Creation Science

1. Creation Science A Tremendous Witnessing Tool Institute for Scientific & Biblical Research Jan 5, 2012

2. Mars Hill Act 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. Act 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Act 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

3. Everyone Relates to His Creation Rom 1:20 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:

4. Goal • Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…. • Rom 10:14 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? • Do you see any command for us to “Save” that individual? • As Frank Turek would say, “It’s not my job to ‘save’ the person. It’s my job to put a ‘stone’ in his shoe.”

5. Hurdles / Stumbling Blocks • Does “Truth” Exist? • Does “God” Exist? • Do “Miracles” (Supernatural) Exist? • Who is “Jesus”? • Is the “Bible” True? • Death – Resurrection - Salvation

6. Responses Response: Our Excitement Level: Perhaps it should be: 5 1 2 3 4 In order of our “preference:” • They are saved • They don’t respond much at all • They give a response that you can’t address • They are visibly annoyed • They get angry and yell at you

7. Quick Biblical Review Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. When… Biblical genealogies show – Very recently. (Thousands of years, not Billions and Gazillions!) This can be proven with genealogies that are unbroken. Did this happen??

10. Quick Biblical Review • Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. How long… The Biblical timeframe is 6 days. Did it take for this event to happen??

11. Gen 1:5…And the evening and the morning were the first day. • Gen 1:8…And the evening and the morning were the second day. • Gen 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. • Gen 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. • Gen 1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. • Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

12. The days are counted out; first, second, third, etc. • The word “day” is defined each time as evening and morning. • Confirmed multiple times: • Ex 16: Manna predates 10 Commandments • Ex 20: 10 Commandments • Ex 23: The Law (And specifically written again 5 more times.) • Ex 24: Glory of the Lord on Mt Sanai • Ex 31: Reconfirmed; “written with the finger of God.” • Luke 13:14 Confirmed by Jesus Himself. • The whole world uses a calendar with a 7 day week. (Six days of creation plus one day of rest.) • This is not a trivial matter.

13. Quick Biblical Review • “When did it happen” and “How long did it take” are two colossal issues. • This is certainly not the only colossal issue, but is one worth spending a little time on because it is the “excuse” that so many people have for discounting God’s word. • It cannot be reconciled with evolutionary / “deep time” ideology.

14. Biblical Order is True The Young Earth Evolutionary Order Is True By Dr. John Morris Both Biblical & Evolutionary Orders Are True

15. Quick Biblical Review • “When did it happen” and “How long did it take” are two colossal issues. • Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: • Who is this one man? Adam. • Do we strike this whole passage because it refers to Adam?

16. Quick Biblical Review • “When did it happen” and “How long did it take” are two colossal issues. • Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: • 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. • Do we dissect scripture to the point where we believe we have eternal life through Christ, yet we reject Adam?

17. Biblical Order is True The Young Earth Evolutionary Order Is True By Dr. John Morris Both Biblical & Evolutionary Orders Are True

18. Quick Biblical Review The two colossal issues: • Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: • 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. • Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, • Noah is introduced to us in the 135th verse (out of 7959 verses!) • That’s only 1.7% into God’s word. • The flood has obviously shaped the world as we see it today. • And Jesus fully / unquestionably acknowledges this specific event.

19. Quick Biblical Review The two colossal issues. • Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: • 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. • Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, • Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. • Did Jesus “get it wrong?”

20. Quick Biblical Review • This is not just an Old Testament (or Gen 1) issue. • This is foundational; e.g. it sets the standard for the fundamental doctrines of scripture. • Jesus quotes from the Book of Genesis more than any other Book of the Bible. Furthermore: • The “ancient Hebrew manuscript” argument becomes a moot point. Jesus (the fellow who performs the miracles) confirms the creation! • Thus – “creation science” should be a tremendous witnessing tool!

21. Quick Biblical Review • Let’s look at a typical “twisted” ideology: • “I believe the Bible.” • “Cover to cover” • “But, I believe God could have done it billions of years ago and taken millions of years to do it.” • In other words, “I believe that Jesus is God and the key to our salvation, but (when it comes to creation), Jesus got it wrong.” • The reality is, “I don’t really believe the Bible. I pick and choose (based on my own logic and lifestyles) what parts to accept and what parts to reject.” He just won’t state it in this manner.

22. Reasons For This Ideology Why would people hold to this ideology? • They are lost; unsaved. “I don’t want to know.” • Inquisitive. “I really want to know.” • Not technically oriented and don’t really care one way or another. “I trust God and His word. I’ll let Him explain it to me later.” • Technically savvy enough to know the difference but doesn't want to know. “My mind’s made up.”

23. 1) Lost / Unsaved Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. • Keep planting seeds. • May take years.

24. 2) Inquisitive • Feed them bit by bit. • They’ll keep coming back. • At times they may sound challenging. • May take years.

