. I rarely go off our lessons and get distracted by Current Events when it comes to my preaching. However, something happened this week which I thought really gives us the opportunity to discuss something very basic but essential about our Christian faith. And let me say, I welcome your discussion on this topic, your questions, your phone calls (Crossing guard/cashier) if you have feedback or confusion on the topic, or want to tell me how to say it nicer.
This week, a leading Christian figure (Jorge) was addressing a group of people from many religions, and he said in summary: My God is not better than your God, There is only one God, and each of us has a language to reach God. Some are Sikh, some Muslim, Hindu, Christian. And they are all paths to God.
That sounds nice. It feels accepting, loving, and most of all very tolerant! All week long, I have had texts and phone calls, and watched lots of discussion online between people about what Jorge really meant. Because, as we talked about on Wednesday Night, at our Bible Study which we held at the church (Hint, Hint), a lot depends on how we define our terms.
Some said he was wrong, and leading people to Hell. Some said he was right. Others said he was right, but then twisted what he said to mean the opposite of what the clear meaning of what he said meant. This morning, I want to look at what the Bible, especially our lessons, have to say about how to find a path to God, and hopefully it will be interesting, as it is the foundation of our faith.
So, let’s begin with this idea, as I defend him for a second which may surprise you. We, as Christians hate to feel like we are acting superior.
Or at least we should hate it, because we should always realize that we are saved by grace. It’s not us, our smarts, our hard work and effort that brings us salvation. It is a gift of God. So we can be overly modest when we talk.
The first quote from our lessons I want to examine is from Jeremiah, 6:14, where God addresses some people with the same problem:
They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.
This is God speaking a harsh condemnation. And who is God condemning? ME! Preachers that is! The prophets and priests who were supposed to be teaching the people the things of God. And instead of correcting the people, they tell them “relax, Peace, everything is ok” even though the people of Jerusalem are in a spiritual war against God. But I get it. Everyone wants to be liked.
I want to be liked. It breaks my heart when I say something that offends people and they walk out of the church service. It’s happened, and I wonder how I could have said it in a nicer way, even when I know I should say it.
The people of Jerusalem felt it was ok to worship Yahweh, and to worship Asherah and Baal, all at the same time, it’s all “spirituality.” The preachers didn’t want to be hated, so they participated too. They were basically saying, well, just make sure you are fitting the Lord in there, and I guess it’s ok. But it wasn’t OK.
I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not worship Graven images. Not OK.
God hates idolatry, and tells His preachers to tell His people there is no peace between God and Baal. And when it comes to His plan of salvation, I am required to tell people what He says, not what I want to say or they want to hear.
So, what are his words that I have to tell the people? Our Gospel lesson from John 14 is between the Last Supper and the crucifixion. Jesus is trying to bring them comfort in the face of his leaving, though they don’t understand.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
So from this, we see that, Jesus wants to bring them comfort, but that comfort has to be grounded in truth. He begins by telling them to believe in Him. To believe he is going to Heaven, and by the cross, Jesus is making a way so we can be with the Father.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Notice the stress on the I’s. I will come, I will take you. We can’t get there on our own. Jesus is saying here that there are not many paths, many roads or ways to get to the Father, to get to Heaven. You have to be taken. And He will take you. The way isn’t a path you can travel down, it is a complete surrender, a confession that we can’t do it, we can’t get there on our own. Jesus continues
4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?
Thomas speaks for all of us. Jesus says we know the way, the way is surrender, and letting Him take us. But Thomas still wants to know how we can get there anyway. We all want to know how to get there, because deep down, no one wants to admit we can’t make it on our own.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
There is no other way. But we can’t get there on our own, we need him to take us. And, as Peter said in our Acts lesson,
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
So, what about all those other religions, those other paths to God. Jorge mentioned Islam and Hinduism, there’s Mormonism. In Jeremiah’s time, it was Baal and Asherah and Molech. All the religions have one thing in common: they all ways people are trying to search for God, even if they don’t call Him God, or they think there may be many gods and goddesses. (Romans 1) They do this in a multitude of ways—but they’re all trying to find God and gain His favor by their sacrifices and good deeds.
Christianity is different. Instead of us finding God—God has found us! Instead of us reaching up, climbing the ladder to God—God has reached down to us! This is why Jesus is so important/different, because He is God, and He came down from Heaven to do for us what we could never do for ourselves: bring us to God. God is perfect and holy, and we are separated from Him by our sins. No matter how hard we try, we cannot erase our sinful nature by sacrifices or good works. But by His life, death and resurrection Christ did it for us.
Religion is a searching for God, but fails. The good news is God is searching for us! And by turning to Jesus Christ in faith and trusting Him to be our way, we receive God’s Promise of salvation. John 1:12 says “to all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
