Wednesday Bible Study at the church was wonderful, even though only Elizabeth (my wife) and I attended it. As no one attended we listened to a sermon by Alistair Begg on the Authority in the church. Next week (if anyone attends) we will continue with Colossians Chapter 4. Until then Love Jesus, Love your neighbor, Love your enemies.

Sunday Services

Well this Sunday morning we had a look at Deuteronomy 22, and I am finding it to be one of the most interesting books to preach through.
At the Evening Service we are going through Zechariah. What an exciting book, more messianic than any other book in the Bible, in my opinion. We are at the beginning of the Book and finding that God says, come to me and I will come to you. Interesting that in this instance He wants them to take the first step, Reminds my of the crossing of the Jordan, where the water ran until the priest tried to put his foot into the water, he found it on dry land. Sometimes we need to step out in faith, trusting God to do what He promises.

Wed 7th Jan 2015 - Bible Study Outline

We start this year off by using 100 BIBLE LESSONS By Alban Douglas as a guideline to direct our thoughts

LESSON ONE

The Existence of God

INTRODUCTION

To begin our study in Bible doctrine, we ought to begin with God.

We are constantly challenged by atheists, sceptics and hecklers to prove that there is a God. It is difficult for natural man to believe in something that he cannot see, touch or feel (I Cor. 2 :14). . .

The problem for the Christian is solved with the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).

The Bible is not a textbook that attempts to prove the existence of God-the Bible opens with a positive fact that God does exist.

It did not occur to any other writer of the Bible to prove this fact.

The Bible plainly states that it is the fool who denies the existence of God. Psa. 14 :1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Anyone with any intelligence would acknowledge the evident fact of a living God.

The greatest proof apart from Scripture of the existence of God is our daily fellowship with Him in prayer.

I know that there is a God because I talked to Him today and He heard and answered the prayer of my heart though it was only whispered silently.

I. PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE

Psa. 19 :1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the

firmament sheweth His handywork." The beauty and glory of the heavens speak loudly saying, "God exists." Rom. 1 :20 goes farther and suggests that creation even teaches about the eternal power of the Godhead, "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." The man who accepts Scripture will readily acknowledge the existence of God.

Let us study some other less convincing but nevertheless powerful arguments.

II. PROOF FROM CONSCIENCE

Man is born with a universal belief in a supreme Being; no tribe has yet been discovered that lacks this. They know that some Being creates and controls. Rom. 2 :15, "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another." The existence of God is written in the human conscience. Acts 17 :23, "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God." Conscience told them that there was a God though they did not know Him personally. Some atheists may claim that their conscience does not tell them about God. It is doubtful if a genuine atheist can be found for at best they are men who have stilled conscience by blatant unbelief. Some men are so blind that they may deny the existence of the sun in the sky but that does not alter the fact that the sun exists, rises and sets each day.

None are so blind as those who refuse to see. The honest man will find that the inner still small voice says that God exists and is alive today. Men deny the existence of God not because they cannot find Him but because they are afraid to face the responsibility of being accountable to Him after death. Atheism is one of the devil's tools to put men to sleep without accepting salvation. If there is no God then I am not responsible to anyone and I can live and die as I please. But in the quieter moments of reflection the conscience of every man whispers, "There is a God" and only fools deny it.

To look up and see a plane and not see the pilot and say that the plane is pilotless is as ridiculous as looking into the heavens and saying that there is no God simply because we cannot see Him. Few of us have ever seen our brains, yet we believe that we possess them because of a centralized control system in the body. Because we see creation, we believe in God.

III. THE ARGUMENT FROM CAUSE (Cosmological)

The world is here. It must have come from somewhere. Somebody or something must have caused it to come into being at one time or another.

Here is a book. Someone must have written it. No printing press can of itself produce a book, be it ever so modern a press with the latest electrical gadgets. Someone built the building. Someone created the trees. Someone operates the universe. If all the pieces of a watch were placed in a can and the can shaken gently for a million years the watch would not be "accidentally" put together and running.

The only sensible answer to the problem of the existence of the world is the existence of an intelligent Being whom we call God.

IV. THE ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN (Teleological) .

A watch not only exists but it has a designer. It was planned for a specific purpose.

A watch was not designed for mosquitoes to live in.

It was designed by a keen mind for the purpose of accurately telling the time. An examination of the world and the things large and small shows that each is designed by an intelligent mind for a specific purpose in life. The colours of the bird and means of defence of the animals are not accidents. They are the result of a plan of a superior planning mind of the originator.

