Our talk this week centers around the common idea that all religions lead to the same place. It examines that stone in the cultural soil that says it doesn't really matter which religion you choose, they all lead to God in the end. We will start by examining some of the reasons this thinking is so popular today and we will end by looking at what the Bible has to say. Our text is one of the strongest and most straightforward assertions in Scripture that emphatically state that only Jesus truly reveals who God really is. It is a more drawn out commentary on Jesus' own words in John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

This notion that all religions are the same or end in the same place is rooted in our culture's enamorment with tolerance. The new Golden Rule goes something like this: "Let others do what they want so you can do what you want." After all, God too must be a tolerant, congenial fellow. He would never turn someone away who was genuinely making a good effort. That kind of thinking reveals a complete disregard for Scripture and a surprising ignorance about the incompatibility of the world religions. Different religions believe completely opposing things about God and eternity. For example, in Hinduism "god" is completely impersonal and the end goal of life is nothingness, while in Christianity, God is deeply personal and the end goal is life with him. Sorry, in the real world, every answer is not correct. Some are just wrong, others are misleading and some are just plain dangerous.

So the "all religions lead to the same place" notion is philosophically or logically inconsistent. It does not stand up under close scrutiny. It reveals misunderstandings about those religions that claim completely incompatible beliefs and it puts faith in a god who appears himself to be a contradiction. But there is one characteristic that is common to all world religions except Christianity. It is the otherwise universal belief that for a person to be saved, reborn, made whole, achieve fulfillment, etc. he or she must keep a certain teaching or live according to a set series of laws. Christianity on the other hand teaches you can never save yourself but that God has intervened and sent Jesus to save us and that it is by grace alone. The penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus exemplifies this truth. He could do nothing to save himself, nor would he have any opportunity to follow a teaching, yet Jesus granted him access to paradise.

Christianity is a revelation and a rescue. The revelation begins in the Old Testament and the light glows dimly but progressively brighter until it shines radiantly in the Gospels. We know God through the revelation of Jesus Christ. The way to the Father is made known and complete access to him has been opened for us. While other religions do have some light, Christianity is daylight.

Our talk this week centers around the common idea that all religions lead to the same place. It examines that stone in the cultural soil that says it doesn't really matter which religion you choose, they all lead to God in the end. We will start by examining some of the reasons this thinking is so popular today and we will end by looking at what the Bible has to say. Our text is one of the strongest and most straightforward assertions in Scripture that emphatically state that only Jesus truly reveals who God really is. It is a more drawn out commentary on Jesus' own words in John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

This notion that all religions are the same or end in the same place is rooted in our culture's enamorment with tolerance. The new Golden Rule goes something like this: "Let others do what they want so you can do what you want." After all, God too must be a tolerant, congenial fellow. He would never turn someone away who was genuinely making a good effort. That kind of thinking reveals a complete disregard for Scripture and a surprising ignorance about the incompatibility of the world religions. Different religions believe completely opposing things about God and eternity. For example, in Hinduism "god" is completely impersonal and the end goal of life is nothingness, while in Christianity, God is deeply personal and the end goal is life with him. Sorry, in the real world, every answer is not correct. Some are just wrong, others are misleading and some are just plain dangerous.

So the "all religions lead to the same place" notion is philosophically or logically inconsistent. It does not stand up under close scrutiny. It reveals misunderstandings about those religions that claim completely incompatible beliefs and it puts faith in a god who appears himself to be a contradiction. But there is one characteristic that is common to all world religions except Christianity. It is the otherwise universal belief that for a person to be saved, reborn, made whole, achieve fulfillment, etc. he or she must keep a certain teaching or live according to a set series of laws. Christianity on the other hand teaches you can never save yourself but that God has intervened and sent Jesus to save us and that it is by grace alone. The penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus exemplifies this truth. He could do nothing to save himself, nor would he have any opportunity to follow a teaching, yet Jesus granted him access to paradise.

Christianity is a revelation and a rescue. The revelation begins in the Old Testament and the light glows dimly but progressively brighter until it shines radiantly in the Gospels. We know God through the revelation of Jesus Christ. The way to the Father is made known and complete access to him has been opened for us. While other religions do have some light, Christianity is daylight.

