Looking at the Christian claims about Jesus compared to claims from other worldview.

1. A cHRISTIAN
today’s world
WITNESS in
Tactics + sTRATEGIES
Relativism
The Bible
Pluralism
Islam
Sexual Revolution
Media
Training and Equipping Believers
to Live Out a Confident Faith

2. A cHRISTIAN
today’s world
WITNESS in
Tactics + sTRATEGIES
Relativism
The Bible
Pluralism
Islam
Sexual Revolution
Media
Training and Equipping Believers
to Live Out a Confident Faith

3. Last Week

4. pLURALISM:
There are many legitimate “paths
to God” and trusting Jesus is
merely one of those paths.

5. what will matter
When our lives end,
most at that moment?

6. which Religious club
It will NOT be:
you chose to belong to
(or not belong to) during your life

7. (mormonism)

8. (JW)

9. (Heritage)

10. 1. Does God Exist?
What will matter is:
2. hAVE WE KEPT
His commandments?

11. His commandments
God is real and we have broken
Now What?

12. usGod
He takes our
punishment
God himself takes the
punishment for our
crimes against Him
We take our own
punishment
We get the appropriate
punishment for our
crimes against God.
The Result: Mercy The Result: Justice

13. thE Offer

14. punishment
“I will take your
and offer you mercy instead
of judgment!”
- God

15. What are the terms?

16. Only One way

17. Jesus

18. Jesus…
is the only source of salvation for the world
is the Father’s choice
provides forgiveness of sin
will be man’s judge on that final day

19. Rejection of Jesus is rejection of God
No other alternatives for salvation
All nations are to be given the gospel
Rejection of Jesus brings wrath
and judgment

20. cHALLENGES

21. notice:
Every one of the following
objections is based on a
misunderstanding the central
problem Christianity exists to solve.

22. The Plan:
1) Introduce a challenge
2) Discuss with your neighbors how you
would respond
3)Work on it together

23. iNCOMPLETE bELIEF
“You don’t have the whole picture”
cHALLENGE 1:

24. “You Christians think you have the
truth, but you only have one part of
the larger truth about God.”

26. The rajah, awakened by the commotion,
calls out from the balcony. “The elephant
is a big animal,” he says. “Each man
touched only one part. You must put all
the parts together to find out what an
elephant is like.”

27. Enlightened by the rajah’s wisdom, the
blind men reach agreement. “Each one of
us knows only a part. To find out the
whole truth we must put all the parts
together.”

28. “You Christians think you have the
truth, but you only have one part of
the larger truth about God.”
How would you respond?
Take 5 minutes and discuss

29. it means that a view and its opposite
cannot both be true at the same
time, and the same way.
Mutually Exclusive
If something thing is

30. Law of non-contradiction
This is also called the

31. uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANT
God existsChristianity:
Atheism: God does not exist
God is personalChristianity:
islam: God is not personal

32. uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANT
Jesus is the messiahChristianity:
Judaism: Jesus is not the messiah
Evil is realChristianity:
Hinduism: Evil is an illusion

33. uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANT
Go to heaven or hellChristianity:
Hinduism: We come back as something else
One of three levels of heaven,
possibly attain godhood
Mormonism:
Atheism: We go into the ground

35. Columbo Questions:
How can we go to heaven or hell, be
reincarnated, and stay dead in the
ground all at the same time?

36. Columbo Questions:
How can God exist and not exist at
the same time?

37. FACT:
Religions are mutually exclusive
views of the world. They can
never, ever, ever all be right at the
same time.

38. sINCERITY MATTERS moST
“God is looking for sincerity”
cHALLENGE 2:

39. “What matters is people’s sincerity,
not their specific beliefs or religion.”

40. How would you respond?
“What matters is people’s sincerity,
not their specific beliefs or religion.”
Take 5 minutes and discuss

41. Columbo Questions:
Is there anything besides
sincerity that matters?

42. Columbo Questions:
What are you basing this on?

43. Columbo Questions:
What if someone’s sincere religious
goal is to kill you?

44. Columbo Questions:
What if someone doesn’t have
much sincerity? Does that make
their view false?

45. Columbo Questions:
Does God stop existing when people
don’t believe sincerely in Him?

46. FACT:
Sincerity has nothing to do with
whether your view is true or not.
We need another standard.

47. Inclusivism
“Belief in Jesus is not required”
cHALLENGE 3:

48. “Christ is the grounds of faith, but he
doesn’t have to be the object”

49. “People can benefit from Jesus’
sacrifice without directly
believing in it”
or, said another way…

50. Inclusivism:
One does not have to believe in
Jesus directly to receive the
benefits of his life and sacrifice.

51. Old Testament Saints:
did not have to believe in Jesus
directly to receive the benefits of
his life and sacrifice.

52. h2 - BROWNInclusivism
Those who hear the gospel must
believe it. There is no hope for those
who hear and reject.
“One does not
have to believe
in Jesus
directly to
receive the
benefits of his
life and
sacrifice.”
Modest Inclusivism:
For those who never heard we leave
that up to God to decide.

