Stronghold Beliefs Part 4
Scriptures: Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Luke 1:26-35
This is part 4 for my series “Stronghold Beliefs” and this morning we will examine the third stronghold belief that Christians should have which is believing that “Jesus is the Son of God and the only way into heaven.” This morning you will need to decide if you truly believe this and why this belief is so important will become very clear in a minute. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) This is what Jesus said about Himself. Let me share with you a few names of people who disagreed with Him on this.
Rodney Dangerfield. Phyllis Diller. Katherine Hepburn. Hugh Hefner. Burt Lancaster. Bruce Lee. Marilyn Monroe. Gene Roddenberry. Andy Rooney. George C. Scott. Orson Welles. Gene Wilder. Each of these individuals was in the entertainment industry and each, according to their statements about God, did not believe in God while they walked this earth so by default they did not believe in His Son. Each of these people influenced many lives during their time on earth. Each of these individuals died believing that there was no God. Unless their beliefs changed prior to their death, they died not believing in God sealing their fate for all eternity. Now I want you to listen closely to this next statement, each of these individuals upon their deaths became true believers that God and hell truly does exist. They became believers of God (not in God as there is a difference), but it was too late. It is extremely sad that they did not come to this belief before they died.
Let me share a few more names of people who are still among the living that you may recognize. Daniel Radcliffe. Kathy Griffin. Brad Pitt. Angelia Jolie. Morgan Freeman. Keanu Reeves. Katy Perry. Kiera Knightly. Jodie Foster. Billy Joel. Kevin Bacon. Bill Maher. Larry King. Patrick Stewart. Barry Manilow. I’m sure many of you know at least one of these people. They are also associated with the entertainment industry. All of us have gone to the theater to see some of them in movies or watched them on TV. And, some of you may even follow one or two on social media. Do you know what all of these people have in common? None of them, not one single one of them, believe God exists or that Jesus Christ is His Son. These are people who we allow to hold a level of influence in our lives. They tell us what they believe. And we listen to them. They tell us how to vote. And we listen to them. They tell us what’s right and what’s wrong with our country. And we listen to them. These are people who have absolutely no relationship with God and we, Christians, are giving them a voice in our lives. What’s wrong with that picture? Let me give you a few examples of some comments some of them have made.
In 2012, Morgan Freeman was asked if he considered himself an atheist or agnostic and he replied, “It's a hard question because as I said at the start, I think we invented God. So if I believe in God, and I do, it's because I think I'm God." After hosting the National Geographic docu-series “The Story of God” he said that the series did not change his views on religion.”
Kathy Griffin, after receiving an award, said “A lot of people come up here and they thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. He didn’t help me a bit….So all I can say is suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now.”
There is one additional person I want to mention, Oprah Winfrey. She is by far the most recognizable African American in this country and she believes there are many other “paths” to Heaven other than through Jesus. Jesus said He was the only way, but apparently she does not believe Him. She grew up in church! She knows what the Bible says. And there are Christians who agree with her! I’m serious! Christians who believe that Jesus, the one they confess as their Lord and Savior, is not the only way to Heaven! She believes that the Cross was not a matter of Jesus’ reconciliation of man to God through His payment for the sins of the world, but rather a preeminent lesson in overcoming the obstacles in one’s life. She further believes that Jesus came to teach us the Christ consciousness and understand our own divinity. The book, “A Course in Miracles”, is a book promoted by Oprah on her show in 1992. This book, written by a channeled spirit claiming to be Jesus, claims:
• there is no sin;
• one should not make the “pathetic” error of “clinging to the old rugged cross”;
• the Name of Jesus as such is but a symbol…a symbol safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods “to which you pray”;
• a slain Christ has no meaning
Oprah is a New Age believer as she believes all religions lead to God. They just call Him by a different name. Seriously? Do you realize how much influence Oprah has? I once asked you all how many of you would skip Church on a Sunday morning if she was in town and you had a free ticket to see her and several of you raised your hands. We probably would never have heard of Dr. Phil without Oprah. We would never have heard of Rachel Ray without Oprah. We would not have heard as much about Joel Osteen’s book, “Your Best Life Now”, without Oprah. The sales of his book skyrocketed after his sit down with her. And she has “made” many authors rich by having them on her show and promoting their books. When Oprah speaks, people listen. I’m just going to say this now and move on. If these people don’t repent, if they don’t confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior and mean it with all their hearts, they are not going to Heaven. The whole tenet behind Christianity is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; He came from heaven to die for our sins; and through His death and resurrection, we can have a relationship with God the Father. If you do not believe these three things then you are not a Christian! Period! And folks, you know me. I wouldn’t say something like this if I didn’t have scripture to back me up. The Bible says; “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
You see that term “under the earth”, that’s those who are in hell. I want you to know with certainty that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Before we go into the Scriptures, let me ask you a couple of questions? First, what do other religions say about this Jesus that many entertainers dismiss as not being real? And second, is Jesus really the only way to Heaven? My answer to second question rests solely on one thing – I believe what the Bible says. Now the question is do you believe the Bible or what others like Oprah are saying? The Bible is the standard by which I judge everything. And most of you know this. So, if you disagree with what I say in this message, you are not disagreeing with your pastor, you are disagreeing with your God. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
One of the key things I want to do this morning is show you how Jesus, our Lord and Savior, the one most entertainers dismiss as not being God, has influenced all – did you hear me – all major religions in the world. If Jesus had never been born, crucified and raised from the dead, there would be no such thing as “religious beliefs” because Jesus impacts all religious beliefs! Let’s begin with what Non-Christian religions say about Jesus. Now let me also say on the front end of this message: I’m only going to give you brief, very brief, highlights. You can do more extensive research on your own. I’m also not going to talk about religious groups like the Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons or Christian Science, who have distorted the true teachings of Jesus, and as Jeremiah 2:13 says. “They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” The cisterns Jeremiah is talking about are the beliefs the people held about God that were not true.
People who are trying to discover the truth about God, those who truly want to know Him, would be wise to take a hard look at Jesus before looking anywhere else. While that may sound like a bold and arrogant statement, it’s really not. Jesus, as I said earlier, is the one religious leader most frequently mentioned by almost all Non-Christian religious groups. Yes, Jesus. Not Muhammad. Jesus. Every major religious movement considers Jesus to be an important religious figure. All of them make some effort to account for His existence and teachings. Let that sink in. Religions that have doctrines that are miles apart from what true Christianity teaches have one common name they all mention: Jesus! Remember what Philippians 2:9 says “For this reason, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” And yet, the people many of us listen to don’t even believe in God or His Son. And one person believes that all religions lead to God but they call Him by a different name. I’m doing my best to drive the nail home! Is it any wonder that “that name” is known and recognized and, in many cases, revered in pagan religions? Not if you believe what the Bible says about “that name”! Let start with Judaism.
Judaism. Ancient Jewish believers – and I want to emphasize ancient Jewish believers as opposed to current Jewish thinking – ancient Jewish believers as recorded in the Talmud and the Toledo Yeshu, believed Jesus was Mary’s son, was a teacher (Rabbi), had many disciples, was respected, performed miracles, claimed to be the Messiah and was crucified on the cross. While they didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they acknowledged what was being said about Him. The ancient Jews also acknowledged He had followers.
Islam. The Islamic faith was founded by Muhammad, who claimed to be restoring the monotheistic religion (meaning there is no God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) corrupted by the Jews and Christians. He acknowledged the impact of Jesus and recognized Him as a significant person within their own religious system. Now, I want to remind you that we’re talking about Islam. In the Quran, Jesus is said to be born of a virgin, is to be revered and respected, was a prophet, a wise teacher who worked miracles, ascended to heaven, and will come again. Again, we’re talking about Islam. Let’s pause for a moment. Do you know that there are Christians who don’t even believe what the Muslims believe about Jesus? For example, some Christians will argue that the Virgin birth is a myth. Muslims believe it is true. Others do not revere or respect Jesus the way they say they do. Muslims do. Now here’s what saddens me. Muslims practice what they believe while Christians argue about what to believe. Muslims are willing to die for what they believe while most Christians are not willing to publicly commit to being a follower of Jesus Christ especially when it comes to certain hot issues. Christians can learn a lot from Muslims when it comes to knowing what you believe and being willing to stand up for what you believe, even if it means facing persecution.
