DINOSAURS, SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE PART #1:
CREATION VS. EVOLUTION
INTRO:
Did you ever wonder how the dinosaurs fit into the Biblical account of creation? Were there dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible? What really happened to the dinosaurs? And is there any scientific evidence that supports the Biblical account of creation?
OPENING TEXT: This morning, we are going to look at Dinosaurs, Science and the Bible.
Some might wonder – why focus on a secondary matter like this? Why not just preach Jesus?
If Adam and Eve were not two real, historical human beings, then the story of Jesus makes no sense. But because Adam and Eve really did sin in the Garden of Eden, and that sin nature was passed on to all of mankind, then there is a need for a Saviour – Jesus.
· “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).
· Jesus said, “But if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me because he wrote about me. And since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” (John 5:46-47). If we can’t trust the historical and scientific parts of the Bible, how can we trust the parts pertaining to salvation and eternity?
· It is important for us to build all of our thinking on the Bible.
• I believe the Bible is literally and completely true, and scientifically accurate!
· QUOTE: “The Bible is not just a book of religion and salvation. The Bible is the History Book of the Universe, and tells us the future destiny of the universe as well.” (Ken Ham, What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?)
· In order to properly understand salvation and why Jesus had to die, we need to understand the foundations in the book of Genesis.
· QUOTE: “Satan knows the quickest way to demolish a building is to strike at its foundation. If a person can be persuaded to pull out the first pages of the Bible, the last pages will fall out too, and soon not much will be left…Satan is attempting to destroy the foundation of the Bible by attacking the creation account of Genesis and replacing it with atheistic evolution.” (Dennis Lindsay, Foundations for Creationism).
· If the Bible is right about the beginning, then the Bible is right about the end (judgment).
THE BIG IDEA: THE CHALLENGE TO US AS CHRISTIANS:
“Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15).
• There is much scientific evidence that confirms the Biblical account of creation.
THERE ARE TWO GREAT QUESTIONS EVERY RELIGION SEEKS TO ANSWER:
1. Who am I – and what am I worth?
2. Why am I here – and what will happen to me when I die?
TWO MAIN VIEWS:
· the evolutionist (Darwinism, the big bang and evolution)
· the creationist (sees intelligent design)
If the Bible history is True:
• All people are descendants of Adam, whom God created just a few thousand years ago
• You are a special and unique creation of God, made in His image (Gen. 1:26-27).
If Evolution is True:
• You are an accident, a complex evolved animal, and therefore worth nothing
WHAT IS SCIENCE?
Science is defined as, “systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.”
· Evolution is not science – it is merely a theory, a belief, a guess.
· Creation is the first-hand account of the origins of the universe from someone who was there – the Creator God.
· SHOW KIDS BOOKS & DINOSAUR: The atheists have used evolution to indoctrinate kids to the belief that the universe is billions of years old.
· When the science text book says, “30 billion years ago” it can be translated, “long ago and far away…” Warning – a fairy tale is coming up!
· QUOTE: “No human being has ever seen a real life dinosaur. This is because dinosaurs lived on Earth millions of years before we did.” (Dinosaurs, Veronica Ross).
· How can they make a statement like that? Did they interview every person alive on the planet? Everyone who has ever lived? Did they ask you? Adam and Eve?
· If you kiss a frog, will it turn into a prince? No, we know that’s a fairy tale.
· But throw in millions of years and they call it science.
· David Noebel writes, “Archaeology has consistently supported the assertion that the Bible is a trustworthy, historical document… Science is re-learning an old lesson: the more one discovers about the universe, the more one discovers design.” (The Battle for Truth).
· CHAOS ILLUSTRATION: The probability of the big bang producing life is impossible. If you were to walk into a Canadian Tire store with a bomb and blow it up, when the smoke cleared, would you find a running car? Of course not. Chaos never produces order! This is why they add the ’millions of years’ fantasy.
· WATCHMAKER ILLUSTRATION: The universe shows intelligent design! If you found a watch out in the desert, would you assume it came together by itself?
INTELLIGENT DESIGN TEXT:
“From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20).
“The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.” (Psalm 19:1).
Creationists and evolutionists study the same rocks, animals, fossils and Earth. Why do they end up with different conclusions? They interpret the evidence differently.
· Secular lens – beliefs that fallible humans use to try to explain how the universe exists
· Biblical lens – the Bible was written by an Infinite Being who wrote down what we need to know to understand the history and the future of the universe
KET TEXT: “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” (Genesis 1:1).
“Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so.” (Genesis 1:24).
“Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.” (Genesis 1:30).
· God created every land animal on day six, including all of the dinosaurs.
· Human beings and all of the animals were originally vegetarian.
EVIDENCES FOR A YOUNG EARTH:
• According to the Bible genealogies, the Earth is approximately 6,000 years old.
· In 1999 the world population passed 6 billion. In 1810, it was 1 billion – that’s rapid growth. The current population shows only about 4,400 years of growth.
· The oldest living tree today is the 4,300 year old Bristle Cone Pine
• There is no scientific evidence for ‘billions of years’.
DINOSAURS IN THE BIBLE?
If God created dinosaurs on day six alongside of mankind, are they mentioned in the Bible?
The King James Bible was translated in 1611, and the word dinosaur wasn’t invented until 1841.
· However, we do see several descriptions of dinosaurs in the Bible:
1. Leviathan: “Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?” (Job 41:1). The whole chapter describes this sea monster that very closely resembles the description of 55 foot long Kronosaurus.
2. Dragons: Psalm 74:13 (KJV) talks about “Dragons in the waters.” There are 16 other verses in the Bible that talk about dragons. Where did all of the dragon legends come from? Perhaps these were sightings of dinosaurs.
3. Fiery Flying Serpent: Mentioned in Isaiah 14:29 could have been a Pteranodon.
4. Behemoth: Described in Job 40:15-24:
15 "Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you (created on day six), He eats grass like an ox. 16 See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles.
· The hippo has a big belly. So does an elephant. So does a sumo wrestler. However, this does not mean that the behemoth was any of these creatures. Look at the rest of the description:
17 He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. 18 His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron. 19 He is the chiefest (KJV) of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
· Neither an elephant nor a hippo have a tail like a cedar tree, so these cannot be what is being described here. It is more likely an apatosaurus or a brachiosaurus.
· Also, he is called the ‘chiefest’ of the ways of God, the largest, biggest thing created, so it is obviously not a hioop.
· “It is important to realize that when they dig up a dinosaur bone, it does not have a label attached showing its date!”
CONCLUSION: Why is it important what we believe about our origins?
IF EVOLUTION IS TRUE:
1. You are an accident, a complex evolved animal, and therefore worth nothing
2. There is no purpose to life - we are going to the grave to become worm food.
3. The result of this thinking is we are accountable to no one – there are no absolutes.
IF THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT OF CREATION IS TRUE:
1. You are a special and unique creation of God, made in His image (Gen. 1:26-27).
2. You have a purpose and a destiny, to know God and enjoy Him forever.
3. We are all accountable to the God of creation because He made us, and He determines what is right and wrong. Perhaps this is why the world is in the mess it is!
Special thanks to Ken Ham (www.answersingenesis.org) and Kent Hovind (www.drdino.com) for their resources that were helpful in preparing this message.
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