Defending the Faith

verse 15, it says, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you yet with gentleness and reverence. That word defense in that verse in the Greek is the word apologia. And from the word apologia, we get the word apologetics and apologetics is a type of study where they focused on, uh, evidence that supports the scriptures. Evidence that supports the Christian faith so that you can have confidence in God's word.

It says in Romans chapter 15, verse four, for whatever was written in early times was written for our instruction that through perseverance and the encouragement of scripture, we might have hope. The scriptures are our basis of our faith. And so we have to know and understand that God's word is true. And there's a lot of evidence out there. And it's important that we be able to know that evidence so that we can share with other people.

Because when I talk to a lot of nonbelievers, they have a lot of arguments for why they don't believe the scriptures. It's just written by man. It's full of contradictions. You can't believe what it says. And most of them haven't ever actually read the scriptures to know what it says. And when you make a defense for the faith, it's not about winning an argument.

It's not about you having the final say in what's happening. It's about you planting a seed in their lives and God will take care of the rest. Uh, we had this one guy I work where I work at. Uh, it's an elevator company and I work in what we refer to as the retirement department. I've got me and this other guy have the easiest job as the entire plant. And when somebody gets injured,

they will bring that person injured back to us to babysit. And we will. And, and me and the other guy that worked back there, we're both believers. We have Christian music playing most of the time. And this guy came back there, just, just adamant against God. And we spent all day and trying to share with him about to convince him that, God is true and that He's real and indeed He's God in His life. And

when it came down, we knew there wasn't anything we were going to say that was going to convince Him that God was real. And so I asked Him, I said, do you care if we pray for Him? He goes, yeah, you can pray for me, but I'm not closing my eyes. And so we prayed for Him. And I just prayed, Lord, You're the only one who can convince Him that You're real. He's not going to

believe anybody else, but He will believe You, and You're the one who has to convince Him. And we left it at that. And that's the way it is. It's why it says at the end of the verse in 1 Peter, it says, we're to make a defense for our faith, yet with gentleness and reverence. It's not about arguing and trying to prove yourself right. All you've got to do is plant a seed and

let God take care of the rest of it. So in 1 Peter 1, verse 3, it says, Blessed be the God and Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ from the dead. In the last part of Matthew, it talks about how the Jews said that the disciples came and stole the body, and they paid off the guards and stuff, money to tell the lie that He had been stolen by the disciples. But if you look at it,

all 11 of the disciples, John was the only one who didn't die for his faith. And if they had stolen the body and the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a lie, all 11 of those apostles died for a lie. And John, the only reason he didn't die is because they were going to boil him in oil and God intervened, and they ended up sending him to the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. But not one of those guys said that the resurrection was a lie, that it was a hoax.

There's one theory out there that Jesus didn't actually die on the cross, that they buried Him alive in that tomb, and then He woke up, pushed the rock out of the way, escaped. Went and married Mary Magdalene, had a bunch of kids, and lived out His days. But when you look at all the evidence there is that supports the resurrection, it takes more faith to believe that He didn't rise from the dead than it does to actually believe the evidence that He did rise. So what I want to do now is go through, and I'm going to look at some of the background of the Bible so that you can understand the extent that God went to so that we would know that what He has in this Word is true.

The Bible is made up of 66 books. There's 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Did I just say New Testament twice? Okay. It was written by 40 plus authors over a 1,600 year span on three continents in three different languages. Hebrew mostly in the Old Testament, Greek in the New, but Aramaic was also used in Ezra, Daniel, Jeremiah, a few places like that.

