Stronghold Beliefs Part 4 Series

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: