No Other Name | Pastor Jerbin Romero | United City Church

And let's begin to worship, can we lift up our voices and say, Lord, you are holy, you are worthy, God we worship you this morning. Thank you Jesus. Let's sing. Your name stands above them all and the angels cry, holy, our creation cries, holy, you are lifted high, holy, holy forever. And if you've been redeemed, let's sing this song, sing this song forever to the Lamb. And if you want freedom, and if you bear his name, sing this song forever to the Lamb. We will sing, we'll sing this song forever, Amen. And the angels cry, holy, our creation cries, holy, you are lifted high, holy, holy forever. Lift up your name, let your people sing, you are holy to the King of kings, holy, you will always be, holy, holy forever. Come together this morning, your name is the highest, your name is the highest, your name, come on church, is the greatest. Your name stands above them all, all thrones and dominions, all powers and positions, your name stands above them all. Jesus, your name is the highest, only your name Jesus is the greatest, stands above them all, all thrones and dominions, all powers and positions, your name stands above them all. And the angels cry, holy, you are lifted high, holy, holy forever. Sing this song to Jesus, let your people sing, holy, to the King of kings, holy, you will always be, holy, holy forever. You will always be, holy, holy forever. You will always be, you will always be, holy, holy forever. Good morning, church. Today is a good day because we get to celebrate three baptisms, and we're excited, right? Yes. All right. First, we have Yuri Malfovan, and we're really excited to tell her story because she was raised in a Christian home and a Christian environment, but it wasn't until about two years ago at a Christmas Eve service that she recognized, these people around me have something special that I'm missing. They have a personal relationship with Jesus, and I want that. And so it was that day that her and a couple of other family members, too, that same day, they surrendered their lives to Jesus. And so now, today, we get to celebrate that, that outward expression of that inward decision through baptism. So I have one question for you. Have you turned from a life of sin and said yes to Jesus?

Yes. Well, now I get to baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All right. We've got Michael here. So Michael and his family started coming to United City about a year ago, and God has just been working in his life. He's been binge-watched a bunch of YouTube videos of Pastor Chris and Pastor Josh, and once he came to United City, him and his wife got unplugged. He got plugged into a small group, and now he's a new father, and now he's making the decision to follow Jesus for the rest of his life, not only for himself, but for his wife and for his baby girl and for his Lord who loves him so much. So Michael, do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior? Yes. I pledge the baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All right. All right. Now, this is Jack. So Jack's been here for a couple of months now. Five weeks, actually. Jack has been a Christian for about a couple years now, but recently he felt like he needed to make the decision to get baptized so that he could take his faith up to the next step. And so, Jack, my question is, do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior? Yes, I do. I pledge the baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 1130, can you help me celebrate these next steps? It's incredible. Week after week after week, we get to see the Lord just move and next steps and life change are happening here at United City, and we just get to be a part of it. If you're a first-time guest with us in the room, we want to take this opportunity to say welcome.

What I'd love to ask you to do is use the tap tag on the seat back in front of you, take a quick moment, and fill out the first-time guest form for us. Our staff would love to just reach out to you this week and connect with you, figure out what brought you here to United City, and touch base with you this week. And after service, what we'd love for you to do is go out into the lobby and go to our first-time guest booth. We have an incredible serve team of people that want to shake your hand, answer any questions that you have about what's happening here at United City, give you a little welcome gift, and help you get connected to one of our awesome life groups. You can scan the QR code on the screen and figure out what group may be good for you, but I promise life groups are what make this big church feel small. It's a way to get community and feel family here at United City. For our family, it's been an incredible way to have community, and I promise you don't want to miss out on this. Another thing I want to mention is that we have a growth track every Sunday at 10 o'clock. So you can just swing in there at 10 and then come to service at 1130. It happens every week. Week one of the month is the first week, week two is the second week, and so on. It's a way for you to figure out what we believe here at United City and why, and a way for you to join the church. You don't have to do the weeks in order. So if you're going to be out of town for something, some summer vacation, don't wait until after to start. Just come when you're available. Jump in growth track. I promise you're going to be happy that you did. At this time, I'm going to ask our ushers to come forward and help us receive our tithes and our offerings. And this is a way that we can give back to the Lord. And you can use the tab tag on the seat in front of you to give one time or set up reoccurring