These authors were all different. Some of them were kings, some of them were fishermen, some were shepherds. They wrote in different places. Some wrote in the wilderness, some wrote in palaces, some wrote in prison. Over a 1,600 year span, all these different people, three different continents, three different languages, and yet when you read the Bible from beginning to end, it reads as though

one person wrote the entire Bible. And that's because the Holy Spirit was involved in this, and it was God that did it all. And it all just flows. Paradise lost at the beginning of Genesis is paradise found at the end of Revelation. It just flows. And in 2 Peter 1, verse 19-21 it says, And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention, as to

the lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. When it says that they were moved by the Holy Spirit, it means that they were kept in balance in what they did. When you read the Scriptures, their personalities

come out, their styles come out, but yet it is all directed by God. And there's two types of balances. There's static balance, and there's dynamic balance. Static balance is where when you take like a broom handle and you stand it up and try to get it to where it just stands in place and doesn't fall over, that would be static balance. Dynamic balance is where something is in balance while it's in motion

and it's moving, like a top. A top is spinning, it's in one place, but it's moving the whole time. That's how it was when these guys wrote. They wrote as they were moved dynamically by the Holy Spirit. They were kept in balance by the Holy Spirit as they wrote the Scriptures. So there's not any error in the Scriptures that affects our faith. The Bible has been read

by more people and published in more languages than any other book. It has been chopped up, dissected, scrutinized more than any other book, but yet it still stands as the Word of God. Archaeologists are constantly digging up new evidence that supports the Bible. And every time somebody has something that they think disproves the Bible, archaeology comes up, and there's something else that comes up that just goes along with Scripture again. Over and over again, the Scriptures keep getting

backed up. And Bible prophecy is one of the things God uses to show us more than anything else that He can be trusted. In Isaiah 44, 6-8 it says, Thus saith the Lord, The Lord of hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and there is no God besides me. And he who is like me, let him proclaim and declare it, yes, let him recount it to me in order from the time that I established the ancient nation.

And let him declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place. Do not tremble and do not be afraid. Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are my witnesses. Is there any God besides? Is there any God besides me? And is there any other rock? I know of none. Isaiah 42, 9 says, Behold, the former things have come to pass. Now I declare new things.

Before they spring forth, I proclaim them to you. God tells us ahead of time what He's going to do. He lets us know what's going to happen ahead of time so we know that it's of Him. Jesus said the same thing twice in the Gospel of John. In John chapter 13, verse 19 He says, From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass so that when it does occur you may believe that I am He.

That He is God manifested in the flesh. John 14, 29 says, And now I have told you before it comes to pass that when it comes to pass you may believe. So I want to take a look down. I want to look at some of the predictions that are made in the Scriptures and look at what has happened. One of them I want to look at is the destruction of the city of Tyre. And if you want to turn here, you can. We're going to be in Ezekiel chapter 26 looking at the first

14 verses. And Tyre is a city that was located on the Mediterranean coastline of Lebanon on the southern part. And part of the city was on land on the coast and part of the land, the city existed a half mile off on an island. So the city was divided by water. But Tyre, Josiah had a, before they went into Babylon and captivity he had shared how that the city was divided by water. And Tyre had a, before they went into Babylon and captivity.

He had tried to get rid of all the idols and false gods in Israel. Josiah had tried to get rid of everything. He tried to clean up Israel as a nation. And all the gods that he was cleaning up in Israel were the gods that they worshipped in Tyre. And this is what because in 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. Tyre was rejoicing because Jerusalem was destroyed. And so God made a prophecy

against them. And so God made a prophecy against them. Because of the rejoicing of Jerusalem's destruction. And this is what it says. Now it came about in the eleventh year on the first of the month that the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, Ah, the gateway of the people is broken. It has opened to me. I shall be filled now that she has laid waste. Therefore thus

saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring you up bring up many nations against you as the sea brings up its waves and they will destroy you. And I will bring you up many nations against you as the sea brings up its waves and they will destroy you. destroy the walls of Tyre and break down their towers. And I will scrape her debris from her and make her bare rock. She will be a place

for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea. For I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she will become a spoil for the nations. Also her daughters who are on the mainland will be slain by the sword and they will know that I am the Lord. For thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, king of

kings with horses. and chariots, cavalry, and a great army. He will slay young daughters on the mainland with the sword and he will make siege walls against you, cast up a mount against you, and raise up a large shield against you. And the blow of his battering ramps he will direct against your walls, and with his axe he will break down your towers. Because of the multitude of his horses, the dust

raised by them will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of cavalry and wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached. With the hooves of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will slay your people with the sword and your young and your strong pillars will come down to the ground. Also they will make a

spoil of your riches and fray of your merchandise, break down your walls, destroy your pleasant houses, and throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water. So I will silence the sound of your songs and the sound of your harps will be heard no more, and I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place for spreading of nets. You will be built no more, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Lord God.

