Rabbi Schneider - Know Your Faith As Facts
Beloved, if you're a born again believer, if you're a believer in Messiah Yeshua and you're watching this broadcast, you have a desire in your heart to obey him. That's what the Spirit of God does. He comes in us, and he imparts God's divine nature to us. And when the Spirit of God imparts his own nature to us, it puts within us a desire to obey the Father. That's why the Bible says that we're calling out Father, Abba, Abba, daddy, Father, we want to obey. Jesus said, "If you love me, you'll obey me". Part of obeying the Father, beloved, part of obeying Yeshua is being obedient in the realm of sharing our faith.
You see, the scripture tells us that God didn't save us to hide our lights somewhere, to put them under a bushel where no one could see us, but the Bible tells us that God saved us that he would put us on a hill, that our light would shine for people to see. In other words, he wants to use our lives to draw others to himself. The Bible says that Yeshua taught, "As the Father sent me", Yeshua said, "so also now I send you". Even as Yeshua came, beloved, to seek and save the lost, you and I now have become his ambassadors to seek and save the lost.
Paul tells us we have been made ambassadors of Jesus, that God wants to use us to go into the highways and the byways of life, into the nooks and crannies of life, into the grocery stores, into the dentist's office, into our school systems, into our neighborhoods. Into every aspect, every corner that our life goes into, he wants us to bring into all those nooks and crannies, beloved, the fragrance of his Son both in the way that we live, in the presence of his Spirit that emanates through us as well as, beloved, in the proclamation of our mouth. We can't just live in such a way that we're living as Christians without telling anybody. We have to tell people also.
Listen, think about it for a second. I'm a Jewish person. If the fragrance of the Lord is emanating from me, if people are maybe drawn to me because they just sense something positive coming from me, if they're drawn to me and then I treat them real kindly and they sense a lot of peace from me and they sense a lot of love from me and they see me wearing the yarmulke, but I never tell them about Jesus, I might actually lead them away from Jesus because they're thinking, you know, he was such a good person, and look at how good he was. He treated me so much better than some of the Christian people I know, and he's not even a Christian. See, they could actually look at me, and my life could be used to lead them away from Jesus if I don't tell them about Jesus.
So the point is is that we can't just live in such a way that demonstrates who Yeshua is, we can't just be kind to people, we also have to verbally tell them about Jesus and we need to tell them why we live the way we live and why we are the way we are. That's why the apostle Paul said in the book of Romans, He that calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But then he goes on to say, But how shall they call upon him whom they've not heard? How shall they believe in him whom they've not heard about, he says. And how shall they believe unless they hear? And how shall they hear unless we tell them? How blessed are the feet of those that bear good tidings and bring the good news of the gospel.
So beloved, you and I have been chosen to be his witnesses. God said to Israel, You are my witnesses, declares the Lord. And now he's saying to the church as well, beloved, you are my witnesses. And that's why Yeshua said to his disciples, Go wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, and when he comes on you, he's going to clothe you with power, and you will be my witnesses. Now, I want to encourage you to get this entire teaching series and study it, because God wants to teach you and train you to launch you out to share your faith more boldly and more effectively than ever before. I believe I have a call on my life as an evangelist, and I believe the call that's on my life as an evangelist can be transferred into you. May it be, in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
Now, on last week's broadcast, I'm not going to take the time to review everything today. On last week's broadcast, I left off talking about sometimes when we're sharing our faith with people, it's important to find out what they think about the Bible. Because if we begin to quote Bible scripture to them, but yet they're saying I don't believe the Bible's true, it may be difficult for us to make the point as powerfully as we'd like to make it. Now, the reason I say it that way is because God's Word speaks for itself. Jesus said, The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life. So the power of God is in the Word. If a person says he doesn't believe it, that doesn't stop the power of God from flowing through his Word.
The Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword, able to pierce between division of soul and spirit and the bone and its marrow. The Word of God has power and accuracy in and of itself. On the other hand, beloved, it's good to be aware of some of these truths that I'm about to share with you. When a person says they don't believe the Bible, as I indicated on last week's broadcast, you'll have to go back and get that complete teaching if you want more information, I talked about the archaeological evidence that we have for the Bible's historical accuracy. All over Israel we've dug up all these things that give credence to the historical accuracy of both the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament. Nobody can deny that. Archaeologists don't deny it anymore. They have found too many archaeological artifacts that teach us and tell us that, yes, the Bible is a historically accurate document, the places in the Bible described really existed, the people that the Bible talks about really were real people.
Another argument that we have for the historical accuracy and reliability, beloved, of the scriptures is the nation of Israel. I mean, think about the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. Here they were a small group of people. 70 to 75 people went down to Egypt. They came out a massive army. And all these other nations have come and gone. The Babylonians have come and gone, the Persians have come and gone, the Medes have come and gone, the Roman empire has come and gone, and yet here's this little group of people, 75, that God said I've chosen you to be a people for myself out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. And all these other empires and all these other people groups have come and gone, and yet here's this group of people today we call the Jewish people, the nation of Israel still here today.
Other nations have fallen and are just completely forgotten from the annals of human consciousness, but the Jewish people are still here today winning Nobel Prizes, making contributions to society far beyond their numbers. It is supernatural. The Jewish people and their existence and their contribution to society, beloved, is evidence that what the Bible teaches is true and accurate and real, because the scriptures teach us that God has his hand on the nation of Israel and the Jewish people in a special way. The third thing that I want to talk about in relationship, beloved, to the historical accuracy of the Bible, I'm relating now specifically to the New Testament. You see, when we look about what is an accurate historical source, in other words, is the New Testament a reliable historical accurate source? Can it really be trusted? Or is it just a myth?
Beloved, when we think about an accurate historical document, in ancient history we think, for example, of somebody like Alexander the Great. Do you know that nobody questions Alexander the Great's existence. No one questions his existence. As far as the earth is concerned and historians are concerned, Alexander the Great was absolutely a real person, and we have facts about his life from history. But yet did you know that the earliest historical document that we have concerning Alexander the Great is a hundred years old and that no one questions the historical accuracy of it? Well, guess what, beloved ones. The historical document of the New Testament is a far more superior historical document than the documents that we have about Alexander the Great.
Here's the reasons why. Number one, with the New Testament that we call in Hebrew the Brit Chadashah, we don't have people that wrote about Jesus a hundred years after he died. We have people that wrote about him, beloved, that were his contemporaries. We have people that wrote about Yeshua that lived with him, that knew him, that saw what he did and heard, beloved, his voice. So for example, I'm going to start out with the book of Peter. Listen to what the Bible tells us, what Peter tells us in 2 Peter beginning in chapter number 1, verse 16. Peter, Kephas, says this, For we did not follow cleverly devised tales. So he's right from the beginning he's saying this is no myth. He's saying this is no fairy tale. He's right off the bat cutting that argument down to its root. He said this is no myth. This is no fairy tale.
Listen once again. For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord, Yeshua HaMashiach. He says, But we were eyewitnesses. He said we did not make this thing up. We were eyewitnesses. He continues on. He's speaking now of the transfiguration experience described in the gospels. Verse 17, For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to him by the majestic glory, this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased, and he says, And we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. This is referred to in the gospels, we call it the transfiguration experience where Yeshua took the three with him on top of the mountain and was transfigured before them, and the Spirit of God spoke there that they all heard, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased".
Peter said: I was a witness of this thing. I'm writing real history here. And so the historical documents of the New Testament, beloved, are written by people that walked with Jesus, that held his hand, that walked arm in arm with him. Listen to what John said similarly in the book of 1 John the 1st chapter. Beloved, hear the Word of God. John begins chapter 1 verse 1 by saying, What was from the beginning, listen to this now, what we have heard, what we have seen with, listen now, our eyes. He said I heard it with my own ears. I heard his voice. I saw him with my own eyes. I saw the miracles. I saw him heal people. Let's read it again. What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, listen to this, and what we beheld with our hands, listen now, and, listen now, handled.
