An Extraordinary Authority Part 1

One reason for us to Jesus in all of history. No one is ever projected the authority Jesus people were either drawn to him or they wanted to kill him or anyone confronting the real Jesus there still is no middle ground. Today will see why church in Chicago. This is with Dr. Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Estimates are the authority Jesus projected divided his listeners right down the middle and you know Dave, he still does the same.

There are those who think that they are friends with Christ because they accept them only as a teacher for many people.

Jesus is like a book on a shelf you bring him down when you're interested in him. But then you can talk him away. Those people do not understand Christ and they insult him on the other side of the divide are those who understand that he is Savior, Lord God, and that's the side I'm on.

I hope that it's the side that all of our listeners are on. I've written a book entitled Christ, among other gods, a defense of Christ in an age of tolerance. We want you to have this resource. We want you to have it for yourself or your family so that we might understand the uniqueness of Jesus in a world that has lost its way. For a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now let us open our minds and our Bibles and answer the question of why it is again that Jesus is so very special Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman said that he had a vision standing in a great Cathedral in Europe, standing before a picture of Christ and wanting to hear some word from outside of the universe, wanting to hear some word from God that might make sense of life. He stood before the picture and shouted span may dead silence, and he said that was the motivation of his movie silence when it comes to hearing the word from God. There is nothing but dead. Call let me ask you something.

Has God spoken. If God has not spoken. If God is silent, then certain conclusions follow. First of all, we must be silent regarding morality and religion because we have no fixed point by which to jot morality and religion we are.

As I mentioned in a previous message.

Like those ants on the Rembrandt painting that notice the canvas and the roughness of the canvas and the change of the colors but we cannot make sense of the whole picture is a second conclusion we must be led to and that is that our quest for justice. The desire that we have the cry with in our hearts that justice might be brought to the world will forever go on answered because if God is not personal. All the injustices in the world will never be rectified. I have a Jewish friend who's an atheist.

I said to him on one occasion, are you not disturbed by your belief that Hitler is going to have gotten by with what he did and that there will never be an accounting for the Holocaust.

He admitted that that was disturbing.

But if God is impersonal. There will be no justice. I know that in Eastern religions. The problem of justice is relegated to karma, but karma is a cruel, impersonal law in karma. There is no grace, and the Untouchables of India are untouchable and despised simply because it is believed that they committed some sins in a former life in which they are now in this life receiving their fusion and even compassion should be ruled out toward them, because that would upset the delicate system cold, hopelessly viciously cruel is 1/3 conclusion and that is that the great desire that we have in our hearts, the great desire for the ultimate must ultimately go unfulfilled because then we do not know what God is like and we can only speculate, and we are cast back on our own intuitions in our own ideas, never being able to see our way regard to eternal issues. Another question is has God spoken. Christianity asserts that God has spoken clearly and he has not stuttered he has spoken to man. Now let us be very clear in saying that the moment we say that God speaks that differentiates Christianity from all the pantheism of the East all the Eastern religions because the East does not believe that God speaks is I will.

That's not true. Look at all the Google's let all the prophets look at all the teachers but remember that those prophets and teachers are basically only reflecting on their own experience of the ultimate the impersonal ultimate. They are trying to speak the unspeakable and know what they believe to be essentially unknowable because the Eastern gods always cast man upon himself and it is within human beings that we find all of these supposed inside God or the gods of the East do not speak so what about Islam is a monotheistic religion they believe in one God, there is but one God and Mohammed is his prophet. Yes the Muslims believe that God is capable of speaking and that God has spoken through Mohamed but Christianity is far different from that Christianity says that not only does God speak through prophets, but also that in his final revelation gone actually personally has come to speak. It is not just that he has sent a messenger that he himself has become the messenger God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

The East does not have a Savior, the Muslim faith does not have a Savior. They have only a prophet. Only Christianity says that God has come, he has spoken, and he has acted look at what your Bible says in Hebrews chapter 1 that's a passage that you may take a moment to turn to and I will be quoting many passages today and turning only to few, but notice what the text says about God's speech in these last days. Hebrews chapter 1 God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many different ways. Sometimes through dreams and visions and what have you. In the Old Testament in these last days he has spoken to us in his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made of the world and then it goes on to describe the beauty and the godhood that the deity of Christ in these last days, God has spoken to us through his son. There has been an explosion of revelation God has come, he has spoken with clarity in a human language. Now, in light of the fact that God has come and spoken. What has he said. First of all, of course, we need to be reminded of Christ's claims to deity's claims to deity, take your Bible again and turn to John chapter 8 the gospel of John chapter 8 where Jesus Christ is being confronted by the people of his day, who were very impatient with his theology and you'll remember that Jesus is speaking and the Jews are saying to him.

