ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME
Text:
Acts 4:13
Theme: Many feel it doesn’t matter what you believe just as long as you have some type of faith. That view is not scriptural.
I.
INTRODUCTION:
A.
THE TICKET : You've probably heard it said, "It doesn't matter what you
believe; it's how you live that counts."
A. J. Gordon encountered this philosophy one time as he talked with a
fellow passenger on a train. The
man believed he could get to Heaven by his good works. Pointing to the conductor who was making his way through the
coach, Gordon asked his friend, "Did you ever notice how carefully he
always examines the ticket but takes no pains whatever to inspect the
passenger?" The man
immediately caught the significance of the question.
He had just been saying that God was interested only in what we do and
not in a "little bit of theological scrip called faith."
"You see," continued Gordon, "the passenger and the ticket
are accepted together. If he
doesn't have one, or has the wrong one, he will be asked to get off the
train__no matter how honest he might appear to be.
Just as the ticket stands for the man, faith stands for you."
God accepts us and declares us righteous only if we have the right
ticket__faith in the One who dies for us on the cross.
B.
Many react negatively to the fact that there is no other way.
C.
The church teaches different ways.
1.
Catholic only
2.
Cults only way
3.
Others
D.
Christ teaches one way. John 14:6
E.
If God made Jesus the only way, then we cannot be “open-minded” on this
issue.
F.
No other teacher, prophet, etc. died for the sins of the world.
G.
Notice some roads traveled.
II.
BODY:
A.
Physical Roads
1.
Good human, one with nature
2.
Non-destructive personal practices
3.
Asceticism
4.
Work hard
B.
Moral
1.
Honest
2.
Do good
3.
Treat people fairly
4.
Mentally straight
5.
Positive in life-style
6.
Dishonest
C.
Religious
1.
Multiple religions
2.
Mixture religions
3.
Pious without a knowledge of Christ
4.
Christ
a.
Born again
(1)
Changed lives
(2)
Experiences of changed lives
III.
CLOSE:
A.
What if you lived your life and were all wrong?
1.
Transformed life
2.
Won’t know if there is nothing in the hereafter
3.
Life richer and fuller
4.
If right! Wow
5.
If wrong? Eternity is a long time.
B.
Take courage and stand up! To stand up for God in church, when we are surrounded
by friends, is one thing. To stand up for God in the household of King Ahab,
when the king was seeking to destroy God’s prophets, was another thing. Yet,
that’s what Obadiah did. Obadiah, who was the overseer in the household of
Ahab, believed in God. Consequently, even while Ahab was seeking to destroy
God’s prophets, Obadiah “took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in
a cave, and provided them with bread and water” (I Kings 18:4). That is real
courage.
C.
Take heart, receive Him, and live the abundant life.
Which
Religion for Me?
1. Background
a.
B.
C. Recent trends
d.
2. Why should people listen to ?
A. Furnish ?
B. Received
from Christ.
C. Jew
d. Special Experience
e. Confirmed by .
3. Classification of religions
a. Source of .
B. Re
.
1. .
2.
.
3. .
C. Of
.
4. Why Choose Christianity?
A. Credentials
b. Investigate Of
.
C. Checkout .
D. Examine the .