There are several things in this prophecy. Many nations are going to come against Tyre like waves. One after another there's going to be nations that come against this city. They're going to make her bare like a bare rock. Nebuchadnezzar will destroy the mainland part of the city. The debris of the city will be thrown in the water. Fishermen will spread their

nets over the site and the city will never be rebuilt. This prophecy was given sometime between 586 and 576 B.C. In 573, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the mainland city of Tyre. Two hundred years later, Alexander the Great in 332 made a bridge for the mainland, took the time and built a bridge for a half mile long bridge because Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city on the main coast, but the city still existed on the island. And he took

the time to build a half mile long bridge for the mainland out to the island, went onto the island, destroyed the island, cast everything off into the sea and left it as a bare rock. And they started using it, fishermen started using it to lay their nets. But the people still wanted to still try to go against God's word and kept trying to build it. In fact, it still existed as a city.

Jesus in Matthew chapter 15 and Mark chapter 7 states that Jesus visited that town and Paul stated that he stayed there for seven days. But in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Muslims and Crusaders were both fighting over that site because it's a it's a very, it's a very prime spot to have a city. And the Muslims and for 200 years, the Muslims and the Crusaders were fighting over that city and they destroyed it so bad that now there's nothing left of that city. There's nothing there. Nobody's there anymore. It's just an empty city. It took time.

God said it would come in waves, but the city ceased to exist just as God said it would. The Bible predicts that the rise and fall of empires like Babylon, Persia, Greece, the Roman Empire, all those empires were predicted before they came about. God said they were going to happen. And then he said that also that the revived Roman Empire that we're seeing taking shape in Europe today is starting to take shape. He said there would be another empire coming up. And if you

watch the European Union, you see that that empire is getting ready to take shape. This is what, and not only that, God even called Cyrus, the king of Persia by name some 200 years before he was born. Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 44 and 14. He says it is I who says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd and he will perform all my desire. And he declares of Jerusalem, she will be built and have the temple. Your

foundation will be laid. Thus says the Lord to Cyrus, his anointed, whom I have taken by the right hand to subdue nations before him and to loose the loins of kings to open doors before him so that the gates will not be shut. I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through the iron bars. And I will give you the treasure of darkness and hidden wealth of

secret places in order that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. For the sake of Jacob, my servant, and Israel, my chosen one, I have also called you by your name. He emphasizes it twice because this prophecy is given 200 years before Cyrus was even born. I have given you a title of Arth, though you have not known me. Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.

and the next year he issued a decree for the Jews to go back to Israel. He was sent to Israel to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. And in 586, when Israel's 70 years of captivity were over, they were back in their land. Two-thirds of the Bible is about Israel, and God has chosen to use Israel as a prophetic clock to reveal His plan for the ages. There are four regatherings of the Jewish people to their land spoken

of in the Bible. The first one has to do with Egypt. In Genesis chapter 15 it says, And God said to Abram, Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, for they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterwards they will come out with many possessions. The fulfillment is found in Exodus chapter 12. It says, Now the time

that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt were 430 years, and it came about at the end of 430 years to the very day that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. So God said that the Jews, there's a famine in the land, they went to Egypt, they became slaves in Egypt. And He told them ahead of time that they'd be there for like 400 years, and that they would come back to Israel. That was the first regathering. The second regathering was from

Babylon captivity. Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 10 says, For thus says the Lord, When 70 years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you to bring you back to this place. The reason they went into Babylon captivity for 70 years is because the Jews were supposed to keep the Sabbath year. Every seventh year was a Sabbath year, and they weren't supposed to plant any crops.

