Rev. David Holwick ZR
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
December 31, 1995
Acts 4:12
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I. The global village.
A. America is no longer a homogenized society.
1) It probably never was. And with new ethnic groups
have come new religions.
2) Personal experience as I waited to visit a Baptist in the
county jail this week.
Man standing behind me was wearing a long black robe and
a high hat that was like a turban.
Curious, I ask him, "Are you an Orthodox priest?"
A thin smile came over his face and he said, "Guess again."
"A Moslem?"
He nodded his head.
3) In Parsippany, the Hindu temple jams residential streets
during their holy days.
4) A Moslem family lives right up the street. In ten years
there will be more Moslems in America than Jews.
B. A stumbling block for modern people.
1) When asked about his impression of "born-again Christians,"
George Brown, a Presbyterian real estate seller, has
this to say:
I am not a born-again Christian and don't know any to my
knowledge.
Christians have talked with me several times but they came
across sort of narrow-minded.
It made me feel like they were condescending and wouldn't
recognize other people's beliefs.
[paragraph on attractiveness of Christianity omitted]
In many ways I consider myself a Christian, just not a
born-again one.
I've already been born once.
Why would I want to be born again?
I think that too many Christians will not believe that there
are other religious faiths in the world.
To me that's the greatest shortcoming of the Christian
church.
#3377
2) In the face of all this competition, some Christians claim
that Jesus is the only way to heaven.
3) Some of you believe this. But many do not.
Ravi Zacharias grew up a Hindu in a priestly family in
India.
As a teenager he had crisis and attempted suicide.
In the hospital he began a personal search for the
meaning of life and ended up becoming a Christian.
Ravi now works full-time as an evangelist to secular
universities around the world.
He says his audiences are filled with "happy thinking
pagans."
In other words, they are contented with their lives,
they are intellectual, and have little regard for God.
There is one question that always comes up in his open
forums:
"How can you possibly talk about one God or one way when
there are so many good options?"
#3443
C. Is Christianity unique?
1) Is Jesus the only way to heaven?
2) Don't all religions worship the same basic God?
II. An emotional misconception.
A. We do not believe Christians are better than everyone else.
1) Claiming the uniqueness of Jesus does not mean we claim to
be perfect.
a) Today, sensitivities are at an all-time high - and
rightfully so.
b) Tolerance of different races and religions has been
lacking over the years.
c) Christianity is not a bigoted club, the KKK in disguise.
2) Christians should be something we often are not: humble.
D.T. Niles: "Evangelism is one beggar telling another
where to find bread."
B. But we do believe that absolute truth matters.
1) Tolerance and pluralism have given way to relativism.
a) No person or philosophy is wrong or right.
2) But not always good to be tolerant - we must be intolerant
of error.
a) 2+2 does not equal 31.
b) We must respect other viewpoints, but we cannot claim
that all viewpoints are equally valid.
Such a position is nonsense.
3) Most of the intellectual elite of this country completely
disavow the idea of absolute truth.
#3443
III. Some things are not up to a vote.
A. It is a problem of truth and logic.
1) There are some things we cannot change because we may want to.
2) Logic: the law of non-contradiction.
At a forum in Harvard, Ravi Zacharias responded to some
critics by using the law of non-contradiction.
This law of logic simply states that no statement can be true
and false at the same time and in the same relationship.
Zacharias said this law must apply to religion and reality.
If Jesus said he was God, he either is or he isn't.
You cannot have it both ways.
The same law applies to every other religion.
They are ultimately true, or they are not.
When he made this argument, the audience went silent for
several minutes.
That the laws of logic apply to reality floors people, even
though they use logic to attack Christian truths.
Here's the rub: the average non-religious person will
believe something WITHOUT thinking it through.
They will believe many things and never investigate if they
are rational.
But this same non-religious person will disbelieve things
on the basis that they are not logical.
So they will attack Christian assumptions using principles
of logic that they don't even apply to themselves.
#3443
B. An illustration from concept of law. (???)
1) Some laws are determined by society - stop lights.
2) Other laws cannot be determined by society - law of gravity.
3) Spiritual laws are inherent, like gravity.
a) God has revealed himself to us through Jesus.
b) Christ's death is the only way our sins can be paid for.
IV. A question of sincerity, or truth?
A. Sincere belief does not make something true.
1) Hitler was sincere, but wrong.
2) Belief must be true to be real.
B. Faith is only as valid as the object you place faith in.
A nurse sincerely put acid in baby's eyes rather than
silver nitrate.
Her sincerity did not save the baby from blindness.
1) Believing something doesn't make it true.
2) Facts are facts, regardless of attitude.
3) In religion, basic question is always, "Is it true?"
V. We claim the uniqueness of Jesus because the Bible does.
A. The Old Testament claims the uniqueness of Jehovah God.
Isaiah 43:10-11
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom
I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and
understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior."
B. Jesus claimed uniqueness for himself.
Matthew 11:27
"All things have been committed to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the
Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him."
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
C. The apostles made the same claim for Jesus.
Acts 4:12
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
As the great missionary D. T. Niles also said,
"Jesus Christ is not a value that we can negotiate, nor is he a
preference that we can reject.
He is the truth, and the truth cannot be changed."
Niles was once asked,
"How do you present Jesus in Hindu Ceylon?"
With a smile he said, "Oh, I repeat the words of Jesus, 'No man
comes to the Father but by me.'"
#1723
VI. Jesus does not seek to exclude, but include.
A. Out of all religious leaders, only Jesus claims to be God.
1) Other religions emphasize teachings of leaders.
