Sunday Sermons
Behold Thy God - Part 1
Behold Thy God
Most of us may live in this beautiful world about 80 years. Seems like a long time. But when you think about it, eternity is like a sand dune, and my life span is in comparison a grain of sand. If it is true that virtually all of my existence will be spent in the next world, and if it is true that the quality of my future existence is based upon choices I make in this life, the only wise thing to do is to carefully prepare for that eternity. Mortality…. It’s not the easiest thing to think about. In fact most of us immerse ourselves in an almost frantic level of activity in an effort to avoid thinking about the inevitable. But hey, I love life too! I love spending my life with the woman I love, watching the joy in our children as they learn and discover exciting, new things. I love the smell of the beach and walking through the woods in the spring. I love laughing with my friends and I even love my work. Yet even life at its best leaves us wanting more. Is there more? Is there life after death? Is there a God? If so, what are His expectations of me, if any? These are the real questions of life that those courageous and honest enough, must slow down from their very full and busy lives long enough to answer. The good news is that in the course of preparing for eternity, the enjoyment I get out of this life in the meantime multiplies.
Why do I, and 96 percent of people in this world acknowledge the existence of God? I mean, all day long most of those whom the world would identify as the intellectually elite preach the gospel of Atheism. I say the “gospel of atheism” because essentially the message we as a culture are suppose to be embracing is the message, “Don’t worry. The evidence is in: we have proven yet again that there is no God. Live the way you like; if it feels good do it, because there is no ultimate Authority. And if you want to viewed as an intellectual, you’ll preach this same gospel, too.” Yet after all the support of the media, the educational system, and everything in-between, 96 percent of people STILL believe in a God. The truth is, atheists just can’t preach a sermon as well as the universe preaches every day. Romans1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” How does one determine if there is a God? Think with me.
Fact 1: The Universe Exists.
This fact alone forces us to confront the question, “Where did the universe come from?” Can something come from nothing? Ponder this: If there ever had been a time when nothing existed, then there would be nothing now. It is a self-evident truth that nothing produces nothing. In view of this, since something exists now, it must follow logically that something or Someone has existed forever. Here we only have two choices. Either everything miraculously came from nothing, (life spontaneously generated), or God miraculously created everything (Genesis 1:1). Which miracle is most likely? Which miracle does the evidence support? Has matter has existed forever or has Immaterial Intelligence existed forever? Matter creating matter is an illogical, unscientific answer; this is readily seen in the very fact that scientists assign an “age” to the universe (which includes all the matter that composes it). An age admits a “beginning” or starting point and proves that matter is not eternal. This universe that exists either came from Mind, or it came from Matter. When one explores the complexity and wise design of the universe, the only reasonable and scientific conclusion the honest mind can reach is that an Omniscient Mind with Omniscient power has always existed.
Fact 2: The Only Adequate First Cause:
The Scientific Law of Cause and Effect states that every material effect must have an adequate cause. All that you see around you is an effect, but what is the cause? What caused our complex universe to exist? What caused intelligent life in nature to exist? Beyond the material, what caused man’s moral nature, or his ability to love? What is the origin of the laws of nature? What is the origin of all truth, spirituality, and values? The explanation that best fits the Scientific Law of Cause and Effect is well stated by Henry Morris in the book Scientific Creationism (p. 20):
The first cause of limitless space must be infinite
The first cause of endless time must be eternal
The first cause of boundless energy must be all-powerful
The first cause of universal interrelationships must be omnipresent
The first cause if infinite complexity must be all-knowing
The first cause of moral values must be moral
The first cause of spiritual values must be spiritual
The first cause of human responsibility must have free will
The first cause of human integrity must be truthful
The first cause of human love must be loving
The first cause of life must be living
Behold, thy God is the first cause of all that is good.
Fact 3: Exacting Conditions for Life on the Planet
Isaiah 45:18 “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.”
