On September 11, 2001, the world as we know it in the West changed.
When those two towers came down in New York,
the secular West started talking about religion as a source of evil.
Plenty of people started to echo the mantra of the new atheist movement,
that is, religion poisons everything.
And it wasn't just extremist Muslims in their sights.
Christianity, too, has become more and more isolated over the decades
because, in fact, of decades, if not centuries of abuse of power,
which has led to many, many vulnerable lives being damaged.
And our society is rightly angered by such abuse.
Fifteen years later, in Christianity,
and church leaders, once highly regarded in our society,
are no longer trusted or regarded.
The church has an institution is seen as a drain on society.
It's an institution which is connected to the dark ages with many dark secrets.
And Christians themselves find it harder and harder to talk about God or sex or politics.
The pressure is to keep your beliefs, whatever they are, private, silent for you back in the home.
And yet, into this pluralistic, post-Christian space,
we have the commands of Jesus.
The great commission that he gave his disciples,
gave it to us in Matthew 28.
Sam just read out to us,
And it's passages like that stand behind our vision statement that we are desperate,
Sorry, we united in our desperation for the world around us to encounter Jesus
and our desire to represent the diversity of Chatswood.
Sam has said it already.
It's Vision Sunday today.
It's our final day on this new vision statement for now.
We'll hear a lot more about it in the coming weeks and months and years.
But my focus today is the same as last week.
And it's on that part of the vision statement which says,
We are desperate for the world around us to encounter Jesus.
Why does the world around us need to encounter Jesus?
And it's because of the extraordinary claim that we looked at last week in 2 Corinthians 5.
We are convinced that one died for all,
and therefore all died, and he died for all.
Jesus' death, his resurrection, universal significance,
it crosses all generations, all cultures, all peoples.
And Jesus claimed it himself in John 14, 6,
I am the way and the truth and the life,
and no one comes to the Father except through me.
And here again, we see it again in Acts 4, 12,
when referring to Jesus as salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they must be saved.
That's why we have this vision statement.
Peter is before a court, is in front of the Jewish leaders of his day.
He isn't just saying that these Jewish leaders that he's speaking to need to acknowledge their Messiah,
their Savior.
He says there is no other name under heaven given to people by which they must be saved.
There is no other alternative.
There's no other name.
There's no other Savior.
There's no other religion.
There's no other truth.
That is an exclusive claim.
And exclusive claims are a very, very real problem in a pluralistic society.
And so we have a problem.
For some elements in our society, our vision statement is dangerous.
And is the reason, they would say, that there is so much abuse and division in our history.
And so with this vision before us, let's see what we can learn from the earliest church.
It should be noted that church was in fact born into a pluralistic society.
There were lots of different cultures and gods.
And even though that was the case right from the very beginning of Christianity,
they made universal claims.
Claims to absolute truth.
And not surprisingly, it got Jesus persecuted, crucified,
and the first Christian leaders and many Christians since persecuted.
So let's first of all have a look at the problem with truth claims.
In Acts 4, the religious heavies are responding to a sermon that's preached in Acts 3.
And in that sermon, Peter has said a bunch of things.
For instance, in verse 21, he says that Jesus has gone to heaven,
but will return to restore all things, everything.
And he's going to make everything right.
No suffering, no death, no evil, no sorrows.
And in verse 25, he says that through Jesus Christ,
the whole world, all peoples will be blessed.
And so when he says in chapter 4, verse 12,
that salvation is found in no other name than Jesus,
it is pretty much a summary of what he's just preached in Acts 3.
Peter is proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah for the whole world.
He is the universal saviour.
And this pretty much annoyed everyone.
This is not what the Jews were expecting.
You see, for most, they were hoping that there would be a man,
a Messiah who would be a great leader,
who would do something about the Roman oppression.
Come in and beat up the Romans for them.
They believed in a private Messiah.
They believed in a Messiah for the Jews.
And as you go through the book of Acts,
you notice the Christians also got in trouble with the Romans.
You see, the Roman world was officially pluralistic.
The Romans let everyone worship their own gods,
whatever your god might be.
And there was gods in every town and village and household.