This week we are looking at another big rock in the soil of people's hearts that prevents them from clearly understanding the Gospel. It is the perception that Christians are not really free to be themselves. The notion that Christians are bound by rules imposed by the Church or God or some ideology that sucks the life out of them and leaves them without a real life. It leads nonbelievers to wonder why anyone would willingly impose such a burden upon themselves. They might say: "You have to go to church every week; you give your time and money; you never just party till you drop? Why would I want to do that? I have enough to worry about."

This perception of the believer's life is not without reason. Perhaps not a few believers act as if following Jesus is a big burden and their non-believing friends wonder why they endeavor to live a life of such apparent drudgery. This impression comes from those who do not really understand what it means to live the life of Christ, which is far from boring and full of abundant living. They have failed to realize the purpose of living a Kingdom life and have lost their way in a tangle of rule based living.

In our text this week the Apostle discusses his motivation for limiting his freedom. It is in the context of a discussion about what foods to avoid as a follower of Jesus. This was a significant issue at the time because the Jewish religion was filled with dietary restrictions. It was naturally thought that Christians might have the same kinds of rules. Actually, Christians are free to eat anything but they ought to be careful not to offend or lead astray others who are new to the faith. In other words; it would be unwise to invite a new Jewish convert to a pork barbeque. More specifically, it would not be wise to feast with your neighbours at the local pagan temple since in fact those meals were part of a worship celebration to false gods (10:18-22). "Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial" (10:23).

Paul uses two athletic metaphors to describe his motivation for limiting his freedom. He talks about a foot race and a boxing match. Regarding the foot race he points out that we need to run to win and that strict training is necessary. A self-imposed regimen will certainly stand us in good stead on racing day. There is a goal in mind and there is a prize to be won, so why not run to win, train hard and give it all you've got. The goal is the key, aimless wandering on the race track will not accomplish anything of value. Any deprivation that Paul endured was with this goal in mind. In a similar fashion, he wants to box to win. He does not simply beat the air, he wants to cause the enemy bruising. In order to win he may have to accept a few bruises himself, in fact he subjects himself to a few black eyes (this is the literal word in the Greek) in order to prepare himself for the fight. Paul is not bound by rules. He restricts his freedom and trains hard because there is a cause so great that it is worth the effort. He does not do this begrudgingly or reluctantly but with joy. Spirit empowered – Kingdom People – Make a difference.

This week we are looking at another big rock in the soil of people's hearts that prevents them from clearly understanding the Gospel. It is the perception that Christians are not really free to be themselves. The notion that Christians are bound by rules imposed by the Church or God or some ideology that sucks the life out of them and leaves them without a real life. It leads nonbelievers to wonder why anyone would willingly impose such a burden upon themselves. They might say: "You have to go to church every week; you give your time and money; you never just party till you drop? Why would I want to do that? I have enough to worry about."

This perception of the believer's life is not without reason. Perhaps not a few believers act as if following Jesus is a big burden and their non-believing friends wonder why they endeavor to live a life of such apparent drudgery. This impression comes from those who do not really understand what it means to live the life of Christ, which is far from boring and full of abundant living. They have failed to realize the purpose of living a Kingdom life and have lost their way in a tangle of rule based living.

In our text this week the Apostle discusses his motivation for limiting his freedom. It is in the context of a discussion about what foods to avoid as a follower of Jesus. This was a significant issue at the time because the Jewish religion was filled with dietary restrictions. It was naturally thought that Christians might have the same kinds of rules. Actually, Christians are free to eat anything but they ought to be careful not to offend or lead astray others who are new to the faith. In other words; it would be unwise to invite a new Jewish convert to a pork barbeque. More specifically, it would not be wise to feast with your neighbours at the local pagan temple since in fact those meals were part of a worship celebration to false gods (10:18-22). "Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial" (10:23).

Paul uses two athletic metaphors to describe his motivation for limiting his freedom. He talks about a foot race and a boxing match. Regarding the foot race he points out that we need to run to win and that strict training is necessary. A self-imposed regimen will certainly stand us in good stead on racing day. There is a goal in mind and there is a prize to be won, so why not run to win, train hard and give it all you've got. The goal is the key, aimless wandering on the race track will not accomplish anything of value. Any deprivation that Paul endured was with this goal in mind. In a similar fashion, he wants to box to win. He does not simply beat the air, he wants to cause the enemy bruising. In order to win he may have to accept a few bruises himself, in fact he subjects himself to a few black eyes (this is the literal word in the Greek) in order to prepare himself for the fight. Paul is not bound by rules. He restricts his freedom and trains hard because there is a cause so great that it is worth the effort. He does not do this begrudgingly or reluctantly but with joy. Spirit empowered – Kingdom People – Make a difference.