Every seventh year, they're supposed to let the land just rest. For 490 years, they didn't do that. And so God said, All right, you guys owe me 70 years worth of Sabbaths I'm going to collect up on the Sabbaths you owe me. You guys are going into Babylonian captivity for 70 years, and while you're there, the land is going to rest, and then I will bring you back. And so anyway, Jeremiah prophesied in chapter 29, and then in Ezra chapter 1, Cyrus

says, Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah. The Lord stood up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who

is in Jerusalem. So they went into captivity. They went into captivity for 70 years. Cyrus came, defeated Babylon, and said, All right, you guys can go back, and when you go back, you're going to rebuild the temple, just as God had told it would happen. So that's the second one. The third gathering of Israel was to take place before a judgment. There's a judgment coming, and that Israel will be

gathered again. But what caused the Jews to be scattered the third time? If you want to look at this one, this is going to take a little time. In Daniel chapter 9, there is a prophecy given that lays out God's plan for Israel. And it says, And if you look at this one, this is God's plan for Israel. Starting in verse 24, it says, 70 weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to make

an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. All those things were to take place within a 70-week period. A week is seven, and we're dealing with years, so seven times 70 is 490 years. So it says, so basically it's saying in 490 years regarding the Jewish people and your holy city to finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, to anoint the most holy place. All that was supposed to be done in 490 years. And it starts in verse

25, So you are to know and discern from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be salvation. In other words, 69 weeks or 483 years are going to pass from the time this decree was given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah shows up. Well, the decree that was given was given by Arcturus Xerxes. He was another Persian king, and he gave the decree to Nehemiah on the first part of the month of Nisan, which would have been about March 5th of 444 BC.

And if you take that 490 years, you're going to see that the Messiah shows up. And he shows up in 483 years, and in prophetic years, there's 360 days in a prophetic year in the Bible. And you can look in Genesis chapter 7 and 8, and you'll see the pattern of 30 days. If you look at Revelations, it talks about how the Antichrist is going to reign for 42 months, and it also says 1260 days. Well, if you take 42 months times 30, you

get 1260 days. Prophetic year in the Bible is 360 days. So whenever you look at Bible prophecy that deals with prophetic years, you have to convert it over. To our calendar years, because we have 365 days in our calendar years, so you have to convert everything over. But if you take that and multiply 483 years times 360 days, you get 173,880 days. And if you start from March 5th, 444, and count forward that number of

days, I'm not going to do all the math this morning, but it comes out to the end of March in AD 33. And look what happens. In Luke chapter 19, when that happens, it says, starting in verse 41, it says, and when he approached, let me back up a little bit. I'm going to start back in verse 29. It says, and it came about when he approached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olive, he sent

two disciples saying, go into the village opposite you in which you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, why are you untying it? Thus you shall speak, the Lord has need of it. And those who were sent went away and found it just as he told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owner said to them, why are you untying the colt? And they said,

the Lord has need of it. And they brought it to Jesus and they threw their garments on the colt and put Jesus on it. And as he was going, they were spreading their garments in the road. And he was now approaching near the descent of the Mount of Olives. The whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God. Joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, saying, blessed is the

King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees and the multitude said to him, teacher, rebuke your disciples. And he answered and said, I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out. And when he approached, he said, saw the city and he wept over it saying, if you had known in this day, even you, the things which were made for peace, but now they have been hidden from

your eyes. For the day shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you and surround you and him you and on every side and will level you to the ground and your children within you. And they will leave in you one will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. The day that Jesus rose in the donkey, if you add the days, 483 years from the time that decree to rebuild Jerusalem, go forward. It comes to the day that Jesus rode in Jerusalem on the donkey

and said, if you had known, if you'd been paying attention to the Bible prophecy and realize that the day this prophecy was fulfilled and you would have recognized that I was your Messiah, but you, you didn't recognize me as such. And now the city and the temple are going to be destroyed. So you go back to Daniel chapter nine and it says, so you know that the dis know and discern from the issue of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the prince, there'll be seven weeks and 62 weeks. It will be built again with plaza moats, even in times of distress.

