Confronting Unbelief: Embracing the Truth of Christ

"Here is the Son of God in the world and yet the record that is given here in this Gospel According to St John as we are told in the very prologue is this he came un his own and his own received him not that is the terrible tragedy ah but you see it's the tragedy of the world still this world that is so full of trouble and care and anxiety overwhelmed by its problems and in spite of all the striving and the efforts no nearer to a solution the tragedy the Supreme tragedy is this that everything it needs and infinitely more is being offered it in this gospel but it doesn't believe it it dismisses it it with contempt even as his own contemporaries dismissed the Lord Jesus Christ and his teaching." [00:02:04]

"Now there is something about this I'm sure you'll all agree with me which is almost incredible but that you know is the story that is given to us everywhere in the pages of the four gospels take that example which I read at the beginning out of the fourth chapter of The Gospel According to St Luke where we have him at the very beginning of his ministry there he was he got up in the synagogue he read that portion of scripture and then he sat down and began to teach and they all had to Bear testimony to the gracious words that proceeded from his mouth well you said this is going to lead to some extraordinary result but you remember that the very people who were marveling and were amazed at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth quite soon began to be filled with Fury with respect to him they nashed upon him with their teeth and there they took him to the brow of a hill and they did their utmost to push him over the brow that they might kill him he miraculously escapes from them but as far as they were concerned they were filled with hatred they were filled with wrath they were filled with bitterness." [00:05:26]

"Every sin every failure every tragedy in the world is due to the fact that men and women are in the wrong relationship to God and won't listen to this blessed person if I'm speaking to somebody at this moment as I am I know who is unhappy who is conscious of defeat and failure my dear friend you are whole trouble is due to the fact that you don't listen to this person it's this unbelief this thing that characterized these Jews these authorities these religious authorities when he was here in the world and and this is the point I'm making the very reasons that operated in them are the very reasons that are operating this evening now this very thing that we are looking at reminds us of a very vital principle in this matter that the world doesn't change and this is the root cause of so many fallacies today that men and women think that because they're living in the 20th century that some of things are different as we analyze these people we shall be analyzing a typical Modern Men there is no difference there is no change at all the things we are concerned about are things that are fundamental in human nature and they have been true from the very dawn of civilization ever since the fall of men so that if we were analyzing an Old Testament case it would be exactly the same the principles never change the form of course changes tremendously people didn't talk in the Time of Our Lord about the atom and scientific knowledge no no but they they use the same Principle as I'm going to show you it's the clothing that has changed the principles the facts have not and do not change at all." [00:08:46]

"Here they are they listen to him and they've got to admit that there is a phenomenon here there is something extra that we are told that they marveled but what they said was how Earth is men letters having never learned now what they're really saying is this this man they said has no right to any learning and to any knowledge why not well because he didn't belong to them he didn't belong to the schools they after all were the authorities and they'd undergone a prolonged training they were the experts here on the other hand was a man who was a carpenter that come from nowhere even from Nazareth he doesn't belong to the schools well how can he know anything it's impossible that a man who doesn't belong to the schools shall know anything this is impossible how is this man learning or letters having never learned and so you see this was the thing that infuriated them constantly about him they said this can't be right how can a fellow like this this fellow that's what they called him this Carpenter this son of Joseph and Mary who is this man to get up and talk in this authoritative manner now they had to admit that there was an element of authority but they say the things impossible this is all wrong how can this man know anything he's never had the training he's never had the learning now that you see is the position they had a feeling that it was an impertinence on his part to speak at all they say there's a type of man who has no right even to express an opinion about these things how can such a man rarely know anything at all now I say that this is nothing but sheer intellectual and Professional Pride and superiority." [00:16:08]

"Here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]

"Have you ever tried to understand to explain him have you ever asked the right questions about him or have you just said there's nothing in Christianity all played out he was just a man of course is that your attitude or have you really faced the facts you're are the facts here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]

"Have you ever tried to understand to explain him have you ever asked the right questions about him or have you just said there's nothing in Christianity all played out he was just a man of course is that your attitude or have you really faced the facts you're are the facts here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]

"Have you ever tried to understand to explain him have you ever asked the right questions about him or have you just said there's nothing in Christianity all played out he was just a man of course is that your attitude or have you really faced the facts you're are the facts here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]

"Have you ever tried to understand to explain him have you ever asked the right questions about him or have you just said there's nothing in Christianity all played out he was just a man of course is that your attitude or have you really faced the facts you're are the facts here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]

"Have you ever tried to understand to explain him have you ever asked the right questions about him or have you just said there's nothing in Christianity all played out he was just a man of course is that your attitude or have you really faced the facts you're are the facts here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]

"Have you ever tried to understand to explain him have you ever asked the right questions about him or have you just said there's nothing in Christianity all played out he was just a man of course is that your attitude or have you really faced the facts you're are the facts here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]

"Have you ever tried to understand to explain him have you ever asked the right questions about him or have you just said there's nothing in Christianity all played out he was just a man of course is that your attitude or have you really faced the facts you're are the facts here is a person born in Bethlehem as a little babe in very great poverty born in a stable brought up in a place called Nazareth working with his hands as a carpenter and doing that until he was 30 years of age no advantages at all no natural advantages whatsoever then suddenly he bursts upon the then world with his astounding teaching with his amazing Miracles with all his glorious and wonderful Works without any training without any advantages read his words how do you rarely explain this person is this just a man you who believe in evolution how do you explain this person who lived nearly 2,000 years ago how do you explain him how is such a person thrown out as it were with every everything against him and yet standing out Supreme and alone in his teaching baffling the greatest minds of all the ages and the centuries and still doing so can you really dismiss this person can you really get rid of him with a contemptuous remark can you really get rid of him with a curse is Christianity to be dismissed so easily and then look at him I say this person who can thus speak and teach and who has such power and such might look at him dying upon a cross in apparent utter weakness the one who could raise the dead dying look at him buried in a grave but go and look at the grave empty on the morning of the third day look at him appearing to his followers who had lost all hope and lost all heart and were absolutely crushed and defeated look at him putting new life into them look at the transformation in them look at them there on the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem look at the Christian Church coming out of it look at these simple artisans in the book of The Acts of the Apostles going around the world and turning it upside down these men were ignoramuses nothing nobody's even less than he was can you explain them can you understand them have you ever tried to have you ever confronted the whole story of the Christian church can you explain the fact that this little despised small sect so quickly became a dominating force in the whole history of the world and of civilization my dear friend what I'm asking you is this you see is this something that can dismissed as these people dismissed him and his teaching and as men and women are still doing so can't you see that it's your Prejudice that is blinding you can't you see that it's your pride you talk about your modern learning and knowledge but what about this what you make of him have you ever really considered him have you stood before him have you tried to understand him if you but did that you would soon come to the conclusion that there is only one way of explaining this person this is no M." [00:31:45]