Here.
Very deep, RogerB! :thumb:
Originally posted by RogerB
This is a sermon against the Oprah Winfrey create-your-own god brand of religion:
Information, options, choices...we live in a world that is full of choices. We are used to having choices. If we don't like what's on TV, we can switch to another channel...If we don't like what's on the menu we can choose something else...This world of options and choices impacts our thinking and can draw us into believing this final lie in our series on lies we believe.
These options can be so overwhelming we end up in mental "default" mode: with so many possibilities - it's a matter of personal preference...any god will do.
An internet search confirms the sheer volume of options and information - typing in the word "church" brought up over 31 million web sites and the word "god" - surfaced well over 44 million.
But the words of Jesus cut through all of the mental fog...He says very simply in John 14:6: I am the way and the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.
That's a bold statement, which totally contradicts the belief that any god will do - that any religion is true. It seems so clear and simple, yet it is an incredibly emotional issue that can cloud reality. So how can we come to an understanding of what's true?
Let’s begin by putting two things out on the table - I consider these to be foundational truths for this discussion.
First - all religions can't be true
In our culture, this is a harsh thing to hear. We don't like to be told something is the only way. We like options. We like to be "happy" and we like to feel good about ourselves. We want everyone else to feel good about them-self and a statement like this is not very popular.
Ravi Zacharias helps us face reality in his book Jesus Among Other Gods: All religions are not the same... All religions do not say that all religions are the same. At the heart of every religion is an uncompromising commitment to a particular way of defining who God is or is not and accordingly, of defining life’s purpose...Anyone who claims that all religions are the same betrays not only an ignorance of all religions but also a caricatured view of even the best-known ones. Every religion at its core is exclusive. (pg 7.)
We may wish something different, but the reality is that Jesus made an exclusive statement - He said that He is THE way and THE truth.
It may make us feel better to keep our options open, but it's not reality. Jesus' own words force us to admit that we have to accept His words or toss them aside - but we can't make Him an option among many....He didn't.
Second - my feelings don't alter what is true
I may want something to be true...passionately, but that doesn't change the truth.
I may feel strongly about something, but that doesn't make it right.
Some months ago I was preparing for yet another retreat. So I went downstairs to grab my sleeping bag from the storage closet. I couldn't see it there so I went up to check my room...then the laundry room and then back to the closet - taking everything out.
I KNOW I put it there. After 25 years of youth ministry retreats, I have a habit of unpacking the night I get home. I remember putting it in that closet.
Ahhhh, maybe someone took it!
So I grilled the family....but no one admitted to anything. It was a conspiracy.
I checked every room in the house. I blamed my children, wife, mother and father in law, and even interrogated the pets. I KNOW I put it in that closet. Someone took it.
A number of months later, while visiting friends in Chicago, my friend Steve tossed me my sleeping bag. I lent it to a student months ago............oooops.
Boy did I feel foolish. I was so sure! I knew I had to be right.
My point - my feelings, as strong as they were, didn't alter the truth.
We need to admit that our feelings, as strong as they may be, can mislead us and have no bearing on whether or not something is true. It's not like we ignore them...but we need to put things into perspective.
Some of you may not be able to get past these two statements. I encourage you to test them with reality. See if they flesh out in other areas of life. Kick it around in your mind.
In the meantime let's forge ahead, into this very emotional issue, by asking three questions.
1) FIRST, WHY MIGHT WE BELEIVE "ANY GOD WILL DO"?
a. We may be overwhelmed by the incredible amount of choices and options we just talked about. There are so many different religions and churches, that we figure it must come down to a matter of culture and choice or maybe how someone was raised or how sincere they may be. The realization of the sheer numbers of people who don't believe that Jesus is the truth is mind boggling. It seems unreal to imagine such huge numbers of people choosing to believe something that isn't true, so we make allowances with the hope that other options are valid. Even though Jesus talked about this often, it seems too hard to accept.
In Matthew 7:13-14 we catch a glimpse of His perspective... Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matt 7:13-14). He knows that many people will follow other gods....He doesn't shy away from this issue. He makes it clear - not everyone will believe and it breaks His heart.
This can be so overwhelming that we feel the need to allow for all kinds of religious possibilities. We may end up believing that any god will do, to help us come to grips with our world.
b. Or maybe we believe any god will do because we are disillusioned...disillusioned with God. He's not all that I thought He would be. My prayers seem to go unanswered. My life is such a mess. People I love are in pain. I'm in pain. I feel so alone.
