Getting Ready to Start sharing what Dave's brining with the 2nd week of Religiously Transmitted Diseases
I almost just fell out of the control booth
Therefore, I urge you, brother, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1. Don't let your money rule your heart, offer it as a sacrifice...
about 4 minutes away from Dave's Message. Felicia bringing it with "Nothing But The Blood/Hosanna"
Hosanna in The Highest!
Dave's getting set up on stage as a Type--Here we go
There are some things we think some times, we've heard, we've been taught, that sound really good on the surface, but if you dig deeper into the scriptures, you find out they aren't really there
All paths lead to God--that sounds good, but does it come from the bible?
we need to put our personal opinions aside and what we've always heard and ask one simple question...Is it what the Bible says?
You can talk about all kinds of religious things, but when you say two words, it changes everything--JESUS CHRIST--then people go ballistic
Can we find the idea in the Bible that there are many paths to God?
We're going to look at three things today: the claims of Jesus, the credibility of Jesus, and the character of Jesus Christ
Is Jesus the Real Deal. Yes, I believe that, Billions of people around the world believe it. You're asking today will this Jesus guy work for me? We're going to address that.
For you Christians, some of you have lost your Biblical World view, you've bought into that your truth is your truth, my truth is my truth, that everyone can get to God. That truth is relative, we're going to address that
Few people would debate the historicity of Jesus. Few would debate the teachings of Jesus. We get into a problem when we look at the central claim Jesus made about himself.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
All other paths do lead to the same place--to Hell
All the world religions have some belief about Jesus, but they do not line up with Jesus's central claim about himself--He claimed to Be God in The Flesh
JOHN 10:22 Then came the Feast of Dedication[b] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[c] tell us plainly."
25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[d]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."
31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
Matthew 26:63-64 (New International Version)
63But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ,[a] the Son of God."
64"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
my eternity doesn't hinge on a path I choose, but on a Savior
When you get up close and personal with Jesus, is he a credible as he is from a far
What did some of Jesus's less friendly acquaintances say about him?
Here's what Pilate the Roman Governor said "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.
Nobody could find anything Jesus did wrong--because he lived a sinless life
Here's what the guy who led Jesus' crucifixion said When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son[a] of God!"
Why did Jesus do the miracles he did? To prove He is who He claims to be
One thing that drives me crazy is this idea of Tolerance. If you're talking about the original idea of Tolerance--which means I put up with you. It doesn't mean all religions are on the same level
Tolerance means I don't persecute you, or harm you, but I don't have to accept that all religions mean the same and lead to the same place
In Jesus' time, Greek culture dominated and they were Polytheistic(many Gods). And through His miracles he backed up that He was superior to all the Greek Gods. He was saying I am superior to all other Gods that you think are so awesome
The following is one of the earliest creeds of the new testament church--Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
Jesus' miracle of resurrection trumps them all. He cam back from the dead. He did exactly what He said he was going to do--And that is what sets Jesus apart from anyone else who has ever walked the face of this planet.
Can I really trust Jesus?
3 logical conclusions:
1-Jesus was a world class liar. (just like you and me)
Let's say that's true, that he was good enough to get thousands of people to follow him and say they believe in Him
but there came a point where everything was on the line--where he was arrested and tortured
not just run of the mill torture, but world class torture--39 lashes with a whip lined with glass, beat with sticks, spit on, and crucified
if that was happening, at some point wouldn't you have said--just kidding, I didn't mean it...
Conclusion 2: Jesus was as crazy as a loon
Nothing in his life points to people believing that he was crazy, he lived a life that couldn't be spoken against.
Jesus wasn't a liar, he wasn't crazy...the only other conclusion is that Jesus is who he said he is.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