In this series we are talking about the receptivity of our culture to the Gospel message. Last week we concluded that part of our role as followers of Jesus is to be concerned about soil preparation. We are not just to spread the Gospel seed but to take care to improve the soil conditions so that the seed has an optimal opportunity for germination and fruitfulness. We have become aware there are some stones in the soil that need to be removed. One of the big rocks in our culture is the way Christians deal with the Homosexual issue.

First of all, we need to be careful not to label people by their sexual practices, as if this one thing defines their personhood. There is a tendency for this group to label themselves as the Gay or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. While I believe this is an attempt to draw attention to an agenda and promote solidarity among folks who perceive themselves to be poorly treated by the rest of society; I'm not sure if it is a helpful label. I find it more reasonable to refer to people who deal with Same Sex Attraction or in some cases Gender Ambiguity; in the transgender community.

Secondly, we should treat people who have a different moral creedo, as Jesus treated those in his world who did not share his moral code. His position was to love and befriend those who were unlike him, his Jewish companions, or the religious leaders of his day. In fact, it was this ability to associate with and engage those considered unclean or sinful by his contemporaries that set Jesus apart from his peers. The label "Friend of Sinners" (Matt. 11:19) sums up his approach to those outside his moral comfort zone. Did Jesus disagree with Matthew's questionable taxation practices? Was he distressed over the adulterous woman's affairs? Did the promiscuity of the woman at the well bother him? Of course; they were all signs of human brokenness. But his love for these folks was first and foremost in his interactions with them.

Homosexual practice is one of many sexual sins mentioned in scripture. Our text makes it clear that even in the First Century people were struggling with this kind of sin and the church was familiar with people who had come from this kind of background. But the power of the Gospel washed, sanctified and justified all those who would come to Jesus. The same remedy applies to all sin. We all need it liberally applied and graciously delivered. We are washed – a metaphor from the family home; we are sanctified (made holy) – a metaphor from the Jewish religion; and we are justified – a metaphor from the legal system.

The church does Jesus a disservice and hardens the soil when it treats those outside the fold as insiders. In other words, it endeavours to impose a moral code on folks who have not signed up for the journey. We can be politically active and endeavor to promote just laws while at the same time loving those who differ from our views. This is the delicate and difficult balance of being a Jesus follower.

In this series we are talking about the receptivity of our culture to the Gospel message. Last week we concluded that part of our role as followers of Jesus is to be concerned about soil preparation. We are not just to spread the Gospel seed but to take care to improve the soil conditions so that the seed has an optimal opportunity for germination and fruitfulness. We have become aware there are some stones in the soil that need to be removed. One of the big rocks in our culture is the way Christians deal with the Homosexual issue.

First of all, we need to be careful not to label people by their sexual practices, as if this one thing defines their personhood. There is a tendency for this group to label themselves as the Gay or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. While I believe this is an attempt to draw attention to an agenda and promote solidarity among folks who perceive themselves to be poorly treated by the rest of society; I'm not sure if it is a helpful label. I find it more reasonable to refer to people who deal with Same Sex Attraction or in some cases Gender Ambiguity; in the transgender community.

Secondly, we should treat people who have a different moral creedo, as Jesus treated those in his world who did not share his moral code. His position was to love and befriend those who were unlike him, his Jewish companions, or the religious leaders of his day. In fact, it was this ability to associate with and engage those considered unclean or sinful by his contemporaries that set Jesus apart from his peers. The label "Friend of Sinners" (Matt. 11:19) sums up his approach to those outside his moral comfort zone. Did Jesus disagree with Matthew's questionable taxation practices? Was he distressed over the adulterous woman's affairs? Did the promiscuity of the woman at the well bother him? Of course; they were all signs of human brokenness. But his love for these folks was first and foremost in his interactions with them.

