Amazing Coincidences

Transcription

1 Sermon #783 Amazing Coincidences by Brett Hickey You are likely familiar with two of America s founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Jefferson crafted the Declaration of Independence, showing drafts of it to Adams, who (with Benjamin Franklin) helped to edit and hone it. The document was endorsed by the Continental Congress on July 4, Both men later became Presidents of the United States. What is really interesting is that both Jefferson and Adams died on the same day, July 4, 1826 exactly 50 years from the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That s an amazing coincidence! 1 According to NationalGeographic.com, the odds of being struck by lightning in any one year are 1 in 750,000. That doesn t sound like much of a threat, does it? But, the odds of being struck in your lifetime are 1 in 6, That might make you a little bit more cautious in the midst of a storm. Being struck by lightning is serious business. About ten percent of lightning-strike victims are killed and seventy percent suffer serious long-term effects. 3 Injuries from lightning range from severe burns and permanent brain damage to memory loss and personality change. The National Weather service says that an average of fifty-seven people are killed by lightning every year. 4 Now that we ve gone into all that, have you ever heard of Roy Sullivan? Sullivan was a United States park ranger in Virginia. Sullivan survived being hit by lightning not once; not twice, but seven different times 5. Surely you can agree that being struck by lightning seven times is an amazing coincidence. What s even more amazing is that Sullivan survived all of these lightning strikes. Some people consider it merely another amazing coincidence that on numerous occasions in the New Testament people s hearing the gospel (i.e., hearing the word of God), precedes faith. In Acts 2, the apostle Peter preaches a stirring sermon explaining how the events of the day of Pentecost fulfilled the prophecy of Joel, and how the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of David and Isaiah. Then, he declares in verse 36, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. NKJV 6 In verse 37, the Bible says, Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? [italics mine] They heard the gospel before it germinated and generated faith in their hearts. Was this a mere coincidence? Stay with us and will take a closer look, right after our song Some believers say it is a coincidence (in Acts 2) that faith was generated in Peter s audience after hearing. Folks, I can assure you that this was no coincidence; this is God s plan from the beginning! There are many scriptures bearing out this truth. Jesus said in John 17:20, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word You always see hearing first, followed by faith. Watch the pattern repeat itself. Recounting the events with Cornelius and his household in Acts 15:7, Peter said, Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. Hearing, then faith. 1 (Accessed March 13, 2011) 2 (Accessed March 13, 2011) 3 Accessed March 13, 2011) 4 (Accessed March 13, 2011) 5 (Accessed March 13, 2011) 6 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 1

2 Amazing Coincidences, by Brett Hickey, sermon #783 2 of 5 When commending the spiritual hunger and integrity of the people from Berea, Luke writes in Acts 17:11-12, These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. Notice that they received the word and as a result they believed. Jesus makes the same point clear as the fourth gospel comes to a close in John 20:30-31: And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Clearly, the Holy Spirit is saying that the words written about Jesus in the gospel of John and, by extension, the other gospels, were written to produce faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Wouldn t it be great if we could have witnessed Jesus wowing everyone in the temple at age twelve with His understanding and answers? (Luke 2:46-48) What a blessing it would have been to hear the Sermon on the Mount in person or to have seen Jesus feed the multitudes with a few loaves and fishes or to have seen Him raise Lazarus from the dead? How thrilling it would have been to see Jesus after His own resurrection? The Holy Spirit, however, makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that Jesus true disciples walk by faith and not by sight. Thomas told the other apostles in John 20:25, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." Jesus bent over backwards for Thomas, but personal appearances would not be an ongoing means of gaining followers. Jesus says, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (v. 29) Immediately afterward, John says these words are written that you may believe and have life in his name. This distinction is reiterated in Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the evidence of things not seen. Faith involves hearing not seeing, touching or feeling. Perhaps the most eloquent teaching on the relation between faith and the word of God comes from Romans 10:14-18, How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, LORD, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard?" [italics mine] Instead of promising some miraculous experience, Paul emphasizes the importance of hearing the gospel. Five times the words, hear, hearing and heard are highlighted as the starting point in the conversion process. You don t need to see an angel or a cloud shaped as a cross to develop faith; your hair doesn t need to stand on end, and your skin doesn t need to tingle. You must simply hear the gospel the word of God. That s why no Christians have ever been found where the word of God has not been. Listen to the Spirit: faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom. 10:17) No coincidence; this is God s design. No salvation without faith; no faith without hearing the gospel. Amazing Contradictions Our world is filled with contradictions. Many say they want to do their part to save the environment to make the world a better place for their children, but then some of these same people turn around and support abortion. Many living in a concrete metropolis say, Go green. Teenagers plead for independence, but prefer t-shirts with the same word as everyone else Aeropostale. My generation

