CrossPointe CC October 04, 2009
Tyler, Texas 9am & 10:30am
Don Spradling, Pastor October Series…
“Heaven Can’t Wait for Your Vote…”
Key Verse:
Matt. 16:13-17 “But who do you say that I am?”
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life…”
Introduction: “A truth stranger than fiction:”
A. The story of a young carpenter from an obscure village in Israel who would become the most influential person in all of history… 2000 years later in a post-modern 21st century…this same man is still the leading change-catalyst and the most revered leader among 6 billion people…
1. This man could heal the sick; deliver the possessed; alter nature’s dominion; miraculously create and expand natural laws; speak life into deceased bodies; and He…himself…rise from the dead and predict the future with perfect accuracy…there is no equal to this Man.
a. It’s a story difficult, if not absurd to believe…Right? Well, not really!
• Between 75-100 million people in America believe it! (albeit 2 out of 3 of them are casual in their belief...they still belive)
• As many as “2 Billion” of the currently 6 billion people worldwide believe in Him…”Jesus… the Son of God”
b. Not only has most of these folk expressed their intentional belief in Him, they have staled their eternal destinies upon Him.
• Recently, Larry King…Host of Larry King Live…said to Tim LaHaye… “I am not a believer in Jesus Christ…but I have the utmost respect for Him…I believe He was and is the most influential person who ever lived…” (Kudos for Larry)
c. There has been an estimated 13 billion people who have lived on the earth since the dawn of creation and recorded history.
• The world has never witnessed a single Man…who by his short life has fascinated and transformed generations of human beings and continues to this hour to be the most significant personal figure of all history!
2. Millions of churches throughout the world has been built in His honor; our calendar’s two biggest annual Holidays are Christmas (His birthday) and Easter (His resurrection celebration)
a.Cultures change; rulers live and die; opposition to His message has risen to defy and deny His veracity, but they fall like autumn leaves and He lives on…
b. Socrates, Plate and Aristotle…the “Big Three” of the Ancient Greek Philosophers…whose combined careers extend to 150 years…don’t even begin to rival Jesus and His short 31/2 years of teaching and divine deeds…
c. The latest edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica dedicated more than 21,000 words to describe the biographical review of Jesus…
• In contrast… President Bill Clinton only received 2511 words…
d. Mark Twain… American Author recounting his travel in the Holy Land said… “In the starlight, Galilee has no boundaries but the broad compass of the heavens and is a theatre meet for great events…meet for the birth of religion able to save the world…
e. “Time” Magazine; one of the 3 most important magazines of our generation is not known for its “religious identity”…yet they have placed a picture of Jesus more than 2 dozen times in the last decade…one the Cover!
• Since WWII…Gorbachev-14 times…Saddam Hussein-14 times…Keseinger-11 times…Rochefeller-11 times…Mother Teresa-1 time…But Jesus Christ-21 times!
f. The film, The Da Vinci Code…grossed more than $200 million…the film, The Passion of the Christ…grossed more than $370 million…between them + DVDs in excess of $1 billion! Jesus is lucrative business!!!
• 2000 years after the fact of history was revealed in Bethlehem and His Crucifixion death and burial in Jerusalem; and His subsequent resurrection from the grave (in 3 days as He had predicted). He continues to change history and mankind in supernatural dimensions.
• This Carpenter from Nazareth…could see the 21st Century and knew it was for the redemption of mankind that He ultimately came and died for! That’s why He said…for this reason came I into the world.
B. The Bible records an event with Jesus and His Disciples in three places… Matthew 16; Mark 8; and Luke 9…
1. As they walked along a rural F.M. road…Jesus asked them 2 questions…
• Who do men say that I am?
• Who do you say that I am?
a. These are two crucial and inescapable questions for each of us…you can’t imagine the questions; you can’t deny they questions and the questions are not transferable…no one answers for you…
2. We’ve given you several facts regarding… “who do men say that I am…”
a. 100 million in America confess and acknowledge ou; in the world over 2 billion (1/3 of people) has named you Messiah and Redeemer
b. America and the world is still fascinated and curious about “Jesus”… But, curiosity must ignite your passion to discover who the Nazarene who sacrificed His life really is…
3. Which brings us to the Personal Inquiry… “Who do you say that I am?”
a. By now, you are probably saying… “Pastor you are preaching to the choir”
b. My response to that is… “In the American church…there are two kinds of believers” 1) The Casual Christian 2) The Captive Christian
1. The Casual Christian is : 2 out of every 3
• 60% of casuals see themselves “Spiritual”
• They see God as a benign and forgiving deity and don’t get too passionate about faith.
• They are ambivalent about Moral Standards they are middle of the road…leaning in either direction, depending on the situation.
• Less than 2% have a pure Biblical Worldview.
2. The Captive Christian… (roughly 36 million)
• This group is what the media refer to as the Evangelical or Pentecostal Charismatic
• They believe there is an absolute moral authority in the world… God and His Word.
• They believe all evidence…both historical and biblical prove the Existence and the authority of an Eternal Living God…who made is for His pleasure and purpose.
C. My sole purpose for preaching to the choir is to make sure… you don’t get deceived into buying into Casual Christianity…
• The Majority has capitulated and now live their faith on amended Ten Commandments; on Edited New Testament templates.
3. But, Jesus was preaching to His followers…when He asked… “Who do you say I am?”
a. Anything less than a “Captive-Christian” response of… “You are the Christ…the Son of the Living God.”…will be the beginning of the end for your faith!
b. Heaven can’t wait for your Vote! Are you ready to cast it?
Prayer & Communion