giving, or you can give in the offering plate as it passes by. But as we step into our next time of worship, would you guys take a moment and pray with me? Lord, we are so happy to be in this place with you. Lord, we are so excited about the life change that's happening week in and week out. out at United City. For all the kids that have been away at summer camp, sports camp, all the things that you're doing, all the serve team that have been helping, Lord, we're thankful. Lord, we love all of the exciting things and the life change and the decisions that are happening and we're so thankful that we get to be part of it. I pray that today you would feel honored in this place. That we could remove distractions and truly focus on the one who brought us here today. Lord, we love you and we pray in Jesus' name, amen. ♪ What can wash away my sins ♪ ♪ Oh, nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ What can make me whole again ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow ♪ ♪ No other fount I know ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow ♪ ♪ No other fount I know ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Today, we get to celebrate two ordinances that Jesus gave to the church. That's Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Supper. So I wanna ask our deacon body to come up forward and start passing out the elements. And while you receive your elements and you hold them in your hand, would you just remember the faithfulness of God to your life? Would you tell him, God, thank you, because you're not just a distant God, but you're near to me. You're near to my weakness, and I know that through that, you manifest your power through me, and you can use me, and you can use my family. And so today, as we participate as a church in the Lord's Supper, would you remember that? Would you allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through you? As you hold those elements in your hand, just go to the Lord in prayer. As we worship together, remember the blood of Christ. It paid for your sin, and it makes everything new. Just think of him, because there's no one else like him. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ The offerer and offering You took the cup And so will we We need the blood

We plead the blood Receive the blood The blood of Christ We need the blood We plead the blood Receive the blood The blood of Christ Oh Oh What trouble hell What empties hell What never fails Only the blood What testifies What prophesies Your death is right Only the blood What trouble hell What empties hell What never fails Only the blood What testifies What prophesies Your death is right Only the blood Only the blood The blood of Christ We need the blood We plead the blood Receive the blood

The blood of Christ We need the blood We plead the blood Receive the blood The blood of Christ What trouble hell What empties hell What never fails Only the blood What testifies What prophesies Your death is right Only the blood of Jesus What trouble hell What empties hell What never fails Only the blood What testifies What prophesies Your death is right Only the blood Only the blood Only the blood Only the blood On the night he was betrayed, Jesus sat with his disciples and he would give thanks and he would cut the bread in half and he said, this is my body that I have given for you do this in remembrance of me then he took the cup

which is the fruit of the vine he said, this is a new covenant Jeremiah would say in the Old Testament that the law would now be written in the heart of man and no longer in stones that fade away Jesus said, do this announce the end of the world the day I return from my church and treat you with God. God, we love you today. We thank you for allowing us to participate with you in communion in the Lord's Supper. Lord, what a privilege it is to gather a body of believers and worship the Most High. God, we know that there is no one that can compare to your glory. Thank you, Lord, that through the weakness, Lord, you are made strong. So today, God, as we continue in worship, we just wanna bring everything captive to you. We wanna give you thanks for not what you've done for us, but who you've been to us. And as we stand here today, Lord, remind us there's no one like you. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Who else is worthy? Who else is holy? There's no one like the Lord. Sing, there's one. There is one on the throne. It is Jesus. He is holy. He is worthy of praise, all the honor and glory. There is one. There is one on the throne. It is Jesus. Holy. And he is worthy of praise, all the honor and glory. So we sing, worthy is the Lamb who was slain and seated on the throne. There's no one like the Lord. All of the elders, creatures bowed. Even praise and hymn and hymn. There's no one like the Lord. There is one on the throne. Jesus. Holy. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. And he is worthy of praise, all the honor and glory. So we sing, worthy is the Lamb who was slain and seated on the throne. There's no one like the Lord. And all of the elders, creatures bowed. Even praise.

There is one on the throne. Sing, worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain and seated on the throne. There's no one like the Lord. There is one on the throne. And all of the elders, creatures bowed. Even praise. We crown you King of glory. We crown you King of glory. We crown you King of glory. We crown you Lord of all. We crown you, you are worthy. We crown you, you're worthy God. We crown you, you are worthy. We crown, come on, let's all sing. We crown you, no other God, no other name, so worthy of all my praise. We crown you Lord. We crown you Lord of all. We crown you, you are worthy. We crown you, you are worthy. We crown you, you are worthy. Oh so worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Who was slain. There's no one like the Lord. Who is like the Lord. ♪ He's risen from the grave ♪ ♪ No one is worthy, he's so worthy ♪ ♪ No one, nobody like you Lord, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, oh they bow, keep us praying ♪