In other words, John's saying, listen, I touched him. I touched him. I was with him. And now I'm going to share with you what happened when I was with him. He continues on in verse number 3. What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also. So the New Testament, beloved, is the best type of historical document that we can get because it was written by eyewitnesses that were with him, not secondhand witnesses, but direct witnesses. And not only that, but it was written by a multiplication, a multiplicity of eyewitnesses, right? Peter, John, Mark, Paul who had a different type of encounter after Yeshua was raised from the dead. These were people that experienced him firsthand. In addition to that, I love what Luke tells us concerning the historical accuracy of the New Testament, that we can trust it, that we're standing, beloved, on solid ground, that we don't have to be shaken when somebody says I don't believe the Bible, I believe it was written from man. No, no, no. That's why Peter says this is real, and none of this came from one's own interpretation, but men that were moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
And so listen what we have here concerning the historical accuracy of the New Testament as it is recorded by Luke. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but hallelujah, the Word of the Lord abides forever. Hear the Word of God as I begin reading, beloved, from the book of Luke chapter 1, verse 1. Luke begins this way. He sounds like a pretty intelligent person, don't you think? Listen. Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses. He's speaking about some of those that I just read about, Peter and John. He says just as those who were from the beginning eyewitnesses and servants of the Word have handed them down to us, he says it seemed fitting in verse number 3. So what he's saying here is just as these eyewitnesses like John and Peter and Mark wrote their account, Luke's about to say it seemed fitting for me also.
So I'm beginning again, verse 3, It seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning to write it out to you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus. And so Luke is compiling this for a person named Theophilus. Some people believe that Theophilus was the high priest. Some people believe it was a generic term meaning a friend of God. But Luke is writing this out for us in consecutive order. He's researched it carefully. Notice the way he goes about it. He's doing it scientifically as real history. And so if a person says these things to you concerning like, you know, I think the Bible was just man trying to grasp who God was, but it isn't really breathed from God, no. It is breathed from God. And you can tell them that the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are historically accurate documents by any historian's standards.
If you apply the same historical standards to the New Testament as you would any other ancient historical document, this comes through, beloved, as a viable, vibrant historical document that can be trusted. Hallelujah, praise God and amen. Now, with that being said, knowing that the Brit Chadashah, the New Testament, is a historically accurate document, and in as much it accurately records to us both the things that Yeshua did and said, in our defense of our faith, let's consider what Yeshua said. Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but through me. Jesus said, Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins, and many other statements like this that are exclusive. Jesus said I am the only begotten Son of God.
The scripture teaches that he was the only begotten Son of God, and Jesus said unless we received him, repented and turned to him, received him and followed him, we would not go to heaven, but we'd go to hell. Jesus said, Broad and wide is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that take it, but straight and narrow is the way that leads to life, few there be that find it. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to God but through me. So considering Yeshua's words of exclusivity, that he alone is the way to God and now thinking about this in relationship to sharing our faith, I want to share with you a response, an argument that many of you have heard before but it is very, very, very powerful. It might have been coined by C.S. Lewis, I forget. I have found it very extremely effective. It's called the liar, lunatic, or Lord argument.
Here's what we do. We first of all explain that the New Testament is an accurate historical document that has accurately recorded for us the words of Jesus. Jesus said he was the only way to God and the only way to heaven. And so we only have three choices to determine who Jesus was. The first option is that he was a lunatic. What do you mean by that? I mean that there's people all over in mental institutions throughout the world that think they're somebody that they're not. So when we consider who Jesus is in relationship to his words, option number one is that he's a lunatic. He thought he was somebody that he wasn't. He was a crazy person. He thought he was the Messiah, but he wasn't.
That's option number one. Option number two is that he was a liar, that he was claiming to be somebody that he knew he wasn't. He knew he wasn't the only way to God, and yet somehow he had some huge sense of pride and he claimed he was the only way to God. So option number two was that he was deliberately lying, that he was claiming to be somebody that he wasn't. But option number three, beloved, is that he is who he said he was, he is the Lord. You see, you only have one of three choices. Either he's a liar claiming to be somebody that he knew he wasn't. That's option number one. Option number two is that he was a lunatic, that he thought he was somebody that he wasn't.