V. THE MORAL ARGUMENT (Anthropological)

Man has an intellectual and moral nature showing that the Creator must not be merely an inanimate force but a living, intelligent moral Being. Gen. 1:26, "Let us make man in our image, after ourlikeness." Gen. 1:27, God created man in the image and likeness of God, that is, patterned after Him. Psa. 94:9, "He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?" God has given to man ears, eyes, knowledge, intelligence, and will power for these are the things that He possesses.
Conscience teaches man right and wrong, good and bad; for the Creator is a moral Being that is holy, and loves righteousness but abhors evil.

VI. THE LIFE ARGUMENT

Life comes from life and the original life must have come from a Being possessing eternal life, that is, life that existed before physical life was created.

Where can such life be found? It can only be found in God who possesses eternal life. Psa. 36:9, "For with Thee is the fountain (source) of life." The apple tree gets its life from the parent tree, the lamb from the mother sheep.

But where did they get life from? We go back to the original creation. Jesus said in John 11 :25, "I am... life," also in John 14 :6, "I am . . . life," and in John 10:28, "And I give unto them eternal life." All life proceeds from God. The theory of spontaneous generation has been proved false and completely unacceptable to authoritative science. Life must have a beginning. The only logical answeris that beginning was with God.

VII. THE ARGUMENT FROM CONGRUITY

The theory of atheism solves no problems but only multiplies unsolved mysteries.

The acceptance of the existence of God as Creator of the world is like a magic key that fits all the facts of Scripture, revelation, knowledge and science.

This irrefutable doctrine is held tenaciously by multitudes of souls who are willing both to live and die in the consolation of this assurance.

CONCLUSION

Atheism which is only giant doubt and unbelief can only lead to darkness and despair for the one accepting it.

Acceptance of Gen. 1 :1, "In the beginning God," leads a sincere seeker into the path of a fuller revelation of God Himself. Heb. 11 :6, "He that cometh to God must believe that He is [exists]." Let us come as children in simple faith, based on the revelation of God in Scripture and nature, believing and trusting Him completely.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Did God write the Bible as a textbook to prove His existence? Explain.

2. What is an atheist in the eyes of the Lord?

3. Give two Scriptures to prove the existence of God.

4. Why in Acts 17 :23 had the people of Athens built an altar to the unknown God?

5. What is the atheist's real purpose in denying the existence of God?

6. What is the argument from cause to prove the existence of God?

7. What is the argument from design to prove God's existence?

8. How do we know that God is not an inanimate force?

9. What is the life argument that proves God's existence?

10. What is a prerequisite for faith in God?

Wed 7th January 2015

We will be going through the 100 Bible study lessons by Alban Douglas. Or at any rate we will be using his material to guide us in a certain direction. Who is God and how do we perceive Him? We begin with the doctrine of God this Wednesday, with the great philosophical questions of the ages. Who are we and where do we come from. There will be homework.
George van der Westhuizen
Rector - Christ Church Welkom

Men's Meeting Saturday Mornings

Joint us for breakfast and a study in the word of God. We meet at the church on the Cnr of Lear and Jaques Streets. We meet at 7am every Saturday, come and join the fun and bring a friend. We will be working through the Book of 2 Peter. This Saturday Bruce is providing the breakfast, and it is going to be a very nice one.

This week at a glance

Wednesday - closed till the 12th Jan 2015 - Ladies Bible Study at the Rectory - 35 Portia Street - Bedelia - Welkom - Free State - South Africa
Wednesday - Rector's Bible study - 7pm at the Church, Cnr Lear & Jaques Streets, Bedelia, Welkom
Saturday - Men's Breakfast - 7am at the Church, Cnr Lear & Jaques Streets, Bedelia, Welkom
Sunday Morning Worship Service at 9am at the Church, Cnr Lear & Jaques Streets, Bedelia, Welkom - We are going through the book of Deuteronomy at the moment.
Sunday Evening Worship Service at 6pm at the Church, Cnr Lear & Jaques Streets, Bedelia, Welkom. We are going through the book of Zechariah in the evenings

Bible Study Wednesday - 7 January 2015 @ 7PM

The subject is the doctrines of the Bible.  "Oh no, not more doctrine" you say.  Well the word of God tells us that we must teach sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).  We are also told that anyone who teaches false doctrine is conceited and does not understand anything (1 Tim 6:3-4).  How are we going to know if we are hearing false doctrine unless we study and know what God says about it in His word.  So join us tonight at the rectory as we learn together.  Remember, we are told that all scripture is God breathed, and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2Tim 3:16-17).  Come and equip yourself.  Oh!, and the coffee is “lekker” too.