week 11 -- pluralism - part 2
TRANSCRIPT
A cHRISTIAN
today’s worldWITNESS in
Tactics + sTRATEGIES
Relativism
The Bible
Pluralism
Islam
Sexual Revolution
Media
Training and Equipping Believers to Live Out a Confident Faith
A cHRISTIAN
today’s worldWITNESS in
Tactics + sTRATEGIES
Relativism
The Bible
Pluralism
Islam
Sexual Revolution
Media
Training and Equipping Believers to Live Out a Confident Faith
Last Week
pLURALISM:There are many legitimate “paths
to God” and trusting Jesus is merely one of those paths.
what will matterWhen our lives end,
most at that moment?
which Religious clubIt will NOT be:
you chose to belong to (or not belong to) during your life
(mormonism)
(JW)
(Heritage)
1. Does God Exist?What will matter is:
2. hAVE WE KEPTHis commandments?
His commandmentsGod is real and we have broken
Now What?
usGod
He takes our punishment
God himself takes the punishment for our crimes against Him
We take our own punishment
We get the appropriate punishment for our crimes against God.
The Result: Mercy The Result: Justice
thE Offer
punishment“I will take your
and offer you mercy instead of judgment!”
- God
What are the terms?
Only One way
Jesus
Jesus…is the only source of salvation for the world
is the Father’s choiceprovides forgiveness of sin
will be man’s judge on that final day
Rejection of Jesus is rejection of God
No other alternatives for salvation
All nations are to be given the gospel
Rejection of Jesus brings wrath and judgment
cHALLENGES
notice:Every one of the following
objections is based on a misunderstanding the central
problem Christianity exists to solve.
The Plan:
1) Introduce a challenge2) Discuss with your neighbors how you
would respond
3)Work on it together
iNCOMPLETE bELIEF
“You don’t have the whole picture”
cHALLENGE 1:
“You Christians think you have the truth, but you only have one part of
the larger truth about God.”
The rajah, awakened by the commotion, calls out from the balcony. “The elephant
is a big animal,” he says. “Each man touched only one part. You must put all the parts together to find out what an
elephant is like.”
Enlightened by the rajah’s wisdom, the blind men reach agreement. “Each one of
us knows only a part. To find out the whole truth we must put all the parts
together.”
“You Christians think you have the truth, but you only have one part of
the larger truth about God.”
How would you respond?
Take 5 minutes and discuss
it means that a view and its opposite cannot both be true at the same
time, and the same way.
Mutually ExclusiveIf something thing is
Law of non-contradictionThis is also called the
uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANT
God existsChristianity:Atheism: God does not exist
God is personalChristianity:islam: God is not personal
uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANT
Jesus is the messiahChristianity:Judaism: Jesus is not the messiah
Evil is realChristianity:Hinduism: Evil is an illusion
uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANTGo to heaven or hellChristianity:
Hinduism: We come back as something else
One of three levels of heaven, possibly attain godhood
Mormonism:
Atheism: We go into the ground
Columbo Questions:
How can we go to heaven or hell, be reincarnated, and stay dead in the
ground all at the same time?
Columbo Questions:
How can God exist and not exist at the same time?
FACT:Religions are mutually exclusive
views of the world. They can never, ever, ever all be right at the
same time.
sINCERITY MATTERS moST
“God is looking for sincerity”
cHALLENGE 2:
“What matters is people’s sincerity, not their specific beliefs or religion.”
How would you respond?
“What matters is people’s sincerity, not their specific beliefs or religion.”
Take 5 minutes and discuss
Columbo Questions:
Is there anything besides sincerity that matters?
Columbo Questions:
What are you basing this on?
Columbo Questions:
What if someone’s sincere religious goal is to kill you?
Columbo Questions:
What if someone doesn’t have much sincerity? Does that make
their view false?
Columbo Questions:
Does God stop existing when people don’t believe sincerely in Him?
FACT:
Sincerity has nothing to do with whether your view is true or not.
We need another standard.
Inclusivism
“Belief in Jesus is not required”
cHALLENGE 3:
“Christ is the grounds of faith, but he doesn’t have to be the object”
“People can benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice without directly
believing in it”
or, said another way…
Inclusivism:One does not have to believe in
Jesus directly to receive the benefits of his life and sacrifice.