♪ Holy, God worthy, he is the Lamb ♪ ♪ Who was slain and seated on the throne ♪ ♪ There's no one like the Lord, all of the others ♪ ♪ Creatures they bow, giving praise, alone ♪ ♪ There's no one like the El Shaddai, nobody like him ♪ ♪ There's no one like Yahweh, Yahweh, nobody like him ♪ ♪ There's no one like Rapha, Rapha, nobody like the Lord ♪ ♪ There's no one like the Lord, there's no one like the Lord ♪ Can you give him some praise, 1130, he is worthy. Amen. Good morning, 1130, how we doing? If you have your Bibles, I want you to grab them, turn to John chapter 14. That is where we're gonna be at this morning. That was a powerful moment of worship. And that's what we're all about here at United City. I argue, like I argued last service, that we have the greatest pastor in the country. That we have the greatest staff team in the whole world. Come on, yep. And today you get to hear from the best Spanish pastor in North America, so. Hey church, we love you guys. I have the great privilege of serving as a Spanish pastor here at United City for the past four years. God has been doing amazing things at one o'clock. However though, none of that would be possible without my beautiful family, my wife, Andrea, Nathan, Matthew, Caleb, and Leah. Princess Leah is what I call her, she stole my heart.

But I go to say that God has just done amazing things. We've baptized over 80 people. 180 people have come to salvation in the past couple years. So it just goes to speak that God's favor is over United City. So I wanna ask you three things. Continue praying for us, continue giving, and continue serving. Because we truly are working together to advance the kingdom of God. Before I was called to be a pastor though, I spent almost nine years in the military. And if you've never served, here's something that you learn fast and very quickly. You literally meet people from everywhere. And when I say everywhere, it's everywhere. Every background, every state, every country, every faith that you've ever heard of and some that you even haven't heard of. I met Muslims from places I'd never been able to find on a map. I met Mormons, I met guys who grew up Jehovah's Witnesses, guys who didn't believe in anything at all. And the reality is, this is the pattern that I saw over and over and over again, in nearly every single one of the conversations I would have. Nobody wanted to talk about it. Religion was the one topic that everyone silently agreed to leave alone.

Politics, sure, we'll talk politics. You bet, in the military you talk. Family, sure, we'll talk family. But faith, faith, that stayed in the footlocker. And on the rare occasion that it did come up, it was because it was probably late at night, we were probably deployed somewhere we didn't wanna be. People were probably scared, people were probably grieving loss earlier in the day. There was always one sentence that showed up no matter who was in the room or what they believed. Some version of, I think we're all basically headed to the same place anyway. I heard from guys who hadn't been in church in 15 years. I heard it from people who would pray five times a day. It didn't matter what they actually practiced. When the conversation got close to the real question. Everyone reached for the same exit. Different roads. Same destination. They would say things like, be a good person. Mean well. It will all just work out, don't worry about it. And I will be honest with you, there are moments where I had the opening to say something different. But I just let it pass. Because I told myself that it wasn't the right time. I told myself that I didn't want to make it weird with the guy that I was going to share a bunk with for the next six months on deployment.

So I nodded my head, I kept the peace, and I just let the moment go. I didn't know yet what I'm about to tell you this morning, but I wish someone had told me I knew it. That sentence that I kept hearing, whether it was in the barracks, in the chow hall, on the flight deck preparing for mission. It wasn't just a soldier's way of coping. It was one of the most common ideas in the world today. That all religions are basically climbing the same mountain. That all religions are basically the same map. Different paths, same summit. Different trails, different traditions, different names for what's at the top. But they all eventually arrive at the same place. God. Peace. Enlightenment. Peace. Or whatever you want to call it. It doesn't matter which path you take. As long as you're climbing and you're working hard. And that idea feels generous. It feels humble. It feels like the exact thing that a kind person would believe, an educated person would believe, a tolerant person should believe in a world that is currently divided. And I want to be honest with you. There's something in that idea that I deeply respect. Because it comes from a place, from a desire not to be arrogant.

