anathema against the cross (gospel night) (tis version)

welcome.

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Muslims

21%Roman Catholics

17%

Hindus

13%

Other religions

12%Non-religious

12%

Buddhists

6%

Protestant

Christian

6%

Orthodox

Christian

4%

Atheists

2%

Anglicans

1%

Sikhs

0.35% Jews

0.23%

World Population

“The philosopher puts his glass to his eye, looks at the

cross, and then says, “I cannot see anything so very

wonderful in it, — even with this splendid glass of mine,

which more than can be seen by that poor, humble

peasant; I do not care about such a system of religion

as that; any simpleton can understand the cross.”

So he passes by, and merely sneers at it.”

- C.H. Spurgeon

Anathema against the Cross

Sumair Mirza

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to

us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will

destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the

discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the

scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish

the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world

did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly

of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs

and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling

block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both

Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of

God is stronger than men.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18–25

Is it foolishness?

Exclusivity presents a need for a decision...

A B

A B A B

A B

Option 2

� �A B

Option 1

� �(or the reverse)

Starting point...

Don't all religions point

to God?

What makes

Christianity unique

from other religions?

What does all this

mean to you?

“For while we were still weak, at the right time

Christ died for the ungodly.”- Romans 5:6

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin

and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because

they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because

I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning

judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ”- John 16:8–11

“but God shows his

love for us in that

while we were still

sinners, Christ died

for us. Since,

therefore, we have

now been justified

by his blood, much

more shall we be

saved by him from

the wrath of God.

For if while we were

enemies we were

reconciled to God by

the death of his Son,

much more, now

that we are

reconciled, shall we

be saved by his life.

More than that, we

also rejoice in God

through our Lord

Jesus Christ, through

whom we have now

received

reconciliation.”- Romans 5:8–11

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this

is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”

- Ephesians 2:8

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is

no other name under heaven given among men

by which we must be saved.”- Acts 4:12

It starts and ends at the cross

So what’s the difference?

It starts and ends at the cross with Jesuswith Jesus

ALL RELIGIONS & CULTS SEEM TO DO ONE

OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING…

1. Strip the deity of Christ

2. Bring God down to our level

3. Lift us up to God’s level

4. Focus on self and not God

5. Negate God’s existence altogether

6. Dismiss our sinful nature

It starts and ends with Jesus...This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and

only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:

not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son

as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:9-10

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one

and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:



Jesus lived in history

Does not deny that other religious

founders didn’t live in history

Their being rooted in history is not as

essential to truthfulness of

claims

Others focus on teachings/practices

whereas Christianity is

focused on the saving work of

Christ

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is

the foundation unlike other beliefs

It starts and ends with Jesus...This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and

only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:







God himself became flesh

Unique statement of who Jesus is.

Not just a being part of a “oneness”

“Son” implies one who is of

the same nature =

uniqueness

Means that Jesus is not

just a manifestation

but an incarnation of

God

Through Jesus God

became man (John 1:1, 14)









It starts and ends with Jesus...

Humanity is spiritually dead

Sin and death are

our problem.

Spiritual condition

worst of any religion

(Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1,

Colossians 2:13)

We are hopeless...

give new life

We need God’s

transforming power to

give new life (Romans 8:6-8)










God is absolutely holy

Severe penalty of sin implies

God’s holiness

“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot

tolerate wrong”

(Habakkuk 1:13)

We rebel and want to lower

standard

God’s love and justice are

fully satisfied on the cross










Jesus conquered death

Unique resurrection

claim (John 20-21, 1

Corinthians 15:3-8)

resurrection”

“we have been united with him... In His death, we will certainly also be united with him in His

resurrection” (Romans 6:5)










Salvation is a free gift

Grace of God is paramount and unique (Romans 1:17,

Ephesians 2:8-9)

We are trained to earn. “Pride is the anti-God state of mind”

(C.S. Lewis)

As we diminish God’s

holiness to make salvation attainable, we

lose assurance.

God’s holiness is maintained

when we realize we

have no way to live up to His standard









It starts and ends with Jesus...This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one




1. Jesus lived in history - Others focus on teachings/practices whereas

Christianity is focused on the saving work of Christ

2. God himself became flesh - Unique statement of who Jesus is. Not just a

being part of a “oneness”

3. Humanity is spiritually dead - We need God’s transforming power to give

new life (Romans 8:6-8)

4. God is absolutely holy - Severe penalty of sin implies God’s holiness

5. Jesus conquered death - Unique resurrection claim (John 20-21, 1 Corinthians

15:3-8)

6. Salvation is a free gift - Grace of God is paramount and unique (Romans

1:17, Ephesians 2:8-9)

A decision on who Jesus is...I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish

thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept

Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to

be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who

was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would

not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -

on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or

else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your

choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a

madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool,

you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at

His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with

any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human

teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.- C.S. Lewis

0 x 10 = 0

10 x 10 = 100

10 x 0 = 0spoken unspoken effectiveness

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Look at the

evidence

Be honest with

yourself

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Share it with a friend here or another Christian here.

Or you are welcome to attend our church and

we can help you as you begin a new life with Jesus at the centre of it all.

THE GOSPEL IN SIX WORDS

Video played:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymfh6RJezQ4

I rejected it

I fought it

I denied it

I ignored it

I was convicted of my sin and turned to God

Don’t reject it

Don’t fight it

Don’t deny it

Don’t ignore it

Be convicted of your sin and turn to the cross.

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anathema against the cross (gospel night) (tis version)

Spiritual

god bybut god

wisdom of god

power of god

foolishness of god

pleased god

gift of god

jesus christ

nowthe wrath of god