3 Amazing Coincidences, by Brett Hickey, sermon #783 3 of 5 preferred an alligator or a man on a horse. My favorite contradiction, though, is how people rush to the YMCA to exercise, but then drive around the parking lot waiting for a space close to the door. Amazing contradictions! Unfortunately, some see a contradiction in two great passages on salvation by faith. Incidentally, we all agree that we are saved by grace. Grace is God s part in salvation. Grace means simply unmerited favor or unearned kindness. Who would argue that without God extending kindness toward us a kindness we could not earn we would be without hope. Although, God s grace has been potentially provided for all men (Titus 2:11), not all men will be saved (Matt. 7:13-14). What separates the saved from the unsaved? Faith! Genuine faith. That brings us to our two Bible passages on faith that some find contradictory. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-10, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. The Bible teaches in James 2:17-26, Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! But do you want to know 7, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. [italics mine] A surface reading certainly gives the appearance of disagreement. Paul writes, For by grace you have been saved through faith not of works, lest anyone should boast while James says, a man is justified by works, and not by faith only and faith without works is dead... And what about Jesus saying in Mark 16:16, He that believes and is baptized will be saved or when Peter writes baptism also saves us in I Peter 3:21 or when Paul was urged by Ananias in Acts 22:16, arise and be baptized and wash away your sins Do these scriptures harmonize with Ephesians 2:8, For by grace you have been saved through faith not of works, lest anyone should boast? These passages harmonize when we recognize from the context that different issues are being addressed. When Paul says, For by grace you have been saved through faith not of works, lest anyone should boast, (Eph 2:8) he was addressing the greatest conflict in the early church the attempt of Judaizing teachers to make keeping the law of Moses essential to salvation. The Holy Spirit repeatedly rejects this idea in Scripture; this is one of those times. Meanwhile, in James 2, the Holy Spirit addresses the false idea that faith can save in the absence of obedience. Using the negative example of demons and the positive examples of Abraham and Rahab, the writer stresses that faith is empty faith is dead when unaccompanied by obedience. 7 The NIV reads: You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. (Jas 2:20-22)

