Jesus - an Inclusive Exclusivity
Acts (To Be Continued...) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Please turn to Acts 4.
Acts 4 verse 1
Last week, we saw the apostles Peter and John going to the Jewish temple for prayer, when a man lame from birth asked them for $.
Peter and John don’t have $, but instead, Jesus does a miracle through them to completely heal this man physically,
socially (He is restored to the community)
and spiritually restored to God.
and Peter preaches to the people there—saying Jesus is the one who did. He is the fulfillment of all of your waiting from the OT.
and then, this is what happens next while Peter and John are preaching in the temple courts...
Acts 4:1–12 (NIV)
1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard (he was 2nd in command to the high priest) and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.
—the Sadducees were a religious Jewish party that dominated the priestly leadership and the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin (very wealthy)
2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
(You may say—why are they so disturbed—the Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection of the dead.)
3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. (this may only be the # of men—so add in women, children, families and it could be much more)
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. (this is what is called the Sanhedrin—a group of 71 Jewish men who were the ruling authority and high council for the Jews)
6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. (Annas was technically the former high priest—but he still had big influence—he was the father in law of Caiaphas the acting high priest.
7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!
9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,
10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
11 Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Here we have a picture…Jesus is continuing to act through his apostles and early church...
and continuing to act through us...
if we are going to follow Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, if we are going to see what life is like in Jesus’ kingdom--
a passage like this reminds us of
2 themes — 2 difficult themes...
the 1st difficult theme...
The Suffering theme - that we will face opposition and suffering just like Jesus
I won’t spend as much time on this one today—we have further sermons in Acts to address this....
but this is one of the strong points of Acts. That though the kingdom of God has come through Jesus. He has brought the kingdom through his life, death on the cross for our sins, resurrection, and ascension—and now reigns at the right hand of God the Father, having poured out the Holy Spirit...
nonetheless, part of participating in that kingdom now…is opposition and suffering.
and we shouldn’t be surprised…b/c Jesus suffer. He paved the way.
in fact, the group of leaders mentioned—Annas, Caiaphas, the religious leaders, were some of the same people that opposed and crucified Jesus.
Look at John 18:19-24
John 18:19–24 (NIV)
19 Meanwhile, the high priest (Annas) questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”
24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
same group of people that crucified Jesus (see John 18:18-24)
Jesus is continuing to act—through his followers—by showing that they are walking in the footsteps of Jesus....
and we should not be surprised when the same happens to us. we should not be surprised when people may look at you funny for following Jesus, make fun of you—it could even be religious people — like this group…people who thought they had their lives together.
some of the biggest persecutors of the faith in Acts are religious people. some of us know what that’s like here in Adams County—if you came out of a very religious background—the people you left may be the biggest opponents.
don’t be surprised—the kingdom is here—but there is still suffering—and not just for following Jesus..we live in a fallen world; we get hurt physically and people hurt us.
but don’t give up—it’s worth it to follow Jesus. you are following in the footsteps of Jesus—Jesus knows it—He loves you, and He is with you “that I may know Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings.
that’s only the 1st theme today—the 2nd difficult theme...
if you are going to follow Jesus and be a part of his kingdom…you have to believe...
2. The Exclusive Theme - Jesus is the only way to salvation with God
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
and it’s not the only verse that says this
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
and we can sometimes have a strong reaction to this...
the religious leaders in our passage did.
They were Jewish in background…still awaiting the Messiah and Savior to come and rescue them.
Peter has been trying to show from the OT that Jesus is the one you have been waiting for.
He died on the cross for our sins in our place—and God accepted that by raising Him from the dead.
they would have known the passage Peter quoted in verse 11. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.
Peter was apply it to Jesus—they rejected him—but he is the most important stone—the cornerstone—the stone that set the foundation for everything in a structure.
and if they continue in this rejection—they will not experience God’s salvation. in other words, they will miss out on God’s kingdom now, and when they die for eternity—away from him—in hell.
they will not be forgiven by God. They will not be restored to a relationship with God.
Receiving Jesus as the Savior and King—is the only way to experience God’s complete salvation from our sin, death, the devil and hell towards a full blown relationship with God in God’s kingdom.
Christianity makes an exclusive claim—salvation is only in Jesus Christ.
why do we find it offensive or people we know that Jesus is the only way? (or maybe people we know…)
personally - who are you to judge me? who made you ruler and judge over me?
