Sunrise Sermons
Sunrise Presbyterian Church
18400 NW 68th Ave
Miami FL 33028
Telephone: 305 821 5841
Email: SunPCUSA@aol.com
“The Day Jesus Lied”
September 9, 2001
The Rev. Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh
Senior Pastor
The Introduction To The Scripture Lesson…
We are continuing our study of the book of Colossians. We started this series last week. As you may recall, Paul is in prison, and he is visited by a fellow minister, Epephras, who was the organizing pastor of the Colossian Church. Now Paul has never met the Colossians. He’s never been to the city of Colosse. But when Epephras comes to him and tells the Apostle about the the Colossian Church, Paul sits down and writes a letter – a letter we today call the Book of Colossians.
Now there were a lot of good things happening in that church, but there were some bad things as well. Among the most unfortunate things were the heresies. The secular world was telling the Colossian Church what it should believe and teach. And the Colossian Church was listening to the voice of the world, rather than to the Word of God.
Now, we are not completely clear about what all of these heresies were, because all we have is the Colossian letter. It’s Paul’s response, but we don’t really have a clear statement from the other side. It’s like listening to a debate between two candidates – Republican and Democatic, but when one candidate speaks, the sound system fails and we only heat the voice of the other candidate.
All we have is the voice of Paul addressing the heretics. But even without the voice of the other side, we still get a fairly good picture of what these heresies were.
Apparently, one of the heresies had to do with the uniqueness of Christ, because Paul takes the time to make very clear his views of Jesus Christ.
In fact, it has been said that Colossians is the most Christ centered book of the New Testament.
If you have your Bibles, you can turn to Colossians 2:8 and read what Paul said to the Colossians: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Now that statement is clearly meaningful to the world today.
Our church today is struggling with what to believe and teach. I don’t mean Sunrise. Nor do I mean the Presbyterian Church. I mean all of Christianity.
The world is telling us what to believe and teach. And we are listening to voice of the world, rather than the Word of God. Let us hear now the Word of God found in Colossians…
Colossian 1:15-23
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--
23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
(NIV)
John 14:1-6
1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(NIV)
We are like the Colossian Church.
Today Christians are listening to the voice of the world rather than the Word of God. The world is telling us what to believe and teach, and in some cases, the church is listening.
I was at a meeting of our Presbytery not long ago. Presbytery is a gathering of ministers from every Presbyterian congregation in the area and includes one or more elders from each congregation. When we gather, we do the ministry of Christ that is too large for any one single congregation – so we band together as a Presbytery to do important and difficult ministry.
One opportunity we recently discussed was an evangelistic ministry that would reach out to the immigrants in our community who have come from Pakistan. We had Christian workers who spoke the language and who came out of that culture. They were ready to spread the Gospel to these immigrants, many of whom were Muslem, many of whom had no faith at all.
All these Christian workers needed was a little funding.
We listened to the report and we prepared for a vote to see whether or not we would provide the funding.
One of the ministers rose to speak and said, “How dare you interfere with their Muslem faith. We have no right to tell them that they should accept Christ as savior.”
In response, a Korean rose to speak. She serves as an elder in her church here in Miami. Her husband is the pastor of their church. She said she had been a Presbyterian all of her life, and had not been for Presbyterian missionaries who visited her country years ago, and who dared to share the Gospel, her mother and her family would not have been offered Salvation through Christ.
I’m pleased to say that the Presbytery as a whole felt favorable to the opportunity and we have established this evangelistic outreach to Pakistani immigrants in South Florida.
But you know, even though that turned out well, I remember that one negative voice. I am amazed that a minister would think that we have no right to spread the Gospel to people of other faiths.
This is what our task has been for 2000 years.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul talked about sharing the faith with others. At the end of this letter, he wrote, (Col 4:3-5) “Pray for us that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”
The church has always tried to make the most of every opportunity. Our task is to share the Gospel.
Jesus said in Matthew (28:19) “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
But that is the Word of God, and lately, we’ve been listening to the voice of the world. Just like the Colossians did.
In the Colossian community, the people were struggling with their theology about Jesus Christ. The world was telling them what to believe and teach.
The world was telling the church that Christ was just a man, and nothing more. (1:15)
The world was telling the Colossian Church that Christ had no authority over them. (1:19)
The world was telling the Colossian Church that people are not saved through Christ. (1:19-20)
These struggles of what we believe and teach about Jesus Christ are struggles that we and the Colossians share. For just as with the Colossians, the world is telling us what to believe. And like the Colossians, the modern church is sometimes tempted to listen to what the world teaches.
