May 2007 Sermons

Coastlands Church, May 13th, 2007

Christianity and Cults, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jewish (plus a wrap up of the whole series)

Intro...Clip from Nightline Or Blasphemy challenge…

Text: Psalm 119:97-112

What a series this has been…hopefully educational and informative.

We've looked at some of the classic "cults" (Mormons, Jehovah Witness, Kaballah, Scientology ,Rastafarianism the Bahai' Faith and Christian Science, Word faith, prosperity gospel, Oprah and "The Secret")

As well as the world religions: last week, Islam, today Buddhist, Hinduism and Judaism.

Let's take a quick look at Buddhism, Hindus and Judaism.

Buddhism boils down to a human founder (Buddha), Jesus was an enlightened teacher, people try to get out of the repetitive reincarnation cycle and gain salvation, which is Nirvana (eliminating all desires or cravings to escape suffering through the three trainings or practices, the four noble truths, the five precepts and the eightfold path).

Where Buddhists and Christians differ: no garden of Eden and that fall of man (sin), no flood (Noah), no need for a personal savior, don't believe is Jesus' virgin birth and rez., heaven and hell, Jesus returning…

Hinduism (My name is Earl, working your way to a better life or next life) boils down to no one founder, many sects, many gods, many writings. Karma and reincarnation are very important. God is a universal spirit, everyone is part of God like drops in a sea. Jesus was a great teacher or guru, no resurrection. Salvation is release from the cycles of reincarnation achieved through yoga and meditation as well as a better reincarnated state if you've been good.

Judaism boils down to a belief in Abraham, Moses and the Old Testament, esp. the Torah (1st 5 books).

To some Jews, God is personal, all powerful and compassionate, to others God is impersonal, unknowable.

Jesus is either an extremist false messiah or a good but martyred Jewish rabbi. Many Jews do not consider Jesus at all. They are still waiting for the Messiah. Salvation comes through prayer, repentance and obeying the Law or just the improvement of society.

The obedient will live with God forever, the unrighteous will suffer.

In reality, all religions can all be broken down to how they view God, the Bible and Jesus.

Either you believe God is holy, righteous and just and we fall short of that standard and are in need of a savior or you live a good life, treating others well and hope it all comes out good in the end.

God is either omniscient, (all knowing) omnipresent (everywhere at all time) and omnipotent (all powerful, yes, able to accomplish all those crazy stories in the Bible) or he's not God.

The Bible is either God's holy word, revealed to us for guidance and salvation or it is a book like others full of fantastic stories and a lot of great ideas.

We've learned that one of the major differences in the Bible and other key writings in other religions is that it was written by 40 authors in a time span of about 1600 years. Other religions have one man who dictates all.

With the Bible, 40 men agreed on the same basic message. The need for a savior.

Jesus either came as the sacrifice for human sins and opened the way to God, or he is just one of many great prophets that lived.

Every human being on this planet has to reckon with who God is, who Jesus is and what the Bible says.

So again, how do you view God, the Bible and Jesus?

Do you view salvation from a humanistic, works based approach?

Or do you view salvation as coming from God through grace and faith alone with the importance of good works to show you have truly dedicated your life to God?

Your view of God and where we stand before him is essential!

GOSPEL

Conclusion:

All these blasphemers and atheists who claimed they were once Christians…if they really did at one point commit their lives to Jesus, then they will have some answering to do to God ….

Coastlands Church, May 6th , 2007

Christianity and Cults, Islam

Key person or founder:

Christianity: Jesus Christ (via God and the beginning of time and his grand plan) about AD 30-33 in the Judean province of Palestine (Israel today), under the Roman Empire. Followers of Jesus Christ became known as Christians.

Islam: Muhammad (570-632 AD) is the final "seal" of many prophets sent by Allah (God). The Islamic calendar began in AD 622, when Muhammad fled Mecca. Main sects: Sunni, Shi'ite.

Key writings:

Christianity:

The Bible, written originally in Hebrew and Aramaic (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament).

Islam:

Qur'an (Koran) was revealed to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. The Biblical law of Moses, Psalms of David, and the gospel of Jesus are accepted in the Qur'an, but Muslim scholars teach that Jews and Christians have corrupted these original revelations.

Who is God?

Christianity:

One triune God in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is a spiritual being without a physical body. He is personal and involved with people. He created the universe out of nothing. He is eternal, changeless, holy, righteous, loving and perfect.

Islam:

God (Allah) is One. The greatest sin in Islam is shirk , or associating anything with God. Many Muslims think that Christians believe in three gods and are therefore guilty of shirk . Human attributes such as fatherhood cannot be associated with God.

Who is Jesus?

Christianity: Jesus is God. As God the Son, he has always existed was never created. He is fully God and fully man (the two natures joined, not mixed). He is co-equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was born of the virgin Mary. He is the only way to the Father, salvation and eternal life. He died on a cross according to God's plan, as full sacrifice and payment for our sins. He rose from the dead on the third day. For the next 40 days he was seen by more than 500 people. His wounds were touched and he ate meals. He physically ascended to Heaven and sits at the right hand of God. Jesus will come again visibly and physically at the end of this world to establish God's kingdom and judge the world.

Islam:

Jesus (Isa in Arabic) is one of the most respected of over 124,000 prophets sent by Allah. Jesus was sinless, born of a virgin and a great miracle worker, but not the son of God. His virgin birth was like Adam's creation. Jesus is not God and God is not Jesus. He was not crucified. Jesus, not Muhammad will return for a special role before the future judgment day, perhaps turning Christians to Islam.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Christianity:

The Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. He comforts, grieves, reproves, convicts, guides, teaches and fills Christians.

