The Gospel According To Oprah

“The Gospel According to Oprah”

Acts 23-31

8-15-2004

The 7/98 Vantage Point quoted Oprah: "There couldn’t possible be only one way...Does God care about your heart or whether you called His Son Jesus?", "[Claiming exclusive Divinity] would make Jesus the biggest egotist that ever lived.", and "You are responsible for your life - the power of God is within you [whether you are a Christian or not], above you and through you. You control your life." - Oprah Winfrey, July, 1998

I. Jesus: Just One of Many Gods? (v. 23-25)

The society we live in today has decided in the name of political correctness that we need to give as much credence to of figures in other religions as we do to Jesus Christ. They want just say that our God is the same god that everyone else is worshiping. This exactly what Paul was provoked by that caused him to stand and proclaim to the intellectuals of his day who God and ultimately who Jesus Christ is. How would you answer someone, simply said that Jehovah God and His Son Jesus Christ is just one of many gods?

A. He is the Creator of All

1. He is Eternal(John 1:1-2)

2. He is the Agent of Creation (John 1:3)

B. He is Master of Creation

1. As Master He controls the creation (Luke 8:24-25)

2. As Master He Cannot Be Contained by our creation ( I Kings 8:27)

C. He is the Giver to Creation

1. He is the Giver of Life (Jer. 1:5)

2. He is the Giver of Every Breath (Dan. 5:23)

3. He is the Owner of All Things

II. Jesus: Just A Partner in Religion? (v. 26-29)

Secondly, the other thing you would probably hear on Oprah and unfortunately in some quote Christian churches today is that He is just a partner among many religions. The world today has decided that Jesus is just a partner among many religions. How do we answer this claim?

A. He Does Not Need Any Help (v. 26, 29)

1. He Does Not Need the help of Other Religious Figures (v. 26)

2. He Does Not Need Our Help (v. 29)

B. He Needs No Help Relationally (v. 27)

C. He Needs No Help in His Sovereignty (v. 28)

III. Jesus: Just for a Certain People? (v. 30) When the world cannot convince everyone that Jesus is just one of many ways or that He is just a partner with along with other God’s they will begin to become critical and say that He is just their God. When they say this they are primarily talking about fundamental, evangelistic “quote right –wing” Christians. I am proud to be part of that company if it means that I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Virgin birth, the inerrancy of God’s word and that Jesus is the only way that anyone will ever get to heaven. Many will say, well Jesus may be alright for you and your church, but I am just not part of that crowd that desires to be religious. How would you answer such a charge?

A. The World Today Confines Him to a Political Crowd

B. The World Today Confines Him to a Religious Crowd

C. The World Today Better Repent

IV. Jesus: Just a Figure From the Past? (v. 31)

Finally, when all else has failed in their arguments against Christ they will just assign Him to the past. He was a great teacher, but He is dead now and we have advanced to the modern thinking that we can set our destiny and be our own God. Paul addresses this way of think as He closes this short message inn Athens.

A. He is Lord of the Past, Present and Future

1. He is Lord of Eternity Past (Col. 1:17)

2. He is Lord of Eternity Present (John 16:7-8)

3. He is Lord of eternity Future (Acts 1:11)

B. He is Yet to Judge the World (Rev. 20:11, 13, 15)

C. He Was Resurrected To Give You Hope For Eternity (Rom. 10:9-10)