Christianity is offensive

1) If you take the Gospel Advocate you may have already read a great article in the July issue.

2) Phil Sanders wrote an article entitled the “Emerging Church Movement.”

a) In this article he explains how this current philosophy accepts “experience over reason.”

b) This movement is an attempt to make sure that religious people do not offend anyone.

c) Adherents believe there is no absolute truth so we cannot be dogmatic about moral standards.

d) In this system preachers are essentially forbidden from preaching against any immorality.

3) In this new type of faith art and dance take a more central role in worship than preaching.

4) Sermons are being replaced with lectures on the environment.

5) Pollution is now one of the “seven deadly sins.”

6) It is thought that Christianity needs to be “reinvented” for the current generation.

WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS AND WHEN WE TEACH WHAT IT SAYS, THERE ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE – MANY PEOPLE – WHO ARE OFFENDED.

a) One stumbling point is the conviction that Jesus is the Son of God and deity in the flesh.

b) Deity in the flesh goes hand in hand with Jesus being the giver of truth to mankind.

c) When we begin to affirm things about Christ and truth, some would call us “spiritual racists.”

d) Affirming basic points about Christ and the gospel infuriate people.

2) We heard for our scripture reading the first six verses in Jn. 14:1-6.

3) Here Jesus was about as plain as He could be. Let’s think carefully about what He said.

4) No man can come to the Father (heaven) unless he goes through the Lord.

5) Jesus is the one way, the exclusive way, the only way. No other person or method will work.

6) Christians may not think too much about Jesus’ words; unbelievers sure pay attention.

7) Non-believers have been outraged at what is said in verse 6, especially in our day and time.

8) This passage has been used to say Christianity is “religious chauvinism” and “spiritual dictatorship.”

a) After all, there are thousands of “gods” at the present time in our world.

b) Are we saying these thousands of gods and many ways of religion are all wrong? Yes.

c) Thousands of options exist, but Jesus waved His hand at every single one of them and said they will not work.

d) All these ways are, we might say, “spiritual garbage.”

e) It is Christ and Christianity or people will be lost. This is a stunning claim and it makes people mad.

f) Many have said this makes Christianity an arrogant religion.

9) Let’s consider some of the objections that people have to the exclusiveness to Christianity.

10) A good beginning point is a very basic fact about exclusiveness.

a) Do we know that Christianity is not the only one to make an exclusive claim on true religion?

b) The Islamic faith makes this same type of claim.

c) Islam says it is not only the single way to God, it says one must be familiar with Arabic.

d) If we cannot read the Koran in Arabic, we really can’s understand the religion.

e) Christianity never makes this second type of claim.

f) No where are we told that we must be able to read Greek or Hebrew to be a true believer.

g) This is, however, the doctrine of Islam.

11) Hinduism is also pretty rigid in some of its beliefs.

12) One must believe in “karma” and “reincarnation.”

13) Someone may mix in other religious doctrines with Hinduism, but these points must be believed.

14) There is no room for negotiation on karma and reincarnation.

15) Other groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses say their way is the way and the only way.

16) Several religions recognize a basic principle:

a) If there is only one way to do something, all other ways are wrong.

b) This principle is true.

c) If there is something in life that is exclusive, all other options must be rejected.

17) This is what Jesus claimed about His way in Jn. 14.

18) Christians make this claim, but they need to be sure they make it in the right way.

19) Eph. 4:15 says “speaking the truth in love.”

a) In some cases believers have made exclusive claims about Christianity but they have not been loving.

b) It is possible to speak the truth, but be mean in doing it.

c) People can speak the truth with a hateful attitude.

d) Jesus was not hateful or arrogant when He made His claim – it was a statement of fact.

e) This is to be how we also are to make this claim.

20) If we make this claim with the right attitude, people may ask why we believe it is right.

21) Why do Christians affirm that Christianity and Christ are the only path to God?

22) One reason would be the resurrection – Jesus came back from the grave.

23) This makes the Christian faith distinctive – no other religion makes this type of claim.

24) This sets the Christian faith apart from any other past, present or future religious faith.

a) The resurrection is one reason, but it is not the only reason.

b) We must also consider the origin, meaning, morality and destiny of the Christian faith.

25) The faith associated with Buddha deals with the question of morality (right and wrong).

26) It does not, however help with where man came from (his origin). Christianity, does.

27) Christianity and Christ offer specific and detailed information on man’s origin.

a) Both testaments say man was created by God and in His image.

b) It is also said that man was given the opportunity to follow God’s will, but he rebelled.

c) Christ and Christianity also give us “meaning.”

d) Christianity does not tell people (as other religions do) to simply “be good people.”

e) Some have the idea that this is all Christianity is, but this is not the true gospel.

f) Neither is Christianity simply a religion that says “love one another.”

g) We love God with all the heart, soul and mind and love neighbor as self.

h) We have meaning in this life as well as eternity.

