From this weeks sermon (video).
Now . . . I can see it on your faces. In a pluralistic, multicultural, shrinking world, like ours, this will be harder and harder and harder to believe. Because they’re not just in Africa and Asia, they are right next door. Buddhist, Hindus, Muslims and Jewish people.
You know them at work, they’re you’re friends for goodness sake, and you want them to be. And when they ask you: “So, you’re saying . . . if I don’t embrace your Jesus, you think I’m going to go to hell?”
What are you going to say right there? “Well, it’s kind of complex and there are disagreements in the church and there are a lot of scholars and a lot of opinions and . . .” Weasel, weasel, weasel!
We got out of that, right? We are done with that, we are done with that!
We are real! With tears rolling down our faces: “I don’t want to believe that about you. I want you with me. I’m just a beggar. I have nothing. I’m nothing! Jesus came into the world to save everybody. He wants Samaritans and Muslims and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists and every race and ethnicity and socioeconomic – He wants us – he’s reaching out. I’m talking to right you now, I want you in heaven with me.”
Go there. Don’t get into an argument. Go there. Plead. So that they see – This is not an argument. This is not about “Look, which mountain?” This is not about mountains. This is about Christ, God’s Son came on a rescue mission to every religion.
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July 5, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Chris
Thank you for posting this. I’ll be sure to listen to the rest of the message now that we’re home from our trip.
I have been thinking/praying about this for a long time since I work with several people of different religions or no religion. I am pretty open about what I believe, and so far things I have said have been well received, but I have been petrified about what to say if the conversation gets down to the bottom line.
About 24 years ago, I sat next to a really nice couple on a plane. When the flight was about half over, I began to wonder about some of the things I had said. I started thinking, “What if these people aren’t Christian–what if they are Jewish?” I had been a Christian for just a short time, and I was eager to talk about the Lord as much as possible. The couple seemed very interested.
At one point I was talking about how I was born again and how at one time I thought it was just some new fad and how I had not realized that it was in the Bible and that Jesus told us we must be born again. I got out my Bible and read the verses from John 3.
They responded, “Well, that’s good for you, but we’re Jewish.” For some reason I went totally blank and all I could say was, “Oh, there are some wonderful things in the Old Testament.”
Then the plane landed and I never saw them again. Of course I prayed for them for years, but I always wonder what else I could have said.
July 6, 2009 at 8:12 am
Andy
Good post. We listened to this on the way home yesterday. I’m looking forward to listening to yesterday’s message.
July 24, 2009 at 10:04 am
Friday Everything: Piper Quotes 2 « The Responsible Puppet
[...] What are you going to say right there? “Well, it’s kind of complex and there are disagreements in the church and there are a lot of scholars and a lot of opinions and . . .” Weasel, weasel, weasel . . . [...]
September 28, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Tamara Slack
Chris – I have no idea if you will see this post. I read what you said about feeling bad that you didn’t say the right things to the Jewish people on the plane. Just wanted to encourage you on this. God will use it! I don’t know how, but you can trust that He will fix what you have messed up. He’s really good at that
September 28, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Chris
Thank you for your encouragement, Tamara!