Sermon Theme
It is something that when said presents a challenge… A 6yr old is told by a teacher to make a ‘good choice’ when about to get into trouble, to which the child responds; “You aren’t my mother, you can’t tell me what to do!”
Today there is a far more menacing challenge underway… It is the challenge to the Church’s authority to proclaim the teaching of the Bible.. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in 2015 during the same-sex marriage referendum published a booklet titled Don’t Mess With Marriage → a Tasmanian woman taking the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart to the Anti-Discrimination Commission over the contents.
There was a time when the Church’s teaching of Jesus being the only Saviour and Christianity the only true religion met with the challenge of simply being arrogant. Today we are drawing closer to the time when such a proclamation of the Gospel could be declared to be ‘Hate Speech’ or ‘either ‘Disinformation or ‘Misinformation’.
So it is good for us to double check why we believe what the Christian Church has declared as the Gospel for more than 2,000yrs…
Why isn’t it hate speech, or misinformation or disinformation?
Sermon outline
- A QUESTION OF AUTHORITY
- THE FUTILITY OF OTHER MEANS
- JESUS THE ONLY WAY
Readings reproduced on this page:
The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1996, 1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Sermon Outline
Readings
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 11, QA 29-30
29 Q. Why is the Son of God called "Jesus", meaning "saviour"?
A. Because He saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere.
30 Q. Do those who look for their salvation and security in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere really believe in the only saviour Jesus?
A. No. Although they boast of being His, by their deeds they deny the only Saviour and deliverer, Jesus.
Either Jesus is not a perfect saviour, or those who in true faith accept this saviour have in Him all they need for their salvation.
Acts 4:1–22 (NIV84)
1The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.
2They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
3They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
5The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
6Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family.
7They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!
9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,
10then 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.
11He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
16“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it.
17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.
20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.
22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
Text
Acts 4:8-12 (NIV84)
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!
9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,
10then 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.
11He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
