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Amen: Standing for the Truth in a Truthless World
John 14:6
We Believe Sermon Series #18
Several years ago at a passion play an incident took place during Jesus carrying the cross. A man in the audience was heckling the character playing Jesus, throwing out jeers, taunts and dares. Finally the man playing Jesus just couldn’t take any more. He dropped the cross and went over and punched the heckler in the face. The director was aghast and after the play pulled the actor aside and told him in no uncertain terms that he was never, ever to do that again. Well, the next night the same heckler was back and again the same thing started to happen. The man playing Jesus this time had to be restrained. The director called the actor in and gave him an ultimatum of either quitting or keeping his cool. The young actor assured the director he would keep himself under control. The third night, the heckler was present again and the taunts were even stronger than the two previous nights. The man playing Jesus rose to his full stature, gritted his teeth and told the heckler, "I’ll see you right after the resurrection."
This is the final message in our We Believe series on the Apostles’ Creed. Today we come to that final word in the Creed, “Amen.” For eighteen weeks we have been studying what we believe. We have been studying truth. One of our great problems is that the majority of the world, even the majority of Americans, even a large percentage of professing Christians disagree. Many are willing to say, “I feel...” or “I think.” But to claim to have truth seems highly arrogant to them. And they also believe that truth is something elusive and no one really has a handle on it. It’s the Agent Mulder dilemma, “The truth is out there.” For someone to claim to have the truth is insensitive, intolerant and even un-American. The Conventional Wisdom is that this is a pluralistic world and no one has the market on truth. So are we to punch in the nose those that disagree with us? Because the fact is that the Apostles’ Creed is totally out of style and out of touch. Let me illustrate.
Following the attacks on September 11th, New York Mayor, Rudy Guilliani spoke before the United Nations. In his speech he mentioned that on a typical weekend he will visit an Islamic mosque on Friday and a Christian Church on Sunday. Then he commented that both groups worship the same God, but in different ways.
For several years, the Mt. Bethel Methodist Church in Atlanta had hosted the community’s baccalaureate service. One year, organizers wanted to include speakers from the Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and even Wicca religions. Many students expressed a desire to have the name of Jesus censored from the service because it would be offensive. The pastor said it would be a dishonor not to mention Jesus’ name in His own church, thus the service should be moved to a neutral location if they wanted to include other religions. Of course, the media picked up the story and focused on the bigoted, narrow‑mindedness of the pastor. Listen to this pastor’s response: “My single purpose as an ordained minister is to preach Christ. Political correctness is not a deity here. In the past few weeks, I’ve been asked to pray in this church and not use the name of Jesus. I’ve been asked to cover the crosses in the church because they might be offensive to non‑believers. I’ve said ‘no’ to each one of these requests. It’s absolutely amazing to me how people who push tolerance will push anything except tolerance of Christian faith even when it is expressed within its own church.”
While Christianity still dominates, the U.S. has a greater diversity of religious groups than any country in history. The Encyclopedia of American Religions lists 1,600 different groups, with 44% of them non‑Christian. Half of these have blossomed since 1960. Today there are more Muslims in the U.S. than Methodists.
Bill O’Reilly the popular news commentator and host of his own cable show, “The O’Reilly Factor”, has coined a phrase for his show, “The spin stops here.”
I firmly believe that churches need to pick up on that catchy phrase and demand that when it comes to all the lies about God, “The spin stops here!” Every Christian ought to be able to stand securely in God’s truth and say, “there’s no spin zone allowed in my life!” Hopefully, this series, We Believe, has helped you to better engage in our culture’s dialog of ideas. Our beliefs of spiritual truth that transform matter. But if we are not careful, Christianity will be hijacked by the spiritual spin‑doctors and they will cut out the very heart of our message. In John 14:6 Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In the midst of today’s pluralistic, global village, there is still a Rock jutting out, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall” (1 Pet. 2:8). Now this is scandalous talk in our day of pluralism but it’s true. As we come to the end of our series then...