This "Christian-God" thing isn't working so there must be some other god. Sure it might work for some people, but I need a different option. I need one that works for me.
But disillusionment with the "Christian-God" isn't the only thing that can open the door to believe any god will do...I may be disillusioned with "God's people". There's so much hypocrisy, shallowness, judgment, and pushy "God people" that this can't be the only real alternative. Sure, there are a lot of "sincere" people, but there has to be something else for the rest of us. Jesus can be one option for some people, but not for me....not with what I see.
c. Or maybe it's not disillusionment....we may simply be unaware of what Jesus said. We like the picture of a loving, forgiving and all-inclusive Jesus and may not realize the strong statements He made about truth - that He is the truth. Without first hand knowledge of what the Bible really says, we end up believing in a Jesus that is not real.
But we may also be unaware of what other religions say. With so many religions and various offshoots, we aren't able to process it all. Who has the time to study them all? So we go into mental "default" mode: believing that it's really matter of personal choice.
d. Or maybe we believe it because we are fearful. If Jesus is the truth, and what He says is true, it means a total re-arranging of my priorities and thinking: how I treat people, how I use my time, my relationships....it affects everything. And it means a different way of relating. If Jesus is the truth, then how do I relate to those who don't believe that? What about people I know and love? How do I talk about this with them? And what happens when I get attacked for saying that Jesus is the truth? I don't want to be labeled intolerant, a religious bigot or closed-minded. I really care about people but they won't understand. I mean, I like Jesus and all, but to say He's the only way....that's too much to handle.
e. Finally, we may believe that any god will do because we are reacting to the truth. We know what Jesus says. The impact of His words and life are pretty clear, but when it gets down to it we don't want His way to be the only way. We want other choices. We want to be right. We don't want to be told what is true.
Some years ago my wife and I were leading a senior high trip in Venezuela. At some point in the week Susan told me that I was being crabby, insensitive and aloof.
I said: "I'm not crabby, insensitive and aloof....and even if I am, it's not my fault!"
I didn't like what I was hearing...I did not believe I was "that bad" and anyway it wasn't my fault!
I was just frustrated with the incessant questions all day, every day about every detail of the trip...when were we leaving? what's for lunch? when's free time? Question after question, over and over again from 25 people all day every day!!!...I was NOT crabby, insensitive, and aloof!
So there I was, defending myself - rejecting what was true and obvious to everyone else but me. I was convinced that I was not in the wrong. Everyone else was the problem...to quote my aunt Shirley: I'm all right, the world's gone mad.
By the end of the trip, God used her love and patience to break down the wall I put up. I needed to face the truth. I had to apologize to the team.
But the point is simple - I reacted to what was true. I didn't want to be wrong. I didn't want to admit that I was crabby, insensitive and aloof. I didn't want to change. So I put up a wall.
Some people choose to believe that any god will do, because they don't like the alternative.
Look at what Thomas Hagel, professor of philosophy at New York University, says in his book, The Last Word: “I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and naturally, hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.” (Thomas Hagel, professor of philosophy at New York University in his book The Last Word, Oxford University Press, 1997).
After all of the intellectual arguments, it didn't matter - and if we're honest, we struggle with the same thing. There are times when the truth is just too painful to admit.
Just look at the try-outs for American Idol.
Bless their hearts, but some of those people couldn't sing on key for anything.
Some of it was painful to watch ... and listen to.
It had me wondering: "Hello, didn't your family or friends say anything to you?"
But those auditions were like putting a huge mirror in front of all of us.
It gave us a chance to examine our own lives.
I sat there wondering where am I blinded to what is true?
How do I create such an atmosphere within my own relationships that might shut them down from speaking the truth into my life?
When have I attacked the messenger, and walked away angry?
Please, don't hear me wrong - the critique was often presented in an incredibly demeaning and impersonal manner. It wasn't done in healthy community. And, there is a time to persevere when the "critics" say it can't be done. The Bible is full of stories of the people of God who stood strong in the face of religious and non-religious critics.
But the Bible also refers to our incredible ability to suppress the truth...deny the truth and even out right reject what's true. It's one of our most instinctive responses and explains why some people choose to believe that any god will do.
TRANSITION: But like any of the lies we've talked about in this series, believing this lie also has an affect on my life and relationships - which leads us to our 2nd question:
2) HOW MIGHT THIS LIE AFFECT ME?
a. It can blind me to reality
If I believe any god will do, I strip Jesus of who He is. I don't believe He is the way and the truth...I believe He is a way and an option. I figure that as long as I'm good enough and kind enough, He will be okay with me. So I come to the relationship on my terms, defining Him in my way, and relating to Him as I am comfortable. I toss out what I don't like, and keep what I do like. I assume this relationship is going just fine.