So long as you also worship the emperor.
And so everyone in the Roman Empire was commanded and requested and required
to say,
Kaiser Kurios,
Caesar is Lord.
And the implication being is that if you're free to worship whatever gods you want,
but you must also say Caesar is Lord.
And the implication therefore is,
well, you can't make an exclusive claim
because you're worshipping two gods.
Your god cannot be supreme over all gods.
And Christians couldn't do that.
All they could say is,
Jesus is Lord.
And it brought them in tremendous conflict with the Romans.
And in Acts 19,
there is this riot in Ephesus
when the preaching of the Christian gospel
was undermining the temple cult.
This is the first century.
Nothing much has changed.
When Christians come along and say today
that Jesus is the only way to be saved,
Christianity is the one true religion,
it is seen as incredibly exclusive,
narrow-minded,
arrogant,
and even dangerous.
And so what are we to do with that
in Chatswood?
Where our neighbours are Buddhists,
Hindus,
Muslims,
atheists,
and now Scientologists.
Do we just have to get with the times
and adapt so that people don't get offended?
Why not just make love the unifying principle?
Let's go back to the 1960s
and just peace man everywhere.
Why not just make love?
Because that is in fact
the popular unifying principle nowadays.
Not truth,
just love,
whatever that means.
Is the way to live in peace
with all the diversity
simply to affirm
that all religions and ideas
are equally valid?
I think not.
Christianity was born
into a pluralistic society.
The claims of Christianity
looked every bit as narrow and dangerous
in the first century
as it does in the 21st century.
And yet,
lots of people still believed
then as they do now.
So let's just take a moment.
I just want to pause here for a moment.
When I say pause,
it's going to be kind of a long pause.
And to address the problems
that I have
with the problem of exclusive claims.
I want to address the problems
that our society has
with the problem of exclusive claims.
The assumption seems to be
that the only way
to be truly inclusive
is to say that all religions
are equally valid.
The assumption is
that religion can be privately
and subjectively helpful
behind my closed doors,
in my home.
But there is not one right way
to think about God
and spiritual reality.
Now that is seen as inclusive
and therefore appropriate.
So first of all,
there's the historical problem.
There is pressure to do
what the first Christians
were pressured to do
under the Roman Empire
for the first three centuries.
And that is,
you can believe in Jesus
so long as you don't say
that Jesus is the best
or the most superior
or the only way to find God
and nothing much has changed
in 20 centuries of history.
The problem with that
is that the Jesus
we believe in historically
is the Jesus who says,
I am the way,
I am the truth,
I am the life
and no one comes to the Father
except through me.
That's the only Jesus
we've got in history.
No other religious leader
ever said it.
No other religious leader
ever claimed
to even work
on the level of Jesus.
There is no way
to believe in Jesus
if he is just the same
as all the others.
Buddha never said
anything like that.
Confucius never said
anything like that.
Muhammad never said
anything like that.
And the dude
who's in charge
of the Scientology
who's dead now,
whatever his name was,
never said anything like that.
No one ever said
anything like that.
And maybe Jesus is right
or maybe he's wrong
but he's not the same
as everyone else.
Either he is not
the Son of God
in which case
he is inferior
to everyone else
because they at least
have the common sense
and humility
not to make
megalomaniacal claims
about themselves
or he is the Son of God
and he is the only way
and all other claims
should therefore
be tested against him.
If he is true
he is the one way.
If he is not true
then he is no way.
He's not just a way.
That's the historical.
Christianity claims
that if you look
at the evidence
of the resurrection
the brilliance of his teaching
the brilliance of his character
then he is superior
by implication.
Secondly,
there's the logical problem.
How can all religions
actually be equally valued?
The statement
can only be true
if number one
there is no God
or number two
if there is a God
but that God
was so disconnected
so impersonal
that this God
did not care
what you believed
or what you did.
The God of Aristotle
for instance.
Greek
philosophy.
thirdly
I actually think
I have a problem
because I think
it's a hypocritical problem.
I think it's hypocritical
to say
to a Christian
you shouldn't have
that view of God
all religions are valid
there isn't one God.
What is happening
at that point
is pressure
for me
to abandon
my view of God
and accept
another person's
view of God.
It's a claim
in itself
which is exclusive.
It's saying
I'm right
you're wrong
my take on spirituality
and God
is superior
to your take
on spirituality
and God
so dump yours
and believe mine.
So they're making
exclusive claims
as well
at least I'm
admitting it.
If it is
narrow and wrong
to say
that there is
one true religion
it is narrow and wrong
to say
that there is
only one way
to think about religion.
Everybody is making
exclusive claims
to say that
no one should make
a universal truth
exclusive claim
is in fact
a universal claim
in itself.
Fourthly
if truth
is culturally
relevant
and person specific
that everyone
needs to decide
what is wrong
and wrong
right and wrong
for themselves
that there is
no moral absolutes
that religion
is okay
in private beliefs
but in fact
should be kept
out of the public sphere
and it's wrong
to persuade others
to change their views
then it leads
to being helpless
in the face
of injustice.
If there is
no absolute
truth
and morality
is relative
then you can
never say
to another
individual
to another
company
to another
country
that they are
in fact
being immoral
and just.
You might have
moral feelings
but without God
there are no
moral obligations.
Moral feelings
is when I say
I feel
that that's wrong.
Moral obligation
is
you got to
stop doing that
because it is wrong.
you can't do
anything therefore
about greed
you can't do
anything about
materialism
you can't do
anything about
genocide
you can't do
anything about
slavery
you can't do
anything about
injustice
you can't do
anything about
refugees.
If people
finally come to
realise that
then the real
question
is how
is it
possible
for us to
live together
in peace?
how can
we have
a pluralistic
society
and a world
in which
people
deeply
differ
in their
beliefs
and able
to live
together
and respect
each other
and work
together
and be
civil
and the
way to
get to
that point
is not
for some
small minority
in the world
generally
in our
current culture
the elitist
secular
atheists
who are
permeating
everything
in our
culture
saying
the rest
of you
believe
what we
believe
you see
our society
has rightly
rejected
the Christianity
that uses
its universal
values and
truth claims
to oppress
people
I believe
they have
rightly
rejected
that
that's
where we
sit right
now
the world
does not
need
any more
exclusive
truth claims
as a leverage
to oppress
people
what this
world needs
is absolute
truth and
values
that do
not turn
believers
into oppressors
what we need
is non-oppressive
universal truth
the believers
of Jesus
claim to
universal truth
we need
for that
truth
truth to
turn us
to turn
us believers
into agents
of justice
and service
we need to be
people who
don't look
down on
others
or feel
superior to
others
or ridicule
and rubbish
others
we don't
people who
don't oppress
others
people who
don't coerce
others
but people who
love and
serve others
and I believe
that's the
solution
to this
universal truth
claim
the Christian
gospel that
proclaims
Jesus is
savior and
lord is
exactly what
this world
needs
and a hint
of that
solution
to the
problem is
in Acts 4
take a look
at verses
8 to 13
with me
then Peter
filled with
the Holy
Spirit
said to
them
rulers
and elders
of the
people
if we
are being
called
to account
today
for an
act of
kindness
shown to
a man
who was
lame
and being
asked
how
he was
healed
then 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
Jesus
is
the
stone
you
builders
rejected
which
has
become
the
cornerstone
salvation
is found
in no one
else
for there
is no
other name
under
heaven
given to
mankind
by which
we must
be saved
when they
saw the
courage of
Peter and
John
and realized
that these
were unschooled
ordinary
men
they were
astonished
and they
took note
that these
men
had been
with
Jesus
note
firstly
that Jesus
saves us
through
rejection
verse 11
the stone
you build
is rejected
which has
become
the
cornerstone
he saved
us not
through power
but through
service
through
rejection
not by
accumulating
power
but in
fact by
giving up
power
surrendering
himself
dying
on the
cross
for our
sins
so that
God's
love
would come
flooding
into
our
lives
he saved
us through
grace
through love
through service
the only way
to become a
Christian is
in fact to
give up
all notions