2) Christians emphasize Jesus himself.
B. Jesus came in order that we might have life. John 3:16-17
1) He does not wish to condemn.
2) But if we reject him, he has no choice.
C. We have an obligation.
1) If you are not a believer, Jesus invites you to believe.
2) If you are a follower, take it seriously.
a) Honor Jesus in all you do.
b) Share your faith intentionally.
c) Bumper sticker I saw on Friday:
"Real friends don't let friends remain unsaved."
============================================================================
Old sermon, "Why I Believe Christianity is Different," June 12, 1983. #3444
=============================================================================
Key resource: Paul Little (and James Kennedy?)
I. The global village.
A. Many nationalities, and religions, in America.
B. Is Christianity unique?
1) Do all religions worship the same basic God?
2) Is Jesus the only way to heaven?
II. An emotional misconception.
A. We do not believe Christians are better than everyone else.
1) Claiming the uniqueness of Jesus does not mean we claim to
be perfect.
2) Christianity is not a bigoted club.
B. We claim the uniqueness of Jesus because the Bible does. Acts 4:12
1) Jesus taught it. John 14:6
2) If he is God, then we have word from God himself on subject.
C. It is a problem of truth.
1) We cannot change it just because we may want to.
III. Some things are not up to a vote.
A. Some laws are determined by society.
1) Stop lights.
B. Other laws cannot be determined by society.
1) Law of gravity.
C. Spiritual laws are inherent, like gravity.
1) God has revealed himself to us through Jesus.
2) Christ's death is the only way our sins can be paid for.
D. Christians should not act superior.
1) D.T. Niles: "Evangelism is one beggar telling another
where to find bread."
IV. A question of sincerity, or truth?
A. Sincere belief does not make something true.
1) (Wrong medicine bottle in dark)
B. Faith is only as valid as the object you place faith in.
1) (Nurse sincerely put acid in baby's eyes rather than silver
nitrate. Sincerity did not save baby from blindness.)
2) Believing something doesn't make it true.
a) Facts are facts, regardless of attitude.
b) In religion, basic question is always, "Is it true?"
C. Example of resurrection.
1) Christians say it is at heart of gospel.
2) Moslems deny it.
a) One of these views must be wrong.
b) Both cannot be true, because they are contradictory.
V. Naive to assume all religions are basically the same.
A. Differences outweigh similarities.
B. Example of Jesus' Golden Rule.
1) Most religions have it.
2) Wrong to assume it is essence of Christianity.
3) Man's problem is not ignorance about what to do, but
willpower to do what we know we should.
C. Most religions are do-it-yourself propositions. (works)
1) They see a drowning man and tell him how to swim.
2) Christianity throws a life preserver.
D. Only Christianity offers assurance of salvation.
1) Salvation depends on what God has done for us.
2) Works religions cannot give assurance.
a) You have never done enough.
b) Fear will always persist.
VI. The goal of religions differ.
A. Buddhists aim for nirvana, extinction of desire.
B. Hinduism also has nirvana, but sees it as union with ocean of
existence.
1) Achieved through reincarnation.
C. Islam yearns for paradise of wine, women, song.
1) Important to abstain from certain pleasures.
2) Five Pillars are followed.
3) No possibility of assurance.
VII. The fundamental concept of God differs between religions.
A. Buddha did not claim to be divine.
B. Hinduism is pantheistic.
C. Islam and Judaism are monotheistic, closer to us.
1) But Islam totally removes God from humans.
2) Jesus says if Jews really loved God, they would love him.
D. Those who are sincerely seeking God will accept Jesus.
1) Out of all religious leaders, only Jesus claims to be God.
a) Other religions emphasize teachings of leaders.
b) Christians emphasize Jesus himself.
2) Christianity differs radically from all others.
VIII. Tolerance.
A. It is esteemed in our world.
1) But not always good to be tolerant - we must be intolerant
of error.
2) 2+2 does not equal 31.
B. We must respect other viewpoints, but we cannot claim that
all viewpoints are equally valid.
1) Such a position is nonsense.
IX. Sincerity doesn't validate belief. [combine with above?]
A. Hitler was sincere, but wrong.
B. Belief must be true to be real. John 14:6
C. If you want to know God, know Jesus.
1) We cannot earn salvation.
2) We can have assurance.
X. Tolerance is esteemed is our world.
XI. If you want to know God, know Jesus.
A. We cannot earn salvation.
B. We can have assurance.
XII. Example of resurrection.
A. Christians say it is at heart of gospel.
B. Moslems deny it.
1) One of these views must be wrong.
2) Both cannot be true, because they are contradictory.
XIII. Naive to assume all religions are basically the same.
A. Differences outweigh similarities.
1) [Example of Jesus' Golden Rule...]
a) Most religions have it.
b) Wrong to assume it is essence of Christianity.
c) Man's problem is not ignorance about what to do, but
willpower to do what we know we should.
B. Most religions are do-it-yourself propositions. (works)
1) They see a drowning man and tell him how to swim.
2) Christianity throws a life preserver.
C. Only Christianity offers assurance of salvation.
1) Salvation depends on what God has done for us.
2) Works religions cannot give assurance.
a) You have never done enough.
b) Fear will always persist.
XIV. The fundamental concept of God differs between religions.
A. Buddha did not claim to be divine.
B. Hinduism is pantheistic.
C. Islam and Judaism are monotheistic, closer to us.
1) But Islam totally removes God from humans.
2) Jesus says if Jews really loved God, they would love him.
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