The countless exacting conditions that are necessary for life even exist and be sustained on this planet shout the existence of an Intelligent Designer. “The rotation of the earth on its axis, for instance, is 1,000 mile per hour at the equator. If it were 100 instead, the days and nights would be ten times as long, the result of which would be the burning up of all vegetation each long day and the freezing of each surviving sprout each long night. The sun, the source of light, has surface temperatures of 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit; the earth is far enough away for the right warmth, not too much, not too little. If the sun gave less radiation, the result would freeze us all, and if more, it would roast us all. The slant of the earth is at an angle of 23 degrees, which give seasons, and if not so tilted the movement of the vapors of the sea would turn continents into ice. If the moon were set at less distance from the earth tides would submerge all continents twice daily, and the mountains would erode away. If the crust of the earth were ten feet thicker, there would be no oxygen and all life would die, and if the ocean were a few feet deeper, no life could exist. If the atmosphere were thinner … meteors which hurl from their orbits and dart toward the earth and which now burn and consume in the atmosphere, would shoot to ground and set fires over the whole earth, all of which is proof that life was created, is governed by mathematical laws, and is not an accident.” (Bulwarks of the Faith, Vol. 11, pages 332, 333. F.E. Wallace.) Certainly the design and care with which the laws of physics, the universe, our galaxy, our solar system, and the planet Earth were crafted demands an Omniscient, Omnipotent Creator.
Fact 4: The Human Body shows remarkable evidence of design:
Psalm 139:14 “I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made”
- The design of the human eye:
Every single part of the body is a masterpiece and mechanism of precise planning, a delicate and complex apparatus whose various components work as a unit to achieve such diverse feats as scaling a mountaintop, building a bridge or composing a symphony. Consider the eye for example. It is infinitely more complex than any man-made camera. It can handle 1.5 million simultaneous messages, and gathers 80% of all the knowledge absorbed by the brain. The retina covers less than a square inch, and contains 137 million light-sensitive receptor cells, 130 million rods (allowing the eye to see in black and white), and 7 million cones (allowing the eye to see in full color). In an average day, the eye moves about 100,000 times. The eye is still far superior to the best of modern cameras—it is much more sensitive than the fastest film, sees over a wide angle, presents a moving picture, cleans itself, is self-focusing, and has the remarkable property of remaining effective despite enormous changes in the intensity of illumination, adjusting to such changes automatically. How do we answer for the existence of such a complicated and efficient instrument as the human eye? If someone handed us an artificial eye that had been crafted of wood, brass, and glass, no honest person could deny the artificial eye had been planned for a purpose. How much more evident it is that such an infinitely more complex masterpiece as the human eye is obviously the work of the ultimate Genius.
- The Human Heart:
The more intelligent the design, the more intelligent the designer. Is it more likely that the pumping systems that propel water through the various parts of a large city all, over time, simply fell into place during some kind of incomprehensible accident, or that they are the result of intelligent planning and engineering? How much more evident then is the intelligence of the Engineer of the human heart, which pumps 700,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of vessels every year, can operate for approximately 60 to 90 years without shutdown or repair (and which, in some instances, repairs itself). Neither the complicated water distribution system in a big city, nor the human heart is the result of a big bang.
- The Human Brain:
The brain is a physical system that contains about 100 billion interconnected neurons—about as many neurons as there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The human brain weighs about three pounds, yet contains ten billion neurons with approximately 25,000 synapses (connections) per neuron. Each neuron is made up of 10,000,000,000 macromolecules. The human mind can store almost limitless amounts of information (a potential millions of times greater than the average1015 bits of information gathered in a lifetime). It can compare facts, weigh information against memory, formulate a decision in a fraction of a second, makes judgments and imparts consciousness. What honest person would say that your personal computer is an example of extraordinary planning and design, but that the brain that conceived and put it together is just the product of blind chance?
Fact 5: The Unique Nature of Man:
Even our very moral nature is evidence that man is created in the image of God. Even atheists acknowledge right and wrong exist when they say such things as, “You shouldn’t do that”, or “That’s not right”. People are naturally outraged by evil. The reason why man is predisposed with a religious nature is because he was designed to worship his Creator. Every culture has worshiped or served someone or something (Acts 17:21). The existence of religion proves that man is so much more than a body and has an undeniable spiritual dimension. The fact that we have an intellect, a religious inclination, an aesthetic appreciation, and a moral nature shows we have been created in the image of God. (Gen. 1:26)
Fact 6: The Size of the Universe:
To say we live in an incredibly large Universe is an understatement. While its outer limits have never been measured, it is estimated to be as much as 20 billion light-years in diameter (a light-year is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year at the speed of slightly more than 186,000 miles per second). Yet there are an estimated one billion galaxies in the Universe. Our own galaxy contains over 100 billion stars, and is so large that it would take 100,000 light years just to cross its diameter. It is unscientific to claim that a single light bulb happened by chance, how much more, a universe filled with matter that is 20 billion light-years in diameter! There can be no other honest explanation for such vastness than an all knowing, all-powerful, omnipresent God.