Then after the 62 weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing. In other words, the Messiah is going to be put to death after he is put to death. The people of the prince who is to come, the prince who is to come as a reference to the antichrist, which is still future, but the people from which he is going to rise from, uh, it says we'll destroy the city and the sanctuary who destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70 AD. It was the Romans. So in 70 AD, the Romans came and they destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70

AD. They destroyed the city just as Jesus said it would happen. So he gave us a prophecy telling us when the Messiah would come. The Messiah came. They didn't accept him as their Messiah. He died on the cross. And then shortly after that, the city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. Now it's interesting that today, this is the sixth, I believe of August. Today is Tishba of in Israel. It's the ninth of the month of the month of the

month of of in Israel. And today is the day that they mourn the loss of their temples. Both temples, the temple that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed in 586 BC and the temple that was destroyed in 70 AD were both destroyed almost 600 years apart, but they are both destroyed on this very day. Both on the exact same day, the exact same month, both temples were destroyed.

And today is the day that the Jews mourn the destruction of those two temples. But at the same time that they mourn this, you have to realize that they also have an excitement because everything that is necessary for the rebuilding of the temple is ready. The priesthood is ready. All the materials are ready. Everything is ready to rebuild the temple. All they're waiting on is

God's timing. That's all they're waiting on for the temple to be rebuilt because God said it's going to be built again. And then he says down in verse, uh, uh, down in verse 27, it says, and he will make a covenant with God. He will make a covenant with God. He will make a covenant with the many for one week. See, there's a, there's after that Ford, after the Messiah was cut off,

there's still one seven year period. That's not accounted for out of this prophecy. 483 years of it has been fulfilled, but Israel still owes one week of years. And that is what we call the tribulation period. And the church will be raptured out. We'll miss out on that because God is dealing with Israel that one last seven year period, only not the church. And, uh,

it's interesting that, um, even though it, uh, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD, Israel didn't cease to be a nation until 132 AD. They tried to rebuild the temple in 132. The Romans smashed that attempt and they, um, changed the name of Jerusalem to Aliyah Kapitalina and they changed the name of Israel to Palestine. And they did that to try and wipe away the memory of Israel. Uh, but it didn't work.

But Israel didn't cease to be a nation until 132 AD. That meant Israel and the church lived side by side for almost a hundred years. And the Bible talks in Romans about the grafting in of the church. And in order to graft something in, you have to hold it together for a while. And then after you hold it together for a while, then the part can go ahead and grow. And that's what took

place with the church in Israel. Israel and the church lived side by side for 100 years. And then Israel ceased to be a nation, but the church took off and grew. Now, Israel became a nation again in 1948. And Israel and the church have both been living side by side again for 74 years now. We're living in the grafting in period of Israel. Israel is being grafted back in. And at some point, the church is going to be taken out of the way this time and

God will deal with Israel that one last seven year period. So it's an exciting time for us as a church to be living in because we're living in the grafting in period to watch Israel being, uh, coming back into play again. In Ezekiel, uh, 36 verse 24 through 25, it says, for I will make you, I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will clean you from all your filthiness and from all your

idols. The Jewish people, after they didn't recognize Jesus as their Messiah, God scattered them throughout the world for 1800 years. They were, they stayed a distinct people. They were scattered throughout the world for 1800 years. And then God put a desire in their hearts to come back to the land. In Ezekiel 36, it also talks about God gives a prophecy to the land of Israel

itself and says that you're going to, I'm going to prepare you to, for the people that are coming. And in the early 1800s and around World War I, Jews started buying up land in Israel again. They started planting trees. They started cultivating the land. And then it says in Ezekiel 37 that God's going to raise up Israel as a mighty army. And the day that Israel declared themselves to be a nation,

seven nations attacked them at one time. And Israel had only been a nation, not even a full one day yet. And they fought for a year and a half and actually gained territory, fighting against seven nations who were already established. God raised them up as a mighty army. And this is all a mighty miracle work of God. And I find it extremely exciting. So the next event on the calendar,

now that Israel is gathered again, for the third time is judgment. That's the next event on God's calendar. Now, after the seven-year tribulation period is over, there'll be one more regathering of the Jews, and then that'll be for the millennial kingdom. Now, while two-thirds of the Bible deals with Israel, it says of Christ that it is written in the volume, he is written in the volume of the book, Psalms 40 verse 7 and Hebrews chapter 10 verse 7. Everything in the scriptures points back to Christ. There are over

