4 E’s To a Stronger Faith

This past Sunday our church celebrated 9 years living for the good of the community, the glory of Christ, and the salvation of all.  In many ways it was a family reunion for Fellowshipper’s after several months of being a part due to the Corona Virus.  We moved the celebration outdoors to accommodate everyone with physical distancing and to allow maximum participation safely.  It was a tremendous day of rejoicing in Christ for all He has done in the past 12 months in the life of Fellowship Church.  We witnessed 6 baptisms, multiple decisions for Christ and heard a message that encouraged all of us in our journey of faith.  Our guest speaker was Lee Strobel, award winning legal editor at the Chicago Tribune and best-selling author of many books including the Case for Christ.  He shared his story of going from ardent atheist, set on debunking Christianity to one of the most prolific evangelists of our day.  How?  In summary he shared the 4 “E’s” that brought him to faith in Jesus Christ.
 
 
Execution - There is no credible historian, believer or non-believer who would dispute the fact that Jesus was a historical figure and died at the hands of the Romans.  This fact is substantiated by more than a few sources.  Jesus did in fact exist and really did die.
 
Early - The reports of Jesus being raised from the dead were not some fantasy concocted years after his death.  The story of the resurrection was circulating within weeks of His death on the cross.  What makes this even more striking is the next “E”.
 
Empty - There is no arguing this fact.  The tomb of Jesus was empty on the third day.  Even his enemies admitted to this crucial fact.  To have a resurrection there must be an empty tomb.  The very soldiers guarding the tomb, under the threat of death, testified to the fact the tomb was empty. Jesus was gone.
 
Eyewitnesses - The number of eyewitnesses that testified to Jesus being raised is staggering.  In a court of law one only needs one or two credible witnesses to substantiate fact.  Here we have 515 eye witness accounts to the fact that Jesus lives, thus proving He is who He said He is.  God in the flesh.
 
The Christian faith is not built upon speculation, but fact.  You can be certain that Jesus lives and He came to take away the sins of the world, including yours.  I pray that those who heard Lee speak on Sunday were encouraged in their faith and equipped to give an answer for the hope they have in Christ when questioned.  I believe that was accomplished.  In addition, several folks gave their lives to Christ because of his witness to the facts of the resurrection.  How about you?  
 
Next Wednesday, September 26th, we will be airing a segment that I recorded with Lee Sunday morning before our anniversary celebration.  You will not want to miss this exclusive FC at Home content next week.  Be sure to follow fcfamilykc on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter to stay current with all that we are doing in person and online.