53. h2 - BROWNInclusivism
Even if people reject the gospel they
can still be saved.
“One does not
have to believe
in Jesus
directly to
receive the
benefits of his
life and
sacrifice.”
sTRONG Inclusivism:
If people reject Christ and pursue
any other means of devotion
sincerely, God will recognize their
heart and respond with saving faith

54. I’ve always said we should help a
Hindu become a better Hindu, a
Muslim become a better Muslim, a
Catholic become a better Catholic.”
- Mother Theresa of Avila

55. Jews can be saved if they look forward
in hope to the Messiah and try to
ascertain whether God’s promise has
been fulfilled.
- Avery Cardinal Dulles, Roman Catholic priest

56. Adherents of other religions can be saved
if, with the help of grace, they sincerely
seek God and strive to do his will.
- Avery Cardinal Dulles, Roman Catholic priest

57. Even atheists can be saved if they
worship God under some other name
and place their lives at the service of
truth and justice.
- Avery Cardinal Dulles, Roman Catholic priest

58. How would you respond?
“People can benefit from Jesus’
sacrifice without directly
believing in it”
Take 5 minutes and discuss

59. Source
Where does salvation
come from?
Ground
Means object
What holds it all
together?
How do you acquire it
for yourself?
Where is salvation
found now?

60. Source
Where does salvation
come from?
The unmerited mercy
and goodness of God
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness,
forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the
goodness of God leads you to repentance?
- Romans 2:4

61. Redemption for all
mankind secured by
Christ on the cross.
because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins
that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the
present time His righteousness,
- Romans 3:25,26
Ground
What holds it all
together?

62. Faith.
(Active trust in God’s
goodness and mercy.)
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God
is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
- Galatians 3:11
Means
How do you acquire it
for yourself?

63. object
Where is salvation
found now?

64. Adam received covering for his sin and trusted God’s
promise that the seed of the woman would crush the
serpent (Gen 3:15).
object
What do we place our
faith (trust) in?
Abraham believed in God’s
promise of descendants who
would bring blessing to the
nations of the Earth
(Gen 12:3).

65. Old Testament saints counted on the atoning sacrifices
that God prescribed to cover their sins (Leviticus).
object
What do we place our
faith (trust) in?
So, what about us?

66. Source
Where does salvation
come from?
Ground
Means object
What holds it all
together?
How do you acquire it
for yourself?
Where is salvation
found now?

67. Source
The unmerited mercy
and goodness of God
Ground
Means object
The work of Christ on
the cross
Faith (active trust in God’s
goodness and mercy).
The person of Jesus
Christ exclusively.

68. New Testament
author is in agreement
on this point.
Every single

69. place our trust
in Jesus Christ to benefit
from his sacrifice.
We must

70. Nor is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be
saved.”
Acts 4:12

71. “And the witness is this, that God has
given us eternal life and this life is in
his Son.
1john 5:11

72. He who has the Son has the life; he who
does not have the Son of God does not
have the life.”
1john 5:12

73. “for if you do not believe that I am He,
you will die in your sins.”
john 8:24

74. “He who believes has eternal life; but he
who does not obey the Son shall not see
life, but the wrath of God abides in him.”
john 3:36

75. who never hear
the clear gospel message?
What happens to people

76. I don’t know

77. we are called to
spread the news.
What I do know is that

78. we are called to
preach the gospel
What I do know is that

79. we are called to
love with sacrificial love
What I do know is that

80. we are called to
teach the clear meaning of scripture
What I do know is that

81. we are called to
make disciples
What I do know is that

82. we are called to
stand strong in the truth
What I do know is that

83. we are called to
love God and people
What I do know is that

84. Acts 10
What did the disciples do?
Open to

85. Acts 10:1-8

86. Cornelius:
Devout
Feared God
(With all his household)
Generous giver
Prayed to God
always

87. hE IS GOOD, riGHT?

88. gO TO Verse 34

89. What do we lEARN?

90. Everyone needs the gospel.
Even the best among us are not good
enough on our own.

91. SubjectiveObjective
Reality
God is real and we
have broken His
commandments
Personal Preference
People who think their
religious beliefs are real and
not personal preference
Primary Problem: Primary Problem:

92. Objective
Reality
God is real and we
have broken His
commandments
Jesus solves this
problem
Primary Problem:

93. Not this oneObjective
Reality
God is real and we
have broken His
commandments
Personal Preference
People who think their
religious beliefs are real and
not personal preference
Primary Problem: Primary Problem:
X

94. social pressure
of pluralism or relativism or
whatever else our culture
throws at us
May we never bow to the

95. remain faithful
to preach the gospel, and
watch for those whom God is
calling to Himself
May we, like those before us

96. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to
enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He
consecrated for us, through the veil,
that is, His flesh…

97. and having a High Priest over the
house of God, let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water.

98. Let us hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful.

99. And let us consider one another in order
to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some,

100. but exhorting one another, and so much
the more as you see the Day approaching.
- Hebrews 10:19-25

101. Islam
“There is no God but Allah”
Next Week