The Inclusive Exclusivity

Question and the third is human history.

This is been the fundamental religious question. Are there multiple ways to God or not. So use that.question goes for what's wrong with the world because of the core of our relationship with God is the core of how to fix it like the Bible, author and theologian Jeannie Greer. I'm your host Molly benefits life. JD explores that age old question. Is there more than one way to get to heaven let's be honest, we've probably all ask ourselves this some point or someone else has asked the device and it's time for a solid biblical answer. Today's teaching is part of our series called sense and if you've missed any of the previous messages you can listen to them online, free of charge by visiting us@jeanniegreer.com after dating is teaching from the book of chapter 4 in a message that he's titled inclusive exclusivity. One of the biggest objections that people have, to Christianity, or at least one that I have heard over the years people is the idea that Christianity is too narrow of the idea that there is only one way to God just sounds like it's arrogance for us to say that words unfair. The idea is is is like you got somebody was never heard about Jesus.

And when they die gotchas over their deathbeds as you see Jesus in there like what you like downy casseroles and hell, tumbling the barrels mumbles Latin like tough cookies or something like that. The idea sounds unfair that God would have some arbitrary thing that a lot of people don't even know about is one way to heaven. Plus it's common unspoken will in our society, but you still tell people that their religion is wrong. If you want to be thought of as a civilized educated person.

Do not say anything that would imply that your belief system that you think your belief system is superior to somebody else's to the role our society should be really sincere about your religion. That's good. Just don't be too excited about it so I'm not so excited that you're trying to convert other people into what I want to do this weekend is evaluate these objections in the light of a sermon that Peter Friesen asked for the first miracle that was done in acts three.

Peter's explanation of it is part one is a nice three part two is an act for when I want to show you how he dealt with this question the very beginning of the Christian movement and want to show you what his answer was due.

It massacre force you have your Bible, you take it out last week.

He opened it up and turn it all, your worst days your supercool return to buy one right now my pastor said he loved the sound of rustling pages I said to give that up. But I do love the warm glow of Scripture on people's faces when I preach. So turn it on your phone verse one as they were speaking to the people they been apostles strapped miracle in Peter's explained to them.

A large group of people that this miracle gives them a picture of the salvation that Jesus can render the Soli race lane and give them the ability to walk like Jesus ability to save you from your said, when when when when they were when they were doing this to Friesen, the captain of the temple of the temple. The Sadducees came upon them greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead Sadducees were controlled the government of the time the Sadducees had a couple of problems. Number one my Jesus what is Jesus a Democrat to the power they didn't believe him as the Messiah. Number two. Just as a great day rejectable concept of the resurrection from the dead, so they had no Messiah and no hope, and that's why they were sad to see nine years of seminary) verse three and so they arrested them and they put them in custody until the next day because it was already evening, but many of those who heard the word believed in the number of men came to be about 5000 in those days that all the household so you had that number 5000 heads of household with 3000 became believers in acts in acts two and then you consider by the way that the population of Jerusalem at that time. Even if you count all the visitors a free go to Jerusalem was only about 40,000 talking about massive movements were talking. Nearly half the city becomes followers of Jesus. Verse five on the next day the rulers and elders, and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem with Amos, the high priest name and Caiaphas and John Alexander and all who were the high priestly family. And when they had set them in their midst.

They inquired about what power by what name did you do this, then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers of the P1 elders if we are being examined today concerning the good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this management field other words, if we are actually on trial for healing the guy wouldn't let it be known to all of you and all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you crucified but God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well in your absence.

One is on trial for healing a guy yeah let it be known this power comes from Jesus. I read an article this week called the evangelical adoption stamp basically was lamenting all the evangelicals are getting involved in international adoptions and was just talking about how what a problem it was in the article said this is that evangelicals suffer from pathological altruism altruism is that it is you're doing good I think is one of her other pastors who said that he said you know when the best Florida to come up with is to label somebody a pathological altruism. I'll take it right.