That minister I told you about who spoke on the floor of the Presbytery – she does not represent the historic principles of the Christian church. Nor does she reflect what the Presbyterian Church has believed and practiced. But her voice has become rather common in recent years – so much so that there is a document being circulated among Presbyterian Churches called the Confessing Church Statement. It is a brief statement with only three points. Many Sessions and individuals are adopting this statement which begins with a very clear declaration that “That Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all and the way of salvation.”
Our reading from John’s Gospel says that Jesus himself said, “I am the way… No one comes to God the Father, except through me.”
Now you have to admit that this sounds like a rather arrogant statement. It sounds so closed minded.
And it is.
But think about not accepting that verse from John’s Gospel as the “Gospel truth.”
The Gospel of John quotes Jesus as saying, “I am the way… No one comes to God the Father EXCEPT through me.”
If we reject that verse that is in the Bible, then we basically say, “Jesus lied.”
How many of us want to say that Jesus lied? How many of us want to say that Jesus lied to his disciples, that he lied to the world, that he lied to the Christian Church, that he lied to the Presbyterian Church?
I don’t.
Presbyterians have always believed that Jesus told the truth when he said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
In the Presbyterian Church, we have several statements of faith that we have collected in our Book of Confessions. In that book there are clear statements of what we believe and teach. One of these statements of faith is called the Second Helvitic Confession, and it has this to say: “Jesus Christ is the only savior of the world.” (Second Helvitic Confession, Chapter 11).
In another one of our Presbyterian statements, the Westminster Confession, it says, that Christ is “clearly the only way to salvation.” (Westminster Confession Chapter 10)
But the world says – no.
That’s not true.
The world is speaking.
It is telling us what to believe and teach.
And the church is listening to the voice of the world, rather than the Word of God.
And it is not that hard to listen to the voice of the world, because the voice of the world sounds so reasonable.
Take for example the passage from John’s Gospel.
You have to admit that this sounds arrogant.
It sounds closed minded.
Because it is closed minded.
“No one comes to God the Father, EXCEPT through me.”
The world was telling the Colossian Church, and it telling the 21st Century Church, “Wait a minute – how politically incorrect can you be? Jesus can’t be the only way – there are other faiths that have validity.”
But – this is what Jesus said.
“No one comes to the Father EXCEPT through me.”
Did Jesus lie to us?
Is Jesus the only way to God the Father?
Or is Jesus just one of many ways?
If you don’t accept what John’s Gospel says, that no one comes to God the Father except through Jesus, then you are calling Jesus a liar.
That’s a bold thing to say – that Jesus lied.
But we either accept Jesus’ teachings, or we say he lied.
In one of John’s letters in the New Testament, (I Jn 5:10-11), the disciple says, “Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.”
Now if you are wondering what this testimony is, John says it clearly in the very next verse: “This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
This was not the only time that John said you had to believe the words of Christ, or you had to call him a liar. In that same book, John said in chapter 2, verse 22, “ Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ.”
But that is a hard thing to accept. Like the Colossian Church, we live in a mutlicutural environment. We are surrounded by non-Christian faiths. We respect those non-Christian faiths, as well we should. We treat the people of those non-Christian faiths with dignity, as well we should.
But respecting these faiths does not mean we accept these beliefs. We have our own beliefs. And our Christian faith has said for 2000 years that Jesus is not a liar. He told the truth when he said, “No one comes to God the Father except through me.”
I was talking with Bill Pawson recently about some of this. Many of you know Bill. He is a Presbyterian minister and he has preached in our congregation on occasion.
He and I were talking about Bible verses that are so familiar to us – but that are not REALLY in the Bible. We just think they are:
For example – “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” So many people think that is in the Bible that several years ago, I even heard Billy Graham say, “The Bible says, ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness.’”
But that phrase is not in the Bible at all.
Another well known Bible verse that is not actually in the Bible is “God helps those who help themselves.”
Well, the Bible may teach that principle, but the actual phrase is not in the Bible.
Bill mentioned another verse that people think is in the Bible, but is not. “All roads lead to God.”
Bill said, “It’s not in the Bible, but it is true.”
I said, “Bill, how can you believe that? The Bible clearly says, ‘no one comes to God except through Christ.’”