of superiority
all notions
that we are
better than
other people
salvation
only comes
to people
who admit
that they are
sinners
and they
need grace
and it is
this work of
salvation in
Peter and
John's life
that's behind
verse 13
when 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
let me tell
you why
these
religious leaders
were astonished
by Peter and
John
outside of
Jesus
as it was
in the first
century
so it is
in the 21st
century
outside of
Jesus
our identity
is based
on relative
status
we are
normally
proud
we are
not normally
proud of
being smart
we just
generally get
proud of
being smarter
than someone
else around
us
that's
generally
it's
relative
status
that's
generally
how we
work
everyone
gets an
identity
through
salvation
by works
we don't
usually use
the word
salvation
it's more
self-esteem
through works
or self-worth
through works
in a
traditional
society
such as
mostly
eastern
societies
your
identity
is attached
to
roles
that have
been assigned
to you
your worth
is attached
to the
roles
that have
been assigned
to you
so
you feel
good about
yourself
because
you are
a good
father
or a
good
mother
or a
good
husband
or a
good
wife
or a
good
son
or a
good
daughter
in an
individualistic
society
like
western
societies
we get
our identity
through
accomplishments
I am
smarter
than you
I've
got a
better car
than you
I am
richer
than you
I'm
better
looking
than you
I'm
more
talented
than you
it's
all
relative
but it's
always
relative
so that
there are
always
people
that we
feel
superior
to
and
there will
be
people
that we
will
feel
inferior
to
and
the
religious
leaders
were
shocked
when they
talked to
Peter
and John
they were
ordinary
it's
emphasized
they were
ordinary
unschooled
men
and in
a
patriarchal
society
ordinary
men
didn't
have
the
pedigree
or the
schooling
and like
these guys
and they
would have
been ashamed
and quiet
in the
presence of
these leaders
they would
have had
their heads
bowed and
they wouldn't
have spoken
them
and these
leaders
are astonished
that these
two men
have a
brand new
system of
identity
they aren't
ashamed
and they're
not afraid
of anyone
above them
but they're
also not
feel superior
to anyone
below them
it wasn't
below them
for an act
of kindness
to the
crippled
man
what a
transformation
these
religious
leaders
witness
this is the
Peter who
boldly speaks
here
he's the
same
Peter
who
went
all
jelly
mead
in front
of a
servant
girl
of the
high
priest
and yet
here is
Peter
this is the
Peter who
denied
Jesus
and here's
the Peter
who's
proclaiming
the exclusive
claims of
Jesus
not just
before the
high priest
servant
but in
fact the
high priest
and all
the rulers
of Israel
their self
esteem is not
based on their
accomplishments or
their works
it's based on
the grace of
God
that's what's
happened to
Peter and
John
and that's
what happens
to every
Christian
you can only
become a
Christian
if you
admit that
you in
fact deserve
hell
and only the
costly sacrifice
of Jesus
and his
triumphant
resurrection
has saved
you
God's
grace means
you cannot
feel superior
to anyone
anyone
is there
anything
more
repugnant
than to be
proud about
the grace
of God
anything
the universal
truth of
Jesus is
that he
died for
his enemies
he said
father forgive
them for
they do
not know
what they're
doing
Christianity
has the
truth
but it's
a truth
that's meant
to turn
us into
non-oppressive
grace-bearing
merciful people
what this
world needs
is truth
and people
who have a
new identity
because of
that truth
which makes
them into
humble servants
to everyone
around them
Christians
have been
oppressors
in the
past
can you
find that
anywhere in
the Bible
that justifies
that
can you
get that
out of the
person of
Jesus
at all
one of the
most exclusive
claims I've
ever heard
is the
claim that
good people
from all
faiths will
eventually find
God
it's terribly
exclusive
what about
the bad
people like
me
what happens
to them
see their
claim is
incredibly
exclusive
it's only
the good
people
Christianity
says it
doesn't matter
who you are
or what
you've done
it doesn't
matter
it doesn't
matter
repent
rest in
Jesus
and what
he has
done
for you
and God
delights in
you and he
gives you a
new identity
and the
Christian gospel
is an
exclusive
truth
but it is
the most
inclusive
truth
there is
in the
world
everyone's
making
exclusive
claims
but Christianity
is the only
the most
inclusive
