1. TBN
  2. Programs
  3. Your Move with Andy Stanley
  4. Episodes
  5. Andy Stanley - Irresistible
Your Move with Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley - Irresistible

May 9, 2026 | 28:29

Andy Stanley - Irresistible
Your Move with Andy Stanley — to help people make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.
#Faith #Christianity #Religion #Agnostic #Bible #WordofGod #Believe #Unbelief #Doubt #Theology #Apologetics #Authority #Resurrection #Death #Belief #Jesus #Gospel #SpiritualFoundation #AndyStanley

Closed captions

Show Timecode
Your Move with Andy Stanley | Andy Stanley - Irresistible | May 9, 2026
  • ...
  • 00:00:00.633 --> 00:00:00.351
  • Andy stanley: hey everybody, welcome to "your move" where we
  • 00:00:00.785 --> 00:00:02.020
  • Help you make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.
  • 00:00:02.153 --> 00:00:04.656
  • I'm andy stanley and i'll be your guide.
  • 00:00:04.789 --> 00:00:06.658
  • Did you know that 75 million americans identify as either
  • 00:00:06.791 --> 00:00:10.895
  • Atheist, agnostic or not religious at all?
  • 00:00:10.995 --> 00:00:13.998
  • Seventy five million and most of these folks are under 30
  • 00:00:14.099 --> 00:00:17.335
  • Years old.
  • 00:00:17.469 --> 00:00:18.670
  • Your kids or maybe your grandkids's age.
  • 00:00:18.770 --> 00:00:20.171
  • For many people, faith has just become, well, irrelevant,
  • 00:00:20.271 --> 00:00:23.441
  • Christianity in particular, but it wasn't always that way.
  • 00:00:23.541 --> 00:00:27.245
  • Once upon a time, the christian faith was irresistible.
  • 00:00:27.345 --> 00:00:30.315
  • The original version, the version depicted in the new
  • 00:00:30.448 --> 00:00:33.051
  • Testament, well it's still very much irresistible.
  • 00:00:33.184 --> 00:00:36.087
  • And what did the original, the irresistible version look like
  • 00:00:36.221 --> 00:00:38.923
  • And what did it sound like?
  • 00:00:39.057 --> 00:00:40.492
  • Stick around and we'll talk about it today right here on
  • 00:00:40.625 --> 00:00:43.228
  • "your move."
  • 00:00:43.361 --> 00:00:44.562
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:00:44.696 --> 00:00:45.396
  • Andy: our world changed.
  • 00:00:48.933 --> 00:00:51.936
  • Our world changed because of the internet.
  • 00:00:51.936 --> 00:00:54.172
  • And because of the internet, now all the information and the
  • 00:00:54.172 --> 00:00:58.710
  • Misinformation in the world is at everyone's fingertips,
  • 00:00:58.710 --> 00:01:02.914
  • Including children, middle school students, high school
  • 00:01:02.914 --> 00:01:05.416
  • Students, and college students.
  • 00:01:05.416 --> 00:01:07.719
  • What you may not know is this, that after 9/11, 2001, after
  • 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:11.956
  • 9/11, after we were, you know, the world trade centers were
  • 00:01:11.956 --> 00:01:15.527
  • Attacked and our country was attacked, following that in
  • 00:01:15.527 --> 00:01:17.996
  • Fact, in the two or three years following that there was a
  • 00:01:17.996 --> 00:01:21.032
  • Firestorm of religious skepticism that swept
  • 00:01:21.032 --> 00:01:24.602
  • Our country.
  • 00:01:24.602 --> 00:01:25.937
  • Initially, it was anti-islam skepticism but now very, very,
  • 00:01:25.937 --> 00:01:30.441
  • Very quickly it turned into skepticism about all religion.
  • 00:01:30.441 --> 00:01:35.079
  • And some very witty, very educated and very convincing
  • 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:39.050
  • Atheist authors published several books and sold millions
  • 00:01:39.050 --> 00:01:42.453
  • And millions of copies.
  • 00:01:42.453 --> 00:01:44.622
  • They became rock stars on university campuses.
  • 00:01:44.622 --> 00:01:47.225
  • They became rock stars in debates.
  • 00:01:47.225 --> 00:01:49.394
  • And unlike years before where you had to buy a ticket and
  • 00:01:49.394 --> 00:01:51.996
  • Attend a debate, unlike years before where you had to buy a
  • 00:01:51.996 --> 00:01:54.766
  • Ticket and drive to a city and actually show up on a university
  • 00:01:54.766 --> 00:01:57.468
  • Campus to hear someone speak, those days are long gone.
  • 00:01:57.468 --> 00:02:00.505
  • And suddenly everybody in our country, everybody in the world.
  • 00:02:00.505 --> 00:02:03.641
  • But everybody in our country had access to all of this
  • 00:02:03.641 --> 00:02:07.378
  • Misinformation as this group of people began to really war
  • 00:02:07.378 --> 00:02:12.050
  • Against all religion and over time it turned to christianity
  • 00:02:12.050 --> 00:02:15.987
  • In particular.
  • 00:02:15.987 --> 00:02:17.355
  • And it fueled the rise of something that many of you, most
  • 00:02:17.355 --> 00:02:20.058
  • Of you know about but all of you should know about, it fueled the
  • 00:02:20.058 --> 00:02:22.694
  • Rise in our country of what are called the nones, the n-o-n-e-s.
  • 00:02:22.694 --> 00:02:26.497
  • The people who are religiously unaffiliated.
  • 00:02:26.497 --> 00:02:30.101
  • Currently--and all of this happened while we're working
  • 00:02:30.101 --> 00:02:32.170
  • Hard and creating churches and baptizing kids and doing all
  • 00:02:32.170 --> 00:02:34.672
  • This cool stuff, right?
  • 00:02:34.672 --> 00:02:36.174
  • Currently about 25% of everybody in america, 25% of americans
  • 00:02:36.174 --> 00:02:42.547
  • Would consider themselves religiously unaffiliated.
  • 00:02:42.547 --> 00:02:46.017
  • Now, that's a high number but, the staggering statistic and the
  • 00:02:46.017 --> 00:02:49.520
  • Thing that bothers me and i want it to bother you is this, in
  • 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:53.024
  • 2007 it was just 16%.
  • 00:02:53.024 --> 00:02:57.228
  • Sixteen percent to twenty-five percent,
  • 00:02:57.228 --> 00:02:58.863
  • That is millions and millions of people.
  • 00:02:58.863 --> 00:03:00.665
  • And the thing that bothers me the most and the thing that i
  • 00:03:00.665 --> 00:03:02.834
  • Want to bother you the most is this, that 35% of men and women,
  • 00:03:02.834 --> 00:03:07.672
  • 35% of men and women who were under 35 years old consider
  • 00:03:07.672 --> 00:03:12.176
  • Themselves religiously unaffiliated and most of them
  • 00:03:12.176 --> 00:03:14.912
  • Grew up in church.
  • 00:03:14.912 --> 00:03:17.048
  • Most of them grew up going to camp.
  • 00:03:17.048 --> 00:03:19.450
  • Most of them grew up hearing the same kinds of sermons that many
  • 00:03:19.450 --> 00:03:22.253
  • Of us heard growing up.
