March 11, 2024

You might call it the "doctrine of the unevangelized."   Sunday morning, the sermon broached this by speaking about "exclusivism."  

In our postmodern, DEI culture, "inclusion" pretty much requires a pluralism.   Pluralism is the belief that all roads lead to heaven.  Except for the very few that might be labeled evil (a "Hitler" type), people are basically good and whatever they believe can certainly get them to heaven.  It does beg the question, "If there are a multitude of beliefs that can get to heaven, does this require that there are a multitude of heavens?"   Mine is going to have a hammock that is ever swinging, on a warm sunny day, with a nice breeze, and an ever-cold, ever-full glass of iced tea.  Oh, and some occasional meals and snacks brought to me.   All roads lead to all heavens.  

Inclusivism sounds like Christian teaching at first glance.  Inclusivists believe that Jesus is the only Savior.  They believe there is no other name given to humans whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).  They even might agree that no one can get to the Father except through Jesus Christ.  Yet, they adhere to a belief that a person does not need to explicitly know about and believe in Jesus to be saved by Jesus.   People are saved by Jesus even if they don't know that they are saved by Jesus!  

Inclusivism, at the end of the day, is really just pluralism dressed up like Christianity.   We serve a merciful God who does desire that all be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) but He is a just judge and requires individual repentance to and belief in Jesus Christ to be saved.  May we not get duped by the politics of inclusivity and lose our witness.  

God has given us testimony!   Mankind's testimony of Jesus (the disciples saw him, heard him, and touched him).  God's divine testimony of Jesus:  the Father affirmed Jesus at the baptism (the water), He shook the earth cataclysmically at the cross (the blood), and His Spirit remains a witness to us today that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten son, our Lord and Savior!  Let's join in that testimony and share it with others so that they might excitedly bow to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  

Parents of Sunday school kids - would you please help your kids practice their lines and songs for the Palm Monday Program?   They do also have a full practice on Saturday, March 23 at 10am (to 11:45) and also that next Sunday morning (during Sunday school).   The program is on March 24th during the worship service.   Thanks!  

Did you know that we have a regular prayer meeting every Wednesday night and a prayer “chain” is available for urgent prayer requests (we ask that those be immediate family members).  

Also if you are not a part of a Life Group, you are missing one of our vital prayer ministries.  

One author asked “Do you believe God wants to do more in the lives of the people around you than He is currently doing?  Do you believe that God can do things bigger than you can?  Are you convinced that God can do things faster than you can?  Do you believe that God can do things better than you can?  Would you say that what God does will last longer than the things you do?”¹  Of course, our answer would be “yes.”  This right thinking should be followed by right prayer.  We should be interested in “intercessory” prayer.  In other words, we are pleading on behalf of others.   Not all prayer is intercession but we should, many times, be interceding for others, going to God on behalf of them.  This is important in ministry as we desire others to have tremendous success as they teach us, lead our children, take care of the church property, handle administrative tasks, etc.   In praying for them in an intercessory way, we are seeking the best for them and before God’s throne by bringing their needs to Him.   God responds to this.  Be the church!

^{1. John Piper}