Newsletter, 10/16/2020

10/18/2020 Sunday’s Sermon by Nick Perez

Against the Grain ~ Worth Dying For

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18, ESV

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Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

Many people believe that there are many ways to God. The thinking is that all religions ultimately point to God. It is often illustrated as a mountain where God is at the peak with many trails all leading up & up & up to the top. So we are all climbing the same mountain, we are just taking different paths up that mountain. Now while that sounds swell, it is really spacious. Not all religions are created equal nor are they mutually inclusive. That is, religions from around the world are incompatible with one another. To borrow a modern-day illustration: Christianity is a PC and Islam or Judaism or Buddhism, etc. are Apple products. Christianity is incompatible with every other religion on the planet. But it is this way by design…

Consider the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). Notice, each of these is singular – there is only a single way, a single truth, and a single life. In case you missed it, Jesus is emphatic that only through Him does anyone come to the Father (i.e. God). Those who lived, breathed, ate, and heard Him teach during His earthly ministry understood the exclusivity of Christ. Notice this conversation between Peter and Jesus: “So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67–68). Peter is emphatic – You and You alone have the words of eternal life.

Peter makes another affirmative declaration in Acts: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (4:12). It doesn’t get more exclusive than that. Here are the apostles who lived with Jesus during His ministry and are hand-selected to carry on His ministry when He goes back to the Father and they preach the same exclusive message as their Master.
~Nick Perez