Solo Christo: Jesus or Nothing
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
John 14:1-6
John 14:1-6
Intro:
Intro:
Show bumper sticker
How many of you have seen this bumper sticker? Some of you may not know what it means, others may not even care. But if you have heard me preach enough then you know how badly I detest it. Please let me explain why.
C - is the Islamic crescent moon (the Nation of Isalam).
O - is a peace sign.
E - is a combination of the male symbol and the female symbol (Equality, which I agree).
X - is the Star of David (Judaism).
I - uses the pentagram for its dot (Paganism. Paganism is difficult to define but is basically any religion outside of itself, exp. Paganism includes but is not limited to Wiccan, atheism, those who worship mother earth, etc).
S - is the yin-yang symbol (the symbol is actually called a Taijitu and is the symbol for the eastern religion known as Taoism).
T - employs the cross.
It is important to point out that almost all religions teach some form of goodness, kindness, and respect for our fellow man. This is the God-element in man coming out, but an cannot be good enough by his/her works.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
This is how the devil has duped man since the fall—mixing the truth w/ a lie.
Message:
Message:
This is the danger with “coexist” and other passive ideologies that claim more than one way to heaven.
Salvation and life after death is not about going to heaven or avoiding hell.
Salvation is about kingdom restoration and the institution of God’s will.
Jesus’ claims about Himself are big so let’s examine them closely.
He’s the Son of the living God.
You trust in God, trust me also.
Many dwellings in the Fathers’ house. How would Jesus know unless He had been there?
He goes there (the Father’s house) to prepare a place for us.
Heaven is anywhere the unrestricted presence of God dwells.
Jesus’ point is He was going to the presence of the Father to prepare a place for us all by His blood.
He’s the Way
Οδος - a way, road, or journey and more specifically in this passage it means a course of behavior or way of life.
He’s not a way, He’s THE WAY!
This means the conduct or way of life God approves of is found in only one place—Christ.
V. 4 Jesus tells them they know the way, to which Thomas replies they not only don’t know where He’s going, they don’t know they either.
Obviously no one knows where God is, and we are taken to our eternal destination when we die; we don’t have to figure out how to get there.
Notice the last phrase of v. 6 “no one comes to the Father.” If this discourse is about going to heaven, why didn’t He say “goes to the Father?”
Jesus is not talking to them about heaven per se; He’s talking about a place in God! A place of reception, restoration, redemption, and blessing. He’s talking about a place of Glory, of love and life, and He’s talking about a place of intimate fellowship.
He’s the Truth
He is the reality of who God is.
John 14:9
There are not multiple gods, nor some state of nirvana, or re-incarnation.
There is one God, one Lord, and one truth.
I hate the idea today that one can just pick a god that works best for you. When you pick a god or religion based on what you believe or like or want, you are exalting yourself as god.
God didn’t make salvation hard; He made it ultra easy—just believe in His Son! How tragically ironic that people today want to complicate it.
He’s the Life
Life must be understood in relation to God and not an existence.
As spirit beings you and I will always be.
Life then is relative to God’s presence; every where He is there is life.
Just as Jesus died to bring us life, we also must die to receive that life. The life we must die is to ourselves.
Jesus as the way, truth and life outlines three objectives He alone can accomplish:
Jesus as the way, truth and life outlines three objectives He alone can accomplish:
1. Savior — He is the only one who could and can save mankind from itself.
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
2. Mediator — He has mediated peace w/ God through His blood and now mediates on our behalf when we fail.
When the reformers issued forth Solo Christo, it was to refute the need of priestly mediation before God for Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. And that salvation was through nothing but the shed blood of Christ.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
To truly be a mediator one has to adequately represent both parties involved.
Moses served as mediator in the OT, but his mediation was limited to the scope of his own human frailty.
Jesus, on the other hand, is the God-man and therefore able to represent both parties accurately.
3. Procurator — One who manages another’s affairs.
As such He manages the affairs of the kingdom.
then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
He’s procured the kingdom of God by His blood, and now by His Spirit He is governing it’s growth and function until the day of its completion.
When you understand the kingdom of God, then you understand why it could only ever be Solo Christo: Christ Alone.