Believers
10/17/2021
If you watch a zookeeper enter a lion enclosure, and he says, "These lions are well trained, it's 100% safe." But he has three guards behind him armed with rifles - what do you think he really believes...?
If a CEO assures stockholders that his company is completely stable, but then immediately afterwards liquidates all of his personal stock - what do you think he really believes...?
If your neighbor tells you he believes there won't be shortages of paper products again, like last year - but later that same day you see him unloading dozens of bulk packages of toilet paper - what do you think he really believes...?
Your genuine beliefs will be demonstrated by your actions. With that in mind, I have a question about modern religious beliefs. Do most Christians in America…
I. Really believe Jesus?
There are thousands in our nation who profess to be Christians, followers of Christ … but what do their actions say about their belief? And this is not to judge, but rather to help us evaluate the integrity of our own beliefs. I want to look at several passages from the Gospels of Matthew and John - so let’s start out with this passage from Matthew 16:13-17 (NIV)...
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (14) They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (15) "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (17) Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”
From this passage, and others - Jesus claimed to be the actual Son of God – The Chosen One – The only One. That’s a pretty bold claim! Do all Christians believe that? - And it might seem to be a ‘no brainer’ kind of question – ‘of course Christians believe Jesus’. But do their attitudes and actions communicate something different?
And what about us? ‘Well of course we believe! We’re here aren’t we?’ Yes, but do our actions always show our complete belief in Jesus and what He taught? And only you know your heart – again, it’s not my intention to judge – but do we always act like Jesus is our Lord, The One whom we follow implicitly? Do all 'believers'…
A. Follow everything?
It’s one thing to say that we believe Jesus – but do we accept and follow what Jesus taught? Some want to separate Jesus from His teachings. They like the idea of Jesus, but they don’t actually want to submit to what is taught in God’s Word. And I’m not talking about a slip of the moment sort of way – that happens to everyone and we have to struggle against it daily. But can you say you believe Jesus, say He’s the Son of God but then choose to live in a way that doesn't align with Jesus’ teachings?
Jesus taught His own disciples in Matthew 7:21 (NIV)...
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
This isn't really a new problem but something people have struggled with all along. Jesus was telling them, ‘You can’t accept me but then reject what is taught in God’s Word’. It doesn’t work that way. He also said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
We are saved by the grace of God, but based on Jesus’ own words – there is something 'conditional' about our relationship with Jesus. And it’s based on how we respond to Him. Growing in our relationship with Jesus is a process – but the end goal is always complete submission to God’s ways. Jesus always required sacrifice, denial of self – because Jesus knows God’s ways are what is best for us! Anything less is destructive, it’s empty! You can’t accept Jesus but reject His standards and commands.
In an attempt to win people – some have tried to play down Jesus’ hard demands; they’ve tried to avoid or omit Jesus’ teachings on holiness or purity or morality. But it’s not our job to change the message to make it more acceptable. Of course we're to do everything we can to remove legitimate obstacles in order to introduce people to Jesus – but Jesus Himself didn’t make it easy to follow Him.
Many Christians around us simply accept the new attitude of changing morality because we’re immersed in it. “It’s just the way it is.” …But following Jesus has always been 'counter culture' – it’s always been a radical departure from the morality of the day. Because we've had the luxury of the religious freedoms we have in this nation; because in the past we have been surrounded by a relatively ‘Christian friendly’ world - we've forgotten that’s not always the way it's been. For two thousand years Christianity has been opposed by the majority of society surrounding it, sometimes even violently opposed.
When the first disciples responded to Jesus’ call – they were surrounded by idol worship and temple prostitutes and all sorts of immorality. They were called out of that – and many were persecuted and even killed for accepting Jesus – but somehow we’re surprised when people challenge or make fun of us for standing for Godly values.
We can’t ‘gut’ Jesus’ teachings and call people to a ‘hollowed out faith’ all in an attempt to make it easier for them to come to Christ. The call is and always has been about abandoning our pride and submitting everything to Jesus. But then the bigger question becomes - do Christians really believe…
B. Jesus is The Way?
Some say - ‘Yes, believing and submitting to Jesus is what I want to do – but I don’t want to force that on other people. I know some very good people who don’t believe in Jesus – and I don’t want to judge them.’
The popular idea is that 'all roads' lead to Heaven, that 'all faiths' are just different paths to God. And even some ‘Christians’ feel that way – but Jesus said...
John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
And I know many bristle at that idea, seeing it as exclusionary or closed minded. But Heaven isn’t some sort of highly restricted elite club for only the select few. That’s the whole point of the New Testament. Jesus came to bring the offer of salvation to everyone regardless of nationality or background or circumstances or even how good or bad they have been. Jesus is the most inclusive religious figure you will find! But not everyone will accept Jesus.
There's a problem when ‘Christians’ don’t accept that Jesus is who He says He is. And we’ll even say – ‘No, I believe that Jesus is THE way!’ - But do our actions confirm that we believe that? Are we sharing Jesus with others who are lost without Him – or are we more concerned that we might offend someone? Offend them by offering them THE one way to eternal life...?
