WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 Derek, how long have we known each other? When did you first start coming to Beclu age three? Four maybe? 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:15.860 Yes, Derek and I go back a long way. When I first started going to Beclu, I wasn't a Christian. I then became a Christian, having read the Bible, coming to hear more about Jesus. 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:24.740 And tonight I'm really excited to speak on this topic because the question that I was asked might be easily asked and easily answered. 00:00:24.739 --> 00:00:38.739 Are all religions pretty much the same? Now if you were to take a world religions class or buy a book on world religions, you would definitely get chapters or lectures on the big five. 00:00:39.339 --> 00:00:48.959 Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism. Any course in world religions would capture those five. 00:00:48.960 --> 00:01:00.200 You might have eight. You might include Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism. 00:01:00.539 --> 00:01:08.719 Again, the list becomes a bit more confusing because some of these are more, strictly speaking, world philosophies rather than world religions. 00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:15.439 But you get the idea. You could have a course and week one you look at Hinduism, practice, belief, etc. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:22.259 You could look at Islam and you could look at Christianity. And Christianity is one of many subjects. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:28.539 But I'd like to suggest this, that Christianity is not a world religion. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:34.620 That all the other world religions are the same, but Christianity isn't one of them. 00:01:35.420 --> 00:01:41.359 I remember very early when I was teaching at Edinburgh Theological Seminary, we had a guest speaker. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:53.780 He said this, world religions and world philosophies tend to identify the major problems as those things that are outside of us. 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:55.719 That's where the problems are, outside. 00:01:56.459 --> 00:02:01.599 Whereas the solution to those problems largely is within us. 00:02:02.659 --> 00:02:06.739 The speaker went on to say, Christianity is completely different. 00:02:06.739 --> 00:02:17.519 Christianity says the main problems of this world are within us, whereas the solution must be outside of us. 00:02:18.019 --> 00:02:23.979 So if you want me to answer the question, are all religions basically the same? 00:02:24.079 --> 00:02:24.979 I would say yes. 00:02:24.979 --> 00:02:35.659 Because all world religions at their heart are human effort, human action, human determination. 00:02:36.299 --> 00:02:39.139 What must I do for God? 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:45.879 Now you could look at that from a Hinduism point of view or an Islam point of view, Judaism, Buddhism, etc. 00:02:46.259 --> 00:02:48.979 Whereas Christianity is not that. 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:53.039 Tim Keller makes this distinction between Christianity and religion. 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:58.419 Religion is those things that you are meant to do, those things that you are not meant to do, 00:02:58.799 --> 00:03:07.239 those rites or rituals that you are meant to take part in, as if by some combination of what you do and what you don't do, 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:14.659 some combination of personal and public, that with that combination you will achieve enough. 00:03:15.180 --> 00:03:19.840 You will earn enough merit or whatever it might be. 00:03:20.239 --> 00:03:22.859 But Christianity is not about that. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:26.239 Christianity is not what you can do for God. 00:03:26.739 --> 00:03:29.500 Christianity is not what we must do for God. 00:03:29.979 --> 00:03:33.359 But Christianity at its foundation is this. 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:36.599 This is a redemptive faith. 00:03:37.379 --> 00:03:39.000 This is not what we do for God. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.159 This is what God does for us. 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:52.180 And that distinguishes Christianity from every world religion, every world philosophy, which tends to place the emphasis on you or me. 00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:55.840 But you see, our shoulders are not wrong. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:58.159 We cannot carry that weight. 00:03:58.259 --> 00:03:59.639 We cannot bear that burden. 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:04.179 We cannot achieve those demands, whatever the demands are. 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:10.439 Because you might say that the ethics of various religions and philosophies are roughly the same. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:11.260 Roughly. 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:19.939 There's going to be emphasis upon being a good neighbor, being a good husband if you're married, good wife, good parents, etc. 00:04:20.180 --> 00:04:22.639 So there's a lot of shared ethics. 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:27.399 But what happens when you aren't a good husband or a good wife? 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:30.759 What happens when you're not a good parent or a good child? 00:04:31.180 --> 00:04:33.000 What happens when you get it wrong? 00:04:34.039 --> 00:04:35.800 I don't know about you, but that's my category. 00:04:35.979 --> 00:04:38.639 I get it wrong and I continue to get it wrong. 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:41.659 32 years along the line of being a Christian. 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:46.920 I find it difficult to keep the law of God. 00:04:47.080 --> 00:04:48.000 I know it better. 