Not to write off millions of people who are just wrong. Because that instinct of looking for a higher power is not evil. It's actually trying to be very loving. But here's a question that no one is asking. Who drew the map? Because that's where every religion is. It's a map. It's a claim about where the mountain leads, what the summit looks like. And how do you get there? And maps aren't always equally trustworthy just because they're maps. A map is only as good as the person who drew it. That's why Waze is better than Google Maps and Apple Maps. Did they actually make the climb? Did they come back? Or are they describing a summit that they've only imagined? Because hear me on this, church. Every major religious tradition in human history that we know has a founder. They have a prophet who handed people a map and said, this will get you there. Follow this law. Walk this path. Surrender to this. Every one of those people pointed away from themselves to something else. And no one claimed to be the destination. None of them claimed to have already submitted to the top and come back down to carry you up themselves. Except for one person. So that tension that you just felt, that's exactly where we're going to be at this morning. Week 4 of Taboo Series, where we as a church go to places where most churches avoid. We've talked about Israel and Palestine. We talked about the D word, divorce. Last week Pastor Chris gave us a master class on AI in the church.

And today might be the most uncomfortable conversation of the whole series. We're going to be talking about other religions. Specifically, though, we're going to talk about the claim that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Not one way. Not the best way. The only way to God. Because before we go any further, I do want to point that this message is not made or designed to make you feel superior or better than your Muslim co-worker or your Mormon friend or a person who is a Jehovah's Witness that you know. Because if that's where you land today, let me just tell you, you missed the whole point. This message is about love. And what love looks like when souls are at hand, when the stakes are eternal. Today, we're going to learn how to love and not lecture. So I want you to think about someone in your life right now. Might be a co-worker. Might be a family member, a neighbor. Someone that you probably eat lunch with. Maybe share a fence with. Someone who you probably sit across the Thanksgiving dinner table from. Someone who you... Genuinely care about who doesn't know the Jesus that we're gonna talk about here today. And I want you to do this little exercise with me just for 30 seconds. Would you hold their face in your mind for a second? That person, whoever you identified, whoever God has burdened your heart with, someone that you know that you need to share Christ with, someone that you know is following a different faith than you, and you know by the teaching of his word today, you're gonna know it's wrong,

but out of love, we need to tell them the truth. Just hold their face in your mind for a second. This message is for them. And it's about whether we love them enough to tell the truth. Because here's the reality, Jesus didn't hand his disciples a map. He didn't say, hey, here's the trail, I'll see you at the top. He said something no other religious figure has ever said about themselves. So that's why this morning I wanna share four truths and two points of application with you. I always encourage you to take notes. Truth number one, he didn't show the way. He said he is the way. He didn't show the way, he said he is the way. John 14, six says this. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. He didn't say I know the way. He didn't say follow my teachings and you'll find it. He said I am. It's present tense. In the Greek language, it's an active verb. It's personal to us. And throughout the history of world religions, every significant spiritual leader has pointed beyond themselves. If you rightly remember, Moses said, follow the law.

Muhammad says, submit to Allah. Buddha says, walk the eightfold path. Every one of them pointed away from themselves toward something else, toward a map, but not a destination. Jesus is not handing you a map to the mountain. He's saying he already made the climb. He already stands at the summit and the only way up is through him. And that I am is not accidental. It's interesting to note that if we go back to Exodus chapter three, we see that Moses is standing before a burning bush and he asked, hey, burning bush, who should I say sent me? And God, speaking through this burning bush says, tell them I am sent you. And that I am, it's a particular covenant name in the Hebrew scriptures. When Jesus is saying I am the way, he is standing in the middle of a culture who didn't recognize their Messiah. And so every Jewish person that's in this room, exactly, and they understood exactly what he was saying. When he said I am, everybody knew this guy is gonna cause trouble for us. And he surely would because he was not speaking as a prophet handing out directions. He is speaking as God in the flesh, the one who made the mountain in the first place. He is the truth. He's not a teacher of truth, but he's the living standard

of which all other maps are measured. And he is life. He's not a wellness guide pointing the way, but the actual source of eternal life itself. And in the line that makes the most modern world uncomfortable, no one comes to the Father except through me. Not sincere people, not people who do good works, not nice people, not those who've never heard of me. The word of God says no one. And every religion offers a map to God, but Jesus claims to be at the top. And he is promising you today that he will carry you there. There's no safe third option here. You cannot decide Jesus was just simply a good teacher, a wise teacher who drew a map really good and leave it there. Because wise teachers don't claim to be the destination. Either Jesus was telling the truth or he was the most dangerous liar who ever lived. That's why church, I wanna tell you this morning that your salvation does not rest on feelings or your performance or how well you climb. It rests on a person who said, I am. He does not shift. He hasn't rewrote the statement. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And that is the most stable ground in the entire universe. There are hundreds of millions of people in the world right now.

Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, secular, who are genuinely seeking God. They're seeking a deity. Sincerely, they're devoted. And they're climbing as hard as they know how. They're following the best map that they've ever been handed but never once encountering the one. who already made the climb. And that one person is calling them to stop climbing and start being carried instead. That should not make us feel superior because we're in Christ. It should actually break us. It should burden us and it should send us because Jesus made the most radical identity claim in history. But identity claim still has to be confirmed true. So naturally the question arises, how do we know it's true? And scripture tells us that the early church answered that question with their lives. Truth number two, I want you to write down this morning. His witnesses staked their lives on it. His witnesses staked their lives on it. Acts chapter four verse 12 says this. 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. I want you to feel the weight of that context

because Peter's not standing in a church. Peter's not standing in a comfortable home with AC and hot Houston. Peter is under arrest and he's standing before the Sanhedrin, the most powerful religious body in Israel at the time. The Sanhedrin were the same people who handed Jesus over to be crucified and they asked him, hey Peter, by what name are you doing this? And the scriptures tell us that Peter being filled with the Holy Spirit says Jesus of Nazareth, whom by the way you crucified. But guess what? He's raised from the dead. And that's why Peter is saying salvation is found in no one else. No other name. And he's not trying to be a man that's socially acceptable. This is a man who literally watched Jesus die. He watched him suffer. However though he watched him walk into a room three days later. Peter's not defending the doctrine here. He was reporting what he saw. Because a witness doesn't say, I think the light was probably red. A witness says I was there. You know when I was very young,

I used to work really hard and I always wanted to buy my own car and so I did. At the age of 17, I raised up a lot of money. And I went ahead and bought my own car. A Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer. You can imagine how amazing that was for a 17 year old. A very young person having their own car. And I remember as I'm going to meet Andrea at the bowling alley, I bought the car on a Thursday. This happened on a Sunday night, a couple days later. And as I'm standing there on a red light, I'm waiting to turn, it's a green light and as soon as that green light hits, I start going and boom, T-boned out of nowhere. And I'm like, welp, there goes my car. And as I'm talking to this officer, she's asking me all these questions and I'm like, I'm just in shock. I don't know what to do right now. My dad's gonna kill me. And out of nowhere, this guy just comes running up and he says,

hey, hey, don't worry about it. I saw it. I saw how that guy ran the red light. It's on my dash cam. I can send you the footage. Just make the insurance claim. They're gonna pay you out. He was so adamant about this and I was like, I don't care. I care what my dad is gonna do to me. He's gonna kill me. And so Peter's posture here, notice the reach. Because Peter saw and he's saying no other name under heaven. Not just in Israel. Not just in the first century. Universally, absolutely across every culture and every time period because he's a powerful true church. You're not defending an idea. You're standing on a historical event. You are standing on a historical event that Jesus told his disciples, you better follow me with everything that you have. You better love me more than you love your mother and your father. Matthew 10, 28 says,

and whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. So the resurrection of Jesus is the most documented miracle claim of the ancient world. And so that allows us to know that our confidence is not, and Christ is not blind. We know what we believe in. It's a faith built in a body of evidence that changed the trajectory of human history. Because Peter said that the name in front, the name of Jesus in front of people who had the power to execute him right then and there. So my question to you this morning is, are we willing to say it across the dinner table? Are we willing to say the truth to the coworker who says, yeah, I'm spiritual, but I don't do religion. So don't talk to me about it. The question is not whether we believe it, it's whether we love people enough to say it. Because the claim has been made and confirmed. Now a question arises, what does his exclusivity actually give? us. What do we have in Christ that can't be found anywhere else? And Paul would answer that question directly. Truth number three I want you to write down. In Him you have already been made complete. In Him you have already been made complete. Colossians 2 verse 8 through 10 says this. See to it that no one takes