Regarding ‘good people’ and Jesus – one minister put it this way, “To say that any good person can find God is to create a religion without tears, without experience, without contact. The gospel certainly is not less than the understanding of truths and principles, but it is infinitely more. The essence of salvation is knowing a Person. As with knowing any person, there is repenting and weeping and rejoicing and encountering. The gospel calls us to a ... love relationship with Jesus Christ. The religion of man says: We develop a good record and give it to God, and then He owes us. The gospel says: God develops a good record and gives it to us, then we owe Him.”
No one can be good enough to earn God’s favor – that is why Jesus came! I’ve heard it said, “You can believe that faith in Christ is not necessary – OR – you can believe that we are saved by grace, but you can’t believe in both at once.”
You see, in saying that you just have to be ‘good enough’ to get to Heaven, that somehow that is the most inclusive way – it’s actually the most exclusive way because it excludes... moral failures like me, and you…
The message of the Gospel is the most inclusive because it shouts, “It doesn’t matter who you are or who you were or what you’ve done or how long you’ve been on the wrong path – none of that matters! EVERYONE can be welcomed and embraced completely by giving yourself to Jesus!”
And many in our nation would say “Amen!” And say they believe that message – but then still not surrender all to Jesus, and many would still not share Jesus with others. And perhaps, for some, it’s based on their...
II. Beliefs about Hell
Or... that many would prefer not to believe in Hell. And certainly I’d rather not talk about something as awful as Hell – and very few really want to hear a lot about it. So maybe that’s why some Christians reject or just ignore the idea of Hell.
I’ve seen movies where everyone has their own personal version of Hell, or where Hell is like a prison work yard or where it’s basically earth on a really, really bad day. Many people have their own ideas of what Hell might be, but those ideas fall far short of what Hell actually is.
You may have heard someone say they’re not interested in Church because, ‘I can’t worship a God who would send good people to Hell’. But they miss the fact that Hell is really a choice. Jesus came - as God in the flesh - to convince them, to show them the path to eternal life, to die and then come back to life to provide a way for them – but many will still choose to reject Him. Hell is a choice – it’s choosing your way over God’s way.
Very briefly, on this difficult subject, let’s take a quick look at…
A. Jesus’ teachings
There are some Christians who teach that Jesus didn’t really preach much about Hell or eternal separation from God. They say it’s all just taken out of context and it’s just a misunderstanding. They teach, ‘When Jesus told stories and mentioned Hades or Hell or Gehenna – He was just using exaggeration to make a point.’ Let's go back to Matthew again and continue where Jesus says this in Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)...
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' (23) Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Jesus clearly says not everyone will make it to Heaven – not even everyone who calls Him ‘Lord’. You can argue that scripture may be vague about the exact details of Hell – but it is very clear that it's a very real separation from God’s love, from His blessings, from every good thing. Let's skip ahead to Jesus' words again in Matthew...
Matthew 13:40-43 (NIV)
As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. (41) The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (42) They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Jesus is pleading for His listeners to hear Him! But many are still not convinced enough to accept Jesus’ teachings about Hell because they're uncomfortable talking about…
B. The wrath of God
It’s not pleasant to think about God’s wrath – but just ignoring it doesn’t make it any less real. John the Baptist said this concerning Jesus...
John 3:34-36 (NIV)
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. (35) The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. (36) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
People ask, “What kind of loving God could be filled with wrath?” But think about it this way - any loving person may be filled with wrath sometimes. As a parent, I think I understand both God's love and His wrath a little bit more...
In her book, “Hope Has Its Reasons”, author Becky Pippert writes, “Think how we feel when we see someone we love ravaged by unwise actions or relationships. Do we respond with benign tolerance as we might toward strangers? Far from it. … Anger isn’t the opposite of love. Hate is, and the final form of hate is indifference.” “Human love here offers a true analogy: the more a father loves his son, the more he hates in him the drunkard, the liar, the traitor.”
She concludes, “If I, a flawed, narcissistic, sinful woman, can feel this much pain and anger over someone’s condition, how much more a morally perfect God who made them? God’s wrath is not a cranky explosion, but his settled opposition to the cancer of sin which is eating out the insides of the human race he loves with his whole being.”
God’s wrath is very real and it is that wrath which Jesus took onto Himself on the cross for you and me so we could have a way to our Father.
So What?
Do you really believe Jesus and all of His teachings? Do you share Jesus with others? If you really believe that Jesus IS THE Son of God and THE only way to Heaven – if you really believe that people who don’t know Jesus will be lost for eternity – you’ll choose to learn to share Jesus with them.
Just having the correct beliefs won't get you to Heaven, but your beliefs will affect the direction of your life... What you believe matters and if you follow Jesus, your beliefs should match up to His – otherwise your actions will take you away from Jesus, not closer. If you believe Jesus, you will move closer towards Him in your beliefs and actions.
Two weeks ago I told you about a friend of mine who called me to St. Anthony's to pray for his granddaughter - and God miraculously healed her. One time that same friend was out a truck stop waiting for his wife to finish her shift. As he was sitting there, he was reading his worn out Bible. A waitress hesitantly came up and started asking him questions about it. She didn’t know much about Church, but she believed she didn’t really belong there. So he asked her why she felt that way.
She explained that she hadn’t lived a very good life and was currently living with her boyfriend. She knew enough to know that that was a sin and she felt that disqualified her from showing up on a Sunday. She quietly asked, “How would Jesus feel about that?” He smiled said, “You should come and find out from Jesus yourself.”
That's the kind of guy I want to be when I grow up...