  • 00:03:22.253 --> 00:03:24.555
  • And maybe most alarmingly of all is this, that 70% of the
  • 00:03:24.555 --> 00:03:29.127
  • Unaffiliated, the nones, the non-religiously affiliated,
  • 00:03:29.127 --> 00:03:31.896
  • About 70% view the bible as completely irrelevant.
  • 00:03:31.896 --> 00:03:36.868
  • Ancient myth, ancient literature, certainly
  • 00:03:36.868 --> 00:03:40.972
  • Not inspired.
  • 00:03:40.972 --> 00:03:42.340
  • And more and more and more there is a movement to argue that the
  • 00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:47.011
  • Bible is not only a fiction, that the bible is harmful.
  • 00:03:47.011 --> 00:03:52.517
  • And when this group of people are surveyed in the pew research
  • 00:03:52.517 --> 00:03:55.086
  • Center does these surveys every other year and they get more and
  • 00:03:55.086 --> 00:03:57.488
  • More and more statistics.
  • 00:03:57.488 --> 00:03:58.823
  • At the end of the day when this group of people are asked, why
  • 00:03:58.823 --> 00:04:01.559
  • Did you leave your religion, the primary answer is simply this:
  • 00:04:01.559 --> 00:04:05.163
  • They just don't believe anymore.
  • 00:04:05.163 --> 00:04:10.168
  • And i'm gonna pause there and say this, for some of you, this
  • 00:04:10.168 --> 00:04:14.072
  • Is not somebody out there somewhere, this is the story of
  • 00:04:14.072 --> 00:04:18.209
  • Your children, isn't it?
  • 00:04:18.209 --> 00:04:20.445
  • This is the story of your grandchildren.
  • 00:04:20.445 --> 00:04:23.181
  • This is what happened to your sister-in-law, your
  • 00:04:23.181 --> 00:04:24.982
  • Brother-in-law, and you just don't understand it because they
  • 00:04:24.982 --> 00:04:28.086
  • Heard all the things you heard, they believed all the things
  • 00:04:28.086 --> 00:04:29.887
  • You believed.
  • 00:04:29.887 --> 00:04:31.255
  • And now when you have conversations with them, it's
  • 00:04:31.255 --> 00:04:32.924
  • Like they're not even antagonistic.
  • 00:04:32.924 --> 00:04:34.926
  • I mean, they're not even defensive they just basically
  • 00:04:34.926 --> 00:04:37.028
  • Say, "that's good for you, that's your truth.
  • 00:04:37.028 --> 00:04:39.731
  • I don't believe it anymore."
  • 00:04:39.731 --> 00:04:41.232
  • And you can't even figure out what it is they don't believe
  • 00:04:41.232 --> 00:04:44.202
  • Anymore, and you can't figure out why they don't believe it.
  • 00:04:44.202 --> 00:04:46.504
  • For others of you, you are right in the middle of this with your
  • 00:04:46.504 --> 00:04:49.440
  • Children or your grandchildren,
  • 00:04:49.440 --> 00:04:51.409
  • Your college son, your college age daughter, your son or
  • 00:04:51.409 --> 00:04:53.978
  • Daughter or your niece or nephew that's in
  • 00:04:53.978 --> 00:04:56.214
  • Graduate school.
  • 00:04:56.214 --> 00:04:57.715
  • And fueling this mass exodus, fueling this mass exodus is
  • 00:04:57.715 --> 00:05:02.120
  • This, that once upon a time, once upon a time a person had to
  • 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:06.023
  • Read the bible to know what was in the bible.
  • 00:05:06.023 --> 00:05:09.160
  • Once upon a time when most of us grew up, if you wanted to know
  • 00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:11.429
  • What was in the bible, you actually had to go find one,
  • 00:05:11.429 --> 00:05:14.632
  • Borrow one, steal one out of a hotel, you know, drawer.
  • 00:05:14.632 --> 00:05:18.469
  • Imagine stealing a bible that's kind of weird, you know.
  • 00:05:18.469 --> 00:05:21.072
  • When i was a kid, my dad is a pastor, he was parked in his
  • 00:05:21.072 --> 00:05:24.242
  • Reserved parking spot at first baptist atlanta and somebody
  • 00:05:24.242 --> 00:05:27.145
  • Broke in his car and stole his bible.
  • 00:05:27.145 --> 00:05:28.479
  • It's the only thing they stole.
  • 00:05:28.479 --> 00:05:30.548
  • I thought, what are they gonna do, read it?
  • 00:05:30.548 --> 00:05:33.050
  • "thou shalt not steal."
  • 00:05:33.050 --> 00:05:34.419
  • Huh, look it there, you know, anyway.
  • 00:05:34.419 --> 00:05:37.488
  • The point being the only way to find--in the old days, the only
  • 00:05:37.488 --> 00:05:40.358
  • Way to discover what was in the bible, you had to have one in
  • 00:05:40.358 --> 00:05:43.761
  • Your hands and read it.
  • 00:05:43.761 --> 00:05:46.030
  • And most people in a bygone age respected the bible even though
  • 00:05:46.030 --> 00:05:49.634
  • They hadn't read it, and most people hadn't read it.
  • 00:05:49.634 --> 00:05:52.003
  • In fact, your experience is like mine.
  • 00:05:52.003 --> 00:05:53.805
  • Some adult, when you were a child, they gave you your first
  • 00:05:53.805 --> 00:05:56.274
  • Bible, they said, "this is god's holy word, it's all true."
  • 00:05:56.274 --> 00:05:59.444
  • And you believed it was all true and you had not even read it.
  • 00:05:59.444 --> 00:06:02.380
  • And i'll let you in on a little secret, let's keep this in
  • 00:06:02.380 --> 00:06:04.348
  • The room.
  • 00:06:04.348 --> 00:06:05.683
  • Chances are, the adult that handed you your bible and told
  • 00:06:05.683 --> 00:06:08.853
  • You that it was all true, they hadn't read it all either.
  • 00:06:08.853 --> 00:06:13.257
  • But that's just the way our culture worked because everybody
  • 00:06:13.257 --> 00:06:15.359
  • Had so much respect for the bible.
  • 00:06:15.359 --> 00:06:16.694
  • Very few people read it.
  • 00:06:16.694 --> 00:06:18.062
  • We left it to priests and preachers to tell us what was
  • 00:06:18.062 --> 00:06:21.966
  • In it.
  • 00:06:21.966 --> 00:06:23.301
  • But those days are long gone because now you, your kids, your
  • 00:06:23.301 --> 00:06:28.806
  • Grandkids, and the future generation and this generation
  • 00:06:28.806 --> 00:06:31.609
  • Can discover what else is in the bible without even owning or
  • 00:06:31.609 --> 00:06:36.881
  • Opening or touching a bible.
  • 00:06:36.881 --> 00:06:41.052
  • Andy: hey, i wanted to take just a minute to address a growing
  • 00:06:41.052 --> 00:06:43.955
  • Crisis in america.
  • 00:06:43.955 --> 00:06:45.289
  • Did you know that nearly 75 million americans have no
  • 00:06:45.289 --> 00:06:48.559
  • Religious affiliation, none whatsoever?
  • 00:06:48.559 --> 00:06:50.928
  • Most of us know some of these people.
  • 00:06:50.928 --> 00:06:52.363
  • Many of us are related to some of these people.
  • 00:06:52.363 --> 00:06:54.365
  • So for us, they aren't statistics, they're people we
  • 00:06:54.365 --> 00:06:57.201
  • Love and would love to see returned to faith in jesus.