Homosexual practice is one of many sexual sins mentioned in scripture. Our text makes it clear that even in the First Century people were struggling with this kind of sin and the church was familiar with people who had come from this kind of background. But the power of the Gospel washed, sanctified and justified all those who would come to Jesus. The same remedy applies to all sin. We all need it liberally applied and graciously delivered. We are washed – a metaphor from the family home; we are sanctified (made holy) – a metaphor from the Jewish religion; and we are justified – a metaphor from the legal system.

The church does Jesus a disservice and hardens the soil when it treats those outside the fold as insiders. In other words, it endeavours to impose a moral code on folks who have not signed up for the journey. We can be politically active and endeavor to promote just laws while at the same time loving those who differ from our views. This is the delicate and difficult balance of being a Jesus follower.

This week we are beginning a new series entitled “Stone Picker Theology.” The title comes from a comment my friend and colleague, Dr Michael Wilkinson, made to me when we were talking about the Church and Culture. As a sociologist he said that what the church seems not to realize is that there are cultural reasons why our message (the Gospel) is not being well received in Western Canada. If we ignore those cultural issues we may have a very good church with excellent ministries; but if we do not speak the language of the culture or understand the needs of the culture, it is like we are speaking a foreign language. There are big rocks in the way of our neighbours truly hearing the message. We need to remove those stones for the culture to have an opportunity to receive the seed of the Word.

Our text is the parable of the sower. It is familiar territory and most of us get the big idea of the parable; which is that we can be confident in the potency of the Gospel seed. Although it may fall on hard, shallow and weedy soil, some will land on fertile ground, and the end result will be a bountiful crop. Jesus teaches this in a context where the disciples were certainly starting to wonder about the message. His family was wondering if he was nuts (Mk. 3:21 & 32). The teachers of the law were accusing him of being in league with Satan (Mk. 3:22).

What is often taken from the parable, but was not Jesus' intent, is that our responsibility as Gospel Farmers stops at spreading the seed. Some appear to believe that the farmer bears no responsibility for the productivity of the soil. The soil conditions are completely beyond his or her control and are the result of conditions that are unrelated to Gospel Farmers. Just "willy nilly" throw the seed about and hope for the best. This would be a disastrous strategy for a modern farmer as it is just as detrimental to the Kingdom of God. It seems to me that much of the Kingdom work is in fact soil preparation. After all we are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). The Apostle Paul certainly spent a good deal of his energy in soil preparation. "To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1 Cor. 9:21-23) In many ways Missionaries understand this better than those of us trying to be Gospel Farmers in our own cultures. They automatically know that the soil needs to be tilled. They work at language acquisition and contextualization to make sure the Gospel is heard clearly. Our challenge is to see the stones in our Western Canadian culture and to work at removing them. Some of the stones we will be talking about in this series: Christians are Bigots and Hate Gays; Christians Only Care About Themselves; Christians are Bound by Rules; Christians are Not Deep Thinkers and Hate Science; and All Christians are Hypocrites.

This week we are beginning a new series entitled “Stone Picker Theology.” The title comes from a comment my friend and colleague, Dr Michael Wilkinson, made to me when we were talking about the Church and Culture. As a sociologist he said that what the church seems not to realize is that there are cultural reasons why our message (the Gospel) is not being well received in Western Canada. If we ignore those cultural issues we may have a very good church with excellent ministries; but if we do not speak the language of the culture or understand the needs of the culture, it is like we are speaking a foreign language. There are big rocks in the way of our neighbours truly hearing the message. We need to remove those stones for the culture to have an opportunity to receive the seed of the Word.

Our text is the parable of the sower. It is familiar territory and most of us get the big idea of the parable; which is that we can be confident in the potency of the Gospel seed. Although it may fall on hard, shallow and weedy soil, some will land on fertile ground, and the end result will be a bountiful crop. Jesus teaches this in a context where the disciples were certainly starting to wonder about the message. His family was wondering if he was nuts (Mk. 3:21 & 32). The teachers of the law were accusing him of being in league with Satan (Mk. 3:22).

