing the reality of a broken world) can teach us about

The Fall

Only special revelation (Scriptures) can teach us about

Salvation

Only __________________ realizes salvation can only come from God

Christianity

Redemption as an accomplished solution:

Redemption is the work of the triune God:

- The Father took the initiative to love us

- He sent the Son to take on flesh and die in our place

- The Spirit take the redemptive work and applies it to the believer

Genesis 1-2 are about

Creation

Genesis 3 is about the

Fall

The rest of the Bible is about the

Redemption God is providing through the Messiah

God entered into the world He made and suffered the

Misery of the fallen condition (incarnation)

In His Humanity, Christ perfectly obeyed

the law and did what God demanded

He also took the punishment that

sin deserved, suffering the eternal wrath of God at six hours on the cross

On the third day, Jesus

was raised again, in an immortal body

A Personal Solution:

- No need for guilt, Christ has paid the penalty

- No need to be separated from God, but instead now have fellowship

- No need to be separated from others, as we can share God's love with them

- No need to fear death, since Christ gives us victory over it

- We find out true identity in Christ, as we seek to become more like Him, to love what He loves, to do what He does

A Broad Solution:

- We are part of a community of believers, connected to each other by our common bond in Christ

- We live in a creation that will also experience the beauty of redemption

- This means everything in our lives is sacred to Him

- If all truth is indeed God's truth, then everything that contains God's truth can bring glory to God

If all truth is indeed God's truth, then everything that contains God's truth can bring glory to God:

- Truth can be found in the sciences, arts, history, etc

- There is also truth and beauty in other peoples and cultures

Total Solution:

- Redemption is not just the buying back of your soul to God, but also every aspect of life

- The Great commission includes that Jesus taught

- Areas that should be affected by redemption

- So what is the meaning of life?

So what is the meaning of life?

- To experience redemption

- To share redemption

- To exercise redemption in all areas of God-ordained dominion

2 Introductions to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ:

- The central focus of our worldview is Jesus

- Jesus' claims and life are empty apart from the resurrection

The central focus of our worldview is Jesus:

He is the:

God that created - Creation

Righteous judge of skin - Corruption

Redeemer - Redemption

Restorer - Restoration

The significance of the resurrection:

- Paul argues that if Christ is not raised, then nothing else matters (1. Cor. 15:12-19)

- The resurrection is the center of NT theology

Without the resurrection:

- We have no foundation for faith

- We have no trust in the apostles

- We have no redemption of sin

- We have no hope of resurrection for ourselves and others

The resurrection is the center of NT theology:

- Christianity rises and falls on the resurrection

- To accept the gospel is to accept the resurrection

- The gospel message propagated by the church is built on the resurrection

- Our understanding of the future involves the resurrection

The claims that Christ would be raised from the Dead:

- The Old testament predicted the resurrection

- Jesus predicted His own resurrection

- The significance of the claims

The significance of the claims

- Prophets were held accountable

- Jesus' predictions were fulfilled

We have evidence of the Resurrection through:

- normal standard of historical proof

- minimal facts approach

- honest examination of historical proof

Through normal standard of historical proof:

- Multiple, independent sources

- Eyewitness testimony

- Early testimony

- Large body of consistent testimony

Multiple, independent sources:

- NT authors

- 20 early Christian authors

- 9 Secular writers

indisputable historical facts that even critics and skeptics accept

Minimal Facts

Minimal Facts Approach:

- The Crucifixion

- The Empty Tomb

- The Apostle Paul

He was an important Pharisee

He suffered and died as a Christian

- The changed disciples

They abandoned Jesus

They lived for Jesus

The Crucifixion:

- His death was recorded in all four Gospels

- The physical details are accurate

- "On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ"

The Empty Tomb:

- Testimony of women prove this is historical

- The Roman soldiers prove this was historical

The Apostle Paul:

- He was an important Pharisee

- He suffered and died as a Christian

The Changed Disciples:

- They abandoned Jesus

- They lived for Jesus

Honest examination of historical proof

- Absolute certainty vs adequate certainty

- Abductive reasoning

Absolute certainty vs adequate certainty:

- Absolute certainty is not possible in historical investigation

- Adequate certainty is the standard for historical proof

Abductive reasoning:

- Compile all available evidence

- Produce the most reasonable conclusion

If Jesus was raised from the dead, then

God raised Him from the dead

If God raised Him from the dead,

God approves of all Jesus did and said

If God approves of all that Jesus did and said, then

Everything about Jesus is true

If everything that Jesus said is true, then

the Bible is true

If the Bible is true, then

all of Christianity is true

3 topics of Restoration:

- The Best is Yet to come

- What happens when I die?

- What do we know about the future?

What happens when I die?

Hinduism says we are

reincarnated

Naturalism says we

become extinct

Pantheism says we

become one with the universe

Christianity says

this is not the end, and that our present life has future consequences

What do we know about the future?