28) When it comes to the third item (morality), we find that right and wrong are not based on culture.

29) Morality is based on God’s character and is thus true for all places, time and cultures.

30) Then there is the issue of man’s destiny – what happens at death.

31) Unlike all other religions, Christianity is able to provide answers to all of life’s big questions.

32) The answers make sense and they are buttressed by proof of predictive prophecy and the resurrection.

33) When all these things are totaled together, they agree with Jn. 14:6 – there is only one way.

GIVEN THE POSITION THAT HAS BEEN ADVANCED THIS MORNING SOMEONE MIGHT WISH TO ASK THIS QUESTION:

a) Would Christians really say that “all other religions are false”?

b) Perhaps it is true that all the different religions have fundamental truth at their core.

c) Maybe religions are all basically the same, but use different language, images, and traditions.

d) This is the idea we are now faced with in the emerging church movement.

e) Some say many things differ, but all religions are basically equal.

2) More than 2,000 years ago Jesus commented on this view and said it is false.

3) Different religions are truly different or at least different from New Testament Christianity.

4) The religion of Buddha does not believe there is a God.

5) How could this faith be essentially the same as Christianity which speaks of “God the Father”?

6) The religion of Christ cannot be mixed, joined with, or be accepting of anything else.

7) Even an altered form of Christianity is not going to work.

8) People call many ideas “Christian” or “Christianity” but this is simply not true.

9) Christianity is very specific; it is described in the Bible – God has given us a pattern for it.

10) If we follow the patter we have Bible Christianity. If we do not follow the pattern we have something else.

a) People really struggle with the idea of just one way and often raise other objections.

b) They may propose that all religions have some truth.

c) Rather than one faith “having all truth,” it is said each group has their own little part.

11) If this is true, where do we put the atheist? What part of truth does “atheism” have?

12) Some grains of truth may be found in almost every aspect of life including false religions.

13) The “sum total of truth” is found in Jesus Christ and His gospel.

14) Listen to Jn. 1:1, 14, 18 – READ

15) Jesus came and then said in Jn. 14:6 – I am the way, the truth, and the life.

16) My way is true; all other ways are false.

a) If people cannot wiggle out of Jesus’ claims in the way we have said, they try something else.

b) We are told about how “moral” people in other religions in are.

c) We are told there are well moraled Muslims, Jews, Mormons, Hindus, etc.

d) We are asked if God would reject these people because they do not have the right theology.

e) In other words, is not morality more important than a person’s religious beliefs?

17) This is a very common belief in our world, but it is simply not true.

18) If morality is the most important, how do we define moral?

a) What are the moral issues that someone must observe so God will save them?

b) If someone chooses not to become an axe murderer, does that mean he is moral?

c) If a man provides for his family, does that mean he is moral?

d) People emphasize “morality” but are never able to really put a firm definition on the word.

e) Morality means man is own redeemer – we don’t need Christ.

19) God says we cannot operate in that manner.

20) If we could, God would not be required. We could and we would save ourselves.

21) Not one person (speaking of accountable people) is righteous, Rom. 3:10.

22) All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, Rom. 3:23.

23) If the standard is morality, God says we are all doomed.

24) He is the judge and He says the world is immoral because of sin.

a) If personal morality does not allow us to please deity, we need something else.

b) We need the system God has devised and designed. This is “the way” and “the truth.”

25) When the “I am moral” objection is taken off the table people come up with one more idea.

26) If what we believe really believes and there is only one way, what about those who have not heard?

27) If Christ and Christianity are THE WAY, what about those who never hear of Him and His way?

28) The answer is that we find God and follow Him or we are not going to make it, 2 Thess. 1:8.

29) Some recoil and shout that is not fair. Isn’t it?

a) Acts 17:27 says God is not far from anyone.

b) God’s will (plan) is for people to seek Him. Efforts are always underway to reach people.

c) Nature is one of the things that teaches man that there is a creator.

d) People like Cornelius (Acts 10-11) have prayed to deity and found God.

e) God does not want any to perish (2 Pet. 3:9).

f) World wide efforts have repeatedly been underway to take the message across the globe.

g) Not everyone may end up with as much information as someone else.

30) A person who walks into this building could potentially walk out with hundreds of tracts.

31) Someone else might see a postcard or a short bulletin article telling them what needs to done.

32) The information is out there and flowing every single day across our planet.

33) Acts Paul said in Acts 26:26, Christianity was not started “in a corner.”

34) The gospel is not news reserved for the rich; it is not part of some secret society.

35) This is a message that God commanded to be taken to every creature on the planet (Mk. 16:15).

36) Since the time of Christ faithful people have worked to carry out that plan.

37) There is just one way to God and that is New Testament Christianity. Is this way we are using?