THE FIRST WORDS IN THE HARMONY OF CHRIST IS A PERSONAL LETTER TO HELP A FRIEND KNOW JESUS

• Luke, a Jew of the dispersion, the Beloved Physician, was concerned about the spiritual life
• Theophilus, a Greek who had been instructed, but Luke wanted his faith to be on factual information
• People today are groping for security and assurance, would you write a letter to help a friend if it took him 2 hours to read?

THAT THOU MIGHTEST KNOW THE CERTAINTY - Luke 1:4a

A doctor's writings today would have to be revised 2 years later - this stands for 2,000 years

LUKE SET OUT TO STRENGTHEN THE FAITH OF A FRIEND - and dedicated this Gospel to him

• Many had declared things believed 1a, now Luke put it in writing 3 systematically
• Luke was a doctor, used to the scientific method, and was very careful in his selections
• His perfect understanding had to come from a changed heart - many say what they know not!

OUR AGE TODAY IS FULL OF CONTRADICTIONS, AND WE NEED THE ASSURANCE OF LUKE

• We know the need of mechanical accuracy - Auto, Plane, Rockets, Radio, TV, Telephone, Transportation
• But ours is an age of Spiritual and Moral Anarchy - hippies, riots, campus rebellion, new morality
• But God has decreed - the wages of sin is death - whether we believe in absolutes or not!

MEN SEEK ASSURANCE, THE ULTIMATE REALITY, CONFIDENCE AND SECURITY, IN MANY DIFFERING WAYS

• Some seek reality from rationalism - impersonal reasoning - logic - cold - and in circles
• Some seek the truth from scientific measurements - smart, but not wise - bomb, but no peace
• Some seek confidence from personal emotional feelings - and expand them to explosion - drugs
• But Luke claimed knowledge from above - CF Scofield's note #1 - not one error in Luke's writings

KNOW THOSE THINGS THOU HAST BEEN INSTRUCTED - 4b

• Theophilus was not ignorant of his instructions - but Luke wanted to give assurance

WHAT ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THEOPHILUS, WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL DID HE HAVE?

• The name means "friend of God" - must have come from Godly parents and inlaws
• Like Timothy - the children were instructed in the home by parents - II Tim 3:14,15
• Also in the Synagogue - Acts 14:1, and in church - Acts 20:7, good command - Heb 10:25

HE WAS TAUGHT THE THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED - 1b - 9 fundamentals of faith -

1. Inspiration of Scriptures
2. Unity of God - and Trinity
3. Deity of Christ - Virgin Born
4. Man sins, death comes
5. Christ died - justified us
6. Christ arose - ascended
7. Blessed hope - pre-millennium coming again
8. Salvation by faith - not works
9. Resurrection of all - saved and lost

BUT WE MUST GO ON IN OUR INSTRUCTIONS TO INCLUDE ALL OF GOD'S WORD, NOT JUST 9 PRINCIPLES

• Matt 28:20 commanded us to teach "All things... commanded" - to all the world - World Wide mission
• And not only to know, but to do - baptizing them - not all Fundamentalists immerse - Bible commands
• We must not stop short of teaching total discipleship - Luke 9:23 - Teach it and do it!
• Luke was trying to help Theophilus have the fullest possible life - come tonight to hear

WHAT GOD WANTS MOST FROM YOU - TO BE BELIEVED!

• NONE OF US likes to be doubted, thought untrue, and to mock God's truth is unforgivable

JESUS CAME THAT EVERYONE MIGHT HAVE ASSURANCE OF GOD'S LOVE FOR US SHOWN IN PERSON - John 3:12-6

• There were many men named Jesus - some were revolutionaries, some great leaders, some nothing
• But there was only one Jesus whose love changed men's hearts - who loved and died for men
• No one can deny that there was a man named Jesus who has influenced more hearts than any other

THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN SO THAT NO PERSON WHO COULD READ COULD MISS BELIEVING - John 20:31

• There were many who wrote about Jesus - Essenes, Josephus, Spurious Gospels - and much today
• But there were only 4 Gospels inspired of God - not a Biography - but a Saviour, personality
• Many today know the name of Jesus - Christmas - but only a few seem to want to believe truly

GODLINESS IS ATTAINED BY BELIEVING WITH ASSURANCE IN A PERSONAL WAY ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

• To be evangelical means to believe - to have Living Water - We want every person to know
• To be evangelized means to drink that Living Water and to be saved!  Prisoners know law-
• To be evangelistic means to take the Water of Life to a world dying of thirst - soulwinner!
• Do you tell the truth about what you believe - with your life, lips, and in writing?

TODAY WE HAVE LEARNED TO BELIEVE AND TRUST OUR LIVES ON INVISIBLE THREADS - RADIO BEAMS

• Will you believe the truth of God's Revelation - and confess Christ as your Saviour?
• Will you take action on what God's Word says - and be baptized - or circle unguided as a lost airplane with radio
• Will you help by telling others about the Salvation so sure - soulwinning!