September 26
Isaiah 48:12-50:11 | PS 69:1-18 | Prov 24:5-6 | Eph 4:17-32
We read in John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." We also read in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." This screams exclusivity. But most don't like that, thinking this unfair. A couple of years ago while on vacation in Italy, there was a couple near us whom we talked to on a number of occasions. We brought the conversation onto the things of God (they lived near Cincinnati, Ohio, so we brought up the Creation Museum nearby them to stir the conversation). They had no real faith, raised Roman Catholic, but did not have any desire to seek the things of God. They mentioned that their son married a woman, and the two of them now practice Bahai. Though she seemed unhappy about this she stated at least they engage in a large amount of community service. As the conversation proceeded, she spoke of one her sisters who to her dismay actually believes there is only one way to heaven, through Jesus Christ, to which my wife and I explained that we agreed with her sister. I used John 14:6, and discussed how loving our God is that only those who repent and accept Him can go to heaven, but that invitation has no restrictions, as He died and welcomes those from all backgrounds. I'd like to say that they sought Jesus at the end of the conversation, but at least a seed was planted.
We read in Ephesians 4:17-18, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;". Most of us in the faith now are Gentiles. But understand that before Jesus Christ, the Gentiles were utterly lost. We read in one of the prophecies concerning Jesus' first coming in Isaiah 49:6, "Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth." Jesus, the Savior to the Gentiles, the tribes of Jacob, the preserved ones of Israel. Jesus is the Savior to the ends of the earth. Some will state this group or that who might not hear the gospel message. Jesus is more fair than any of us would ever be. All will have a choice, but the only choice when it comes to salvation is Jesus Christ. There is simply no other Light for this world, no matter how sincere or religious one might seem. This must be our message and we can't shrink back from it, no matter how offensive it might sound to those who don't know their Savior.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: