Camdenton Mo 3/2/97 AM

INTRODUCTION

A. There is a point of departure in the thinking of men concerning the origin of the universe and of life. To determine that origin we must survey the possible explanations, then check the evidence favoring or disfavoring each in order to arrive at the truth.

Something is, therefore something always was - is eternal. This Eternal Something has given rise to the universe about us? What is it? Reduced to the lowest terms: Is it Mind (intelligence, life)? Is it matter (inorganic elements of which the universe is made)? The former is called Theism, the latter Materialism.

B. In this study we will examine the reasons that we believe that GOD IS.

I. The concept of God

A. The very existence of the concept of God argues that He is. Why should man conceive of a Higher Power than himself, particularly if he is the highest expression (to date) of life which proceeded from non-life? In fact, it has been argued that such an idea is an impossibility.

1. Atheist Hume: "The creative power of the mind amount to nothing more that the faculty of combining, transposing, augmenting, and diminishing the materials afforded to us by sense and experience."

2. Alexander Campbell when debating Robert Owen quoted Hume, then made the following arguments;

a. The idea of an uncaused first cause has been around forever.

b. Since skeptics say the idea did not come through reason - and since the idea could not originate through imagination,

c. Unbelievers were obligated to show the source, (beginning) of the concept of God.

3. He thus logically showed that the concept of God is ultimately traceable to an original communication between the creator and the created.

B. One can understand why man in sin, who does not want to change, might try to reason God out of existence, thus justifying to himself that he does not NEED to change.

C. One finds it more difficult to understand how man could invent God to control and eternally punish man.

D. A stream can rise no higher than its source, yet man has a well-developed concept of God. The only logical explanation for this concept is that GOD IS.

II. Life proceeds from life.

A. All scientific research and study has proven that it takes life to make life.

1. Man has never been able to create life even though there have been attempts to do so.

2. Man, science, has never witnessed spontaneous generation of life from non-living sources, though he has looked everywhere he can find life.

(NOTE: Science is based upon empirical evidence, taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch. In order for science to determine that a fact is true (or not true) it must have observable phenomena)

3. Conclusion; Since life now must come from life, with no evidence to the contrary, then life must have always come from life. That original life would have to be eternal. That eternal Life would be the creator. Thus the argument of life itself says that GOD IS.

III. The order of the universe shows that there is intelligence behind it.

A. The story has been told that Benjamin Franklin while U.S. ambassador to France, prepared a working model of the solar system. When a friend asked, "Who made it?" Franklin replied, "No one made it, it just happened." "You are joking," replied the friend. "So is the man who says the universe just happened," observed Franklin.

B. Le Comte du Nouy in Human Destiny (pg. 34,35) pointed out that it would take more than 1 followed by 243 zeros billions of years at the rate of 500 trillion shakings per second to make by chance 1 molecule of protein!

C. Even atheistic evolutions have not come up with enough time for the world to come to its present order simply by chance.

D. Accepting the universe by chance requires much more stretch of the imagination than creation requires of faith. The fact that the universe has order implies a designer. The implication of a designer argues that GOD IS.

IV. Mind is superior to matter.

A. Intelligence uses matter to its own benefit.

1. A man can invent a pencil to write his thoughts, but where it the pencil that has invented a mind to think for it?

B. Mind possesses spontaneity and force - matter does not. These factors are necessary for establishing the universe as it now is.

C. God possesses these powers - Matter does not.

D. The fact that mind is able to think, reason, use matter for its purpose rather than the opposite is an argument that GOD IS.

V. Moral regulations are found everywhere.

A. This is understandable if God is.

B. It is unaccountable for is matter and chance are the cause.

1. Men do not try and sentence a machine because a man has been accidentally killed by it. Men do hold other men accountable for crime. Where did the idea come from?

CONCLUSION

A. (Psa 14:1 KJV) "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."

(Psa 53:1 KJV) "To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good."

B. (Psa 19:1 KJV) "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork."

C. All creation shouts resoundingly that GOD IS

D. The Bible, the Word of God, tells us of that creator and His will for us, (II Peter 3:9), will you come to Him?