“I am a good person...” “I am not that bad...” it feels very exclusive, very intolerant, and judgmental to make a claim like this.
it feels arrogant and not humble to say that...
we also find it offensive as a society. people look at the world and say “see…religion causes oppression and violence and wars...” it’s divisive. and they are right—religion can be very divisive.
perhaps most famously...some may push back—and say “all roads lead to God...”
a couple of books I have read on talk about the famous elephant illustration.
“The story tells of a group of blind men describing an elephant. One man touches its trunk and compares it to a snake. Another feels its ear and compares it to a fan. The third man places his hand on the elephant’s leg and says it is like a tree trunk. A fourth pushes on the elephant’s side and insists it is like a wall. The fifth man holds the tail and finds it rope-like. The last man feels a tusk and declares that the elephant is like a spear.” (McLaughlin, Rebecca. Confronting Christianity (pp. 48-49). Crossway. Kindle Edition.)
so all religions have a piece of the truth; each holds an aspect of the truth—all pointing to the same truth.
but there is a problem...
this view has been critiqued...
The problem with all roads lead to God or salvation...
the problem with this view that all religions and beliefs are pointing the same way is this: Problem #1 — IT’S ARROGANT.
Rebecca McLaughlin says - “the illustration only works because the narrator is not blind. He or she claims to see the whole picture smiling at the blind believers arguing over their seemingly contradictory faiths.”
do you hear what she is saying—that illustration is told from the perspective of someone who claims to know all the truth. “If everyone would just see that we are all taking different paths—but going up the same mountain towards God…, then we would get along.”
Problem #2 with all roads lead to God…is that it is wrong...
if you dig into different religions—you quickly learn they are not all the same.
Muslims believe differently than Christians do.
Christians believe differently than Jews do.
Buddhists believe differently than Christians do.
even those religions that seem somewhat closer—like Jews and Muslims who believe in God…they would not agree that Jesus is God, and the Son of God and the only way to a relationship with God in His kingdom.
Rebecca says “Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead.
Muslims believe that Jesus did not die, but that he was instead taken up to heaven. (Jews and atheists and agnostics believe that Jesus died and remained dead. These claims are exclusive.
and some may respond— “well this is why you need to get rid of religion—it’s so exclusive and judgmental and intolerant...” It causes all these problems...
“this is why we need to get rid of religions…they are so exclusive…and divisive...”
but this view doesn’t take each religion seriously and what it claims..
the 3rd problem with all roads lead to God...
Remember — everyone holds exclusive beliefs. (even atheists)
i believe everyone on the planet is exclusive when it comes to religion—b/c every single person has religious beliefs. what do I mean?
everyone is religious—even those who don’t believe in God—atheists. or the “nones” (not Catholic nuns) but those who claim no religious affiliation. they are religious.
why? because religion (acc. to Tim Keller Reason for God) “is a set of beliefs that explain what life is all about, who we are, and the most important things that human beings should spend their time doing.
For example, some think that this material world is all there is, that we are here by accident and when we die we just rot, and therefore the important thing is to choose to do what makes you happy and not let others impose their beliefs on you. Notice that though this is not an explicit, “organized” religion, it contains a master narrative, an account about the meaning of life along with a recommendation for how to live based on that account of things. (this is a religion—a set of faith assumptions) these are exclusive claims
Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God (p. 15). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Here is the beautiful thing about following Jesus—this statement in verse 12 may seem threatening—but I believe it’s beautiful.
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Why Believe... Acts 4:12 —
1. it’s an inclusive exclusivity
what do I mean?
we may not like that it is a sharp line—but it is an invitation for all!
look at Acts 2:21
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
everyone--
men or women...
young or old..
rich or poor..
educated or not...
religious or not...
everyone who calls on the name of Jesus is saved.
look at Acts 2:38
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
everyone who repents and believes (baptism is a symbol of belief in Jesus).
you don’t work for it..
everyone who admits they are a sinner-they have lived as their own kingdom instead of Jesus’, and acknowledges only Jesus’ work, his death on the cross, and resurrection saves them—only that saves them.
and as a response they come under the authority of King Jesus.
it is an inclusive exclusivity
one of the amazing things about Christianity is that this inclusivity is global...
if you were to ask what does the average Christian look like in the world—he/she would not look like most of us in Adams County.
it would be a woman… (more women than men are Christians)
another ethnicity…different skin color—might be African or from Latin American or Asian...