What is often taken from the parable, but was not Jesus' intent, is that our responsibility as Gospel Farmers stops at spreading the seed. Some appear to believe that the farmer bears no responsibility for the productivity of the soil. The soil conditions are completely beyond his or her control and are the result of conditions that are unrelated to Gospel Farmers. Just "willy nilly" throw the seed about and hope for the best. This would be a disastrous strategy for a modern farmer as it is just as detrimental to the Kingdom of God. It seems to me that much of the Kingdom work is in fact soil preparation. After all we are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). The Apostle Paul certainly spent a good deal of his energy in soil preparation. "To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1 Cor. 9:21-23) In many ways Missionaries understand this better than those of us trying to be Gospel Farmers in our own cultures. They automatically know that the soil needs to be tilled. They work at language acquisition and contextualization to make sure the Gospel is heard clearly. Our challenge is to see the stones in our Western Canadian culture and to work at removing them. Some of the stones we will be talking about in this series: Christians are Bigots and Hate Gays; Christians Only Care About Themselves; Christians are Bound by Rules; Christians are Not Deep Thinkers and Hate Science; and All Christians are Hypocrites.

This week I am talking about Faith. I am referring to biblical faith, not the anemic kind of faith that we refer to when we say we believe in love or magic or the Canucks. Biblical faith is what I am calling: "Belief with Consequences." Biblical faith goes way beyond simple intellectual assent. It results in very concrete and specific ends. It revolutionizes our life stories. It intersects our journeys and redirects our pilgrimages.

There seems to be two basic pitfalls that Christians fall into when it comes to faith. The first I have already alluded to. It is the temptation to believe without resulting effect. It is the "Faith without Works" that the Apostle James writes about. We are all well aware of this trap and much has been said (preached) on the topic.

But a second pitfall is less well known. It is the problem of misplaced faith or faith that is centered on something other than the object of true Christian faith. It may also be seen as immature faith in that many "believers" come to faith without a mature understanding of the Word or without fully understanding the implications. Some come to Christ because of a physical healing or a financial miracle or perhaps even because of an introduction to Christian community for which they have longed for their whole lives. For some of these folks their focus stays on what first drew them to Christ and His Church and in order to grow they must mature in their understanding of faith. Sometimes we create a problem of faith when we fail to help our children move from an immature understanding of faith to mature biblical faith. To say that "Jesus comes into our hearts" at salvation is a good way to explain the Gospel to kids but if we don't help them mature in their understanding of faith we ill-prepare them for adult life.

In our text Paul is speaking to people who know nothing about the Bible. He cannot say "Believe this because the Bible says." Instead he gets to the essence of faith which is belief in Jesus Christ and the Gospel. His own life story is that he heard the Gospel from eyewitnesses. At first he did not believe and in fact violently opposed the message. But he had his own encounter with the Gospel on the road to Damascus and his faith came alive. He calls them and us to put our faith in the same reality. He states this succinctly in Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation…"

This week I am talking about Faith. I am referring to biblical faith, not the anemic kind of faith that we refer to when we say we believe in love or magic or the Canucks. Biblical faith is what I am calling: "Belief with Consequences." Biblical faith goes way beyond simple intellectual assent. It results in very concrete and specific ends. It revolutionizes our life stories. It intersects our journeys and redirects our pilgrimages.

There seems to be two basic pitfalls that Christians fall into when it comes to faith. The first I have already alluded to. It is the temptation to believe without resulting effect. It is the "Faith without Works" that the Apostle James writes about. We are all well aware of this trap and much has been said (preached) on the topic.

But a second pitfall is less well known. It is the problem of misplaced faith or faith that is centered on something other than the object of true Christian faith. It may also be seen as immature faith in that many "believers" come to faith without a mature understanding of the Word or without fully understanding the implications. Some come to Christ because of a physical healing or a financial miracle or perhaps even because of an introduction to Christian community for which they have longed for their whole lives. For some of these folks their focus stays on what first drew them to Christ and His Church and in order to grow they must mature in their understanding of faith. Sometimes we create a problem of faith when we fail to help our children move from an immature understanding of faith to mature biblical faith. To say that "Jesus comes into our hearts" at salvation is a good way to explain the Gospel to kids but if we don't help them mature in their understanding of faith we ill-prepare them for adult life.

In our text Paul is speaking to people who know nothing about the Bible. He cannot say "Believe this because the Bible says." Instead he gets to the essence of faith which is belief in Jesus Christ and the Gospel. His own life story is that he heard the Gospel from eyewitnesses. At first he did not believe and in fact violently opposed the message. But he had his own encounter with the Gospel on the road to Damascus and his faith came alive. He calls them and us to put our faith in the same reality. He states this succinctly in Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation…"