How do we seek the good of others until we bring bad you know how it is ghostly to get others if we are on trial today for good deeds done to needy children. Let it be known that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. These children are alive by verse 11. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders is now become the cornerstone of course is a very important concept in this passage. I'll come back to us so underline it around or just press on the word on the options to highlight okay and I'll come back to that here in a minute. I've been the conclusion of the whole message. You see, there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved when they saw the boldness of Peter and John. They perceive that they were uneducated, uneducated, common man is not polished mandated have fancy degrees. They were fishermen. What we would call in our vernacular, regular Joe's, but they were speaking was something that went beyond their education. Something went beyond her personality.

They spoke with an eloquence and a force that just spoke boldness when I saw that they were astonished and they recognize that they have been with Jesus as he must've been like that. He must've struck you so I wasn't really all that spectacular in his personality or how we look at how address the regular guy when he spoke, he knew that you were hearing from heaven. Verse 14 seen the man but seen the man who was healed saber saw them they had nothing to say in opposition to just dismiss these guys might've all but then there's this other guy standing there grinning like an idiot going hey look at me.

I can job what overrun you know I got nothing to say verse 15 when they commanded them to leave the Council they conferred with one another, saying, what shall we do with these men for that. A notable side has been performed or members evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we can't deny, but in order that it may spread no further among the people, because the last thing we want is all the people in wheelchairs, did not know we don't want that. Let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in his name, so they call them and charge them not to speak or teach all the name of Jesus. What about like a Peter and John. They know that the power Jesus was healed. Somebody and they know the Sadducees know that and they know the Sadducees know that they know the Sadducees now. How awkward is this Peter responds and you can always use sarcasm and ask that you have read sarcasm is as I was written whether it is right in the sight of God. Listen to you rather than the God you got a judge at how we cannot but help we cannot but speak well of what we have seen and heard. Verse 21 when they have further threatened will reverse threats like no were serious we see more people that we knew were dead and walking around were coming after you. When I threaten them some more. They let them go find no way to punish them because of the people for all of them were praising God because of what happened last week we saw that this miracle showed us God's purposes for all miracles this week were going to see that it addresses that primary objection that people often have toward Christianity, but salvation is found only in Jesus first thing I want you to note is that this is not a new controversy all people sometimes think that they think that they came around the coexist bumper sticker or that is simply embedded in the 1980s. Now that we came aware of all the different good philosophies that are out there in the world but notice this, you see the apostles were not in trouble because they privately believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Trouble because they convinced 8000 other people to believe it and he told everybody you disagree with them, but their dead wrong about Jesus be held accountable by God for because they said there's no other name under heaven given by which they must be saved to the world in which Christianity was birthed was an extremely pluralistic one I told you before the Romans had perfected.

This is a matter of politics. Rome's rule the world of the time, had I had a rule in the pack from the peace of Rome basically the rule is you believe what everyone there were thousands of God represented in the Roman Empire. The various natural spheres. Gods of different peoples available the Pantheon, yet only schedule these gods and the rule was worth whatever God you want, just as your God is the supreme God because if you say your God is the supreme God.

They thought that would be you would want to rule over everybody writes on the cavity if he was a little symbol with seizures implemented said this Caesar is the King of Kings and he is the Lord of lords recognize that phraseology for the apostles. They know is not Jesus is Lord, Lord, that's the fight that there picking the problem was not that they believe in Jesus raising the dead. The problem is her told everybody that they got to believe Jesus rose from the dead is easy.

Only men you have about what you can be saved as long as there's been human history. This is been the fundamental religious question. Are there multiple ways to God or not.

So use that that question goes to the core of what's wrong with the world because of the core of our relationship to God is the core of how to fix it. Peter's explanation feels with two of the biggest objections that people make today about salvation being found only in Jesus, they are objectionable.

One object in the morning claiming that Jesus is the only way to God is arrogant, claiming that Jesus is the only God is arrogant.

People say what you think Jesus is the only way you must think that you're better than everybody else, he must see things and nobody else sees you must think that God prefers you people who believe like you just asked that question. Is Peter claiming to be smarter know is that the text goes out of his way to point out that they want that smart. Verse 13 to see it when they saw they were uneducated, and if they were astonished. The author says a because were not as spicy as the readers in the back which is all the more funny to me when you consider the fact that Luke was a friend of Peter and John's and he was a doctor, which means he was smart yeah my friends are not really smart enough I can imagine. This later going seriously.

Luke is not necessary to have to put that in. There's no presumption here to superior intelligence and put yourselves on so that we cannot help but speak what we've seen and heard nothing new has been smarter when it comes to education. You guys got beat hands down your IQs or higher you have more degrees. Hang on your wall than a thermometer. I get that. See, there was this guy and you killed him because you thought it was a flawed guarded it with the Garrison, a Roman soldier.

He came back from the dead, just like he said he would and we saw them and we watched them ascend to heavento your massive education, but if you have a choice between believing a bunch of guys with degrees. Hang on the wall and another guy who came back from the dead guy who came back from the dead since the is arrogant to believe in Jesus is who he says he is no, not necessarily in fact, it can be just as arrogant if not more so to say that is not what I was in college I heard this when my professor told me this paragraph. I'm sure you heard some version of it before to eventually swing more like this. He said there will actually come from India. He said he said he's in our quest for God is like three blind men that fall into up at your desk rebounding folder. There's an elephant in their so the blinds of actually kissing the elephant so each of them stands up one of them grabbed hold much longer be elevated says all the snake, the other grabbed hold of the Tosca bills and now it's severe merely touches the side of the offense is not a big wall and the moral of the story is no one blind person sees the whole elephant and if they would be humble enough to listen to what the other would say they would get a more full picture of the elephant.

And so it is with God.

Each of the people in the world have a different viewpoint on God and it will be humble enough to listen to each other. We get a fuller view of God been any one of us by ourselves this was like like a paddle movie right next to right that's that's the message is readable after college was. We knew big nondelivery of the company's mission in India and Asia for years in India. He was told this parable he didn't really know how to respond to you one day it occurred to him that the parable had two major problems that it is one is in first problem is who is it that actually sees the whole elephant was the only person in the parable reseal all the person telling the parent how do you know into the blind and only see a part will cc the whole day to let me because this doesn't that mean he is claiming for himself what he denies everybody else is he saying everyone else is blind and only sees apart and ended up because I see the whole thing is is that's kind of hypocritical to see if you're listening to me, you say well what you got about God is partially true but you need to open your mind all the different viewpoints on God we get the full picture of God doing the exact same thing I'm doing is not admitting it in your hypocrite right so that's one, probably the second problem with the parable is one of the elephant starts to speak. One of the offices. Hey, I'm an elephant that changes the equation right Christian faith listen is essentially believing that God spoken Jesus and told us we was verified about prophecies and miracles are most important to the resurrection.

Believe Jesus was telling the truth and that he usually says he is, is not necessarily arrogant, you might claim it's gullible, but you shouldn't say that is arrogant if you're you think that being intellectually consistent is not inherently arrogant elephant spoke many overnight children raising the dead said that this is what the elephant was like we cannot but speak will receive an heard believing Jesus is what he says he is of you asked me is quite humble because it means admitting that we were smart enough to figure out truths of God and to combat himself and revealing to us was Peter saying that the apostles were morally superior is always saying the same reason. We understand this because were morally better than all you people know if I ran for the miracle.

Peter said this last week men of Israel. You wonder this what he stared at us as if our own power or piety we made a walk or piety is like that that we did this because were more spiritual than you Peter if you remember, is still role with embarrassment over denying Jesus three times in the space one night. Almost all the people he's talking to know that he did that and the people you probably feel the shame coming told him when he stands up to. I knew what you knew that I was hypocrite and I do whatever I can and should be just had reason to know that when I say that we also compromise right. Peter stated that he knows are people out in the audience when you know that's the guy like this 14-year-old girls.

I hate energies. You know the other snickering and laughing while he's up there. Peter still role with embarrassment he knows is not morally superior. So he knew that God's salvation was a gift of grace, not according to how good Peter was. It was a gift of God's grace of the game, just like he gave healing the lame man that laymen was not healed because he had was better than all the elderly people doing healed because he had more potential in his legs and got downright different without Linda William as he received a back brace. Salvation is like that it's not there were morally superior to gift of grace for all who will receive it by faith to Peter's claimant our claim that salvation is only found in Jesus has nothing to do with believing that were intellectually or morally superior say well I just don't like anything that is exclusive and puts people on the outside was all religious claims. All moral claims are exclusive.

For example, this may, I believe that all good people of every religion goes avid that's a pretty pretty inclusive statement.net. I just excluded all good people of every religion usually bad people and I guess you had to define what that and I'm assuming that racist rapist child molesters terrorist are on that list right well you depending on your viewpoint, maybe, would put sexually immoral people on that list. Or maybe from a different viewpoint you put anybody who judges somebody else for their sexual immorality. Maybe you put them on the bad list. The point is you have a list of some people run and some are plus if you exclude bad people.

Guess who else you you you cut out moral failures as you cut out to Paul's on your list thing.

Dave is not on your list Moses not on your list. Those are murderers and adulterers see. I would say that even your attempted inclusivity actually turned out to be quite exclusive. You say well that's why I'm not religious at all.

I just don't exclude anybody for any reason, you still have a standard for what constitutes a good person and is alive for you is for you to live right in the board regarding Chapel Hill Chapel Hill is a pretty open, accepting place right try driving an SUV through downtown Chapel Hill. The NRA sticker on it and a little one. This is global warming is a hoax and that's what you refuse to recycle and you'll see just how open my voice really is quite nice as my neighbors believed that justification by recycling.

And that's how you get saved as you recycle all religious and all moral viewpoints end up being exclusive. Everybody has a line for who's in and who's out and I'm just telling you gotta be intellectually consistent with that see the gospel of Jesus is a different kind of exclusivity is a different kind of exclusivity, because the gospel teaches that our acceptance with God is not based on anything about us is not based on on the superiority of our moral record. It's not based on the viewpoint given us far education. It's certainly not based on our race or sociopolitical status. God gives salvation is a gift to all who will repent and receive it that way see that laymen at stores a picture of you and me as you know, according to Jewish law lame people could not go into the temple. That's why he's outside of it will make a 1621 no one that is lame or the physical to form anything going to the temple which represents the presence of God. That's a picture of you and me for all have sinned and all have fallen short of the glory of God that we cannot stand God's presence for a sinner to say to God's presence means that they would die. I am battling person and so were you.

Salvation is a gift of grace for any lame person excluded from the presence of God realizes that and receives it by faith. You might think, my friend, your terribly bad center but you're more lame than any of the rest of us. But you know what God has salvation and the ability to forgive and make new for anybody who will repent and believe anybody on the other hand, you might think that you're not that bad of a center you might think that on the whole, you're pretty good. God's verdict on you is still lame, blind, wicked important dad got your point is probably you have a hard time salvation is in order for you to be able to receive that healing you got acknowledges know what you did in the presence of God in your impellers that all religions are exclusive. Christianity is the most inclusive exclusivity.

There is makes it gracious and loving and open to all your listening to Senate life with pastor JD Greer. You can always find us online@jdgreer.com that Jenny was then in the book of acts for that now and it really is kind of unique from the other books of the New Testament is the only book Molly that tells a bunch of narrative stories about what it looks like to walk with the spirit of God in our day and age.

I love the gospel's Jesus is ascended to heaven. He's in return, but it's in the spirit. The church operating the power the spirit the story that is in the book of acts actually doesn't have an ending. That's another thing I love about it is that it ends with Paul imprison them to sort of just imagine like three little periods of… At the end because it's not supposed to have an ending. It's continuing to be written through you and me in one sense, the stories the movement that was begun in acts continues today and my your stories will never make it officially in the book of acts, but it's the story of how the gospel went to the lives of my children is a story of how the gospel went into the peoples of Raleigh Durham where I live.

It's the story how God used you to bring Christ to friend to a neighbor. I know that there people listening to me right now that God is sending semi-locally ascending the places all across the planet.

Every person in the world needs to hear the gospel in you and are the only witnesses they can hear the gospel from sweet got to embrace this identity been sent. That's why we created this Bible study that will help take you deeper into the truth that Max is teaching to show you what it means to receive this responsibility to be sent to this, our pleasure to help you deeper into the gospel centered.

We believe the gospel just diving board into Christianity. It's the home pool and when you donate to support this ministry you are helping us reach people around the world. This string will express our gratitude for gratitude fellow thinning view the work. But the book of acts going interactive created donation of five dollars and request your copy by calling 526 520 forgive online JD Greer and Molly that events tomorrow is feeling like