1. We need to say “Amen.” The last word in the Apostles’ Creed is “Amen.” Our problem with “Amen” is that we hear it so often that it loses all meaning. For most of us, “Amen” either means, “The prayer is over” or “It’s time to eat.” When we see it at the end of the creed, it’s like the caboose at the end of a train. It simply means that the creed is now finished. But the writers of the creed had something more in mind.
The word “Amen” comes from the Old Testament, from the Hebrew. In its original form, it means literally "that which is reliable, sure, or true." It means, “So be it” or “I agree” or “Yes, this is true.” It’s not a throwaway word. Amen was often used, and is still used, to conclude a prayer. A lot of people seem to think that Amen at the end of a prayer is sort of a Hebrew period, “That means he’s stopped; now I can open my eyes.” But it means considerably more than that.
When a person prays, and at the conclusion of their own prayer, says Amen, what they’re really showing is strong affirmation: "This is really, truly what is in my heart." Of course, you’ll find that it is appropriate in many church services when someone else leads the congregation in prayer or when you have a small group praying together, not only for the person doing the praying to say Amen, but for the others to articulate an Amen as well. When they do that, there’s a sense that the group is agreeing. This is something that they believe in truly in their own hearts.
In that respect, saying Amen is like the president signing a bill after it has passed through the House and the Senate. We say Amen because the creed is true, and every part of it is true:
I believe in God the Father Almighty—Amen!
Maker of Heaven and Earth—Amen!
And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord—Amen!
Conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary—Amen!
Suffered under Pontius Pilate—Amen!
Was crucified, dead, and buried—Amen!
He descended into hell—Amen!
The third day He rose again from the dead—Amen!
He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty—Amen!
From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead—Amen!
I believe in the Holy Spirit—Amen!
The holy universal Church—Amen!
The communion of saints—Amen!
The forgiveness of sins—Amen!
The resurrection of the body—Amen!
The life everlasting—Amen!The Christian church says “Amen” to the whole creed and to every part of the creed because these things really are true. We dare not say then or even sing this word glibly. To utter Amen is to place ourselves within the very sanctuary of God, confronting His holiness and righteousness, His justice and truth, and declaring our willingness to stand fast for what we believe. When we say “Amen” at the end of the Apostles’ Creed, we are declaring that we believe the Creed and that it is true. Spiritual truth always demands a personal response. It’s not enough merely to say or to recite the creed Sunday after Sunday. You must at some point decide whether or not you actually believe what you are saying. The “Amen” forces you to make a choice.
When you say Amen at the end of the Apostles’ Creed, you are saying, “Lord, these things are true and I truly do believe them and I truly believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.” But please don’t say it if you don’t mean it. Note that the creed begins with the phrase “I believe,” and ends with “Amen.” The Apostles’ Creed is more than a doctrinal statement. It’s a declaration of your personal commitment to what the creed says. Friend, can you say, “I believe” and “Amen” to the Apostles’ Creed?
2. Since the Apostles Creed is true then... As with any truth, there are often ramifications. For example, since gravity is true I can’t jump off a high building without serious ramifications. I can feel whatever I want. Everyone else may agree with me. We may pluralistically disagree and deny gravity but that does not change the truth of gravity. Since the Apostles’ Creed is true, there are certain cultural beliefs that are out.
A) Universalism is out. There is only one way. Jesus said, “I am the way.” In a recent survey conducted by the Barna Research Group, nearly 1/3 of all born‑again Christians stated that all good people will go to heaven, whether they have embraced Jesus Christ or not. 54% think that if people are good enough, they will earn a place in heaven regardless of their religious beliefs. But that’s not what Jesus said and that’s not what the Bible teaches. Universalism maintains that it doesn’t matter what you believe or how you live because everyone is going to heaven...in the end, all roads lead to God.
Dorothy was told how to find her way to Oz. “Follow the yellow brick road.” Dorothy was not given different options. “Look Dorothy if you don’t like yellow then follow the road of your choice: red, green, blue. You pick the road and it will take you where you want to go.”
Universalism says that while all world religions have some fundamental difference from each other, when you strip them down to the basics all religions will lead you to God. Therefore, it doesn’t really matter which religion you follow as long as you are sincere about what you believe. In other words, regardless of what spiritual path you may take, each path leads you up the same mountain. Upon reaching the summit (also known as heaven) we will all discover the “universal fatherhood of God” accepting all of his children regardless of the path they chose to climb the mountain. But Jesus said, “I AM THE WAY.” He did not claim to be “a way,” but “the way.”