  • 00:06:57.201 --> 00:07:00.371
  • So at "your move," we are committed to reaching people
  • 00:07:00.371 --> 00:07:03.274
  • With the teaching of jesus right where they are and when they
  • 00:07:03.274 --> 00:07:06.611
  • Least expect it.
  • 00:07:06.611 --> 00:07:08.012
  • We use a research-backed digital strategy that's already
  • 00:07:08.012 --> 00:07:11.249
  • Making a difference.
  • 00:07:11.249 --> 00:07:12.583
  • So, if you'll stick around after today's message, we would love
  • 00:07:12.583 --> 00:07:14.952
  • To tell you more about it, or visit the website or call the
  • 00:07:14.952 --> 00:07:18.256
  • Number on your screen to learn how you can be a part of this
  • 00:07:18.256 --> 00:07:21.125
  • Revolutionary approach to introducing and reintroducing
  • 00:07:21.125 --> 00:07:24.595
  • People to jesus.
  • 00:07:24.595 --> 00:07:26.797
  • Andy: this calls for a different approach to what we're doing.
  • 00:07:26.797 --> 00:07:31.469
  • And post 9/11, this created the perfect storm, the perfect
  • 00:07:31.469 --> 00:07:36.040
  • Opportunity, and skeptics exploited, skeptics exploited a
  • 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:40.311
  • Flaw in the modern version of christianity.
  • 00:07:40.311 --> 00:07:43.681
  • Because they had something that previous generations of atheists
  • 00:07:43.681 --> 00:07:46.717
  • And skeptics didn't have.
  • 00:07:46.717 --> 00:07:48.553
  • They had the internet.
  • 00:07:48.553 --> 00:07:49.921
  • They had an all-access pass to every single curious person in
  • 00:07:49.921 --> 00:07:56.994
  • The world.
  • 00:07:56.994 --> 00:07:58.362
  • And they have leveraged this extraordinary tool to preach
  • 00:07:58.362 --> 00:08:02.400
  • Their gospel of disbelief to undermine the credibility
  • 00:08:02.400 --> 00:08:07.038
  • Of christianity.
  • 00:08:07.038 --> 00:08:08.372
  • And they have exploited a flaw in our modern post-reformation
  • 00:08:08.372 --> 00:08:12.476
  • Version of christianity.
  • 00:08:12.476 --> 00:08:13.911
  • A flaw that is very difficult, almost impossible to exploit in
  • 00:08:13.911 --> 00:08:17.415
  • A culture that holds the bible in high esteem.
  • 00:08:17.415 --> 00:08:20.585
  • And the flaw is simply this, it's a false assumption.
  • 00:08:20.585 --> 00:08:24.322
  • It is a shared false assumption regarding the foundation
  • 00:08:24.322 --> 00:08:28.192
  • Of christianity.
  • 00:08:28.192 --> 00:08:29.527
  • And when i say a shared assumption, i mean this, that
  • 00:08:29.527 --> 00:08:31.862
  • Christians assume this, non-christians assume this,
  • 00:08:31.862 --> 00:08:35.833
  • Post-christians assume this, and this false assumption that has
  • 00:08:35.833 --> 00:08:39.337
  • Been with us since the reformation has finally begun to
  • 00:08:39.337 --> 00:08:42.640
  • Take root and we're finally paying a price for it, and it's
  • 00:08:42.640 --> 00:08:45.776
  • Why i wanted to talk to you about it, and it's why i wrote
  • 00:08:45.776 --> 00:08:48.346
  • The book, "irresistible."
  • 00:08:48.346 --> 00:08:50.147
  • Since the reformation, and we're not gonna go back and do a lot
  • 00:08:50.147 --> 00:08:52.383
  • Of history, but since the reformation, protestant
  • 00:08:52.383 --> 00:08:54.385
  • Leaders, teachers, and preachers have taught
  • 00:08:54.385 --> 00:08:56.721
  • That the scripture is the final authority for christians.
  • 00:08:56.721 --> 00:09:00.191
  • This was the whole point of the reformation, that the church
  • 00:09:00.191 --> 00:09:02.093
  • Isn't the final authority, that the scripture, the bible is the
  • 00:09:02.093 --> 00:09:05.763
  • Final authority for christians.
  • 00:09:05.763 --> 00:09:07.465
  • In fact, we--most of us grew up hearing that or thinking that--
  • 00:09:07.465 --> 00:09:10.134
  • Even if you didn't grow up in church, you assume, well, the
  • 00:09:10.134 --> 00:09:12.403
  • Bible is marching orders for christians.
  • 00:09:12.403 --> 00:09:15.072
  • So consequently, for generations and generations and generations
  • 00:09:15.072 --> 00:09:18.242
  • Preachers have said, "the bible says, the bible says, the bible
  • 00:09:18.242 --> 00:09:21.379
  • Says, the bible teaches.
  • 00:09:21.379 --> 00:09:22.747
  • The word of god says, the word of god says."
  • 00:09:22.747 --> 00:09:24.448
  • And when you hear, "the word of god says," and, "the bible
  • 00:09:24.448 --> 00:09:26.217
  • Says," basically what they're communicating is, at the end of
  • 00:09:26.217 --> 00:09:28.853
  • The day, the bottom line is if the bible says it, that's all we
  • 00:09:28.853 --> 00:09:32.657
  • Need to know.
  • 00:09:32.657 --> 00:09:34.025
  • If the bible teaches it, we believe it.
  • 00:09:34.025 --> 00:09:35.426
  • If the bible says it, then that settles it.
  • 00:09:35.426 --> 00:09:38.229
  • And that kind of language generation after generation
  • 00:09:38.229 --> 00:09:40.965
  • After generation has left generations of christians
  • 00:09:40.965 --> 00:09:43.467
  • Assuming that the bible is the foundation of our faith.
  • 00:09:43.467 --> 00:09:49.674
  • Don't leave early.
  • 00:09:49.674 --> 00:09:51.909
  • It's not, and it never has been.
  • 00:09:51.909 --> 00:09:56.781
  • But most modern christians think it is.
  • 00:09:56.781 --> 00:09:59.850
  • Most of the christians that left church thought it was.
  • 00:09:59.850 --> 00:10:03.154
  • Most of the generation that walked away from church walked
  • 00:10:03.154 --> 00:10:06.023
  • Away from church assuming it is, and modern skeptics and those
  • 00:10:06.023 --> 00:10:10.327
  • That are undermining the christian faith assume that it
  • 00:10:10.327 --> 00:10:13.130
  • Is the foundation of our faith as well.
  • 00:10:13.130 --> 00:10:16.534
  • And this assumption has left many with the impression and
  • 00:10:16.534 --> 00:10:20.004
  • Understandably so, that as the bible goes, so goes the
  • 00:10:20.004 --> 00:10:24.308
  • Christian faith.
  • 00:10:24.308 --> 00:10:25.643
  • If you can undermine the credibility of the bible, all 66
  • 00:10:25.643 --> 00:10:30.147
  • Books or any one of the 66 books or any part of any one of the 66
  • 00:10:30.147 --> 00:10:35.653
  • Books of the bible, that christianity
  • 00:10:35.653 --> 00:10:37.455
  • Comes tumbling down.
  • 00:10:37.455 --> 00:10:38.789
  • As you've heard me say before, it's like a 66-card house of
  • 00:10:38.789 --> 00:10:42.493
  • Cards, and we're gonna pull out genesis or we're gonna pull out
  • 00:10:42.493 --> 00:10:45.229
  • Leviticus or we're gonna pull out something in revelation or
  • 00:10:45.229 --> 00:10:48.065
  • We're gonna pull out some supposed, you know,
  • 00:10:48.065 --> 00:10:49.900
  • Contradiction in the resurrection stories out of the
  • 00:10:49.900 --> 00:10:52.069
  • Gospels, and if one part of it isn't true, then the bible
  • 00:10:52.069 --> 00:10:55.272
  • Isn't true.
  • 00:10:55.272 --> 00:10:56.607
  • And if the bible isn't true, christianity is false.
  • 00:10:56.607 --> 00:10:58.909
  • In fact, one of the most prominent new atheists in the
  • 00:10:58.909 --> 00:11:01.679
  • Introduction to one of his books--i'm not gonna mention
  • 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:03.514
  • His name or the book right now.
  • 00:11:03.514 --> 00:11:04.849
  • We're gonna talk about that in the series to come.
  • 00:11:04.849 --> 00:11:06.383
  • In the introduction of the book, he says this.
  • 00:11:06.383 --> 00:11:08.419
  • He says, "come on, christians, this is how it works.
  • 00:11:08.419 --> 00:11:11.021
  • If christianity is true, then i have a frightful surprise
  • 00:11:11.021 --> 00:11:15.559
  • Waiting for me when i die.
  • 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:17.995
  • But if the bible is false, then christianity is false and you're
  • 00:11:17.995 --> 00:11:21.766
  • All living a fairy tale."
  • 00:11:21.766 --> 00:11:24.769
  • This is the assumption of the modern church, and i understand
  • 00:11:24.769 --> 00:11:28.172
  • How we got there and i'm not being critical of anybody, but
  • 00:11:28.172 --> 00:11:30.741
  • The time has come for us to call out and draw a circle
  • 00:11:30.741 --> 00:11:34.178
  • Around this false assumption.
  • 00:11:34.178 --> 00:11:35.513
  • Not for our sake, i'm fine.
  • 00:11:35.513 --> 00:11:37.214
  • Not for your sake, you're probably fine.
  • 00:11:37.214 --> 00:11:39.116
  • For your children's sake, for your grandchildren's sake, for
  • 00:11:39.116 --> 00:11:41.819
  • This generation's sake, and for the sake of the next generation.
  • 00:11:41.819 --> 00:11:45.923
  • And with the help of the internet, the skeptics have done
  • 00:11:45.923 --> 00:11:48.626
  • A masterful job exploiting this false assumption
  • 00:11:48.626 --> 00:11:53.297
  • About christianity.
  • 00:11:53.297 --> 00:11:54.665
  • And what has the church done?
  • 00:11:54.665 --> 00:11:56.000
  • How has the church responded?
  • 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:57.368
  • In my opinion, the church has done nothing.
  • 00:11:57.368 --> 00:12:00.571
  • Churches preach and teach as they've always preached and
  • 00:12:00.571 --> 00:12:03.607
  • They've always taught.
  • 00:12:03.607 --> 00:12:05.242
  • They keep preaching the same way, they just tell children,
  • 00:12:05.242 --> 00:12:07.411
  • "here's your bible, it's all true, believe it."
  • 00:12:07.411 --> 00:12:09.413
  • The children believe it 'cause the children will believe
  • 00:12:09.413 --> 00:12:11.215
  • Anything adult tells them to believe, and then they graduate
  • 00:12:11.215 --> 00:12:13.884
  • From high school and we send them into an increasingly
  • 00:12:13.884 --> 00:12:16.987
  • Post-christian culture.
  • 00:12:16.987 --> 00:12:18.556
  • And when they come home with real academic questions,
  • 00:12:18.556 --> 00:12:21.525
  • We give them sunday school answers, and no wonder
  • 00:12:21.525 --> 00:12:24.695
  • They're walking away from faith.
  • 00:12:24.695 --> 00:12:27.531
  • Now, there is a group that has responded to all of this, some
  • 00:12:27.531 --> 00:12:30.234
  • Christian authors and apologists.
  • 00:12:30.234 --> 00:12:32.036
  • And they've written many, many books defending the bible.
  • 00:12:32.036 --> 00:12:36.207
  • And i think--i'm not exaggerating.
  • 00:12:36.207 --> 00:12:38.342
  • I think i have read every single one of their books.
  • 00:12:38.342 --> 00:12:42.313
  • Ask my wife.
  • 00:12:42.313 --> 00:12:43.647
  • It's all i listen to 'cause i love apologetics and i love this
  • 00:12:43.647 --> 00:12:46.317
  • Stuff, but here's what i know.
  • 00:12:46.317 --> 00:12:47.751
  • You are not gonna get a 25-year-old, a 22-year-old or
  • 00:12:47.751 --> 00:12:51.655
  • Your brother-in-law or your sister-in-law to wade through a
  • 00:12:51.655 --> 00:12:54.491
  • 250-page book, and when that didn't answer all their
  • 00:12:54.491 --> 00:12:57.361
  • Questions, give them another 250-page book.
  • 00:12:57.361 --> 00:12:59.463
  • So if you're really interested in knowing how to defend the
  • 00:12:59.463 --> 00:13:02.132
  • Bible, there's lots of information.
  • 00:13:02.132 --> 00:13:04.468
  • But you're not gonna get anyone's undivided attention for
  • 00:13:04.468 --> 00:13:06.904
  • That long.
  • 00:13:06.904 --> 00:13:08.272
  • And somebody has to be really interested, somebody has to be
  • 00:13:08.272 --> 00:13:10.841
  • Looking for something to substantiate their faith, to
  • 00:13:10.841 --> 00:13:13.477
  • Wade through those fabulous books.
  • 00:13:13.477 --> 00:13:16.013
  • Given enough time and interest, you can defend the bible.
  • 00:13:16.013 --> 00:13:20.017
  • So years ago, i decided that's not the best approach, even
  • 00:13:20.017 --> 00:13:24.154
  • Though i love those books and recommend them all the time, and
  • 00:13:24.154 --> 00:13:26.690
  • In our next series i'm gonna recommend two or three of those
  • 00:13:26.690 --> 00:13:28.759
  • Books to you.
  • 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:30.527
  • Years ago, i was watching one particular atheist do an
  • 00:13:30.527 --> 00:13:34.465
  • Incredible talk at a university.
  • 00:13:34.465 --> 00:13:36.333
  • It wasn't a debate, he was just speaking, and the crowd was
  • 00:13:36.333 --> 00:13:39.870
  • Going wild.
  • 00:13:39.870 --> 00:13:41.972
  • I mean, he was completely dismantling the old testament,
  • 00:13:41.972 --> 00:13:45.709
  • Dismantling parts of the new testament.
  • 00:13:45.709 --> 00:13:47.845
  • You know, christian--the bible is false, the bible has
  • 00:13:47.845 --> 00:13:50.080
  • Contradictions, the bible can't be trusted.
  • 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:51.882
  • And as the bible goes, so goes christianity,
  • 00:13:51.882 --> 00:13:54.218
  • And the crowd was just cheering.
  • 00:13:54.218 --> 00:13:55.653
  • And i sat watching him on my computer and i thought, i gotta
  • 00:13:55.653 --> 00:13:58.022
  • Do something.
