Sermon Central
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Evidence That Demands A Verdict
Contributed by Johnny Carver on Jul 13, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Does our Christian life present the non Christian community with an example that causes them to decide in favor of becoming a Christian?
Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6
Title: “Evidence That Demands A Verdict”
Introduction: Have you ever heard the statement, “If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
That’s a pretty personal question, but one that every one of us ought to answer.
What do we offer the world as “Evidence that Demands a Verdict?”
If you are familiar with courtroom language you have heard terms used such as:
· “Eye Witness Testimony”
- Eye Witness Testimony consists of people who have actually seen something with their own eyes.
· “Circumstantial Evidence”
- This kind of evidence is made up of things surrounding the incident.
- Timothy McVeigh was convicted entirely on “Circumstantial Evidence”, 137 people testified, but none of them actually saw him commit the crime.
+ A man businessman said he rented a Ryder truck.
+ A friend said he heard McVeigh talk about his anger for the government.
+ A scientist found the residue of explosives on his clothing.
+ The evidence ranged from motel and taxi receipts, telephone records, a truck key, a bill from a Chinese restaurant.
= Timothy McVeigh’s daily walk & habits was the EVIDENCE that convicted him of the nation’s worst act of domestic terrorism in our history.
· “Items of Evidence.”
- The Recordings of the Bible.
- An Empty Manger.
- An Empty Cross-.
- An Empty Tomb.
- The Holy Spirit that is dealing with your heart right now!
Let me use a verse of Scripture from the New Living Translation of the Bible, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.”
The “Changed Lives” of untold numbers of people who have faced every conceivable temptation & trial and remained faithful to God & His Word.
John 13:34 – 35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
I believe one of the GREATEST EVIDENCES of God & Christianity is the Love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
We face a JURY every day of our lives.
Our Jury consists of the people we come into contact with on a daily basis.
This Jury decides a VERDICT based on what they HEAR & what they SEE!
I could end every service by saying, “Ladies & Gentlemen have you reached a verdict?”
Today, there will be a verdict rendered by each one of us concerning the evidence we have received during this service.
Will your verdict be clouded by reasonable doubt?