00:04:48.700 --> 00:04:55.280 And I often read in Romans 7 that the good that I wish to do, that is what I don't do. 00:04:55.940 --> 00:05:00.100 And the bad, that which I wish to avoid, those are the things that I so often do. 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:03.760 Now, world religion will tell you, try harder. 00:05:04.420 --> 00:05:05.040 Do better. 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:07.080 Stop doing the bad. 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:08.720 Start doing the good. 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:11.000 But there's no strength. 00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:12.540 There's no power. 00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:14.380 There's no capacity. 00:05:14.580 --> 00:05:15.300 There's no ability. 00:05:16.380 --> 00:05:21.500 We encounter on the pages of the book of Acts this remarkable miracle. 00:05:22.520 --> 00:05:24.420 A man who was lame never walked. 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:28.220 Now, in that age, if you can't walk, you can't work. 00:05:28.300 --> 00:05:29.960 If you can't work, you can't earn money. 00:05:30.060 --> 00:05:33.540 So the only way that you can support yourself is through begging. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:35.540 And that's exactly what this man did. 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:37.760 He was placed at a good pitch. 00:05:38.300 --> 00:05:39.800 There's a lot of coming and going. 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:43.960 Peter and John encounter him, and he's hopeful. 00:05:44.460 --> 00:05:47.300 He's hopeful he's going to get something from them. 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:49.280 And he does. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:55.060 But he doesn't get what he was expecting because they say, look, we don't have silver and we don't have gold. 00:05:55.060 --> 00:05:58.100 So this sounds like a very disappointing start to a conversation. 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:05.399 But what I have, I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:07.740 It's not what Peter can do. 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:09.220 It's not what John can do. 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:11.680 It's not what they can do as a combined team. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.600 But it's the name of Jesus that is powerful. 00:06:15.760 --> 00:06:19.280 Now, the word supernatural is somewhat unhelpful. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:24.940 But it is accurate in the sense that the Christian faith is supernatural. 00:06:25.840 --> 00:06:28.740 It is above our ability to understand. 00:06:28.740 --> 00:06:31.560 It's above our ability to replicate. 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:48.960 You see, the Bible itself, we believe that God speaks in the Bible, that he speaks through the Bible, that he is a communicating God who has recorded for us these events, these miracles, these sermons for our benefit and blessing. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:53.779 And not only is the Bible the word of God, but the Bible does the work of God. 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:58.099 When the word goes out, it accomplishes God's purpose. 00:06:58.359 --> 00:07:01.319 I don't know how he does it, but he does. 00:07:01.919 --> 00:07:06.839 So this morning I was speaking to 19 guys in one of the services, nine in another. 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:10.079 I was in Polworth and there was a larger crowd there. 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:13.839 And at each of these occasions, the Bible was read. 00:07:14.419 --> 00:07:17.599 I have no idea what the impact will be. 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:21.600 But the Bible tells me that it's impossible that nothing will happen. 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:31.660 When God's word goes forth, something occurs because he promises to accompany his word with his presence and with his power. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.960 So the name of Jesus is powerful. 00:07:35.400 --> 00:07:37.560 And the name of Jesus is not just a descriptor. 00:07:37.980 --> 00:07:40.360 Like my name is Robert John Aykroyd. 00:07:40.400 --> 00:07:42.360 That's my first name, my middle name, my last name. 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:47.660 The name, when we speak about the name of God or the name of Jesus, includes everything. 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:49.920 Not just how we address him. 00:07:50.340 --> 00:07:52.240 Not just how we identify him. 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:58.740 But the name includes the nature, the character, the power, the authority, the majesty, the glory. 00:07:59.100 --> 00:08:02.139 So when the name of Jesus is invoked, watch out. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:04.220 Because you are invoking him. 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:06.160 What he has done. 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:08.300 Who he is. 00:08:08.300 --> 00:08:16.500 And this is that distinction between religion, what we can do for God, and Christianity, what God has done for us. 00:08:17.139 --> 00:08:18.819 I used that word earlier, redemption. 00:08:19.520 --> 00:08:21.699 Redemption is the payment of a price. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:29.160 Those of us that are a bit older here will remember that you used to get soda or juice in thick glass bottles. 00:08:29.300 --> 00:08:32.539 Iron brew, red cola, whatever the cost was. 00:08:32.580 --> 00:08:34.080 Let's say 69 pence. 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:36.220 You would have to give an extra 20p. 00:08:36.220 --> 00:08:37.920 And that was a deposit. 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:41.340 And when you finished the bottle, you took the bottle back to the vendor. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:43.399 I mean, for young people, it sounds so ancient. 00:08:43.540 --> 00:08:45.300 But you would take the bottle back. 00:08:45.620 --> 00:08:50.360 And the vendor, the shopkeeper, would give you 20p back because you're returning the bottle. 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:52.279 He's redeeming the bottle. 00:08:52.420 --> 00:08:54.139 He's paying something to get it back. 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:58.620 The Christian faith is God redeeming a people. 00:08:59.160 --> 00:09:01.279 A people that are so numerous you can't count them. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:06.319 And a people that are so diverse that they're from every tribe, tongue, and nation. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:08.939 They're from the north and the south and the east and the west. 00:09:09.059 --> 00:09:12.559 And in this room, we are illustration of that fact. 00:09:12.939 --> 00:09:14.319 We come from different places. 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:15.639 We have different cultures. 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:17.500 We might have different first languages. 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:20.059 But we have been brought together by God. 00:09:20.459 --> 00:09:22.939 So God has paid a price. 00:09:22.940 --> 00:09:25.680 Jesus Christ has lived. 00:09:25.800 --> 00:09:26.320 He's died. 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:27.660 He's risen again. 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:33.960 And then when Peter and John, you would think that this great miracle done in the name of Jesus 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:39.960 would have earned them great accolades, earned them great praise and plaudits. 00:09:40.580 --> 00:09:40.940 No. 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:42.340 They're arrested. 00:09:42.920 --> 00:09:44.140 And why are they arrested? 00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:49.140 Because they are proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:56.019 When I first became a Christian, I was struck by the Bible and by the sermons I was hearing 00:09:56.019 --> 00:10:02.360 and by the conversations that I had with Christians that we constantly came back to Jesus. 00:10:03.139 --> 00:10:05.860 We came back to who this Jesus is. 00:10:06.199 --> 00:10:08.819 We came back to what Jesus did. 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:10.740 We came back to his life. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.319 We came back to his death. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:13.620 We came back to his resurrection. 00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:18.759 It almost seemed repetitious, constantly returning to him. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.460 They were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 00:10:24.019 --> 00:10:26.699 And it landed Peter and John in jail. 00:10:27.460 --> 00:10:29.679 And the high priests, they were in a quandary. 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:30.879 What are we going to do here? 00:10:31.819 --> 00:10:32.980 We've had a great miracle. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:34.360 Nobody can deny the miracle. 00:10:34.500 --> 00:10:37.080 The lame man, the paralyzed man is walking. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.299 And how can we deal with this problem? 00:10:40.299 --> 00:10:45.419 Because not only is the lame man walking, but we've got a couple of guys here who are claiming 00:10:45.419 --> 00:10:49.479 that it's because of Jesus Christ that this man walks. 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:56.779 When Peter and John were asked to explain themselves, rulers and elders of the people in chapter 4, verse 8, 00:10:56.779 --> 00:11:03.179 if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple or a blamed man 00:11:03.179 --> 00:11:06.740 and are asked how he was healed, then know this. 00:11:07.139 --> 00:11:13.579 You and all the people of Israel, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, 00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:17.799 whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, 00:11:18.259 --> 00:11:20.539 that this man stands before you healed. 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:26.159 He, Jesus, is the stone you builders rejected who has become the capstone. 00:11:28.199 --> 00:11:30.860 The rulers, the authorities said we don't need Jesus. 00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:33.360 He's surplus to requirements. 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:38.919 I don't know if you've ever made something like a flat pack Ikea bookcase. 00:11:39.559 --> 00:11:45.319 So often my experience has been when I complete the assembly, there are parts left over. 00:11:46.199 --> 00:11:48.259 And they probably shouldn't be left over. 00:11:48.259 --> 00:11:50.319 They should be somewhere in the bookshelf. 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:52.659 Somewhere in the cabinet. 00:11:53.459 --> 00:11:59.480 And probably because they're not there, the cabinet has become a bit less stable because of their absence. 00:12:00.219 --> 00:12:03.559 But you see, Jesus is described here as the cornerstone or the capstone. 00:12:04.179 --> 00:12:08.839 The stone that is essential to the integrity or stability of a building. 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:12.019 And the builder said, we don't need that stone. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:13.779 We don't need that one. 00:12:13.779 --> 00:12:18.059 When in fact, without Jesus, nothing will stand. 00:12:18.319 --> 00:12:19.399 Nothing will be stable. 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:21.679 He is the capstone. 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:27.659 And then Peter goes on to say, salvation is found in no one else. 