4 Amazing Coincidences, by Brett Hickey, sermon #783 4 of 5 Instead of seeing a contradiction, the Christian should see how a close examination of these passages is a great help in honing ones understanding of the relationship between faith and works. In these two passages, the key difference between the works that save and the works that do not save is the core motivation behind those works. In Ephesians 2, the Spirit emphasizes that when those works are performed in an attempt to earn one s righteousness or to put God in debt, they cannot save. Seeking flawless perfection in keeping the Law of Moses is excluded; coming up with one s own list of good deeds to outweigh their evil deeds cannot save either. By good deeds of our own devising, I m referring to acts like giving generously to the Red Cross, March of Dimes or some other charity, volunteering at a hospital, or visiting a nursing home. No amount of good works can compensate for even one sin. Instead, our salvation must be rooted in faith. In James 2:24, when the writer declares, a man is justified by works, and not by faith only, he is addressing the mistaken notion that one mentally acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God can save his soul. What a powerful argument to illustrate his point in verse 19, You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! He goes on to explain the difference between a living faith and a dead faith. The passage says that you can recognize living faith because that man who has it follows through on his faith with action, with obedience. So, you can see that these two passages on faith and works do not contradict each other, but complete each other. When you blend the teaching of both passages, you can summarize the message this way: we are saved by faith, not by the works of the old law or by self-devised works, but by following through on our faith by obeying Christ. Some of the folks who struggle to keep faith in its proper Scriptural context make the same mistake with Martin Luther on faith and works. Luther, the brilliant priest that ignited the Reformation, stood up for the word of God and against the Roman Catholic Church. Luther was repulsed by the endless works invented by the Catholic Church. The final straw was the Tetzel s shameless sale of indulgences. None of these human works could justify man. Unfortunately, many rally behind Luther s cry for salvation by faith only insisting baptism is not required for salvation. They misrepresent both Luther and the Scriptures. While Luther held firmly to the doctrine of faith only, he also maintained that baptism was essential to salvation as an extension of that faith. In other words, one submits to the Holy Spirit s teaching on baptism when he follows through on his faith. Luther wrote in his Large Catechism, Baptism is no human trifle, but instituted by God Himself, moreover, that it is most solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we cannot be saved, lest any one regard it as a trifling matter, like putting on a new red coat. For it is of the greatest importance that we esteem Baptism excellent, glorious, and exalted, for which we contend and fight chiefly, because the world is now so full of sects clamoring that Baptism is an external thing, and that external things are of no benefit... Therefore although (baptism) is performed by human hands, it is nevertheless truly God's own work. 8 So, you can see that Luther had to deal with the two extremes that troubled Paul and James. On the one hand, the Roman Catholic Church imposed their own set of works to merit salvation just as the Jews tried to bind circumcision. On the other hand, sects in Luther s day rejected the necessity of baptism as some that James addressed imagined that a dead faith could save. 8 (Accessed March 13, 2011)

5 Amazing Coincidences, by Brett Hickey, sermon #783 5 of 5 Listen to Luther a little later on in his Larger Catechism: But as our would-be wise, new spirits assert that faith alone saves, and that works and external things avail nothing, we answer: It is true, indeed, that nothing in us is of any avail but faith, as we shall hear still further. But these blind guides are unwilling to see this, namely, that faith must have something which it believes, that is, of which it takes hold, and upon which it stands and rests. Thus faith clings to the water, and believes that it is Baptism, in which there is pure salvation and life; not through the water (as we have sufficiently stated), but through the fact that it is embodied in the Word and institution of God, and the name of God inheres in it... Hence it follows that whoever rejects Baptism rejects the Word of God, faith, and Christ, who directs us thither and binds us to Baptism. 9 We are saved by faith (Eph. 2:8-9); we are saved by works (James 2); we are saved by baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). No contradiction! If you are interested in a copy of this message, stay with us and we will tell you how to do so, right after our song Thank you for watching Let the Bible Speak. We pray you have heard God speak to you through His word. If you d like a copy of this sermon, Amazing Coincidences and Contradictions, please write the address to follow and we ll be glad to send it to you. We also offer our free Bible study course that you can complete at home. Join our group page on Facebook for updates on the sermon airing each week. We welcome your comments and questions. Finally, we echo the sentiment of the apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans 16:16, the churches of Christ salute you. Until next week, goodbye and God bless. Sermon delivered by evangelist Brett Hickey over Let the Bible Speak December 11, 2010 Are you searching for the truth of God's word and have a sincere desire to learn about the Bible? Do you want to know what the Bible says about salvation and about Christ and His church? If you are looking for Bible Founded discussion on these topics and many others, then please accept this invitation to explore "Let the Bible Speak" and then contact us for additional studies. We are members of the church of Christ as found in the New Testament. We are not members of a denomination or earthly religious organization. We are a brotherhood of believers, joined by a common bond, Jesus Christ. We try to live and worship following the patterns found in the New Testament. (For manuscripts of other sermons visit: COPYRIGHT Let The Bible Speak. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Express permission is granted to distribute any video, audio, or transcript of any broadcast message as long as the material is: unedited and attribution is given to Let the Bible Speak; a hyperlink to LettheBibleSpeak.com is included for electronic distribution; a text reference is included to for printed distribution; and the original author receives attribution. An irrevocable, world-wide, royalty free license for distribution is granted as long as such distribution has the intent of: supporting the truth as presented; giving glory and honor to God; and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. PDF, 3/13/ (Accessed March 13, 2011)