  • 00:13:58.022 --> 00:13:59.390
  • And i don't think i wanna spend the rest of my life teaching
  • 00:13:59.390 --> 00:14:01.258
  • Apologetics and trying to prove to people that the bible is true
  • 00:14:01.258 --> 00:14:04.028
  • Because what we need to do, what i feel like i need to do was
  • 00:14:04.028 --> 00:14:06.597
  • Address the fatal flaw.
  • 00:14:06.597 --> 00:14:08.198
  • The fatal flaw that as the bible goes, so goes christianity.
  • 00:14:08.198 --> 00:14:13.037
  • So about eight or nine years ago i changed my approach to
  • 00:14:13.037 --> 00:14:16.974
  • Preaching and teaching.
  • 00:14:16.974 --> 00:14:18.475
  • Contrary to some people's opinion, i did not change what
  • 00:14:18.475 --> 00:14:22.112
  • I believed.
  • 00:14:22.112 --> 00:14:23.480
  • In fact, just the opposite, just so you know.
  • 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:26.250
  • I am more convinced than ever that following jesus will make
  • 00:14:26.250 --> 00:14:29.553
  • Your life better and make you better at life and you should
  • 00:14:29.553 --> 00:14:32.022
  • Follow jesus.
  • 00:14:32.022 --> 00:14:33.390
  • Even if you don't believe, you should follow.
  • 00:14:33.390 --> 00:14:35.192
  • I'm so convinced of that.
  • 00:14:35.192 --> 00:14:36.593
  • I'm more convinced than ever.
  • 00:14:36.593 --> 00:14:37.962
  • In fact, i don't know why everybody wouldn't want the
  • 00:14:37.962 --> 00:14:42.366
  • Message of christianity to be true.
  • 00:14:42.366 --> 00:14:44.501
  • I just don't understand why people who are skeptical and
  • 00:14:44.501 --> 00:14:46.870
  • People who don't believe wouldn't be asking, okay, i
  • 00:14:46.870 --> 00:14:49.440
  • Don't believe, but as the, you know, the person that--one of
  • 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:52.276
  • The people that jesus healed in the gospels, he said, "help
  • 00:14:52.276 --> 00:14:55.012
  • My unbelief."
  • 00:14:55.012 --> 00:14:56.347
  • I wanna believe it's true.
  • 00:14:56.347 --> 00:14:57.715
  • I wanna believe that in the end everybody gets justice.
  • 00:14:57.715 --> 00:15:00.617
  • I wanna believe that in the end there's forgiveness.
  • 00:15:00.617 --> 00:15:02.720
  • I wanna believe that in the end there's a personal god who's
  • 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:05.289
  • Invited me to call him father.
  • 00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:06.991
  • Why wouldn't everybody want that?
  • 00:15:06.991 --> 00:15:09.326
  • I'm totally sold out to the message of the gospel and the
  • 00:15:09.326 --> 00:15:12.696
  • Message of jesus.
  • 00:15:12.696 --> 00:15:14.398
  • And not only did i not change what i believe, i didn't change
  • 00:15:14.398 --> 00:15:16.934
  • My view or my respect for the bible.
  • 00:15:16.934 --> 00:15:19.603
  • None of that changed.
  • 00:15:19.603 --> 00:15:20.938
  • But what did change was my approach to talking about
  • 00:15:20.938 --> 00:15:24.274
  • The bible.
  • 00:15:24.274 --> 00:15:25.642
  • I stopped saying anything that would support this notion that
  • 00:15:25.642 --> 00:15:29.613
  • As the bible goes, so goes christianity.
  • 00:15:29.613 --> 00:15:33.117
  • And i embraced what i believe is the approach of our first
  • 00:15:33.117 --> 00:15:36.120
  • Century brothers and sisters as it relates to faith.
  • 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:39.990
  • And their approach was this, it was an approach that argues from
  • 00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:45.195
  • And anchors to the event of the resurrection rather than the
  • 00:15:45.195 --> 00:15:48.432
  • Authority of the bible.
  • 00:15:48.432 --> 00:15:49.800
  • And the reason i feel so confident about this is because
  • 00:15:49.800 --> 00:15:52.469
  • This was the way the first and second century christians
  • 00:15:52.469 --> 00:15:55.572
  • Survived and how the church thrived.
  • 00:15:55.572 --> 00:15:57.908
  • Because, long before, long before there was christian
  • 00:15:57.908 --> 00:16:02.846
  • Scripture, long before there was christian scripture there
  • 00:16:02.846 --> 00:16:07.451
  • Were christians.
  • 00:16:07.451 --> 00:16:08.886
  • So i've done my best in these past few years to step back, to
  • 00:16:08.886 --> 00:16:12.790
  • Step back and to teach and to preach from the standpoint of
  • 00:16:12.790 --> 00:16:16.326
  • Anchoring your faith and the faith of your students and the
  • 00:16:16.326 --> 00:16:20.831
  • Faith of our churches to the event of the resurrection rather
  • 00:16:20.831 --> 00:16:24.068
  • Than the authority of scripture.
  • 00:16:24.068 --> 00:16:26.603
  • How many times have you heard me say this?
  • 00:16:26.603 --> 00:16:29.006
  • "if someone predicts their own death and resurrection and pulls
  • 00:16:29.006 --> 00:16:32.676
  • It off, i go with whatever that person says!"
  • 00:16:32.676 --> 00:16:36.013
  • I have said this every single chance i get, and i'll tell
  • 00:16:36.013 --> 00:16:39.950
  • You why.
  • 00:16:39.950 --> 00:16:41.685
  • Because when you begin to doubt and your son or your daughter
  • 00:16:41.685 --> 00:16:45.322
  • Begins to doubt, i want you to know that you can anchor your
  • 00:16:45.322 --> 00:16:49.426
  • Faith and their faith not to the 66 books of the bible but to
  • 00:16:49.426 --> 00:16:53.497
  • The event that launched this thing to begin with.
  • 00:16:53.497 --> 00:16:57.401
  • Every easter for the past five easters i've begun
  • 00:16:57.401 --> 00:16:59.903
  • Our services the same way.
  • 00:16:59.903 --> 00:17:01.238
  • I've said this, "hey, if you're here today and this is your
  • 00:17:01.238 --> 00:17:03.173
  • First time in one of our churches, here's what we want
  • 00:17:03.173 --> 00:17:05.742
  • You to know.
  • 00:17:05.742 --> 00:17:07.077
  • We believe that jesus died on the cross and rose from
  • 00:17:07.077 --> 00:17:09.580
  • The dead...but not because the bible tells us so.
  • 00:17:09.580 --> 00:17:12.116
  • It is better than that!"
  • 00:17:12.116 --> 00:17:14.418
  • I've said that the last five easters in a row, why?
  • 00:17:14.418 --> 00:17:17.788
  • Because i wanna anchor people's faith and i want you to anchor
  • 00:17:17.788 --> 00:17:20.757
  • Your faith to the event of the resurrection,
  • 00:17:20.757 --> 00:17:22.826
  • Not the 66 books of the bible.
  • 00:17:22.826 --> 00:17:24.595
  • Do i think there's anything wrong with the
  • 00:17:24.595 --> 00:17:25.996
  • 66 books of the bible?
  • 00:17:25.996 --> 00:17:27.331
  • No, this is not about me.