When you compare world religions you will find many similarities especially concerning some basic values and moral issues. But with one statement Jesus puts Christianity in a class by itself. The uniqueness of the Christian faith is based in the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Other religious leaders say, “Follow me and I will show you the way of salvation.” But Jesus says, “I am the way to eternal life.” The difference between Christianity and other religions is Jesus Christ! Other religious beliefs are based upon man’s best attempt to reach God. Christianity is based only upon what Jesus Christ did on the Cross when He died in our place.
Baseball season is just starting. Imagine a little league baseball team of six and seven‑year olds learning how to play the game. Having worked with kids through the years, I know that many six and seven‑year olds would rather just play the game than learn how. Now can you picture one imaginative player who thinks he has found a better way to play the game? This little guy stands at the plate and manages to get the bat to hit the ball. Immediately he jumps on home plate and yells “Home run! Home run!” Meanwhile the fielder throws the ball to first base and the umpire calls the imaginative player out. The little guy bravely stands up to the umpire and says, “I’m not out. I got on home base before they did. I got a home run.” The umpire says, “I’m sorry slugger, but you have to run all the bases to get a home run. The rules say ‘you’re out.’” “That’s what they told me,” the imaginative player responds, but I decided it’s too hard that way. My way I get a home run every time and never get out!” Unfortunately every generation of little leaguers must learn to play the game by the rules.
Now if that’s how it works in baseball, what makes us think it would be any different making our way to our eternal home in heaven? Just like baseball players must run the bases to get home, God has established a specific path we all must follow. It’s through Jesus Christ. Peter said in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
If you were to plan a trip to Washington D.C., you could sit down with a map and plan many different routes to take. Each route would have its own unique experiences, but regardless of the way you decided to go you would ultimately arrive at your planned destination. But unlike a trip down the road, our journey to heaven has only one road we can take to reach our eternal home of heaven. Every other road is a dead end. God has set the course we must follow. Like baseball, if we decide to try to go our own way and not follow the path God has set for us, then when we arrive we will find ourselves being called “Out.”
Does this seem unfair to you? More and more people today–even many who consider themselves Christians–believe there are many roads that lead to God. Today people believe that as long as you are sincere in what you believe and do your best to be a good moral person God will accept you in the end. You can be very sincere but unless you have committed your life to Christ, the one Who “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.” Unless you have committed your life to the One who on “the third day...rose again from the dead.” You will be “out” for all eternity.” You will still be sincere but you will be sincerely wrong. Jesus said, “I am the way.” All roads do not go to heaven, only one does.
B) Relativism is out. There is only one truth. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” Relativists tell us that something may be “true for you but not necessarily for someone else.” The view that truth is relative is a cornerstone of popular culture today. Pollster George Barna indicates that nearly 75% of Americans do not believe in absolute truth. Sarah Michelle Gellar star of the hit show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the Scooby Doo movies said this about spirituality. “I consider myself a spiritual person. I believe in an idea of God, although it’s my own personal ideal. I find most religions interesting, and I’ve been to every kind of denomination: Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist. I’ve taken bits from everything and customized it.” That’s a good example of what our society does. They pick and choose the parts of different faith systems to create their own way to believe. How can they do such a thing? This thinking flows out of the fact that our society denies the existence of absolute truth. Our society says that there is no such thing as absolute truth, truth that never changes. This leads us down a very dangerous road because everything becomes relative. In other words, if there is no absolute truth, then truth becomes nothing more than a personal whim. Truth for you might be totally different than truth for me. Our former president, President Clinton, holds this view. He told the student body at Harvard, “You’re at a university which basically believes that no one ever has the truth…we are incapable of ever knowing the whole truth.”