Old Testament Saints:did not have to believe in Jesus
directly to receive the benefits of his life and sacrifice.
h2 - BROWNInclusivism
Those who hear the gospel must believe it. There is no hope for those
who hear and reject.
“One does not have to believe
in Jesus directly to receive the
benefits of his life and
sacrifice.”
Modest Inclusivism:
For those who never heard we leave that up to God to decide.
h2 - BROWNInclusivism
Even if people reject the gospel they can still be saved.
“One does not have to believe
in Jesus directly to receive the
benefits of his life and
sacrifice.”
sTRONG Inclusivism:
If people reject Christ and pursue any other means of devotion
sincerely, God will recognize their heart and respond with saving faith
I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a
Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.”
- Mother Theresa of Avila
Jews can be saved if they look forward in hope to the Messiah and try to
ascertain whether God’s promise has been fulfilled.
- Avery Cardinal Dulles, Roman Catholic priest
Adherents of other religions can be saved if, with the help of grace, they sincerely
seek God and strive to do his will.
- Avery Cardinal Dulles, Roman Catholic priest
Even atheists can be saved if they worship God under some other name and place their lives at the service of
truth and justice.
- Avery Cardinal Dulles, Roman Catholic priest
How would you respond?
“People can benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice without directly
believing in it”
Take 5 minutes and discuss
SourceWhere does salvation
come from?
Ground
Means object
What holds it all together?
How do you acquire it for yourself?
Where is salvation found now?
SourceWhere does salvation
come from?
The unmerited mercy and goodness of God
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the
goodness of God leads you to repentance? - Romans 2:4
Redemption for all mankind secured by Christ on the cross.
because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the
present time His righteousness, - Romans 3:25,26
GroundWhat holds it all
together?
Faith. (Active trust in God’s goodness and mercy.)
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
- Galatians 3:11
MeansHow do you acquire it
for yourself?
objectWhere is salvation
found now?
Adam received covering for his sin and trusted God’s promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (Gen 3:15).
objectWhat do we place our
faith (trust) in?
Abraham believed in God’s promise of descendants who would bring blessing to the nations of the Earth (Gen 12:3).
Old Testament saints counted on the atoning sacrifices that God prescribed to cover their sins (Leviticus).
objectWhat do we place our
faith (trust) in?
So, what about us?
SourceWhere does salvation
come from?
Ground
Means object
What holds it all together?
How do you acquire it for yourself?
Where is salvation found now?
SourceThe unmerited mercy and goodness of God
Ground
Means object
The work of Christ on the cross
Faith (active trust in God’s goodness and mercy).
The person of Jesus Christ exclusively.
New Testamentauthor is in agreement
on this point.
Every single
place our trustin Jesus Christ to benefit
from his sacrifice.
We must
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
“And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life and this life is in
his Son.
1john 5:11
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not
have the life.”
1john 5:12
“for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
john 8:24
“He who believes has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see
life, but the wrath of God abides in him.”
john 3:36
who never hearthe clear gospel message?
What happens to people
I don’t know
we are called tospread the news.
What I do know is that
we are called topreach the gospel
What I do know is that
we are called tolove with sacrificial love
What I do know is that
we are called toteach the clear meaning of scripture
What I do know is that
we are called tomake disciples
What I do know is that
we are called tostand strong in the truth
What I do know is that
we are called tolove God and people
What I do know is that
Acts 10
What did the disciples do?
Open to
Acts 10:1-8
Cornelius:
Devout
Feared God
(With all his household)
Generous giver
Prayed to God always
hE IS GOOD, riGHT?
gO TO Verse 34
What do we lEARN?
Everyone needs the gospel.Even the best among us are not good
enough on our own.
SubjectiveObjective
Reality
God is real and we have broken His commandments
Personal Preference
People who think their religious beliefs are real and
not personal preference
Primary Problem: Primary Problem:
Objective
Reality
God is real and we have broken His commandments
Jesus solves this problem
Primary Problem:
Not this oneObjective
Reality
God is real and we have broken His commandments
Personal Preference
People who think their religious beliefs are real and
not personal preference
Primary Problem: Primary Problem:X
social pressureof pluralism or relativism or
whatever else our culture throws at us
May we never bow to the
remain faithfulto preach the gospel, and
watch for those whom God is calling to Himself
May we, like those before us
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil,
that is, His flesh…
and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
- Hebrews 10:19-25
Islam
“There is no God but Allah”
Next Week