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:33.899 The Bible is unflinching in its presentation of the gospel. 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:36.519 Salvation is found in no one else. 00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:42.740 There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. 00:12:43.379 --> 00:12:44.620 Islam doesn't do it. 00:12:45.340 --> 00:12:46.459 Judaism doesn't do it. 00:12:46.539 --> 00:12:52.539 Judaism brings us to Jesus, but doesn't bring us up to Jesus, but doesn't bring us to Jesus. 00:12:53.319 --> 00:12:54.439 Buddhism doesn't do it. 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:56.660 Hinduism doesn't do it. 00:12:56.660 --> 00:12:57.980 Jainism doesn't do it. 00:12:58.060 --> 00:12:59.280 Sikhism doesn't do it. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:01.400 Taoism, Shintoism, Confucianism. 00:13:01.660 --> 00:13:02.940 It doesn't do it. 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:05.140 There is only one name. 00:13:05.800 --> 00:13:07.360 And that name is powerful. 00:13:07.540 --> 00:13:08.580 That name is personal. 00:13:09.020 --> 00:13:12.080 And that name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:15.460 Jesus, who is God's Savior. 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:17.400 Jehovah saves. 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:18.500 The Lord saves. 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:20.520 He is the anointed one. 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.800 He is the one who has been promised of old. 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:27.220 Remember in the Old Testament, there are three categories of people that were anointed. 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:28.879 Kings were anointed. 00:13:29.540 --> 00:13:31.340 Prophets, spokesmen were anointed. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.160 And priests were anointed. 00:13:33.939 --> 00:13:38.039 Now, there are some examples in the Old Testament of one person having two offices. 00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:40.639 You could sometimes have a priest-king. 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:44.879 But no figure in the Old Testament ever had three offices. 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:46.159 Prophet, priest, and king. 00:13:46.819 --> 00:13:48.159 Jesus is prophet. 00:13:48.719 --> 00:13:49.399 He is priest. 00:13:49.500 --> 00:13:49.939 He is king. 00:13:50.539 --> 00:13:52.019 He speaks the word of God. 00:13:52.699 --> 00:13:53.919 He offers sacrifice. 00:13:54.659 --> 00:13:56.480 And he's come to rule and to reign. 00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:58.339 That's why there's no other name. 00:13:58.839 --> 00:14:01.639 Because no one else has these credentials. 00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:06.659 No one else has these qualifications. 00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:13.580 And notice that not only is the Christian faith about who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. 00:14:14.019 --> 00:14:17.600 Notice the power of what Jesus does in us. 00:14:18.019 --> 00:14:19.460 And this is where you and I come in. 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:23.779 Because in verse 13, when they saw the courage of Peter and John. 00:14:24.419 --> 00:14:29.220 And realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men. 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:33.700 They were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 00:14:34.779 --> 00:14:36.360 Unschooled, ordinary men. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.080 Another way of translating those words. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:43.600 Illiterate simpletons. 00:14:44.180 --> 00:14:45.000 They weren't trained. 00:14:45.540 --> 00:14:46.320 They weren't learned. 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:47.700 They weren't studied. 00:14:48.040 --> 00:14:48.879 They didn't study. 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:50.820 They were not particularly bright. 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:52.379 They were not particularly able. 00:14:52.379 --> 00:14:57.100 But their enemies took note that these men had been with Jesus. 00:14:57.100 --> 00:14:59.080 Just a few weeks earlier, was it not Peter? 00:14:59.439 --> 00:15:02.179 Who three times denied that he even knew Jesus. 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:04.120 And now he's standing up. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:07.379 And he's saying, I'm afraid we cannot help but speak. 00:15:07.860 --> 00:15:10.000 We can't help but speak what we have seen. 00:15:10.419 --> 00:15:11.200 What we have heard. 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:13.019 What we have experienced for ourselves. 00:15:13.019 --> 00:15:16.740 So you see, the Christian faith is supernatural. 00:15:17.659 --> 00:15:19.240 Because Jesus is supernatural. 00:15:19.419 --> 00:15:21.100 He's God and human. 00:15:21.699 --> 00:15:23.019 He does supernatural things. 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:24.679 He forgives sin. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:26.620 He pays the debt that we have accumulated. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:28.779 But he works in us. 00:15:29.199 --> 00:15:31.759 He changes us from the inside out. 00:15:32.539 --> 00:15:33.799 Now I work in a local prison. 00:15:33.899 --> 00:15:35.759 And there's a lot of good work that's done in the prison. 00:15:36.319 --> 00:15:37.360 There's addiction work. 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:39.840 Helping people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. 00:15:40.460 --> 00:15:41.360 There are 12-step programs. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:43.100 Programs, Narcotics Anonymous. 00:15:43.800 --> 00:15:45.379 There's Alcoholics Anonymous. 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:46.879 There's gambling. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.360 All of these different 12-step programs help people. 00:15:51.860 --> 00:15:54.019 Help people to get off certain addictions. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:57.240 But that only changes the outside. 00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:00.600 Jesus changes us from the inside out. 00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:02.220 He changes our heart. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:03.300 He changes our mind. 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:04.600 He changed Peter. 00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:05.659 He changed John. 00:16:05.659 --> 00:16:08.300 He changed the lame man who now walks. 00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:11.240 Because the next piece of testimony, verse 14, 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:16.940 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, 00:16:17.180 --> 00:16:19.480 there was nothing they could say. 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:22.139 Something's happening here. 00:16:22.940 --> 00:16:26.340 Up until the time of Jesus, the end of Jesus' ministry, 00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:28.159 when you're looking at Acts chapter 1, 00:16:28.779 --> 00:16:33.399 in Acts chapter 1 we are told that there are 120 people gathered for prayer. 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:36.860 120 is not a lot, but it's a significant number. 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:41.039 By the end of Acts chapter 2, that number has risen to 3,000. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.419 Acts chapter 3, that number has risen to 5,000. 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:47.800 Something is happening here. 00:16:48.680 --> 00:16:50.560 Something is happening in the world today. 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:56.639 The 21st century is the century where the greatest growth in the Christian church has taken place. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:16:58.419 In any century. 00:16:58.419 --> 00:17:06.099 It's also the century in which the greatest number of martyrs for the Christian faith have also been produced. 00:17:06.619 --> 00:17:08.940 Great growth and great suffering together. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:16.000 So this faith which we confess, this Jesus whom we trust, does the impossible. 00:17:16.680 --> 00:17:17.799 He changes people's hearts. 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:19.480 He changes people's lives. 00:17:19.879 --> 00:17:22.659 He changes us from the inside out. 00:17:23.259 --> 00:17:25.680 So are all religions the same? 00:17:26.399 --> 00:17:27.420 Yes, they are. 00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:35.180 All religions that are man-made efforts to somehow please God, satisfy God's requirements, 00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:36.980 are basically the same. 00:17:37.560 --> 00:17:39.580 Try harder, do better. 00:17:40.420 --> 00:17:42.400 Christianity is not a religion. 00:17:43.259 --> 00:17:47.360 Christianity is what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:50.360 And it bears no resemblance to Islam. 00:17:50.820 --> 00:17:54.880 No resemblance to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:59.520 Because what we profess is Jesus Christ and him crucified. 00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:03.800 He lived, he died, and he rose again from the dead. 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:09.119 And that is the source of my hope. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:12.759 That is the ground of my relationship with God. 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:15.460 What Jesus Christ has done for me. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:17.419 Not what I do for Jesus. 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:19.440 Not what I do for God. 00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:25.919 But what Jesus has done and is doing for me and in me and through me. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:30.320 So all other religions will tell you what you need to do. 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:34.660 Only Christianity tells you what God has done for you in Jesus. 00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:38.500 He's paid a price to set people free. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.039 To give new hope. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:41.400 To give new life. 00:18:41.900 --> 00:18:43.100 To give new purpose. 00:18:43.779 --> 00:18:45.140 And to give new direction. 00:18:45.140 --> 00:18:47.820 I think it was J.I. Packer who said, 00:18:47.820 --> 00:18:50.920 Every Christian should say to themselves six things. 00:18:51.780 --> 00:18:54.100 Say to yourself, I'm a child of God. 00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:56.800 God is my father. 00:18:57.320 --> 00:18:59.740 Jesus Christ is my elder brother. 00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:01.520 Heaven is my home. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:03.700 Every day is one day closer. 00:19:04.220 --> 00:19:07.380 And every Christian is my brother and my sister. 00:19:08.100 --> 00:19:14.120 I don't think any other world religion can come close to imitating those six sayings. 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:16.479 Because you and I are now part of a new family. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:18.539 We have a new father in heaven. 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:21.659 We have a new savior who's also our elder brother. 00:19:22.179 --> 00:19:26.099 And we now have a relationship with each other through Jesus Christ. 00:19:26.739 --> 00:19:28.799 Christianity is not a world religion. 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:32.159 Every other world religion is largely the same. 00:19:32.659 --> 00:19:34.539 Christianity is completely different.