But the last time that I checked anything that was not true has to be called a lie. We though who hold to absolute truth, we who believe that Jesus is “the Truth,” we who believe the Apostles’ Creed are considered dangerous in a relativistic world. Dr. David Tracey of La Trobe University recently stated that, “Fundamentalists believe they have the absolute truth and therefore they have the absolute right to cause havoc and mayhem in the name of their God.” According to the wisdom of the age, evangelicals (pejoratively known as fundamentalists) who make absolute claims are really on an ideological par with terrorists.
But how can someone say, “Truth is relative,” or “There is no such thing as absolute truth.” Can I ask a silly question, isn’t such a truth an absolute statement contradicting itself? And we recognize absolute truth in every area of our lives except religion! For some of us it has been awhile since you took a test at school. Try telling your math teacher truth is relative when you miss an answer on a test. Try telling your history teacher they graded your test wrong because you are living in a different time period. See if you can convince your English teacher you have a different perspective on the use of language. What will your Science teacher tell you if you believe you can make water out of chlorine bleach and baking soda?
You’re free to make whatever claims you would like to about truth, but you should be ready to back it up. By definition truth should be observable; it should be able to be demonstrated so others can know truth. Jesus did more than just claim to know truth. Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” If Jesus is the truth, then everything Jesus said must be true. Because Jesus is truth everything Jesus says must be true, because truth is a part of who Jesus says He is. All religions are not equally valid. Only Christianity is true, the rest are lies. As believers, we are exclusivists. Truth is not open to interpretation.
Please hear what I’m about to say. The saddest part to this chapter in American society is that this fuzzy, relativistic mentality has crept into Bible-believing churches at an alarming rate. Frequently, I hear people say something like this, “Well, I feel this is what this verse means” or “This is what this verse means to me.” But Peter says, “Scripture is not open for private interpretation.” God’s Word is not to be interpreted by subjective experiences or personal feelings. Cults do enough of that already. There is only one truth as far as salvation, forgiveness and eternal life and heaven are concerned. Jesus said, “I am the Truth.”
C) Pluralism is out. There is only one life. Jesus said, “I am the life.” Religious pluralism is, “The belief that every religion is true. Each provides a genuine encounter with God. No one religion is any better or any truer than any others.”
And those who disagree with religious pluralism are often treated as pariah. When an Australian pastor urged Christians to share their faith with those in the work place, there was a scathing article in response in the Sydney Morning Herald: “It is appropriate, indeed, vital in a free society that individuals should be able to cherish their religious beliefs. It is arrogant and dangerous, however, for anyone to assume a right or duty to convert others. In the multicultural, multi‑god nation that modern Australia is, proselytizing can only needlessly provoke community tensions. In Australia, one’s religion is largely a private matter. It should remain that way.” The day is quickly coming when evangelism will be criminalized.
In America under our Constitution, all religious viewpoints are equally protected. People can believe whatever they want. But some foolishly jump to the erroneous conclusion that because different philosophies are equally protected, they must be equally valid. And that’s just not the case. The concept behind what the Supreme Court has called our “marketplace of ideas” is that truth and falsehood will grapple in unhindered debate so that, in the end, truth will prevail. So while all religious are equally protected under our Constitution, that has nothing to do with whether they’re based on truth.
As Christians, we believe that “Jesus is the only way to eternal life” but as Christians we should also be the first to show people of other religions respect and courtesy. We must never seek to force our faith, and when the church has, it is been wrong. Yet we must also affirm the words of Christ, that He is the only way to eternal life.
Today’s world is made up of a vast array of cultures, races, languages, and religions. We cannot deny or reject this reality. But it is one thing to embrace pluralism as a reality and quite another to become pluralists in our own approach to questions of ultimate truth. And let me point out that when it comes to cultural, racial, and linguistic pluralism, no religion has been as broadly represented as Christianity. From its earliest days, the Church of Jesus Christ proclaimed the good news that God’s people were “from every tribe, kindred, tongue, people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). In the first century, many resisted the equality of Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female in the kingdom of God. However, "the mystery of the church" (Eph. 6) was fully revealed as it embraced its international mission in the Great Commission of the resurrected Lord: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:18‑49).