But Bill corrected me and said, “That’s not what the Bible says. It doesn’t say no one comes to God except through Christ, it says no one comes to God the FATHER except through Christ.” Bill went on to say that all roads do indeed lead to God. The voice of the world is correct in saying that. The Bible even teaches this. God says in Ezekiel 18:4, “Behold, all souls are mine.” (KJV)
The voice of the world is right. All roads do lead to God. All faiths do lead to God. But Jesus did not lie when he said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
All roads do lead to God, but when you go to God, do you want to look up at God and see a judge? Or do you want to look up at God and see Daddy?
That is the real difference in the Christian faith.
All religions lead to God. But only Christianity leads to God the Father, and not God the judge.
Now, if all road leads to God – is that a good thing?
In recent years we have said so much about the nature of God –
the love of God,
the grace of God,
the compassion of God,
the mercy of God.
But we have not said much about the nature of humanity.
We’re scum bags.
We lie.
We cheat.
We steal.
We’re unfaithful to one another.
We’re unfaithful to God.
St. Paul, in writing to the Colossians, said in chapter 3 (Col 3:5-6), “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
The wrath of God!
We don’t say much about that anymore.
But think about this. If all roads lead to God, what happens when you get to God? You look up and see a God who is disappointed in you.
Who is hurt over the things you have done.
Who is angry at what you have done to others.
And don’t say, “Well, I’ve lived a good life.” Because if you do, God will quote from his Word.
He’ll turn to I John 1:10 and read, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
Or God will turn to Romans 3:23 and read, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The world was telling the Colossian Church, and it is telling us today, that there was nothing special about Jesus Christ. That all roads lead to God.
But what happens when that road leads to God?
What do you find?
You find a judge.
And the Judge will look at you and see someone who has sinned.
And the verdict will be “guilty.”
The Bible is full of images of people who face the judgment of God.
Psalms says (Ps 76:7-8) “God alone is to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet…”
Jesus said he didn’t come to judge the world. He said in John 12:47-48 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”
In our reading from Colossians, Paul says (Col 1:22), “He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…”
If all roads lead to God, wouldn’t it be better – to go to God who is a Daddy to us, a loving Father, rather that to face God who judges us?
This is the real key of that passage from John’s Gospel – “no one comes to the FATHER except through me.”
There is another phrase that people think is in the Bible, but is not. “We all children of God.”
The Bible never teaches this.
The Bible teaches that we are all creations of God.
Our reading from Colossians says, (Col 1:15) “Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Not the firstborn of the children of God – but the firstborn of all creation.
Psalm 100 says, “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people.”
How do you move from being a creation of God, to be a child of God?
In the very opening verses of John’s Gospel it says (John 1:12-13) “To all who received Jesus, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The world is telling us – all roads lead to God. And they are right. But they are missing an important point. All roads lead to God, but only Christ brings us before God as one of his children. Only Christianity brings us before God, the Father.
No one comes to God the Father, except through Jesus Christ.
You can come to God the Judge through any old way.
But only through Christ can we come to God and be received as a child of God.
Paul wrote to the Colossian Church and continually called God, Father.
He opens the letter by saying, (Col 1:1-3) “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord”
Last week we studied the opening verses of Colossians, and one of these verses talked about how Paul encouraged the Colossians to (Col 1:12) “give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
And in chapter three, Paul echoes a thought he shares several times in his letters (in Col 3:17), “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
The Colossian Church was facing a crisis. The world was telling them what to believe and what to teach. We are facing that crisis today. The world is telling Christianity what to believe and teach, and many of our people are listening to the voice of the world, rather than to the Word of God.
The world was telling the Colossian Church that there was nothing special about Jesus. So St. Paul wrote in the Colossian letter that Jesus was indeed special and unique.
The firstborn of all creation.
The Son of God.
The Savior.
It is now 2000 years later, and the world is still telling us that there is nothing special about Jesus.
Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father EXCEPT through me.”
He did not lie to this church.
He did not lie to the world.
Maybe the world is right when it says all roads lead to God. But when I go to God, I don’t want to face a judge. I want to go home to Daddy.
When God looks at me, I don’t want him to see a sinner, but to see one of his children, redeemed by Christ. I want to stand before God as Paul said I would in Colossians 1:22 – “God has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
The rest of the world can go to God the judge.
Let us approach God the Father.
Copyright Maynard Pittendreigh, 2001 All rights reserved.