Hinduism. This religion has no single founder or a unified set of beliefs. Hindus followers believe Jesus was a holy man, a wise teacher, and a ‘God.’
Buddhism. This religion incorporates a variety of religious traditions, beliefs and practices. Like Hinduism, Buddhism provides no singular unified view about Jesus, but many believe he was an enlightened man, a wise teacher and a holy man.
I want you to see something about Hinduism and Buddhism. Both religions say Jesus was a “holy man.” Isn’t that interesting? Why would they say this? Turn with me to First Peter chapter one and verses 14, 15 and 16. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16) How did they know Jesus was a “holy man”? The writings of the Bible told them so! We need to understand this. The concept of holiness can only be known and understood in the context of the life of Jesus.
The New Age Movement. This is the last one we’ll briefly look at this morning. Nothing could be more diverse than the New Age Movement, whose most notable personality is, you guessed it, Oprah Winfrey. What strikes me most about this movement is its pluralism and relativism. In other words, “pluralism” says there is more than one ultimate reality. Remember what I said earlier about Oprah? She believes there is more than one way to Heaven and that we determine our own destinies. Relativism, by definition, is “a view that ethical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them.” Think about this for a moment. Relativism says what you believe about something is more important to you than what God believes. And this reminds me of a song that the late Whitney Houston’s sang: “Greatest Love of All.” One part of the song says “I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows. If I fail, if I succeed, at least I’ll live as I believe.” Do you know that contradicts what Jesus said in the Gospel of John? He said in John 5:30 “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Jesus walked in the shadows of His Father. He believed what His Father believed. Folks, musical lyrics can destroy your faith. It can destroy what you believe about God – and many times you wouldn’t even know its happening. The New Age Movement also rejects Jesus as the singular God of the universe. The “Christhood” of Jesus is often described as something all of us can attain. In other words, Jesus was a man who completed a process of “spiritual evolution” over successive generations of reincarnation, becoming an enlightened master. For New Age believers, Jesus is simply a wise moral teacher.
Only one faith system is established on the authentic, attested eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life, teaching and ministry – Christianity. In writing First John, the Apostle John says in the first three verses of chapter one, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life – and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us – what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:1-3) So, if a person is going to begin a spiritual quest for truth, doesn’t it make sense to start with the faith system best describing the man all other faith systems find themselves compelled to explain? Doesn’t it make sense that Christianity would be the first stop in any seeker’s journey of faith? But there’s a huge blind spot in the Body of Christ. It doesn’t believe the Bible is the sole source for knowing Jesus and understanding what Jesus taught and why He taught what He did. The Bible, beginning with Genesis 1:1 all the way to Revelation 22:21, helps us grasp this truth. The whole book is one “red thread” about the coming Messiah – Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
For example, in Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and condemned the entire human race to hell and the lake of fire, the Lord made them and us, their descendants, a promise – a baby would be born to undo what they had done. In verse 15 we read “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.” Now most people miss a very important thing about this promise. It says “her seed.” How many you know that a woman does not produce seed? God is prophesying about the coming Messiah. He’s not talking about Eve here. How do I know this? The seed comes from the husband. Do you see this?
Now let’s find out who the Lord was talking about when He says the “woman’s seed.” Turn to Luke 1. We’re going to read a few verses starting with verse twenty-six. “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ … The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name His Jesus.’ … Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the Holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:26-28; 30-31; 34-35) Who supplied the seed? Was it Joseph? We know the answer. It was the Holy Spirit! That’s why Genesis 3 said “her seed.” God knew the mother of Jesus would be sexually pure; she would be a virgin. Do you see how Genesis 3 speaks of the Virgin Birth and how it is fulfilled with Mary in Luke 1?
Remember I said earlier that Jesus was the Red Thread that binds the Bible together? Let’s look at a few.
• In Genesis, He is the Promised Seed of the woman.
• In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.
• In Ruth, He is the Kinsman Redeemer.
• In Samuel, He is the Root and Offspring of David.