Islam:

Allah has or is a spirit. Muslims reject the Biblical concept of the Trinity.

How is one saved?

Christianity:

Salvation is by God's grace, not by good works. Salvation must be received by faith, believing that Jesus died for sins and physically rose again, which is the assurance of forgiveness and resurrection of the body. This is God's loving plan to forgive sinful people.

Islam:

Humans are basically good, but fallible and need guidance. The balance between good and bad deeds determines eternal destiny in paradise or hell. Allah's mercy may tip the balances to heaven, as his will is supreme.

What happens after death?

Christianity:

There will be a final judgment for all. Believers go to Heaven, those who are lost or don't chose Christ will suffer the torment of eternal separation from God (Hell).

Islam:

Resurrection of bodies. Fear of eternal torment is a prevalent theme of the Qur'an. Paradise includes a garden populated with houris, maidens designed by Allah to provide sexual pleasure to righteous men. (What about the women?)

Other facts, beliefs or practices:

Christianity:

Group worship as the church. No secret rites. Baptism and Communion. Active voluntary missionary work. Aid to those in need: poor, widows, orphans etc. Christians believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah promised to Israel in the Old Testament. Jesus said his followers would be known by their love (always a good thing to keep in mind).

Islam:

Followers are called Muslims. Go to mosque for prayers, sermons, and counsel. Holy efforts to spread Islam (jihad).

The five pillars of Islam are:

Confess that Allah is the one true God and that Muhammad is his prophet.

Pray five times daily facing Mecca.

Give money.

Fast during the month of Ramadan.

Make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

Thoughts and concerns:

I'm more concerned with the fundamental differences on how Christians and Muslims view God, Jesus, salvation, the Bible etc. than I am the extremists…

Even if you live a peaceful Muslim life , then you still need to deal with who Jesus was, the afterlife, heaven, hell, what the Bible says etc.

Either you disregard with the Bible and its claims completely or come to some sort of conclusion on everything stated in it.

How can we know a book has divine authority? (In other words you have five books infront of you, each claiming divine inspiration yet each one contradicting the other's message in critical ways, how do you know which one is correct?) Answer - An endorsement by God .

Has God endorsed any of the key sacred scriptures in question (Quran, Hindu texts, teachings of Budha, etc)? No

Consider the following:

The gospels are letters that pass the tests of historical criticism. They are historically reliable. [This point is essential so people can't make the accusation of circular reasoning]

In them, we see that Jesus repeatedly appealed to the Old Testament verses as having divine authority.

We also read that Jesus commissioned his disciples to write the New Testament.

Jesus Died making claims about God, His Word, and Himself in relation to God.

Three days later he rose again. The historical evidence for this is undeniable.

Question: Who has the power to raise a person from the Dead?

-God does.

Question: Why would God raise from the dead a person who made false/blasphemous/heretical claims about who God is and what He says?

He wouldn't

Conclusion: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a confirmation that his teachings about reality, God , His word (the Bible) are accurate.

Therefore, all other "sacred" texts need to be judged by the standard set in God's Authoritative Word - the Bible. Conflicts reveal the inaccuracy of the other books.

Josh McDowell: The Bible is a book that is based in history with historical evidence and data. In Luke 3, for example, there are eight or nine historical references in the first verse.

The Bible is not just a theological dissertation; it's a theological dissertation set within history that can be checked out.

"I once thought all I had to do was refute Christ's philosophy and my case was won. But I came front to front with history – with a Person named Jesus Christ, with a book called the Bible that was based within history."

Another difference is in the message of the Bible –the GOSPEL

That message separates the Bible from so much other religious literature.

Finally, the Bible presents God becoming Man. Its whole message is revolutionary.

Muslims have a different view of God than Christians do. Allah has a different message for his followers than does Yahweh of the Bible.

Interesting take on Jesus. On one hand, he is only one of 124,000 respected prophets, a great miracle worker, yet not the son of God, not God, and not crucified. Yet sinless and born of a virgin?

Last I checked, anyone that was sinless and born of a virgin was God

The Trinity is clearly a Biblical concept and all three parts of God are important. To not recognize that is to discredit the Bible.

Back to our stance before God. If we are not basically good, than we need God.

If we are doing good deeds to determine our final destiny than we will all fall short.

If it was all about the "good deeds scale" then who sets that scale? Seems like there would be endless good deeds we'd all have to accomplish to earn a trip to heaven.

The whole concept of paradise being populated by maidens designed by Allah to provide sexual pleasure to righteous men not only leaves out the women, but certainly explains why there are some many male suicide bombers…

I think we could modify the five pillars of Islam and do better as Christians:

Confess that God is the one true God and that Jesus is his prophet.

Pray at least five times daily.

Give of your money, time, talents out of a grateful, servant heart to God.

Fast occasionally to get your heart and mind right with God.

Make a pilgrimage the Holy Land once in a lifetime to walk where Jesus walked.

It's all about the Koran. Muhammad had no other role than to deliver the Koran…the Koran does have some good peaceful teachings but also a few passages to be concerned about that the extremists use to justify the killings.

(NY Times article/interview) In Jihadist Haven, a Goal: To Kill and Die in Iraq

Suicide bombings in Iraq are averaging roughly 42 a month, American military officials said.

Asked to name his targets, Abu Ibrahim said: "First, the Shiites. Second, the Americans. Third, anywhere in the world where Islam is threatened."

Jihad — named for the Islamic obligation to defend the religion

I started to tell them that God wants us to give up our lives for jihad.

I still have the same aim, fulfilling the rules of God,"

Conclusion:

"Christian fundamentalist Bush"