Defending the Faith PLANTING THE SEED OF TRUTH AND HOPE IN OTHERS WEEK 4

Evidence of God

Evidence of God - Science  Gravity  Cosmological Constant  Nuclear force

So what are we accomplishing here?  Identifying the impossibilities of chance  Building the basis for our Creator  God is precise We’re Defining Natural Theology

Traditional “Proofs” for the Existence of God  Cosmological argument  Every known thing in the universe has a cause thus the universe itself must have a cause, and the cause of such a great universe can only be God  Teleological argument  (Greek telos meaning end or goal) universe is designed by an intelligent or purposeful God

Traditional “Proofs” for the Existence of God  Ontological argument  Greater than which nothing can be imagined  Moral argument  Man has a sense of right and wrong

Proof of God’s Existence - Science  Earth  Location – Perfect distance  Size – not too small or large  Atmosphere – perfect mix  Moon – Gravitational pulls; tides  Water – every living thing needs it  Makeup of water is perfect  97% of water is saltwater

Proof of God’s Existence - Science  Laws of Nature  They stay constant  Gravity  Speed of light  Dog’s produce dogs  DNA  3 Billion letter program in each cell  2 miles long – One Strand!

The Folly of Man 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16

“I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.” Isaiah 45:12

Arguments for God’s Existence  Creation  The universe had a beginning  Anything that had a beginning must have been caused by something else  Therefore the universe was caused by something else, which we call God  Design

God Forming Us 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:13-16

Proof of God’s Existence - Science  Your Brain  Processes colors, thoughts, objects, other senses  Breathing, heart beating, eyes, hunger, muscles  Brain power – processes 1 Million+ messages a second  ~100 Billion Neurons  5 Trillion transactions every second  Every transaction traveling at 260MPH

Proof of God’s Existence - Science  Your Eye  Distinguish 7 million+ colors (500 shades of Grey)  Auto focus and receives 1.5 Million messages simultaneously  2 Million moving parts  100 Billion Cells

Proof of God’s Existence - Scripture  Psalm 19:1-4 – Heavens declare His glory  Hebrews 3:4  Acts 1:3 “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.” “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

Proof of God’s Existence  Creation – “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20  Conscience – “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:15-16