of the
exclusive
truths
and it's
what our
world
needs
let me
just say
about
in terms of
where we
are in
our society
our
Christian
mission
has always
thrived
by surging
in the
margins
and under
the radar
when we
somehow get
into positions
of power
the wheels
fall off
and that's
what we're
experiencing in
the west
at the
moment
it's
pretty much
the way
it's always
been since
the third
century
in fact
as
Christianity
spread
throughout
the first
three
centuries
as a
persecuted
minority
people
it
just
exploded
and the
conversion
of
Constantine
paved the
way for
it becoming
the official
state
religion
of the
Roman
Empire
by the
end of
the fourth
century
only
Christianity
became the
official
religion
and from
that moment
the church
lost its
prophetic voice
and its
vibrancy
many religions
like Islam
for example
seem to
thrive on the
conquest
and power
Christianity
grows best
through hardship
through by being
marginalized
pushed to the
edges
and so I
think where we
exist right now
in the west
in this culture
where we are
right now
is an
unprecedented
opportunity
for the
Christian
gospel
the history
of the church
tells me
that even
a culture
that wants
to get rid
of Christianity
isn't a
hindrance to
the church
being effective
in representing
Jesus
the early
Christians
it just
exploded
40% a
decade for
nearly 300
years was the
growth rate
and at a
time when
early Christians
did not
engage in
public
preaching
because it
was too
dangerous
there were
practically no
evangelists
no missionaries
there was no
mission boards
there was no
organizations
they didn't have
evangelistic
courses
Christian
explained
after Nero's
persecution
in the mid
first century
church services
in fact closed
its doors to
visitors
churches
you weren't
welcome in
the church
if you're a
visitor
deacons used
to stand at
the front
doors of the
church gatherings
not to hand
out bulletins
but as
bouncers to
keep people
out
just in case
you're an
informer
prominent people
scorned
Christianity
Christians were
discriminated
against in
countless petty
ways it was
incredibly hard
to be Christian
and yet the
church exploded
why?
because Christians
were attractive
their concern
for the weak
for the poor
the marginalized
their integrity
in the face of
persecution
their financial
generosity
their sacrificial
love
even for their
enemies
and the high
quality of their
common life
together
non-believers
were first of
all attracted
to the
community
and lives
of Christians
and therefore
became open
to talking
about the
truths
the exclusive
truths of the
gospel
I'm very keen
for us both
corporately and
individually
as a church
to be engaged
in acts of
justice and
mercy both
here in
Chatswood and
wherever God
has placed us
Monday to
Saturday
to be non-
oppressors
to be servants
of others
for instance
it is not
well known
that Chatswood
is home to
more than a
dozen legal
and illegal
brothels
and there is
currently no
ministry
whatsoever
into that
space
it's in our
parish boundaries
and so we as a
church are going
to seek to reach
those in the
sex industry
in Chatswood
through acts
of care
acts of
kindness
our hope is
that over time
we'll be able
to develop
deeper trust
with those
affected by
this industry
and possibly
build systems
of referral
and exiting
options for
those workers
God has
opened the
door already
for initial
steps
I've been
taken
a pilot
team of
five women
yesterday
attended a
training
ministry
which I was
very excited
about
and on
Wednesday
they went
around to a
number of
these brothels
stood out
the front
of those
brothels
and prayed
for them
the next
steps are
going to
include a
whole lot
of prayer
where God
will take
us and
give clarity
on what
concrete
things we
need to
put in
place to
build
relationship
with
brothels
hope
purpose
meaning
joy
satisfaction
is found
in no
other
name
salvation
is found
in no
one else
for there
is no
other name
under heaven
given to
man by
which we
must be
saved
and at
St.
Paul's
we believe
that exclusive
truth claim
and so we
exist as a
church to
know Jesus
to treasure
Jesus and
to represent
Jesus for
God's glory
and the joy
of all
people
and because
we believe
that claim
is true
for all
people
may we
have the
confidence
and the
boldness
of Peter
and John
and be
united
in our
desperation
for the
world around
us to
encounter
Jesus
and our
desire to
represent the
diversity
of Chatswood