  • 00:17:27.331 --> 00:17:29.066
  • This isn't even about you.
  • 00:17:29.066 --> 00:17:30.901
  • This is about a generation we're losing, that we're losing
  • 00:17:30.901 --> 00:17:33.237
  • Unnecessarily, because i'm convinced 99% of the people
  • 00:17:33.237 --> 00:17:36.340
  • Who've walked away from faith did not walk away from anything
  • 00:17:36.340 --> 00:17:39.610
  • That had anything to do with the essentials of our faith.
  • 00:17:39.610 --> 00:17:43.013
  • And that has to change.
  • 00:17:43.013 --> 00:17:44.748
  • And i want all those people to come back.
  • 00:17:44.748 --> 00:17:47.084
  • Because i believe that following jesus will make your life better
  • 00:17:47.084 --> 00:17:51.288
  • And make you better at life.
  • 00:17:51.288 --> 00:17:53.690
  • The first century christians, the second century christians,
  • 00:17:53.690 --> 00:17:56.827
  • They knew what we either didn't know or have forgotten.
  • 00:17:56.827 --> 00:17:59.429
  • That the foundation of our faith is not "it is written."
  • 00:17:59.429 --> 00:18:04.034
  • The foundation of our faith is "something happened."
  • 00:18:04.034 --> 00:18:08.005
  • Our epic story does not begin in genesis.
  • 00:18:08.005 --> 00:18:12.176
  • Our epic story begins easter morning when disheartened and
  • 00:18:12.176 --> 00:18:16.413
  • Sad and brokenhearted and disillusioned men and women
  • 00:18:16.413 --> 00:18:20.217
  • Stared into an empty tomb and met their resurrected friend and
  • 00:18:20.217 --> 00:18:24.688
  • Rabbi who they would later declare as their savior.
  • 00:18:24.688 --> 00:18:28.192
  • Our story, come on, your story, your children's story, our
  • 00:18:28.192 --> 00:18:32.162
  • Grandchildren's story does not hang in the balance of whether
  • 00:18:32.162 --> 00:18:34.965
  • 66 ancient documents are all accurate at every level and
  • 00:18:34.965 --> 00:18:39.036
  • Could be proven true.
  • 00:18:39.036 --> 00:18:40.404
  • The story of our faith hangs on a single event.
  • 00:18:40.404 --> 00:18:43.607
  • Now, if you think i'm making this up or i'm discounting the
  • 00:18:43.607 --> 00:18:45.475
  • Importance of scripture, please pay attention.
  • 00:18:45.475 --> 00:18:48.045
  • In fact, the apostle paul, who brings us about half the new
  • 00:18:48.045 --> 00:18:51.181
  • Testament, said it best.
  • 00:18:51.181 --> 00:18:52.950
  • The apostle paul--in the book, "irresistible," i spent a lot
  • 00:18:52.950 --> 00:18:55.185
  • Of time on this.
  • 00:18:55.185 --> 00:18:56.553
  • The apostle paul who--and this is unimaginable, in the course
  • 00:18:56.553 --> 00:18:59.523
  • Of a day went from a law-abiding pharisee who was so committed to
  • 00:18:59.523 --> 00:19:04.962
  • The law and the temple that he was rounding up christians and
  • 00:19:04.962 --> 00:19:07.798
  • Having them tortured and executed,
  • 00:19:07.798 --> 00:19:09.700
  • In the course of a day he went from a law-abiding pharisee to a
  • 00:19:09.700 --> 00:19:12.936
  • Jesus follower, in one day.
  • 00:19:12.936 --> 00:19:15.005
  • And when the scales fell from his eyes, he not only could see
  • 00:19:15.005 --> 00:19:18.342
  • Physically, he had extraordinary clarity about the contrast
  • 00:19:18.342 --> 00:19:22.312
  • Between the old covenant and the new.
  • 00:19:22.312 --> 00:19:24.781
  • And the apostle paul himself says there's only one thing,
  • 00:19:24.781 --> 00:19:29.086
  • There's only one thing that serves as the
  • 00:19:29.086 --> 00:19:30.821
  • Foundation of our faith.
  • 00:19:30.821 --> 00:19:32.155
  • And if this goes away, our faith goes away.
  • 00:19:32.155 --> 00:19:34.224
  • And it was not something written.
  • 00:19:34.224 --> 00:19:36.526
  • Here's the words of the apostle paul himself.
  • 00:19:36.526 --> 00:19:38.996
  • This is big, he said, "and if christ has not been raised, our
  • 00:19:38.996 --> 00:19:44.968
  • Preaching is useless and so is your faith and your faith and
  • 00:19:44.968 --> 00:19:50.274
  • Your faith and your faith and your faith and your faith and
  • 00:19:50.274 --> 00:19:52.776
  • Your faith and your faith."
  • 00:19:52.776 --> 00:19:54.845
  • Say, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, paul,
  • 00:19:54.845 --> 00:19:56.480
  • That's kind of risky.
  • 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:57.814
  • I mean, you're saying the whole thing teeters on a single event?
  • 00:19:57.814 --> 00:20:01.585
  • Paul would say, "yes, do not be mistaken.
  • 00:20:01.585 --> 00:20:04.821
  • This is not the it is written religion.
  • 00:20:04.821 --> 00:20:07.858
  • This is the something happened religion.
  • 00:20:07.858 --> 00:20:10.327
  • And if this happened, game on.
  • 00:20:10.327 --> 00:20:14.064
  • God has done something in the world for the world, and if this
  • 00:20:14.064 --> 00:20:17.367
  • Did not happen, ignore my preaching and ignore your
  • 00:20:17.367 --> 00:20:21.138
  • Fairy-tale faith and go back to the temple or go back to your
  • 00:20:21.138 --> 00:20:24.875
  • Polytheism or your paganism because christianity is
  • 00:20:24.875 --> 00:20:28.011
  • Not true."
  • 00:20:28.011 --> 00:20:29.713
  • Christianity rests on a single event.
  • 00:20:29.713 --> 00:20:34.518
  • And the apostle paul did not say this about anything else.
  • 00:20:34.518 --> 00:20:38.622
  • The bible did not create christianity.
  • 00:20:38.622 --> 00:20:43.760
  • I want the next generation to know that.
  • 00:20:43.760 --> 00:20:46.430
  • I want them to know if they decide to walk away from the
  • 00:20:46.430 --> 00:20:49.466
  • Christian faith, they're not walking away from a book, they
  • 00:20:49.466 --> 00:20:52.202
  • Are walking away from an event that has been documented, and
  • 00:20:52.202 --> 00:20:55.272
  • More importantly, they are walking away from a person.
  • 00:20:55.272 --> 00:21:00.177
  • Just as the constitution did not found our nation,
  • 00:21:00.177 --> 00:21:04.414
  • Just as the company handbook did not start your company, the
  • 00:21:04.414 --> 00:21:08.418
  • Bible did not launch christianity.
  • 00:21:08.418 --> 00:21:11.621
  • Put it a different way.
  • 00:21:11.621 --> 00:21:13.523
  • Your birth certificate didn't birth you.
  • 00:21:13.523 --> 00:21:19.529
  • Your birth certificate documents you.
  • 00:21:19.529 --> 00:21:22.866
  • When people came to the hospital after your mother had you,
  • 00:21:22.866 --> 00:21:26.103
  • Nobody asked to see the birth certificate.