In verse 52.

Now we know that you have a demon as Christ has said that before Abraham existed or rather that Abraham wanted to see his day, and he sought and was glad. And the prophets also and you say that if anyone keeps my word he shall never taste of death, they were saying nobody can speak these words.

Nobody has ever said to such astounding things as you are saying.

Then Jesus goes on to say verse 56 your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and sought and was glad. And the Jews said to him, are you not yet 50 years old. You aren't 50 years old and you have seen Abraham.

Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I they understood Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 were God says I am the I am. That's why the very next verse as they took up stones to stone him because they knew he had made a claim to be God of very God. He claimed to be Jehovah think with me about Jesus Christ standing before the high priest on the high priest says to him in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of Mark, are you the son of the Blessed are you, the Christ, the son of the Blessed Jesus said I am and from now on. He said you will see the Son of Man in heaven, and eventually you will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with great glory. I am to the paralytic, he says, thy sins be forgiven date that which could only be had in the temple was now offered out on the street by Christ who was saying to people. I have the power to forgive sins the deity of Christ. Furthermore, he says that the father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the son, and Jesus claimed that the eternal destiny of every man and every woman on planet Earth would be determined by their relationship with him.

Little wonder the Jews understood that he was claiming to be God you understand now the difference between Christianity and all the other options out there. All the other options. All the other leaders around the playing field and suddenly we say let the one who is God of very God stand up hold the other religious leaders of the world disappear. There is no competition, only one remains standing. Christ now you understand of course that other religions have to do something with this doctrine. Either they need to reinterpreted it as the new agers of Don and say that all of us are Christ's. And that's what Jesus meant he was God and that we are God to you have to believe that absurdity and we will be discussing that very briefly in the next message in the series, or what you need to do is to say, as Schweitzer did that he was a lunatic that he was insane making such claim or else you have to simply ignore it, simply deny it and go on look at what I picked up the Parliament of world religions.

This is distributed by the Muslim faith was written for the Parliament was available to all of us.

It talks about the fact that in the Quran that there is a God shall which is a great tribulation.

So much so that a Muslim is taught to pray to God in his five daily prayers to be saved from being afflicted with the tribulations of this Dodge all there is no tribulation greater than that of the Dodge, all from the creation of Adam until the day of resurrection, but nevertheless the holy Quran, the speaks of another great tribulation, a tribulation that is even greater. Get this is the tribulation in the form of the Christian doctrine relating to the divinity of Christ. It denounces this doctrine in the strongest terms as the greatest of all the tribulations for humanity.

The heavens may almost be rent and the earth could leave asunder, and the mountains fall to pieces. To say that Christ is actually the son of God, the heavens may be rent and then it goes on to say the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus.

According to the Quran cannot be ascribed to Christ, but to and tie Christ now give this piece credit. The Muslims understand one thing with clarity. If Jesus Christ is God. There is no room for Mohammed because he contradicted Christ at every single point if Jesus Christ is God. That is the only piece of good news left on planet Earth. If he is not. It is the greatest hoax that is ever been perpetrated upon humanity who is he you see it is understood by other religions that the deity of Christ is in deed of the great divide. It is the infinite chasm in is the dirigible all between Christianity and all the other options that are out there.

So what did Christ claim he claimed deity. Secondly, and logically necessarily following from that he claimed exclusivity that is to say he was the only way to God.

Understandably so, because he was God. Your Bibles are open to John chapter 8 now just turn a few pages to the right and you come to the 14th chapter 1 of the most famous sayings of Jesus.

John chapter 14, Christ is saying that he is going away in verse four and Thomas says to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but through me.

Lucid to Jesus me. First of all, he says I am the way, I am the way, he comes to us and no matter where we may be added. Our spiritual pilgrimage, we come to him. He receives this just as we are as we sing that song just as I am, without one. But that thy blood was shed for me.

We come with our sins and our helplessness and our addictions and he takes us by the hand and he leads us to the father.

He leads us to the father and after he has led us to the father in this life he leads us to the father's house in the life to come and why is he qualified. Why, indeed, in the very next verses. Philip says show us the father and we shall be satisfied and Jesus says these explosive words. Philip, are you asking to see the father he that had seen me hath seen the father of course I can take you by the hand and lead you to the father because I am the father God of very God was a man who was to be taking a trek through the desert with some tourists, and they could not see the path and they asked the guide. Where is the path the guides that I am the path I am the path. Next, Jesus Christ says I am the truth less thing to whom I introduced you very briefly in the last message great German dramatist lived in the 1700s set on one occasion if God were to offer me eternal truth on his right hand and the eternal quest for truth on his left. I would take the left hand. Even if that meant that I should never attain the truth because the fun is in the journey lessening was a brilliant fool brilliant fool you see number one if he did not have any truth, he would not even know what he was searching for.

He would recognize that after he found it because after all he has not got any truth in that left hand and furthermore it is important to know the truth about poison the truth about a faulty parachute and if it is important for us to know the truth about these matters how important it is that we might know the truth about eternity what Lessing did not understand though he was brought up in the home of a very pious Lutheran father.

What he didn't understand was that his eternal destiny depended on whether or not he knew the truth and what he did with the truth that he knew Jesus that I am truth.

I'm not just a way show where I am the truth, my friend, don't you love that the fact that our Savior spoke with such authority.

Such confidence and that's why he could say I am the way the truth and the life. He invites us to come to the father but he alone can take us there.

I hope that you love him. I hope that you serve him.

I hope that you have received him.

I've written a book entitled Christ, among other gods, a defense of Christ in an age of tolerance. We want to make this resource available to you for the simple fact that were living in an age in which there is so much confusion and age in which there is even a slippage of truth within what is sometimes called the evangelical church where younger evangelicals think that there might be alternate ways to the father for a gift of any amount.

This book can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for Christ.

Among other gods, a defense of Christ in an age of tolerance go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and thanks in advance for holding our hands because together were making a difference. It's time again for you to ask master looks or a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. Growing Christians come to understand their obligations in the area of stewardship giving of their time and treasure as outlined in the Bible. One of our running to win listeners is Victor who is trying to make sure he's giving in the right way. He writes this although I support my church.

I find myself giving more to other organizations and individuals. So my question is, does giving, whether monetary or in terms of service time has to be to the church can giving to neighbors our community or even to our families, satisfy our giving responsibility will Victor, your question has a number of different hidden ideas and meanings that I find very very intriguing.

A couple of things. First of all, we are exhorted in Scripture to give to the church in the Old Testament was giving to the temple your member and in the New Testament. It is giving to the church you find this for example in second Corinthians chapter 8 and also chapter 9 that you find it in the other passages, such as in first Corinthians were the apostle Paul talks about a putting in store week by week each person as God has prospered them funds for the good of the body of Christ that is very important you say in your letter here does giving to relatives, neighbors, families satisfy our giving responsibility. Of course, no it doesn't. Because the church is actually the place the first place were we should give now.

If you are edified by your church and you don't give to your church that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. For example, let us suppose that I were to eat at one restaurant and then go across the street and pay my bill but that doesn't make any sense at all. In other words, if you eat at a restaurant. That's where you pay and if you are edified by the church.

It is to the church that you should contribute now, having said that, you go on to say, can this satisfy my giving responsibility that part of your question makes me wonder whether you are really a joyous giver or whether or not giving is that responsibility you feel you have to give it somewhere, and that you're not a joyful, generous, hilarious giver, as the New Testament says that we should be so the bottom line, Victor is this that, of course, you should give first to the church. Then you can also give as God prospers you to neighbors to community and to family but don't let one substitute for the other and the bottom line. Make sure make sure that your own heart is right and that you give joyfully. It's not an obligation.

It's not that God holds a club over you to do it but you do it because you love him so bless your church first Victor and then the others that you listed in your question.

Some wise counsel once again from Dr. Erwin looks or thank you Pastor lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered.

You can go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. It's one thing to say you speak the truth.

It's quite another to say I am the true next time I'm wanting to win her lutes or talks further about Christ's extraordinary authority as Jesus spoke of himself as one who embodied the truth and have the credentials to prove this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church