Memory Verse for today“Nor is there

salvation in any other, for there is no

other name under heaven given among

men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NKJV)

Let’s get ready to

sing!

Song #348:

Jesus is All the World

To me

A Faith Built on

SandThe Foolishness of Popular

Religion in a Postmodern Age

Chapter 1:“A FAITH FOR ALL”

Chapter 1:Outline

1.Introduction

2.One Way of Salvation for All People

3.One Church for All the Saved

4.One Day of Judgment for All People

5.Postmodern Confusion

6.Diluted Truth Leads to Deluded Thinking

Introduction

•The NT church is a spiritual, not physical nation (Gal. 3:28).

•The Gentiles, according to God’s promise, are included in God’s plan of salvation.

•God convinced His Jewish apostles that the gospel is for Gentiles as well (Acts 10:9-16).

One Way of Salvation for All people

•God loves ALL people everywhere so much that He gave His only begotten Son (Jn. 3:16-17; Rom. 5:6-10; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; Heb. 2:9).

•This was the message preached by the apostles (Lk. 24:46-47).

• “Clearly, the gospel was for all people, in all ages and every culture.”

One Church For All The Saved

•The church is UNIVERSAL (i.e. not limited to one group of people ethnically geographically, etc). See Col. 2:11-12.

•All accountable people are universally called to repent (Acts 17:30-31).

•No generation can exempt itself from accountability to Jesus (2 Ki. 17:14-18).

• Jesus Christ has ALL authority as Lord (Jn. 3:35-36; Heb. 4:13).

One Day of Judgment for All people

• All nations will be gathered together before the judgment throne of Christ (Mt. 25:31-32).

• “The universal character of the cross, the gospel, repentance, the church and the judgment permeates the Scriptures” (see Philip. 2:9-11).

• “A person cannot choose his creator; he may choose in whom he will believe, but he cannot choose who made him. Nor can a person choose his eternal judge. Jesus will judge everyone, whether anyone objects or not. The presence of many world religions does not change who is my creator or my judge.”

• Such dogmatic statements about the uniqueness of Jesus seem arrogant and judgmental in our current culture, but we have more to consider than cultural opinions. Many people are quick to regard Christians as mean-spirited and negative because they do not accept everyone as equals. There is, however, no equal to Jesus Christ. Facts do not change simply because they are unfashionable.

Postmodern Confusion

• Postmodernism is better classified as a mood and a methodology rather than a distinct set of doctrines and claims.

• Postmodernism is self-defeating in that they display the narrow-mindedness they condemn.

• Postmoderns make the mistake of believing that the modernist approach (i.e. reason is ultimate source of authority) is something that has not existed from antiquity.

• Postmoderns have an aversion to things considered “traditional” because they are associated with modernism in their view.

Diluted truth Leads to Deluded Thinking

• Postmodernism is guilty of “doublethink”, i.e. simultaneously holding to beliefs that are mutually contradictory.

•The intent of the author is not as important to postmoderns as one’s opinion in response to something.

• Facts, by definition, are true regardless if someone believes them.

•Subjugating Christianity to cultural perception is a dangerous doctrine that casts men into darkness and uncertainty (Eph. 4:17-24).

Diluted truth Leads to Deluded Thinking

•Perhaps unaware postmoderns, most who identify as Christians believe one can be saved outside the Christian faith (Acts 4:12).

•While style, approach and custom may have been catered to individual cultures and peoples, the content of the gospel message has never changed (1 Cor. 9:19-23; Acts 20:27).

•Only preaching God’s plain truth can satisfy man’s deepest spiritual hunger.