25. 3) Not Technically Oriented This really depends on their walk with God. For some people the “age of the earth” question truly does not distract from their walk with Christ. • Many solid believers fit this description. • Plant an occasional seed as the Lord directs you. • Some of these individuals preach that “age” is a “non-issue.” • You need to tell them – That’s not true! • It’s a major stumbling block for a lot of unbelievers! • Keep planting seeds as you would anyone else. Some of these people just don’t want to admit that it does matter. (Their “non-technical pride” in the way?)

26. 4) Technically Savvy They know better! They are likely using their technical knowledge to “justify” their lack of trust in God’s word. Their walk with Christ may be crippled beyond their recognition. Other areas of their life are likely “justified” as well. • Plant a stone in their shoe that will haunt them until they resolve their issues.

27. More on “Age” • www.AuxtBCR.info • Click on “Articles” • Click on “Thousands or Billions” • http://www.auxtbcr.info/Articles.html

28. So What’s the Point of All of That? • Creation science can be used to “witness” to people for many different reasons: • Directed ultimately towards salvation, • Directed towards spiritual growth and, • With people with many different stumbling blocks: • Does God exist • Do miracles exist • Is the Bible true, etc…….

29. How do I use “Creation Science” as a Witnessing Tool? • Keep in mind, • It is not our responsibility to save the lost. • It is our responsibility to plant the seeds (put a “stone” in their shoe.) • The greater their rejection, the more the Holy Spirit may be working on them. • They can go off on bunny trails faster than you can address them. Don’t take the bait! • Just because they raise an objection or issue that you cannot address, this does not mean that you haven’t placed a painful stone in their shoe!

30. Articulation – “I Just Can’t Articulate Technical Stuff” • That’s OK. • Don’t. • But you can still plant seeds. • You can still place a stone in their shoe. How do we do this? • Ask them to articulate their views. • Keep asking, “And how does that line up with…..?” • They may “sound” like they have all the answers. What you can’t see is what is going on in their head. You may have placed multiple stones in both shoes.

31. Ask Questions • Be a good listener • Why should they listen to you • If you have not listened to them? • “Questions” can be the best tool you can have. • Eliminates need to “appear” all knowledgeable. • Takes some of the pressure off of you. • Leaves them with the questions to address.

32. Hurdles / Stumbling Blocks • Does “Truth” Exist? • Does “God” Exist? • Do “Miracles” (Supernatural) Exist? • Who is “Jesus”? • Is the “Bible” True? • Death – Resurrection – Salvation?

33. Example #1The Origin of the UniverseDoes God Exist? Do Miracles Exist? • You are outside talking with someone. • Strike up a conversation about the “heavens.” • Clouds & sky in the day, • Stars & planets at night. • After both are amazed at the vastness or beauty, ask • “Where do you believe all of this came from?”

34. Example #1The Origin of the Universe (cont) If they say, “It came from the Big Bang.” (Or came from nothing by any natural cause.) Respond, “So, you believe that everything was made out of nothing? Doesn’t that violate some scientific law?” • This is the First Law of Thermodynamics, also known as the “Conservation of Mass and Energy.” • Notice – You don’t need to know anything about that law. Just casually state, “This is one reason I believe there has to be an Omnipotent God.” Gen 1, Rom 1:20, Col 1:16 • No matter what tangent that person heads to next – you have planted a seed, placed a stone in his shoe.

35. Example #1The Origin of the Universe (cont) Respond, “So, you believe that everything has been here forever? ‘Forever’ is a long time. Don’t things kind of wind down over time? If the universe has truly been here forever, Who keeps winding it back up? Doesn’t that violate some scientific law?” If they say, “I believe the universe has always been here.” • This is the Second Law of Thermodynamics, also known as “Entropy.” • Notice – (Once again) You don’t need to know anything about that law. Just casually state, “This is one reason I believe there has to be an Omnipotent God.” • Col 1:17, James 1:17 (“shadow of turning” = “Entropy”)

36. Example #1The Origin of the Universe (cont) No matter what tangent that person heads to next – you have planted a seed, placed a stone in his shoe. Key Point: • If the origin of the universe could not have happened by any “natural” law of physics, then it must have happened via some sort of “supernatural” event. • If it happened via a “supernatural” event, then there must have been an “author” of that supernatural event; therefore “god” exists. • If that author can perform one supernatural event, he can perform others as well; therefore “miracles” also exist.

37. Example #2The Origin of LifeDoes God Exist? • You are outside talking with someone. • Strike up a conversation about the wildlife around you. • The beauty of flowers and trees, • The uniqueness of bugs and animals. • After both are amazed at this beauty and uniqueness (or anywhere the conversation leads), ask “Where do you believe ‘life’ came from?” (By the way, this question stumps even the most ardent atheists.)