you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. According to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him the fullness of the deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him. Paul's writing to a church that's literally being pulled apart. And it's interesting to note that it's not being pulled apart by open enemies, but by people who love Jesus, but are basically saying I love Jesus plus other things. They're saying give me Jesus, but also give me my rituals. Give me Jesus, but also give me my philosophies. Give me Jesus, but let me keep my cosmic powers. Jesus is great, they're saying, but He needs some help. And that sounds absolutely just ridiculous. Paul's answer to that would be in Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. Jesus as a man is God also. And in six words that I want you to hear personally from me today, the word is telling us, you have been filled in Him. I don't know who in this room is struggling with their faith, or maybe you're questioning your salvation, or maybe you find yourself in moments where you're like, I just can't, like I don't even know if I really believe. Let me just tell you something, if you're in Christ and you surrendered your life to Him, would you just believe God's word over your life today? In Him you have been filled. Because it's past tense. It's already done. You're not a half-finished project waiting for the next revelation or experience to make you whole. If you are in Christ, you are full. And it's important to to bring this up because I know at times we can get confused and we can question and we can have doubts, but sometimes we can mix things up a little bit. And I know some of you have quietly been mixing things. Maybe you check your horoscope. Maybe you've been reading about manifesting or pulling from spiritual practices outside of the faith. Let me just tell you that I'm not here to shame you. I'm here to ask you one very important question. What are you looking for that Jesus hasn't already given you? Because Paul's point is not that those other things are powerful. It's that they're hollow. It's like drinking from a cup that looks full but leaves you thirstier than before. I actually needed that medicine ball. Because the people in our lives who

chase crystals, who chase karma, who chase energy healings, who chase these weird manifesting things, they're not chasing nothing. They're hungry. They're feeling a real void in their hearts. They just don't know what fills it. And that's not a reason for contempt, church. It should move us to compassion. Because in Christ we have been made complete. There's nothing to add to Christ. Christ and Christ alone. But here's the most dangerous ground we'll cover today. Because the enemy of the gospel is rarely the open atheist. Listen to me on this. The enemy of the gospel is rarely the open atheist. It's almost always the convincing substitute. And sometimes that substitute wears the name of Jesus. Truth number four I want you to write down today. A counterfeit Jesus cannot save anyone. A counterfeit Jesus cannot save anyone. Look what Paul writes to the church in Galatians. Galatians 1. But even if we are an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed. But even if we are an angel from heaven preaches something else, let him be accursed. Second Corinthians 11.4 says, for if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, Paul would finish that verse by saying, you put up with it readily enough. It was already happening. People were already giving themselves up to Jesus and Jesus plus something else. Paul doesn't say here, watch out for people who hate Jesus. We're all going to have haters, especially for our faith. Don't worry about that. The Lord says you can expect that but he's going to be with you through it. Paul doesn't say watch out for people who hate Jesus. He says, watch out for people who preach a different Jesus. Because the danger is not the open enemy. The danger is the convincing substitute. And the only way to spot a counterfeit Jesus is to know the real one really good.

To be in his word. To be in prayer. To be practicing your spiritual disciplines. To know that when a fake Jesus comes around, you're like, I know the real Jesus. And that's why I want to look at three more maps all claiming to lead up the same mountain that Jesus already stands on top of. That's why I want to look at where each one of these goes. The first map I want to look at is Islam. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Islam holds Jesus, Isa in Arabic, in a very high regard. The Koran describes him as born of a virgin, a worker of miracles, and one of the greatest prophets who ever lived. Very interesting that up to this point there's not many differences. Islam takes Jesus more seriously than most people realize. But Islam clearly says that Jesus is not God. That he is not the son of God. That he did not die on a cross. The Koran actually teaches that he was raised up before crucifixion. And that he most certainly did not say no one comes to the father except through me. And here's the honest collision, church, this morning. The gap between prophet and I am is not just a small theological disagreement that you can concede to somebody. It's literally the difference between a sign post and a destination. A prophet points towards God. Jesus claims to be the access point to God.

Jesus himself is God. Islam's Jesus cannot forgive sin. Therefore, he cannot save. He cannot be the way. Because Islam's Jesus never claims to be. And the most loving thing you can do for your Muslim friend is not to agree that we're worshiping the same God. Because I know sometimes it can be real simple to be like, yeah, we're all headed the same way. Yeah, we're worshiping God. Yeah, you call him Yahweh and we call him Allah. No, it's not, church, there's a difference. We need to understand this because we want to be firm in our faith and truly know what we're worshiping and following. It's introducing our Muslim folks to the Jesus who said, I am. The God who saves. The second map I want to look at today is Mormonism. Mormons are called members of the Latter-day Saints. They are the most friendly, most family devoted people I have ever known. They tithe. They serve. They love their Jesus deeply. But Galatians 1.8 said, even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preach, let them be a curse. And that's exactly what happened in 1828. A guy by the name of Joseph Smith claimed an angel came to him.

