Affirmations - Sermon Vi: Belief In Jesus' Death And Resurrection Series

INTRODUCTION TO AFFIRMATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

As time marches on and the aging process begins to cast a shadow on my short-term memory, my mind seems sharper now than ever regarding long-term memory. It is interesting to me that, at 85 years of age, I am still recalling interpretations of Christian beliefs that have been hallmarks of my ministry for three score and more years.

After all, I have sat under the preaching, on a right regular basis, of no fewer than a dozen inimitable pastors with whom I was associated in my role as Church Consultant, Christian Educator and Community Counselor. In my associations, and during those years of Christian service, each of my pastors involved me in the ministries of preaching and teaching the Word.

Living in the latter days of my life on this earth, with the 21st century well under way, I find myself “up against it” regarding a lot that I read today, and hear, about endeavors by more than a few Christian ministers to re-define basic Christian doctrines – beliefs that, for me, were and still are “pillars” upon which to build one’s Christian life.

In our world of instant communication, we pick up on much negativism as to the validity of our Christian Faith - for instance, the brazenness with which professing Christians embrace ways other than Jesus Christ for being saved – even by folks who know that Jesus proved what He said: “I am the way, the truth and the life . . . No one comes to the Father except by me.”

An illustration of how some folks are thinking occurred at one of my favorite places for fellowship with friends - The Waffle House: One morning while sitting at one end of the coffee shop, I and everyone else could hear a guy at the other end waxing eloquent about religious issues. Although I for the most part had tuned him out, my ears perked up when he started talking about how one goes to heaven. Don’t know how the subject came up, but what I heard this guy say was: “All people of all religions will go to heaven if they’re good.”

Now folks, I’m in favor of everyone being good; and I’m in favor of everyone going to heaven; but it doesn’t matter what I am in favor of, or what the Waffle House customer’s view was; the fact is that the Bible tells us who will and will not go to heaven; and nowhere in the Bible does it say that “all people from all religions will go to heaven if they are good.”

Later in this series, I share my understanding of a Christian view of “how to go to heaven”. The “who and how” of receiving, by grace through faith, God’s gift of eternal life ought to be a major objective of all Christian preaching and teaching.

Pursuing an evangelistic objective, however, in no way diminishes but enhances the importance of affirming and acting upon all other major Christian doctrines – the necessity of which motivated me to reaffirm my Christian beliefs.

There were basically ten tenets which I felt the need to reexamine and work through in my own mind until I could say, “This I believe.”

Yes, reflected in my statements of belief are numerous interpretations and perspectives gained from a lifetime of intensive Bible study, as well as listening with an attentive ear to good teachers and preachers, not to mention all the research done through the years in preparation for teaching teachers – probably the most rewarding aspect of my ministry. Amen.

AFFIRMATIONS – SERMON VI: BELIEF IN JESUS’ DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION

The fact that Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate” is mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed for the specific purpose of establishing our Lord’s death, burial and resurrection as a historical event rather than a delusional figment of someone’s imagination.

Pontius Pilate - a political appointee of the Roman government – is mentioned in secular histories of that era; and his dealings with Jesus of Nazareth are incorporated into some of those writings. Keep in mind that these historical references were made by Roman historians.

Furthermore, the great Jewish historian Josephus, writing in the year AD 95, recorded this description of Jesus – “a wise man, if indeed one should call him a man; for he was a performer of astonishing deeds, a teacher of men who are happy to accept the truth; he won over many Jews, and indeed also many Greeks; he was the Messiah!”

Please recall that Pilate was not convinced that Jesus had committed any crime and desperately tried to release him at the Passover celebration - until the “crowd” dissuaded him from doing the right thing.

By the stroke of the pen of historians other than Christians, we should be all the more convinced of the actual historical occurrence of the trial of Jesus – a trial during which distortions of truth by corrupt religious leaders, demanding a favor from a Roman official, led to the crucifixion of our Lord.