The Undeniable Conclusion:
God exists. Both this astonishing universe, and your very nature alone, proves it.
The courageous mind must then ask, “Has God communicated with His creation, and if so, what has He said?” Even more significantly, “Has He expressed any expectations of me in my life?” Our next lesson in this series will address these most important questions of life.
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
An Estimate of the Probability for Attaining the Necessary Parameters for Life Support
|
Parameter |
Probability that feature will fall in the required range |
|
galaxy size |
.1 |
|
galaxy type |
.1 |
|
galaxy location |
.1 |
|
star location relative to galactic center |
.2 |
|
star distance from closest spiral arm |
.1 |
|
z-axis extremes of star's orbit |
.1 |
|
proximity of solar nebula to a supernova eruption |
.01 |
|
timing of solar nebula formation relative to supernova eruption |
.01 |
|
number of stars in system |
.2 |
|
star birth date |
.2 |
|
star age |
.4 |
|
star metallicity |
.05 |
|
star orbital eccentricity |
.1 |
|
star's distance from galactic plane |
.1 |
|
star mass |
.001 |
|
star luminosity relative to speciation |
.0001 |
|
star color |
.4 |
|
3H+ production |
.1 |
|
supernovae rates and locations |
.01 |
|
white dwarf binary types, rates, and locations |
.01 |
|
planetary distance from star |
.001 |
|
inclination of planetary orbit |
.5 |
|
planetary axis tilt |
.3 |
|
rate of change of axial tilt |
.01 |
|
planetary rotation period |
.1 |
|
rate of change in planetary rotation period |
.05 |
|
planetary orbit eccentricity |
.3 |
|
surface gravity (escape velocity) |
.001 |
|
tidal force |
.1 |
|
magnetic field |
.01 |
|
albedo |
.1 |
|
density |
.1 |
|
planetary crust thickness |
.01 |
|
oceans-to-continents ratio |
.2 |
|
rate of change in oceans-to-continents ratio |
.1 |
|
global distribution of continents |
.3 |
|
frequency and extent of ice ages |
.1 |
|
asteroid and comet collision rate |
.1 |
|
change in asteroid and comet collision rates |
.1 |
|
mass of body colliding with primordial Earth |
.002 |
|
timing of collision with primordial Earth |
.05 |
|
rate of change in asteroid/comet collision rate |
.1 |
|
proximity and mass of Jupiter |
.01 |
|
major planet eccentricities |
.1 |
|
major planet orbital instabilities |
.1 |
|
drift rate and rate change of major planets |
.1 |
|
atmospheric transparency |
.01 |
|
atmospheric pressure |
.1 |
|
atmospheric electric discharge rate |
.1 |
|
atmospheric temperature gradient |
.01 |
|
carbon dioxide level in atmosphere |
.01 |
|
oxygen level in atmosphere |
.01 |
|
chlorine level in atmosphere |
.1 |
|
iron quantity in oceans |
.1 |
|
tropospheric ozone quantity |
.01 |
|
stratospheric ozone quantity |
.01 |
|
mesospheric ozone quantity |
.01 |
|
water vapor level in atmosphere |
.01 |
|
oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio in atmosphere |
.1 |
|
quantity of greenhouse gases in atmosphere |
.01 |
|
frequency and extent of forest and grass fires |
.01 |
|
soil mineralization |
.1 |
|
quantity of sea-salt aerosols |
.1 |
|
quantity of decomposer bacteria in soil |
.01 |
|
quantity of mycorrhizal fungi in soil |
.01 |
|
quantity of nitrifying microbes in soil |
.01 |
|
quantity of sulfur in soil |
.1 |
|
quantity of sulfur in planet's core |
.1 |
|
tectonic activity |
.1 |
|
volcanic activity |
.1 |
|
decline in volcanic activity |
.1 |
|
viscosity of Earth's core at core boundaries |
.01 |
|
biomass to comet-infall ratio |
.01 |
|
regularity of cometary infall |
.1 |
|
dependency factors (estimate) |
100,000,000,000 |
|
longevity requirements (estimate) |
.00001 |
Probability for combined occurrence of all 75 parameters = 10-99