One researcher says this:
There are now six times more Anglicans in Nigeria alone than there are in all of the United States. There are more Presbyterians in Ghana than in the United States and Scotland combined. Korea has gone from 1 percent to 40 percent Christian in a hundred years, and experts believe the same thing is going to happen in China. If there are half a billion Chinese Christians fifty years from now, that will change the course of human history.6
Christianity is growing in other parts of the world way more than here.
Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God (p. 6). Penguin Publishing Group.
and inclusive exclusivity...
I want to end by thinking about Jesus and this exclusive claim.
Why Believe Acts 4:12—
#2 Reason...b/c of Jesus...
not just b/c Jesus said so...
but this is a beautiful statement that shows us who he is and how to live...
The reason we support this exclusivity is b/c of Jesus himself—and it makes a big difference.
The New International Version Chapter 11
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
that’s amazing and exclusive—promising resurrection life...
Mark chapter 2 contains the story of Jesus healing a paralyzed man who was let down from the roof—his friends carried him and opened the roof and put him in front of Jesus.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,
7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?
9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,
11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
and he did.
that’s amazing and exclusive promising forgiveness of sins...
Jesus claimed this after he rose from the dead
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
all authority...
Jesus cannot be one truth among many…he has not left us that option.
I actually believe this is good news.
b/c if you really believe this—it will change your life.
it will give you urgency to share the Gospel—there is only one way—but not as an arrogant jerk—but as a humble, winsome witness.
Jesus provides incredible resources to help us with people who disagree with us.
for instance—Christianity says that even though we are sinners—all are made in God’s image—even that person you can’t stand, or a person who is not following Jesus. still in God’s image—and thus worthy of dignity and respect and we can learn from them.
Christianity reminds us that all of us, including me, are self-centered sinners—we need God’s grace. I am no better than the person I am sharing the exclusive news of Jesus with.
Christianity reminds me that even if I am persecuted or oppressed for my faith—I am called to love my enemies—because Jesus did. On the cross, we see our Savior and Lord, praying that God would forgive His enemies.
The 1st Christians understood this and took it to heart...
one historian says this about the early church...
“The Greco-Roman world’s religious views were open and seemingly tolerant—everyone had his or her own God. The practices of the culture were quite brutal, however. The Greco-Roman world was highly stratified economically, with a huge distance between the rich and poor. By contrast, Christians insisted that there was only one true God, the dying Savior Jesus Christ. Their lives and practices were, however, remarkably welcoming to those that the culture marginalized. The early Christians mixed people from different races and classes in ways that seemed scandalous to those around them. The Greco-Roman world tended to despise the poor, but Christians gave generously not only to their own poor but to those of other faiths. In broader society, women had very low status, being subjected to high levels of female infanticide, forced marriages, and lack of economic equality. Christianity afforded women much greater security and equality than had previously existed in the ancient classical world.30
During the terrible urban plagues of the first two centuries, Christians cared for all the sick and dying in the city, often at the cost of their lives.31
Why would such an exclusive belief system lead to behavior that was so open to others? It was because Christians had within their belief system the strongest possible resource for practicing sacrificial service, generosity, and peace-making. At the very heart of their view of reality was a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this could only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them. It meant they could not act in violence and oppression toward their opponents.”
it was an inclusive exclusivity...
Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God (pp. 20-21). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
I want to play a short video that talks about not just the exclusivity of Jesus—but his uniqueness...
david platt video
David Platt...
think of history — Tim Keller in his book The Reason for god...
There have been several massive efforts to do this in the twentieth century. Soviet Russia, Communist China, the Khmer Rouge, and (in a different way) Nazi Germany were all determined to tightly control religious practice in an effort to stop it from dividing society or eroding the power of the state. The result, however, was not more peace and harmony, but more oppression. The tragic irony of the situation is brought out by Alister McGrath in his history of atheism: The 20th century gave rise to one of the greatest and most distressing paradoxes of human history: that the greatest intolerance and violence of that century were practiced by those who believed that religion caused intolerance and violence.3
Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God (p. 5). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.