Christian Life Church
July 17, 2024 at 7:00 pm
TOUGH TOPICS WHAT HAPPENS TO UNREACHED PEOPLE? TOUGH TOPICS WHAT IS LEGALISM?
Locations & Times
Christian Life Church Columbia
2700 Bush River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Wednesday 6:30 PM
TOUGH TOPICS JULY 17, 2024
WHAT HAPPENS TO UNREACHED PEOPLE?
INTRO
“If, billions and billions and billions of people, God is going to torture them in hell forever – people who never heard about Jesus are going to suffer in eternal agony because they didn’t believe in the Jesus they never heard of – then at that point we will have far bigger problems than a book from a pastor from Grand Rapids.” Rob Bell
“No one will ever suffer for any length of time in hell or anywhere else for not believing in the Jesus they never heard of.” Sam Storms
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invest ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.Romans 1:18-32
1/ Many have dismissed the obvious evidences of God.
The Design Argument
The Moral Argument for Me
The Moral Argument for Others
2/ Many have suppressed the truth about God.
3/ Many have made foolish ideas about God.
4/ Many have refused to repent of evil.
CONCLUSION
1/ Knowledge of unreached people should motivate us towards missions.
2/ God will judge perfectly.
“People will be held accountable and judged on the basis of the revelation God has made of Himself to them.” Sam Storms
TOUGH TOPICS
WHAT IS LEGALISM?
1/ There is freedom from being under God’s eternal wrath.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36
2/ There is freedom from the harness sin.
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14
3/ There is freedom from the conscience of other people.
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. Romans 14:13
LEGALISM
“Legalism is exalting specific practices that God has not required nor forbidden in Scripture. It is also involves imposing these practices on others.”
Generally, these practices come from religious tradition.
And Jesus said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” Mark 7:15
Some traditions are good!
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us.
2 Thessalonians 2:15
1/ Beards
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard. Psalm 133:1-2
2/ Worship
All are commanded to worship God, but some don’t because of musical preference.
3/ King James Version
AM I LEGALISTIC?
1/ Do you place a higher value on church customs than on biblical principles?
2/ Do you elevate non-biblical stances to the level of Scripture?
3/ Do you look down on those who don’t follow God’s will for your life?
4/ Are you more comfortable with rules than with relationships?
WHAT HAPPENS TO UNREACHED PEOPLE?
INTRO
“If, billions and billions and billions of people, God is going to torture them in hell forever – people who never heard about Jesus are going to suffer in eternal agony because they didn’t believe in the Jesus they never heard of – then at that point we will have far bigger problems than a book from a pastor from Grand Rapids.” Rob Bell
“No one will ever suffer for any length of time in hell or anywhere else for not believing in the Jesus they never heard of.” Sam Storms
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invest ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.Romans 1:18-32
1/ Many have dismissed the obvious evidences of God.
The Design Argument
The Moral Argument for Me
The Moral Argument for Others
2/ Many have suppressed the truth about God.
3/ Many have made foolish ideas about God.
4/ Many have refused to repent of evil.
CONCLUSION
1/ Knowledge of unreached people should motivate us towards missions.
2/ God will judge perfectly.
“People will be held accountable and judged on the basis of the revelation God has made of Himself to them.” Sam Storms
TOUGH TOPICS
WHAT IS LEGALISM?
1/ There is freedom from being under God’s eternal wrath.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36
2/ There is freedom from the harness sin.
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14
3/ There is freedom from the conscience of other people.
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. Romans 14:13
LEGALISM
“Legalism is exalting specific practices that God has not required nor forbidden in Scripture. It is also involves imposing these practices on others.”
Generally, these practices come from religious tradition.
And Jesus said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” Mark 7:15
Some traditions are good!
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us.
2 Thessalonians 2:15
1/ Beards
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard. Psalm 133:1-2
2/ Worship
All are commanded to worship God, but some don’t because of musical preference.
3/ King James Version
AM I LEGALISTIC?
1/ Do you place a higher value on church customs than on biblical principles?
2/ Do you elevate non-biblical stances to the level of Scripture?
3/ Do you look down on those who don’t follow God’s will for your life?
4/ Are you more comfortable with rules than with relationships?