300 prophecies in the Bible. That point to the first coming of Jesus Christ. And all 300 some prophecies have all been fulfilled. They were all fulfilled in one person. And these prophecies, as we said earlier, expand hundreds of years by people of all different kinds, prophesying something they didn't know what was going to come. And yet it happened. One instance that we take for granted today,

because we're looking backwards at the fulfillment. But in the Old Testament, in Micah chapter 10, chapter 5, he tells us that the Christ is going to come from Bethlehem. But Hosea said that God's going to call the Messiah out of Egypt. And then Isaiah says that Christ is a branch, refers to him as a branch. And in the Hebrew, the branch means he's a Nazarene. Well, when you look at what

actually happened, how could, from looking at it from an Old Testament perspective, you think, well, this is contradicting each other. This is, this is, how can he come from Bethlehem, come from Egypt and be a Nazarene? All, how can you do all three of those things? Well, you get to Matthew and find out that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Then Joseph and Mary,

because of Herod, fled to Egypt until Herod died. And then God called him out of Egypt to come back to Israel. And when he came back to Israel, they settled in Nazareth, where Jesus was raised. All three of those prophecies found their fulfillment. But before you could understand, if you're in the Old Testament, you think, well, this is a contradiction. How can he be from three

different places at the same time? Well, he's a Nazarene. He's a Nazarene. He's a Nazarene. He's a Nazarene. He's a Nazarene. He's a Nazarene. He's a Nazarene. And it's the same way today. A lot of people don't understand the scriptures because part of the things that haven't happened yet, we're just kind of speculating on. But when it happens, we'll, we'll see it clearly. All the prophecies

can first come to Christ are given to us that we would know who Christ is. God has given us an address for who Jesus is in the scriptures. So we don't get messed up and get the wrong Jesus. Okay. Kind of like my, my address. I'm Richard Hawkins. I live at 9 Autumn Road, Ark, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America, Lake Great Planet Earth. Planet Earth separates this planet from all the

other planets. United States of America separates this country from all the other countries. Kansas separates this state from the other states. Ark City separates this town from the other towns. Autumn Road separates the street I live in from all the other streets in this town. Nine separates my house address from that and my name. Separates me from anybody else living in my house. If you change any one part of that address,

I don't get my mail. It's the same way with Jesus. Jesus has given an address in the scripture so we know exactly who he is. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is commonly referred to as Mormons. In the Book of Mormon, they teach in Alma chapter 7 verse 10 that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not Bethlehem, but in Jerusalem. And they also teach that Jesus and Satan were brothers in the

pre-existent world. Jesus and Satan weren't brothers in the pre-existent world. Satan was a created angel. Jesus is God the creator. They're not brothers and sisters. And God, he was born in Bethlehem. He wasn't born in Jerusalem. They've changed his address. They're teaching another Jesus. They're not teaching the Jesus of the Bible. It's the same way with the Jehovah Witness. The

Jehovah Witness teach that Jesus is Michael the archangel. Jesus is not Michael the archangel. Michael is a created angel. Jesus is a creator. And there's a lot of different false Jesuses and false gospels out there. And that's why it's important that you know God's word and know what it says because he has given us everything we need to know in God's word. It's like when they try to identify

counterfeit money. Those people are into doing that kind of stuff. You learn how to identify counterfeit money by knowing what the real one looks like first. If you know what the real stuff looks like, it makes sense. If you know what the real stuff looks like, it makes sense. It makes it easier to identify the false stuff. That's why at Calvary we spend so much time going

verse by verse. I don't. But that's why most Calvaries, they teach verse by verse because we want you to know the Bible and nothing else. We want you to hear the verse by verse, chapter by chapter. God's word speaks for itself. Just go through God's word and know God's word so that when you hear all this other stuff that's out there, you'll know that it's not true.

Back in 1 Peter chapter 3, the verse that I started with, it said, In other words, set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. Today is Communion Sunday, and to get us ready for communion, I want to read two pieces of scriptures to you. And these scriptures relate to Christ being crucified. And these two pieces of scriptures relate to Christ being crucified. And these two

pieces of scripture that I'm going to read were written 1,000 to 700 years before He was crucified, a long time before that happened. And yet it reads as though it was written at the time He was crucified. Psalms 22 is written about 1,000 years before Christ was crucified. Isaiah 53 was written about 700 years before that. So I'm going to read Psalms 22 first, read the first 18 verses,

then I'm going to jump over to Isaiah. And then when I get done, we'll take communion together.