38. Example #2The Origin of Life (cont) In this case, he is already admitting that there is a problem, so just “reinforce” his concern. If he says, “I don’t know.” Respond, “That’s one reason I believe in an Omnipotent God.” If he says, “I believe life began on a different planet.” Respond, “Doesn’t that just move the problem from one location to a different location?”

39. Example #2The Origin of Life (cont) Then reinforce your point, “Only a few amino acids are useful to life. All the others are detrimental. So – It’s not a matter of ‘probability.’ I believe that it is not even possible without an Omnipotent God.” If he says, “I believe life was formed in some primordial soup.” Respond, “Aren’t amino acids ‘left handed,’ and ‘right handed’? Don’t they all have to be the same?”

40. Example #2The Origin of Life (cont) • Notice – You don’t even need to know that only some “left handed” amino acids are used as the building blocks for protein. All “right handed” amino acids and some “left handed” amino acids are detrimental to life. • You don’t need to know that the correct name for this “hand” feature is “Chirality.” • Gen 1:27, Gen 2:7 • No matter what tangent that person heads to next – you have planted a seed, placed a stone in his shoe.

41. Example #2The Origin of Life (cont) Key Point: • If the origin of life could not have happened by any “natural” law of physics, then it must have happened via some sort of “supernatural” event. • If it happened via a “supernatural” event, then there must have been an “author” of that supernatural event; therefore “god” exists. • If that author can perform one supernatural event, he can perform others as well; therefore “miracles” also exist. • (Sound familiar??) • Keep in mind – Salvation requires “faith,” but not “blind faith.” Our witnessing tools can be based on what we “see,” not just what we “can’t see.”

42. Example #3Geology - Is the Bible True? • You are talking to someone and see a rock with visible lines of strata. • Driving down the highway seeing a “cut” through the mountain. • Seeing strata that is “bent” is even better. • Talk about the marvels of rocks and crystals. • OR – The marvels of being able to make cuts for highways. • Get to the point of the strata, and that it is very often bent. The sediments had to have been bent before they solidified! • This is tremendous evidence for the flood. Gen 6-8.

43. Example #3Geology (cont) • You could ask, “Have you ever tried to bend a rock?” • Then agree with him! (We can’t) • Ask, “How do you think it got that way?” • Point out, this strata must have been “bent” while still pliable / “plastic.” • Point out, that when you see layer upon layer of bent of “folded” strata, the “folding” must have occurred before the bottom layers solidified. Thus, it happened very quickly. Not over millions of years. • Then refer him to Matt 24: 37-39 where Jesus acknowledged the flood as a real event, not a story.

44. Our “Omnipotent” God- And Connection to Jesus • But – Salvation requires Christ. How do we move our conversation to Christ? • Notice – In Examples #1 - 2, we referred to our “Omnipotent” God. • When we think of the word, “Omnipotent,” we also think of the word: • Supernatural, and the concept of • Miracles • The word “Omnipotent” is key because ultimately, we want to “introduce” that Omnipotent God to the person we are witnessing to.

45. Miracles • Once the person recognizes that “miracles” do exist, then – we need to introduce that person to the “Individual” that can perform miracles. • IF a person can perform miracles, what does that tell us about that person?

46. The Case For Christ

47. The Case For Christby Lee Strobel • The Eyewitness Evidence • Testing The Eyewitness Evidence • The Documentary Evidence • (Are the manuscripts adequately preserved?) • The Corroborating Evidence • (Other non-scriptural evidence) • Scientific Evidence • (Archaeology) • The Identity of Jesus • The Resurrection of Jesus

48. Side Note • By now you can see (and we’re just getting started), this is a huge field! • Do you need to be an expert on every topic?? • NO! • Do you need to be able to adequately articulate every detail that we discuss this evening?? • NO! • Everyone you witness to will be coming from a different background with different hang ups. • Feel free to discuss issues with him as the Lord leads. • Your job is to place a stone in his shoe.

49. Side Note (cont) • Ask questions. • What does this person believe? • Examples #1 and #2 are good for atheists. • Example #3 may be good for someone who believes in “god,” but maybe not the Bible. • OR – depending on how you present it, if you focus on the age with Example #3, you can introduce him to our Omnipotent God. • Point being – As you talk with a person and learn where that person is, you may find an area where you know enough to simply ask him questions. You don’t need to be the “expert.” • Let’s continue with more examples.

50. Example #4The Age of Rocks (Is the Bible True) • You hear someone mention “millions of years.” • Ask, “That’s an interesting comment. Why do you say that?” Respond, “That’s interesting. Are you aware that our measurement processes have gotten so precise that it has been shown that traditional rock dating methods yield as many different ages (for a single rock) as the number of testing methods used to age that rock?!” If they say, “Because of the age of rocks in the geologic column” (or anything to that effect). It is absolutely astounding how many people I have talked to who don’t know why they believe in millions of years! They’ve heard it, believe it, and don’t know why.