Christianity broke down the social, racial, and cultural barriers to fellowship around the risen Christ. As Christianity expanded, it was often Christian missionaries who reconciled warring tribes and nations to God through Christ, and to each other. For centuries Christians have translated the Bible into the remotest dialects of the nations. There is hardly a language that is not employed in the praise and worship of the Redeemer. Long before the United Nations and CNN, therefore, the world has known a force for cultural and racial pluralism far greater than the bureaucratic, superficial clutter of mass popular culture. The Bible’s message of forgiveness and eternal life has led to many of the advances in human rights and liberty that are enjoyed in today’s world, even by atheists.
But Christianity does not consider universal peace and racial harmony to be an end in itself. We are not reconciled to God so that we may be reconciled to each other. Instead, the healing of our worldly divisions is the by‑product of a greater end, that healing of the greater rift between a holy God and sinful creatures. This is where Christianity, for all of its cultural, racial, and social pluralism, becomes a scandal, and Jesus Christ becomes "the rock of offense" (1 Peter 2:8). The deity of religious universalism and pluralism is hardly offensive, but the Jesus of Scripture declares in those familiar words, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). Apart from Jesus Christ, there is no eternal life. Jesus said, “I am the life.”
Conclusion: Because we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, because we believe the Apostles’ Creed, we Christians are accused or being bigoted exclusivists. But are we?
Imagine two country clubs. The first has a strict set of rules and only allows in people who have earned their membership. They have to accomplish something, obtain superior wisdom, or fulfill a long list of demands and requirements to qualify for entry. Despite their best efforts, lots of people just won’t make the grade and will be excluded. In effect, this is what other religious systems are like. But the second country club throws its doors wide open and says, "Anybody who wants membership is invited inside. Rich or poor, black or white, regardless of your ethnic heritage or where you live, we would love to include you. Entry is based not on your qualification but only on accepting this invitation. So we’ll leave the matter up to you. You decide. But remember, we will never turn you away if you seek admittance." That’s what Christianity is like. So which country club is being snobbish? Christians aren’t being exclusive; they’re being inclusive. They’re not being haughty. It’s whosoever will may come!
We are now finished with the Apostles’ Creed. Our several month journey started with God and ended with Life Everlasting and Amen. In between we touched on all the major doctrines of our faith. To be sure, we believe more than the Apostles’ Creed, but we don’t believe less. This is the irreducible minimum Christians have always believed. The Creed reminds us that Christianity has a doctrinal basis. Although we talk a lot about a personal relationship with Jesus, that’s more than a feeling or a personal experience. It’s a relationship based on the truth revealed in the Bible.
Truth matters. That’s why we’ve spent several months going through the Apostles’ Creed. Though we live in an anti‑intellectual age, truth matters. Though in the evangelical movement, we have elevated personal experience almost to the level of Scripture itself, truth still matters. Truth towers over our personal experience and stands in judgment over our personal opinions. If we don’t know the truth, then we will fall prey to all the false ideologies of our day. If we do not teach our children the truth, there are people out there who will gladly teach them error.
So what are supposed to do now?
1) Be sure. When you are confronted with the claims of other religions that there are alternate ways to God, be sure that you are on the right and only pathway. Jesus validated everything that He ever claimed including His claim to be the only way to God.
2) Be thankful. Instead of complaining that there is only one way, be thankful that there is a way. God was never under any obligation to provide a way of salvation to anyone. He provided a way because of His grace and mercy.
3) Be loving. When you are confronted with people who believe different than you do, don’t attack them and get all angry, obnoxious and loud. The Bible says that we are to answer with gentleness and respect those who differ with us (1 Peter 3:15). We’re accused of being hateful and intolerant by saying that Jesus is the only way. Other religions of the world teach their followers to kill and destroy anyone who does not believe as they do. Jesus taught His followers to love those who believe differently than they do. It is love that will keep us from becoming like them. And it is love that will convince people that Jesus is who He says that He is and that His way is the right way.
4) Be talkative. Since Jesus is the only way, then we have a responsibility to tell. No, the world does not want to hear what we have to say, and the temptation is to just hide behind our church walls and let the world go to hell. But we, the ones who have the cure to the problems of the world, have a responsibility to be vocal about that cure. Jesus is narrow in how you get to heaven, but He is broad in that He wants all men to go to heaven. “[God] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).
We believe...Amen!!