Exploring Faith: The Reliability of Jesus' Story

 

Summary

In today's exploration, we delved into the foundational question of faith: Is there a God, and if so, what is God like? Many of us grapple with the reliability of ancient texts, questioning whether our beliefs should rest solely on scriptures written in a time devoid of modern science. This skepticism is understandable, especially as more people deconstruct their faith, seeking answers to difficult questions that traditional religious teachings may not address.

However, the essence of Christianity does not hinge on the infallibility of ancient manuscripts but rather on the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. The pivotal question is whether the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John—are reliable accounts of actual events. If any one of these texts is true, then the claims about Jesus are valid, and our faith is not in vain.

The Gospel of Luke, in particular, offers a meticulously investigated account of Jesus' life. Luke, a physician and historian, interviewed eyewitnesses and compiled a narrative to provide certainty about the teachings of Jesus. His work was not initially part of a Bible but was later included because of its reliability and historical value. This underscores that the story of Jesus is not merely a Bible story; it is the reason the Bible exists.

As we continue to explore the Gospel of Luke, we are invited to investigate the claims of Christianity with an open mind. The story of Jesus is extraordinary, not just because of its historical impact but because it offers something good for the world. Following Jesus may be inconvenient and demanding, but it promises to make life better and more meaningful.

Key Takeaways:

1. Faith Beyond Manuscripts: Christianity's foundation is not the infallibility of ancient texts but the identity of Jesus. The reliability of the Gospels, particularly Luke, is crucial. If these accounts are true, they validate the claims about Jesus, making faith substantial and investigable. [03:04]

2. The Gospel of Luke's Reliability: Luke's Gospel is a carefully investigated account based on eyewitness testimonies. It was included in the Bible not to make it valuable but because it was already considered reliable. This challenges us to view the story of Jesus as historically significant. [16:39]

3. The Story of Jesus as the Reason for the Bible: The narrative of Jesus is not just a part of the Bible; it is the reason the Bible was compiled. The resurrection and subsequent events led to the documentation of Jesus' life, which became the cornerstone of Christian faith. [08:30]

4. Investigating Faith: We are encouraged to explore the claims of Christianity with an open mind. The Gospel of Luke invites us to examine the life and teachings of Jesus, offering a foundation for faith that is both rational and historical. [18:42]

5. The Cost and Reward of Following Jesus: Following Jesus may be inconvenient, requiring forgiveness, generosity, and selflessness. However, it promises to enrich life and improve our character. The decision to follow should be based on the reliability of Jesus' story, not convenience. [31:07]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:15] - Questioning Faith and God
- [01:02] - Modern Skepticism
- [02:29] - The Foundation of Faith
- [03:17] - Investigating Christianity
- [04:33] - The Identity of Jesus
- [05:46] - The Reliability of the Gospels
- [07:18] - The Story of the Christian Faith
- [08:30] - Jesus: The Reason for the Bible
- [10:16] - Introduction to the Gospel of Luke
- [11:35] - Luke's Meticulous Account
- [14:43] - The Extraordinary Story
- [18:02] - Luke's Purpose and Audience
- [24:32] - The First Bible and Its Significance
- [30:46] - The Cost of Following Jesus

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Luke 1:1-4
- John 20:30-31
- Acts 1:1-3

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Luke claim about the sources of his Gospel in Luke 1:1-4, and how does this relate to the reliability of his account? [11:17]

2. According to the sermon, why is the identity of Jesus more crucial to Christian faith than the infallibility of ancient texts? [04:33]

3. How does the sermon describe the process by which the Gospels, particularly Luke, were included in the Bible? [19:17]

4. What reasons does the sermon give for why many people, including Luke, felt compelled to document the life of Jesus? [14:43]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Luke's method of compiling his Gospel, as described in Luke 1:1-4, challenge modern skepticism about the reliability of the Gospels? [16:39]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the story of Jesus is not just a "Bible story" but the reason for the Bible's existence? [08:30]

3. How does the sermon address the tension between faith and modern scientific understanding? What implications does this have for believers today? [01:02]

4. What does the sermon imply about the cost and reward of following Jesus, and how does this relate to the reliability of the Gospel accounts? [31:07]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you questioned the reliability of the Bible. How does the sermon’s emphasis on the identity of Jesus and the reliability of the Gospels impact your perspective? [04:33]

2. The sermon suggests that following Jesus can be inconvenient. Identify one area in your life where following Jesus feels inconvenient. How can you address this challenge? [31:07]

3. How can you engage with the Gospel of Luke in a way that allows you to "investigate" your faith more deeply? What steps can you take this week to begin this exploration? [18:42]

4. Consider the idea that the story of Jesus is the reason for the Bible. How does this perspective change the way you read and understand the Bible? [08:30]

5. The sermon encourages an open-minded investigation of Christianity. What are some questions or doubts you have about your faith, and how can you seek answers in a way that strengthens your belief? [03:42]

6. How can you share the story of Jesus with someone who is skeptical about the Bible? What aspects of the Gospel of Luke might be most compelling to them? [05:46]

7. Reflect on the historical impact of Jesus' life as presented in the sermon. How does this influence your understanding of the significance of Jesus in your personal life and in the world today? [14:43]

Devotional

Day 1: Faith Rooted in Jesus' Identity
Christianity's foundation is not the infallibility of ancient texts but the identity of Jesus. The reliability of the Gospels, particularly Luke, is crucial. If these accounts are true, they validate the claims about Jesus, making faith substantial and investigable. [03:04]

"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (2 Peter 1:16, ESV)

Reflection: Consider how your faith is influenced by the identity of Jesus rather than the perfection of ancient texts. How does this perspective change your approach to understanding Christianity today?