  • 00:21:26.103 --> 00:21:29.139
  • They wanted to see the baby.
  • 00:21:29.139 --> 00:21:31.875
  • And the thing i love about you and i love about our church, for
  • 00:21:31.875 --> 00:21:34.544
  • 23 years we've been showing people the baby, and i say we
  • 00:21:34.544 --> 00:21:39.316
  • Keep doing that.
  • 00:21:39.316 --> 00:21:40.650
  • And if it means we have to do some things that other people
  • 00:21:40.650 --> 00:21:42.986
  • Aren't willing to do to reach some people that other people
  • 00:21:42.986 --> 00:21:45.021
  • Aren't reaching, that's what we do because that's what you have
  • 00:21:45.021 --> 00:21:48.558
  • Always done.
  • 00:21:48.558 --> 00:21:49.893
  • The baby that showed up as an adult man on the banks of the
  • 00:21:49.893 --> 00:21:53.697
  • Jordan river.
  • 00:21:53.697 --> 00:21:55.065
  • And john the baptist looked at him and said, "oh no," or, "oh
  • 00:21:55.065 --> 00:21:57.801
  • Yes," or, "oh good," or, "oh my, it's about to happen.
  • 00:21:57.801 --> 00:22:00.971
  • The promise given to abraham all those years ago is about to come
  • 00:22:00.971 --> 00:22:04.708
  • True right here in our generation."
  • 00:22:04.708 --> 00:22:06.276
  • "behold, the final lamb of god who has come to take away the
  • 00:22:06.276 --> 00:22:10.947
  • Sin, your sin and my sin, the sin of the whole world."
  • 00:22:10.947 --> 00:22:16.520
  • The baby who grew to be a man, and the apostle paul would say
  • 00:22:16.520 --> 00:22:19.723
  • About him later in ephesians 2:20,
  • 00:22:19.723 --> 00:22:21.391
  • And if you doubt what i'm saying, you need to look up
  • 00:22:21.391 --> 00:22:23.460
  • Ephesians 2:20 later.
  • 00:22:23.460 --> 00:22:24.828
  • You know what the apostle paul said about jesus?
  • 00:22:24.828 --> 00:22:26.563
  • He said, "the foundation of our faith is a person, jesus."
  • 00:22:26.563 --> 00:22:31.401
  • The cornerstone, the very first stone laid, the thing that
  • 00:22:31.401 --> 00:22:35.238
  • Determines everything else about the building, the foundation of
  • 00:22:35.238 --> 00:22:37.941
  • Our faith is not it is written, the foundation of our faith is
  • 00:22:37.941 --> 00:22:41.144
  • Something happened.
  • 00:22:41.144 --> 00:22:42.512
  • God sent his son into the world.
  • 00:22:42.512 --> 00:22:45.015
  • The same baby that grew to be a man that after his resurrection
  • 00:22:45.015 --> 00:22:47.818
  • Would gather his closest followers and he would say
  • 00:22:47.818 --> 00:22:50.987
  • Something that--it was just crazy.
  • 00:22:50.987 --> 00:22:52.656
  • Nobody would say this.
  • 00:22:52.656 --> 00:22:54.791
  • Unless there was some evidence to back it up.
  • 00:22:54.791 --> 00:22:58.662
  • And they've seen him die, they knew where he was buried.
  • 00:22:58.662 --> 00:23:02.599
  • Several of them had breakfast later with him on the beach, and
  • 00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:05.235
  • Now there he was, alive in front of all of them.
  • 00:23:05.235 --> 00:23:07.904
  • And he makes a statement that i hope you'll wrestle with.
  • 00:23:07.904 --> 00:23:11.708
  • He says--no, but who would say this?
  • 00:23:11.708 --> 00:23:14.344
  • "all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me."
  • 00:23:14.344 --> 00:23:19.216
  • Do you know what the final authority for your life as a
  • 00:23:19.216 --> 00:23:21.384
  • Christian is?
  • 00:23:21.384 --> 00:23:23.854
  • It's a person. it's jesus.
  • 00:23:23.854 --> 00:23:27.691
  • My final authority is jesus.
  • 00:23:27.691 --> 00:23:29.559
  • The foundation of my faith is jesus.
  • 00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:31.895
  • And nobody loves the bible in this room or
  • 00:23:31.895 --> 00:23:33.630
  • Listening more than i do.
  • 00:23:33.630 --> 00:23:34.965
  • In fact, one of the great things about being an empty nester, not
  • 00:23:34.965 --> 00:23:36.800
  • To make you jealous, but sandra and i can get up early in the
  • 00:23:36.800 --> 00:23:39.803
  • Morning with our coffee and we can read our bibles longer,
  • 00:23:39.803 --> 00:23:42.305
  • And we are such nerds.
  • 00:23:42.305 --> 00:23:43.640
  • We sit around and talk about theology, and that we just love
  • 00:23:43.640 --> 00:23:46.643
  • It, love it, love it.
  • 00:23:46.643 --> 00:23:48.011
  • Nobody loves the bible more than me.
  • 00:23:48.011 --> 00:23:49.479
  • But the foundation of my faith is not a book.
  • 00:23:49.479 --> 00:23:52.315
  • It's a person, that's what paul said.
  • 00:23:52.315 --> 00:23:54.284
  • And the authority is jesus, that's what jesus said.
  • 00:23:54.284 --> 00:23:57.187
  • So as the bible goes, christianity doesn't go.
  • 00:23:57.187 --> 00:24:00.290
  • The skeptics have it wrong.
  • 00:24:00.290 --> 00:24:01.758
  • Unfortunately, most christians have it wrong.
  • 00:24:01.758 --> 00:24:03.727
  • The people who walked away had it wrong, and we together are
  • 00:24:03.727 --> 00:24:07.030
  • Going to get it right.
  • 00:24:07.030 --> 00:24:08.398
  • It's not as the bible goes, so goes christianity.
  • 00:24:08.398 --> 00:24:10.967
  • It's as jesus goes, so goes christianity--or so goes--
  • 00:24:10.967 --> 00:24:14.638
  • Christianity goes.
  • 00:24:14.638 --> 00:24:15.972
  • And if you wanna know how jesus goes,
  • 00:24:15.972 --> 00:24:18.742
  • Don't cross-examine the bible.
  • 00:24:18.742 --> 00:24:21.378
  • That's what skeptics do.
  • 00:24:21.378 --> 00:24:23.079
  • To take down christianity, you'll need to cross-examine a
  • 00:24:23.079 --> 00:24:26.149
  • List of people and a list of unexplainable events.
  • 00:24:26.149 --> 00:24:32.155
  • You don't cross-examine the bible, you have to start with a
  • 00:24:32.155 --> 00:24:34.824
  • Document called matthew and ask matthew, where did all this
  • 00:24:34.824 --> 00:24:38.929
  • Intricate detail come from?
  • 00:24:38.929 --> 00:24:41.464
  • And when you're finished with matthew and you're able to write
  • 00:24:41.464 --> 00:24:43.600
  • Matthew off, the game has just begun because then you gotta
  • 00:24:43.600 --> 00:24:46.069
  • Wrestle with mark, who tradition says got his information
  • 00:24:46.069 --> 00:24:49.406
  • From the apostle peter.
  • 00:24:49.406 --> 00:24:51.041
  • And once you've discounted mark, you're just getting started.