- There is life after death

- Jesus is coming back

- Sin will be dealt with

- The world will be made right

Redemption is

- creation

- our bodies

- our relationships

- worship

This allows us to truly understand the meaning and purpose of life...

to work today for the glory of God in the future

Two types of Eschatology:

Personal and General

Personal Eschatology

Prior to the Time of Christ:

- The Old testament speaks of both believers and unbelievers going to "sheol", or hell

- We get a better understanding of this in the New Testament in the story of the Rich man and Lazarus

We get a better understanding of this in the New Testament in the story of the Rich man and Lazarus:

- "Hell" had two divisions, or compartments

- Lazarus is taken to Abraham's bosom, and the Rich man is taken to "hell, being in torments"

- Heaven was not accessible yet

Since the Time of Christ:

- When Jesus died, He went to Paradise

- Jesus' sacrifice allowed the redeemed in Paradise (the good side of "hell") to now have access to heaven

- "Paradise" is now in heaven with God

- Believers today go immediately to this heaven when they die

- Unsaved today are still consigned to the bad compartment of sheol/hell, awaiting their final judgment

General Eschatology includes:

- Rapture

- Judgment Seat of Christ

- Tribulation

- Second Coming

- Millennium

- Great White Throne

- Eternity

the resurrection and glorification of church-age believers (dead and living) to meet Christ in the air and join Him in heaven

Rapture

a time of reward for believers for faithful service. These rewards are connected to positions of service in the future kingdom

Judgment Seat of Christ

A 7-year period of the wrath of God upon mankind, calling all to repentance, and preparing Israel to receive her Messiah

Tribulation

Christ's physical return to the earth to ultimately judge sinful mankind and establish His literal kingdom

Second Coming

The 1,000 year literal reign of Christ on earth

Millennium

The final judgment of all unsaved dead

Great White Throne

The culmination of all of God's plans for restoration

Eternity

1600's and earlier

Premodernism

Premodernism characteristics:

- Scripture generally held as fact

- Absolute truth could be known and acted upon

- Knowledge based on authoritative tradition

Who said this?

"I believe in order that I may understand"

Anselm

1700s to 1900s

Modernism

Modernism Characteristics:

- Emphasis on verifiable truth

- Man as the authority instead of God

- Man can solve all problems through the scientific method

Who said this?

"I think therefore I am."

Descartes

Mid 1900's to present

Postmodernism

About postmodernism:

- The scientific method and man did not solve all problems (Stalin, Hitler, etc)

- Was born out of a response to the dissatisfaction of modernism

Characteristics of Postmodernism

- Relativism

- Pluralism

- Collectivism

- Pragmatism

- Secularism

what is true for one may not be true for another

Relativism

Relativism includes:

- Belief in no absolute truth

- Absolutes give way to preferences

forced acceptance of differences

Pluralism

3 aspects of pluralism:

- pluralism is required

- All ideas are given equal status

- Toleration of all ideas is required

Toleration of all ideas is required

- Since no absolutes exist, everyone has a right to their own philosophies and beliefs

- It prohibits "judgmentalism" because it cannot condemn or ciritice differences

cooperation and consensus are expected

Collectivism

Collectivism aspects:

- Cooperation with others (society) is needed

- Truth becomes what we as a community agree to and accept

doing what "works" and the "end justifies the means"

Pragmatism

Pragmatism includes:

- Since there are no universal principles, we do whatever works best

- Inconsistency isn't a problem, because we are simply living by the moment

de-emphasis on religion

Secularism

Secularism aspects:

- Because religion by nature deals with absolutes, and absolutes no longer exist, religion is no longer necessary

- Religion wants to be heard, it must become more "entertainment" than "fulfillment"

2 areas we should recognize Postmodernism:

- In culture

- In ourselves

In culture

"And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times"....

1 Chronicles 12:32

In ourselves

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

Colossians 2:8

4 questions to ask ourselves:

Are we deciding based on what's right or what's immediate?

Do we determine what's right and wrong based on what those around us believe?

Do we lie in light of absolutes ?

Do we fear "judgmentalism"?

Responding to Postmodernism in General:

- Share the Gospel

- Know what you believe

- Draw attention to the absolutes of the Bible

- Be Christlike in your interactions with others

- Remember worldviews weren't formed overnight, and won't be changed that way either

Know what you believe

- Our source of truth is the Bible

- Our world will be won with the truths from the Bible

Responding to Postmodernism Specifically through Relativism:

- Don't live as though truth doesn't matter and as if answers don't exist

- God is an absolute, and He has given us absolutes in His word

Responding to Postmodernism Specifically through Pluralism:

- There is a place for preferences

- Preferences don't supersede truth

Responding to Postmodernism Specifically through Collectivism:

- Truth is determined by the Word of God not by consensus

- Right is right no matter how many people are against and wrong is wrong no matter how many people are for it

Responding to Postmodernism Specifically through Pragmatism:

- Just because something achieves a desired end doesn't make it justified

- Learn to discern the difference between methods and truth

Responding to Postmodernism Specifically through Secularism:

- We need to ensure that out churches and religious institutions are broadcasters of truth, and not just purveyors of entertainment

- While Society sees religion as irrelevant, we have the ONLY message there is ... salvation through Jesus Christ

The Characteristics of Marxism:

- Socialism

- Communism

- Class equality through economic revolution

- Expansion of Application

An economic system based upon governmental or communal ownership of the means of production and distribution of good and services

Socialism

A classless and stateless utopian society in which all property is commonly owned and each person is paid according to his or her abilities and needs

Communism

those who own the means of productions

Bourgeoisie

the working class wage earners who do not own the means of production

Proletariat

Class struggles are how progress is made toward communism

- Classes are defined and divided

- Classes clash with each other

- Violence is a fundamental feature of marxism

- Classes are eliminated and progress is made toward communism

The oppressed vs. the oppressors

- Climate defenders

- Religions vs not religions

- Straight vs. lgbtq

- Race

The Worldview of Marxism

- Aesthetic and materialistic

- Struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed

- Communism