• In Ezra and Nehemiah, He is the Rebuilder.
• In Esther, He is the Savior of God’s people.
• In Isaiah, He’s Jacob’s Branch.
• In Ezekiel, He’s the True Shepherd.
• In Matthew, He is Jehovah’s Messiah.
• In Mark, He is Jehovah’s Servant.
• In Luke, He is Jehovah’s Man.
• In John, He is Jehovah’s Son.
• In Romans, He’s our justification.
• In Ephesians, He’s our heavenly standing.
• In Colossians, He’s our completeness.
• In Hebrews, He’s the High Priest for sin.
• In James, He’s the Royal Law.
• In Peter, He’s the Pastor.
• In Revelation, He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
And the fact that Jesus is the Son of God is affirmed in many, many passages. Let’s read a few. Turn to Matthew 1. We’re going to read verses 15 and 16. “Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.” (Matthew 1:15-16) The previous verses say the father of a person, but not when it comes to Jesus. God is Jesus’ Father! And we see this confirmed in Luke 3 in verses 22 and 23. “…and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.’ When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli.” (Luke 3:22-23) Everyone thought Jesus was Joseph’s son, but the Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is the Son of God.
Now let’s see the witness to Jesus’ being the Son of God in John 1. We’re going to read parts of verses 9 through 13. “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. … But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:9, 12-13) Now the verse everyone knows, even those who are not Christians is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Verse 17: “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him.” What did the world need saving from? It needed to be saved from the sin nature that Adam unleashed on the human race back in Genesis 3. Are you beginning to see how Jesus is the reason that we have the Bible?
In Acts 4, Peter affirms that Jesus is the only way to salvation. We’re going to pick it up in verse 8, which is after Peter has healed the lame man at the gate called Beautiful in chapter 3. “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12) Peter says very plainly that there is no salvation in any other person than Jesus. Now the question is this: Do you believe what the Bible says or do you believe what you hear others say? This is a life and death question. If you see Jesus as the New Age Movement sees Jesus – that He is not the only way to heaven – then you might be on the wrong bus if your ticket is supposed to be punched for heaven. Why do I say this? Because if you believe there is an alternative way which bypasses Jesus, your current ticket is invalid, has the wrong address, or there was a mistake when it was issued and now you have to have it revalidated. Do you know several of the atheists that I mentioned at the very beginning of this message started out in the Church? Oprah started out in the Church. They had the right ticket then, but something changed which invalidated the ticket according to what the Bible says.
I want to close with a verse that many of us seem to overlook. And if we don’t come back and pay attention to it, then we could be looking at eternal damnation. It’s a verse that comes after John 3:16 – after God proclaims His love for those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Verse 18 is a warning to those who do not accept God’s gracious gift. It says, “He who believes in Him is not judged, he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” The phrase “judged already” means that because they have rejected Jesus, they have already determined their eternal destiny – the lake of fire. So, how important is it to believe – to confess with your mouth and believe with your heart – that Jesus is the Son of God? It will determine where you spend eternity. Remember the names of the individuals I gave you at the beginning of this message? They have already determined their eternal destination – and it’s not heaven. If they are still alive and do not change their beliefs, then they too will not spend eternity in heaven. But here’s the good news, they can change that. All they have to do is repent and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior! And when they do, John 3:16 kicks in for them! Praise God! The Bible says in First Timothy 2:3-6, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. Ladies and gentlemen, for God so loved the world – and so did Jesus! Now that’s what the Bible says!!! Do you believe it??? I will continue next week.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
(If you are ever in the Kansas City, KS area, please come and worship with us at New Light Christian Fellowship, 15 N. 14th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102. Our service Sunday worship starts at 9 a.m. and Thursday night Bible study at 7 p.m. Also, for use of our social media, you can find us at newlightchristianfellowship on FB. To get our live stream services, please make sure you “like” and turn on notifications for our page so you can be notified when we are live streaming. We also have a church website and New Light Christian Fellowship YouTube channel for more of our content. We are developing more social media streams so please stand by and we will notify you once those channels are up and running. We look forward to you worshipping with us. May God bless and keep you.)
