What About Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, and Jewish People?
Jesus' desire to save everyone, regardless of their background, calls us to share the Gospel in difficult contexts and to follow His example of sacrificial love.
This sermon emphasizes the challenge of sharing the Gospel in a pluralistic and multicultural world, where beliefs are diverse and conflicting. It encourages believers to authentically express their faith in Jesus, despite the discomfort or opposition they may face. The message underscores the universal salvation offered by Jesus to all people, regardless of their background or religion, and urges a compassionate and urgent approach to sharing this message with others.
Full Transcript
In a pluralistic, multicultural, relativistic, shrinking world, like ours, this will be harder and harder and harder to believe. Because they're not just in Africa and Asia, they're right next door. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Jewish people.
You know them at work. They're your friends, for goodness sakes, 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 last week, right? We're 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 you right 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. Look, which mountain? It's not about mountains. It's about Christ, God's Son, came on a rescue mission to every religion.
Which is why Paul, and Jesus, and Peter, all laid their lives down to reach the nations, the religions. All missions is going today to places that don't want you to come. You're going to say, well, if they don't want us to come, we shouldn't go.
Baloney! There wasn't a city on the planet that wanted Paul to come, which is why he spent half his life in jail, beaten with stripes five times, with rods three times, shipwrecked over and over. He went into synagogue after synagogue where they drove him out. You don't go where you're wanted.
You go where you're needed. You die if you have to in order to show who He is.
Sermon Outline
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The Challenge of a Pluralistic World
- The increasing diversity of the world makes it harder to share the Gospel
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The Complexity of Interfaith Dialogue
- Disagreements within the church and varying opinions among scholars
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The Universality of God's Love
- Jesus' desire to save everyone, regardless of their background
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The Call to Mission
- Following Jesus' example of laying down one's life to reach the nations
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The Courage to Go Where We're Needed
- Embracing the challenges of sharing the Gospel in difficult contexts
Key Quotes
“I have nothing. I'm nothing.” — John Piper
“Jesus came into the world to save everybody.” — John Piper
“You go where you're needed, not where you're wanted” — John Piper
Application Points
- We should be willing to share the Gospel with people who may not want to hear it, because Jesus went to the cross for everyone.
- Following Jesus' example means being willing to lay down our lives to reach the nations, even if it's difficult or uncomfortable.
- We should be brave enough to share the Gospel in difficult contexts, because it's a call to sacrificial love and a demonstration of God's love for the world.