  • 00:24:51.041 --> 00:24:53.476
  • Then you gotta go to luke, who said, "i thoroughly
  • 00:24:53.476 --> 00:24:55.645
  • Investigated all these things."
  • 00:24:55.645 --> 00:24:56.980
  • Then you gotta go to john, who lived to be an old man.
  • 00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:59.382
  • When you're done with john, then you gotta take on peter, then
  • 00:24:59.382 --> 00:25:01.818
  • You gotta take on james.
  • 00:25:01.818 --> 00:25:03.219
  • Did i mention that james is the brother of jesus?
  • 00:25:03.219 --> 00:25:08.925
  • Did i mention he was stoned illegally and he went to his
  • 00:25:08.925 --> 00:25:12.896
  • Grave believing his brother was his lord?
  • 00:25:12.896 --> 00:25:15.665
  • Before you discount christianity, you gotta
  • 00:25:15.665 --> 00:25:18.501
  • Wrestle with james.
  • 00:25:18.501 --> 00:25:20.637
  • And then if you get through all that, which you won't, then
  • 00:25:20.637 --> 00:25:23.106
  • You're confronted with the apostle paul, who's smarter than
  • 00:25:23.106 --> 00:25:25.475
  • You can ever imagine being.
  • 00:25:25.475 --> 00:25:27.611
  • The apostle paul who said, "whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
  • 00:25:27.611 --> 00:25:29.546
  • Hang on.
  • 00:25:29.546 --> 00:25:30.981
  • I was a proponent of first century judaism and i became
  • 00:25:30.981 --> 00:25:35.485
  • A jesus follower.
  • 00:25:35.485 --> 00:25:36.853
  • I have been there and i have done that.
  • 00:25:36.853 --> 00:25:39.089
  • And i have spent time with peter and i've spent time with john
  • 00:25:39.089 --> 00:25:42.292
  • And i've spent time with the other apostles and i've been to
  • 00:25:42.292 --> 00:25:45.128
  • Jerusalem and i'm telling you, god has done something among us
  • 00:25:45.128 --> 00:25:49.032
  • And the entire old covenant was pointing to this period of time.
  • 00:25:49.032 --> 00:25:53.503
  • And this man, jesus, rose from the dead."
  • 00:25:53.503 --> 00:25:57.073
  • And after you've taken on each one of those individually, then
  • 00:25:57.073 --> 00:26:00.043
  • You have some more explaining to do.
  • 00:26:00.043 --> 00:26:01.544
  • You've got to explain the survival of the church
  • 00:26:01.544 --> 00:26:04.114
  • Sandwiched between again, empire and temple.
  • 00:26:04.114 --> 00:26:07.083
  • Then once you get through that, you've got to explain jesus's
  • 00:26:07.083 --> 00:26:09.853
  • Extraordinarily detailed account of the destruction of
  • 00:26:09.853 --> 00:26:12.522
  • The temple.
  • 00:26:12.522 --> 00:26:13.857
  • How in the world did he give that much detail to something
  • 00:26:13.857 --> 00:26:16.626
  • That was actually going to happen that was considered
  • 00:26:16.626 --> 00:26:18.862
  • Impossible when he made the prediction?
  • 00:26:18.862 --> 00:26:22.065
  • Why is there no mention of the four-year jewish war between
  • 00:26:22.065 --> 00:26:25.268
  • Rome and the people of israel in any of the gospels or any of
  • 00:26:25.268 --> 00:26:28.138
  • The literature of the new testament?
  • 00:26:28.138 --> 00:26:29.706
  • Why is there no mention of the destruction of the temple in
  • 00:26:29.706 --> 00:26:31.908
  • Any of the gospels or any of the documents of the new testament?
  • 00:26:31.908 --> 00:26:35.745
  • Because it hadn't happened yet.
  • 00:26:35.745 --> 00:26:37.347
  • These documents weren't written 100 years after the fact, they
  • 00:26:37.347 --> 00:26:40.717
  • Were written while the temple was still standing.
  • 00:26:40.717 --> 00:26:43.019
  • You got to explain all of that.
  • 00:26:43.019 --> 00:26:45.088
  • You can have genesis.
  • 00:26:45.088 --> 00:26:46.423
  • You can have leviticus. you can have exodus.
  • 00:26:46.423 --> 00:26:48.258
  • You can have--you can have revelation and philemon.
  • 00:26:48.258 --> 00:26:49.959
  • You can have 1, 2, 3 john.
  • 00:26:49.959 --> 00:26:51.494
  • Just give me two gospels and 1 corinthians, game on.
  • 00:26:51.494 --> 00:26:55.031
  • Jesus rose from the dead.
  • 00:26:55.031 --> 00:26:57.801
  • That's where we anchor our faith and that's where we must anchor
  • 00:26:57.801 --> 00:27:01.671
  • The faith of the next generation.
  • 00:27:01.671 --> 00:27:05.108
  • Andy: hey, thanks so much for watching.
  • 00:27:05.108 --> 00:27:06.710
  • You may find it hard to believe that 75 million americans claim
  • 00:27:06.710 --> 00:27:10.180
  • No religious affiliation.
  • 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:12.348
  • On a personal note, perhaps you found it nearly impossible to
  • 00:27:12.348 --> 00:27:15.385
  • Believe that your son or your daughter or perhaps a grandchild
  • 00:27:15.385 --> 00:27:18.288
  • Drifted away from faith as part of that number.
  • 00:27:18.288 --> 00:27:21.124
  • This is a crisis culturally and perhaps for you it's
  • 00:27:21.124 --> 00:27:24.127
  • A crisis personally.
  • 00:27:24.127 --> 00:27:25.495
  • At "your move," we are committed to addressing that crisis.
  • 00:27:25.495 --> 00:27:29.399
  • We actually have a plan to solve it, but we need your help.
  • 00:27:29.399 --> 00:27:32.302
  • We've developed a digital online tool that invites people to take
  • 00:27:32.302 --> 00:27:35.672
  • A personal assessment that launches them on a journey that
  • 00:27:35.672 --> 00:27:39.109
  • Eventually intersects their questions with the teaching of
  • 00:27:39.109 --> 00:27:42.412
  • Jesus and ultimately with a bible teaching church in
  • 00:27:42.412 --> 00:27:46.182
  • Their community.
  • 00:27:46.182 --> 00:27:47.517
  • Tens of thousands of people are currently engaged in this
  • 00:27:47.517 --> 00:27:49.953
  • Process, but we need your help to continue creating the bread
  • 00:27:49.953 --> 00:27:53.590
  • Crumbs, the content that keeps them moving forward on their
  • 00:27:53.590 --> 00:27:57.093
  • Faith journey.
  • 00:27:57.093 --> 00:27:58.495
  • We're attempting something that no one has ever attempted before
  • 00:27:58.495 --> 00:28:01.664
  • And it is already working.
  • 00:28:01.664 --> 00:28:03.466
  • To find out more, go to the website or call the number at
  • 00:28:03.466 --> 00:28:06.302
  • The bottom of the screen.
  • 00:28:06.302 --> 00:28:07.670
  • And as always, thank you so much for watching,
  • 00:28:07.670 --> 00:28:09.873
  • And now it's your move.
  • 00:28:09.873 --> 00:28:12.108
  • Cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 www.aberdeen.io
  • 00:28:12.108 --> 00:28:21.551
  • ...
  • 00:28:24.788 --> 00:28:29.010