Spouses know what it's like when one thinks everything is going just fine, but when in reality it's not. One spouse is being crabby, insensitive and aloof....and is clueless as to the disconnect in the relationship.
In the same way, we can be blinded to a false sense of relationship with Jesus, clueless as to the disconnect that exists between us.
The wonder of Jesus is lost, because I don't accept Him for who He is. I reduce Him from All-Mighty God, Savior of the world - to an option among many. But even more seriously, I am really calling Him a liar. He didn't really mean He was the truth. He didn't really mean that He was the only connection to God. He isn't the only Savior of the world.
Underneath it all, I reject Him for who He is, all the while He is tugging at my mind and heart - trying to get me to see Him as He is.
With this in mind, one of Jesus conversations with some of the disciples takes on more meaning. In Matthew 16(v13-17) He asks the disciples "Who do the people say I am?" They say that some think He's John the Baptist, others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Then He asks a more pointed question - "Who do you say I am?" Peter's response is brilliant and powerful - You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. He realizes who Jesus is and to this Jesus' replies: Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven....In other words...you get it. You see me for who I am.
Over and over again, Jesus is correcting people's thinking about what it means to know and love Him. It's not rules. It's not more and more knowledge. It's not feelings.
It's a real, genuine, life impacting relationship.
But believing this lie blinds me to the disconnect in that relationship and gives me a false sense of spiritual intimacy and security.
But there's another way in which this lie can impact me.
b. It can dull my passion
If I buy into the lie then I ultimately believe no one is headed in the wrong direction.
It's all a matter of choice. Jesus is just one option...one of the "gods that will do".
Sure, I may talk about how it "works for me", but if it didn't "work for you" then I give up.
I hesitate to go farther.
And this is such an emotional issue, I often end up avoiding it in conversations. I don't want to anyone to think I'm questioning their choice. Besides, I don't know enough to respond to the questions that will come my way - or the attack for that matter. The fear of being attacked or labeled can paralyze me from talking with the people I know and love. So I just let it pass.
In John Kramp's book: Out of Their Faces and Into Their Shoes (pg131-132): he tells about 12 climbers (3 adults and 9 high school students) that got stranded on Mt. Hood - in Oregon, in a brutal storm in May of 1986. Three members of the team were able to go for help, the other 9 stayed back and made a snow cave.
The 3 made it back to the lodge, which kicked search and rescue operations in full gear.
In spite of the furious storm, search teams went out...it took 3 days to find the snow cave.
Only one climber was found alive...this is what John Kramp says in his book -
"No one had to tell the search team that their work was urgent. They knew it. The lost climbers were in grave danger. For that reason, the rescue team braved the storm and risked their lives to look for the climbers. Time was precious. The lost must be found. Fear of what would happen if their efforts were unsuccessful drove the searchers on. Others' lives depended on the success of their search so they risked their lives to save others....the question to us: Do we believe searching for those who are spiritually lost is as urgent as searching for lost climbers?"
One of the affects of believing this lie, even subconsciously, is that we lose our love and passion for people who don't know what it's really like to love Jesus.
He tells three stories in Luke 15 that reveal the passion of His heart. One is about a woman who turns her house upside down to find a lost coin, another about a shepherd who leaves the flock to find a sheep that strayed, and the last one about a father watches his son walk away.
Through these stories He shows us that He is always on a search and rescue mission. He is passionately in love with people. He will turn things upside down, pursue you when you lose your way, and if need be - wait and wait and wait - ready to receive you with open arms when you return.
He wants us to be like this, for a hurting world.
For some of us, the intense emotional climate of our day has sapped our passion for people. We have cowered in fear and lost the heart of Jesus. Without realizing it, we have bought into the lie. We have forgotten that the search is urgent because people are desperately in need.
We have lost the passion. We are missing opportunities.
But it doesn't have to stay that way.
3) SO WHAT CAN I DO? Connect w/Jesus
a. For some it may mean reading and learning about what He said and did. You may be needing an intellectual connection - seeing for yourself. Maybe you didn't know Jesus said that He is the truth...and that only He is the truth. Maybe you didn't realize the passion of His heart and today your heart is stirred by a side of Jesus you never knew. We would encourage you to dig and read and see. Examine Jesus. He is like none other.
b. For others it could be the beginning or reconnecting of a relationship with Him. Today could be like it was that day for me in Venezuela - when the persistent love of God broke through the wall I built and admitted my wrongs.