He says, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Does that sound familiar? Far from my delirance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but thou does not answer. And by night, but I have no rest, yet thou art holy. O thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel, in thee our fathers trusted. They trusted, and thou didst deliver them. To thee

they cried out and were delivered. In thee they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me. They separate with a lip. They wag the head, saying, Commit yourself to the Lord. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, because he delights in him. Yet thou art he who didst bring me from the

womb. Thou didst make me trust upon my mother's breast. Upon thee I was cast from birth. Thou has been my God from my mother's womb. We just passed a law in this state that just went against that very thing, you know. God knows us in our very womb, in our mother's very womb. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide

their mouth at me as a raving and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It melts within me. My strength is dried up like a pot sheared. And my tongue cleaves to my jaws. And thou dost lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me. A band of evildoers has encompassed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count

all my bones. They look. They stare at me. They divide my garments among them. And from my clothes they cast lots. Isaiah 53, it says, Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him. Like a tender shoot, like a root out of parched ground. He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him. He was despised and

forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried. Yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastising

for our well-being fell upon him. And by his scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shears, so he did not

open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and as for his generation who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due. His grave was assigned with the wicked men. Yet he was with a rich man in his death, because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. But the Lord was pleased to crush

him, putting him to grief. If he would render himself as a guilt offering, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand. As a result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it and be satisfied. By his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, will justify the many, as he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he will divide the booty with

the strong, because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors. He himself bore the sins of many, and he interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 55. 3 is written in the past tense, as it's already happened, as if he wrote it after Christ was crucified. But this passage was written 700 years before Jesus went to the cross, and yet it

describes exactly what Jesus went through for us. This should give us confidence that when we share with people about Christ, that we could trust that God's Word is something that we can stand on, and we don't have to be ashamed. We don't have to be afraid. Apologetics doesn't mean you can't be and you have to apologize for being a Christian. Apologetics means we have evidence, and we need to

defend our faith, and to stand up for it. So with that being said, let's go ahead and pray, and then I'll invite the guys to come in. We'll take communion. Lord, when I think about the extent that you went through to send, to give us your Word, to send Jesus to die for our sins, just overwhelms me at the amount of love that you have for us. You're acquainted with grief. You're acquainted with sorrow. You know what it's like when we go

through the tribulation that we go through. You know our problems, and yet you're there to comfort us, and you always keep your promises, God. There's not a promise in your Word that you haven't kept, and the promises that you have for us for eternal life are true. As we go through this time of communion, Lord, I just pray that you would help us just to turn to you, to look to you, and to know that you love us just the way we are. In Jesus' name, amen.

Christ alone, hope is found. He's my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, burned through the fish's drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are still, when strivings cease. My comforter, Christ alone, took on flesh, fullness of God and held this place. This gift of love rises.

By the ones he came to save, till the Lord has died, till he returns.

One more time. Till he returns.

Lord, I thank you that you gave your body for us on the cross and took the punishment that we deserved. I thank you for your precious blood that cleanses us. I thank you for dying, for not only dying on the cross, but rising from the dead so that we can have life in you. And I thank you, Lord, that you're coming back for us. If the story's not done, we're going home. Not too long from now, and I am so excited. Let's praise you, Lord, and just

give you thanks. In Jesus' name, amen. Let's go ahead and partake. Let's pray one more time. Lord, I just lift up everybody here this morning that you would just be with them as they go their separate ways and be with them this week and just bless their lives. May they be bold in their faith and just live it out loud. Let the world see that they believe in you.

I ask that you be glorified. In Jesus' name, amen. I'll be up hanging around up here up front. If there's anybody that has anything that they want to pray about, if you don't know Christ and would like somebody to pray with you, I'll just be hanging out up here if you want to talk or pray. So you guys have a good day. Did I mess it up?