Day 2: The Gospel of Luke's Historical Significance
Luke's Gospel is a carefully investigated account based on eyewitness testimonies. It was included in the Bible not to make it valuable but because it was already considered reliable. This challenges us to view the story of Jesus as historically significant. [16:39]

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us." (Luke 1:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on the historical reliability of the Gospel of Luke. How does knowing that Luke's account is based on eyewitness testimonies impact your trust in the narrative of Jesus' life?


Day 3: Jesus: The Cornerstone of the Bible
The narrative of Jesus is not just a part of the Bible; it is the reason the Bible was compiled. The resurrection and subsequent events led to the documentation of Jesus' life, which became the cornerstone of Christian faith. [08:30]

"This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone." (Acts 4:11, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding Jesus as the cornerstone of the Bible influence your reading and interpretation of the scriptures? What changes might you make in your study habits to reflect this understanding?


Day 4: An Invitation to Investigate Faith
We are encouraged to explore the claims of Christianity with an open mind. The Gospel of Luke invites us to examine the life and teachings of Jesus, offering a foundation for faith that is both rational and historical. [18:42]

"Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take this week to investigate the claims of Christianity more deeply? How can you approach your faith with both an open mind and a critical eye?


Day 5: The Cost and Reward of Following Jesus
Following Jesus may be inconvenient, requiring forgiveness, generosity, and selflessness. However, it promises to enrich life and improve our character. The decision to follow should be based on the reliability of Jesus' story, not convenience. [31:07]

"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one area in your life where following Jesus feels inconvenient. What practical steps can you take to embrace this challenge and experience the deeper rewards of discipleship?

Quotes

The foundation of our faith is far more substantial than that. It's far more sustainable than that. It's even, as we're gonna discover, it's even investigable, investigable, which is actually a word. I don't like it. I like the word investigatable, but as it turns out, that is not actually a word. [00:03:20]

The Christian faith is investigable, which means we are invited to kick the tires. And you're invited to ask those hard questions. And as those of us who are Christians, we don't have to look the other way and shrug and go, "I don't know, it's a mystery." [00:03:46]

The Christian faith does not rise and fall based on the accuracy or the inerrancy of 66 ancient documents that we call books of the Bible. It rises and falls on the identity of a single individual, Jesus of Nazareth. [00:04:23]

Is Matthew, Mark, Luke, or, not and, or John a reliable account of actual events? This is the issue, this is the question when it comes to Christianity. Is Matthew, the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, any one of the four, a reliable account of actual events? [00:05:46]

The story of Jesus is not a Bible story. The story of Jesus or the narrative, or the life of Jesus is why there is a Bible. Jesus is the reason for the Bible. So when we were growing up, somebody gave us the Bible and there's all kind of story about David and Goliath. [00:08:30]

Apart from the resurrection of Jesus, there is no Bible. And as we're gonna see, the Bible only became a collection of these extraordinary ancient documents because of what happened in the church in the 300 years following the first century. [00:09:11]

Luke is not writing the Bible. Luke didn't have any idea there would ever be the Bible. Luke didn't know if his document would survive the first century. Luke had no idea if anyone would read it other than the person he's writing it for. He's not writing the Bible. [00:18:02]

Luke's account of the life of Jesus was included in the Bible because Luke's account was considered reliable, this is so important, when it was written. Let me illustrate it this way. When you go, when you travel and you stay in a hotel, you decide to go out to eat. [00:19:29]

Luke's account, this first century account of the life of Jesus was considered valuable the moment it was written. And it was eventually placed in the collection of books we call the Bible not to make it valuable and not to make it true, but because it had been considered valuable and true from the moment it was written. [00:20:13]

If you choose not to follow Jesus because it's inconvenient, I get that, because it is. Following Jesus will require something of you and following Jesus will require something from you. It's gonna require you to forgive people who don't deserve to be forgiven. [00:31:07]

However, if you choose to follow Jesus, it will eventually make your life better and it will make you better at life, that's a guarantee. But if it's too inconvenient, I get that. That is somewhat of a valid reason not to follow Jesus. [00:32:24]

Because the only good reason really not to follow Jesus, isn't that the Bible isn't true. It's that you decide that Luke isn't trustworthy. That many people did not endeavor to tell and record the story of Jesus, that he did not carefully investigate everything. [00:32:59]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?