It could be the day for you to take Him for who He is....the way, the truth and the life...and to accept His invitation - Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).
Can you hear the heart of the One who loves you in those words?
He offers a relationship, not a cold religious system.
He extends an invitation.
Remember the stories He told about the lost coin, the lost sheep and the prodigal son? He told that for you and me. He wants us to see His passion for us. He wants us to know that if we stray, get lost, or even run away from Him - buying into all kinds of lies, He is ready.
c. For others, it could be taking our cues from Him - regaining His passion and perspective.
Look at what John Kramp says about how Jesus connected with people: When Jesus interacted with people, He carefully controlled the volume of truth He shared. He knew all truth; He was the Truth. Yet for those seeking spiritual answers, Jesus measured out the truth in portions that matched the individuals' capacity to receive...What sensitivity! Jesus did not tell them all He knew. He did not even tell them all they wanted to know. He told them exactly what they needed to know. He never dumptrucked truth all over people. He watched. He waited. When the time was right, He gave them more. Out of Their Faces and Into Their Shoes (pg 85-86)
This is a great perspective...too often I miss the relationship aspect and download as much as I can. Jesus brings us back to a healthy perspective...as does Paul, who lived amidst a culture of many gods and goddesses of the Roman Empire. Listen to how he instructs Timothy to bring truth into such a culture...
From II Timothy 2:24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.
We live in a similar culture...with all kinds of options and Paul, who knew how to communicate in the face of intense opposition instructs Timothy to keep a healthy perspective.
Leonard Sweet brings further perspective for us: " The church is filled with many Golden Rule Christians whose motto is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and not enough Platinum Rule Christians: "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them." What is lacking, however, is Titanium Rule Christians, practicing the most powerful command of all "Do unto others as Christ has done unto you." (Leonard Sweet, Aqua Church)
CONCLUSION
So, will any God do?
Not according to Jesus.
In fact, this whole series comes back to Jesus.
As complex as it may seem, it will always come back to Him:
1. He is the one that waits with open arms, not until we are perfect, but just as we are - entering into our lives and perfecting us, making us more like Jesus.
2. He is our source of deep joy and fulfillment, rescuing us from the incomplete and shallow pursuit of happiness.
3. He reminds us of the power that is unleashed as we face our part - instead of saying it's not our fault, changing our hearts and impacting others.
4. He is the way, and the truth, and the life....
It's all about Him.
Note: the following story was only used in the 5pm service Saturday
(it was eliminated for the other services do to time constraints).
There is a magnificent story in Marie Chapman's book Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy. The book tells of the sufferings in Yugoslavia, where so much wrong was perpetrated by hypocritical religious leaders.
One day an evangelist by the name of Jakov arrived in one of the villages. He commiserated with an elderly man named Cimmerman on the tragedies he had experienced and talked to him of the love of Christ. Cimmerman abruptly interrupted Jakov and told him that he wished to have nothing to do with Christianity. He reminded Jakov of the dreadful history of the church in his town - the plundering, exploiting, and killing innocent people. "My own nephew was killed by them," he said, and angrily rebuffed any effort on Jakov's part to talk about Christ. "They wear those elaborate coats and caps and crosses," he said, "signifying a heavenly commission, but their evil designs and lives I cannot ignore."
Jakov, looking for an occasion to get Cimmerman to change his line of thinking said, "Cimmerman, can I ask you a question? Suppose I were to steal your coat, put it on, and break into a bank. Suppose further that the police sighted me running in the distance but could not catch up with me. One clue, however, put them onto your tracks; they recognized your coat. What would you say to them if they came to your house and accused you of breaking into the bank?
"I would deny it," said Cimmerman.
"'Ah, but we saw your coat, 'they would say," retorted Jtakov. This analogy quite annoyed Cimmerman, who ordered Jakov to leave his home.
Jakov continued to return to the village periodically just to befriend Cimmerman, encourage him, and share the love of Christ with him. Finally one day Cimmerman asked, "How does one become a Christian?" and Jakov taught him the simple steps of repentance for sin and of trust in the work of Jesus Christ and gently pointed him to the Shepherd of his soul. Cimmerman bent his knee on the soil with his head bowed and surrendered his life to Christ. As he rose to his feet, wiping his tears, he embraced Jakov and said, "Thank you for being in my life." And then he pointed to the heavens and whispered, "You wear his coat very well."
Very deep, RogerB! :thumb: