What About Other Religions and Those Who Haven’t Heard About Jesus?
June 29, 2008
Sermon series: Hot Potatoes – 2 of 9
Pastor John Fanous
The Belief: “All religions are just different legitimate attempts to discover God. To claim that one religion is the only way is exclusive and oppressive.â€Â
Three Observations
1. This belief shows an ________________________ of religions.
2. This belief tends to justify one’s own __________________.
3. This belief is _________________________.
Big Question #1: Who will you trust to reveal God _________________?
Jesus kept pointing to _______________
“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” John 11:25
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:33
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Mark 2:10
“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14 (NASB95)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Big Question #2: Who do ______ say Jesus is? (Mark 8:27-30)
Isn’t it exclusive to believe that Jesus is the only way?
Jesus got into trouble because of who he _________________.
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.†Luke 15:2
Why didn’t God provide multiple paths to Him?
God’s good news is essentially ____________________ in nature. It makes sense that God would choose to make us _____________ on others to learn about Him.
“And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news.” Romans 10:15 (CEV)
We have replaced the value of love with the value of _________________.
What about those who haven’t heard about Jesus?
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualitiesâ€â€his eternal power and divine natureâ€â€have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
We know that God is _______________ and ___________________.
“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:13