Option number three is that he's the Lord, he was who he said he was. To just have an opinion of Jesus that he was a good man or a prophet, that isn't a possibility. Because he claimed to be the only way to God. And so a good man wouldn't claim to be the only way to God. A prophet, just someone that was just a prophet wouldn't claim to be the only way to God. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, he said. No one comes to God but through me. And so he could only be a liar, the lunatic, or the Lord who he says he was. And you need to face that decision, because what you do with this will determine your destiny.
And as I said recently, I shared this with you on last week's broadcast. I just shared with somebody just actually today. I'm recording several episodes here at the same time. Listen, I just shared with somebody who Jesus was. I asked them who do you think Jesus is? What do you think of Jesus? We're going to go over this in next week's broadcast. That's why I wear this bracelet, what do you think of Jesus? Because beloved, the Holy Spirit gave me that specific question to ask people, what do you think of Jesus? Because when people respond, we know exactly where they're at. When I asked this man today the question what do you think of Jesus, he said I believe in God. What did that tell me? That's why that question is so precise. It's an X-Acto Knife. It's a razor blade. I encourage you to get these bracelets. You can get them on our web site or through the 800 number at the end of the broadcast here.
Listen, beloved, when you ask that question, the Holy Spirit uses it to help us to diagnose where a person's at. When that person said I believe in God, you know what? I knew that he didn't know Jesus. Because if he would have known Jesus, he would have said I love Jesus. He's my Savior. I love him. He didn't say that. And knowing where he was, beloved, I was able to proceed and witness to him. I explained to him, this is what Jesus taught about himself. He said, Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. He was either a liar, I said he was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. And you need to make up your mind who he is.
I said to him, if what I'm sharing with you is not right, if it's not correct and you don't respond to it and you die and I'm wrong, then there's no problem. I said but if what I'm sharing with you right now, mister, is correct, that Jesus is who he said he was, and you don't respond to it, if you die, you'll go to hell. Like I said in last week's broadcast, his eyes got as big as saucers, and then he turned around and looked that way. It was like too much for him to look me straight in the eye anymore. But people need to be challenged with the reality of heaven and hell. Jesus taught more about hell in some measurements than he did about heaven.
Of course we have the book of Revelation, et cetera, but Jesus taught often, often about hell. And beloved, you and I are his ambassadors. As he was sent into the world, so also now are we sent into the world. So I'm going to pray for you right now that God will quicken you, beloved, to begin to share your faith. Listen. You haven't been chosen to be accepted by everybody. Jesus said if the world would have loved me, it would have loved you. But he said I'm not from the world. He said I have not chosen you to be accepted by everybody. He said woe to you in everyone speaks well of you and puts their arm around you. He said I didn't come to bring peace, but a sword.
Beloved, we're not in this world to be loved and liked by everybody. We're in this world, beloved, to be his witnesses. And Jesus said if we're ashamed of him and his words in this wicked and adulterous generation, then he's going to be ashamed of us when he comes again with the glory of the Father. You know what? You don't have to be ashamed any longer. From this point forward, beloved, you can repent, you can make up your mind from this day onward that you will be a witness. You may stumble, you may fall. It doesn't matter. God can still use your witness. What's most important is that you're being obedient.
So Father, I pray for these beloved ones, that Father, are listening to the sound of this broadcast right now. Father, I pray right now that you will quicken them, Father, by the Spirit of God, by the Ruach HaKodesh. I pray for divine aish, Father, for them for fire. Quicken, come alive, Father God, those that have been passive, those that have been sluggish, those that have been secret Christians. Quicken them, Father, that they would become alive, that they would, Father, take upon the mantle of Jesus, God, and go into the highways and the byways preaching the Gospel, Father, sharing their testimony, inviting people into a relationship with God. For you've told us, Father, that you've made us ambassadors of Messiah, reconciling the world back to you through him. So Father, I bless your people today. Raise up your church, Abba, to be your witnesses.