And it's interesting that Paul 2000 years earlier when Galatians 1.8 as if he knew this was coming. Because the LDS church teaches that God the father was once a man who progressed to become God. They teach that Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers. That exaltation requires simple ordinances and works that have no end. That Jesus they are trusting cannot bear the weight of their eternity. And all they can do is tell them the truth. Because the Latter-day Saint Jesus, the Mormon Jesus can't say it is finished. Can't mean it. The third map I want to look at is Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses are among the most dedicated religious people you will ever meet. They literally knock on every door. They study for hours and hours. They really sacrifice real social comfort to practice their faith. And I respect that. I respect the devotion. But their Jesus is a different Jesus. Their governing body, the Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus is Michael the archangel. That he's not God in the flesh. But a created being. And they literally change John chapter 1 verse 1 from the word Word was God to the word was a God. And that small letter change is a huge, massive difference

because they also deny the physical resurrection and they say that Jesus rose spiritually only. They teach that he rose spiritually and not bodily, but Colossians 2, when we go to God's word, it says that the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily. Not a God, not an angel, the fullness of divinity, God deity in a body that walked out of a real tomb on a real Sunday morning, Jesus. And hear me on this church, I didn't walk through all of that to make you a better debater. I walked through it so that you feel the weight of what's at stake for people that you eat lunch with. These are not theological exercises. These are our people, these are your people. And some of you know people that are trusting a Jesus that cannot save them. And that should not harden you, it should break you wide open. Because here's a thread that ties all four points together. The same Jesus who made the identity claim in John chapter 14 is the Jesus whose witnesses confirmed his resurrection in Acts chapter four, fundamental to our Christian faith. The same Jesus in whom you find complete fullness in Colossians two is the only Jesus whose gospel says it's worth dying to protect in Colossians one. It is not four different arguments, it is one person seen from four different angles. Millions and millions of Mormons,

Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslims are sincerely devoted, but they're trusting a Jesus who cannot save them. And that means that they're not our enemies, they've just become your mission field. It's not a cause for contempt, but rather a reason for urgency. The exclusivity of Jesus Christ is not a wall, it's a door. And what do we do with doors? We open them and we walk through them. So today's invitation is that we would stand at the door and lock it and just leave it locked. It would be that we would go, we would be bold in our faith and we would turn it and we would walk right through it. Having the assurance that Acts chapter 4.12 says there's no other name. And that same name is available to every human being on this earth. Whether it be Jew, Gentile, Muslim, Mormon, Jehovah's Witnesses, atheists, the word of God says that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved on that one narrow road that's open to everyone. And that is a most inclusive message in the history of the world. As I was writing this message, I started reflecting and I wrote, the more settled you are in Christ, the more compassion you will feel

for the people who are not. Settled people are sent people. And I love what C.S. Lewis said. He said, Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic or Lord. Because there's no fourth option where Jesus is simply a wise teacher. Wise teachers don't claim to be the only road to God. You have to decide. And the way you live this week will tell the world and will testify unto unbelievers which decision you've made. And here's what I want you to walk out of here with. Two points of application. First, be secure. Be secure. Not because you can win every debate, not because you have a comeback for every door knocker or coworker who questions your faith, but because you know a person and that person said, I am. He hasn't revised the statement. He doesn't change scripture. He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Your salvation is not a feeling church that you have to maintain or keep up with. It stands on a person and he holds you in the palm of his hand, the word says. That is your confidence. Have security in that. Build your faith on that. And knowing that he is the truth.

Second point of application, be sent. Adopt this posture of missionary. Like you need to be sent. You need to be on mission 24 seven. Because that face that you pictured at the beginning of the message, maybe it was a Muslim coworker you've eaten lunch with a hundred times you never once mentioned Jesus to because you don't want to break the peace. Maybe it's the neighbor who grew up Mormon and left the church, but never found the real thing. Maybe it's the family member raised as Jehovah's witness who is quietly asking questions they've never said out loud. I'm gonna ask you to pray for them. By name this week, every day this week. Would you ask God to open? door and when he does open the door because he's an expert at opening doors you would walk right through it and you would know that the exclusivity of Christ there's something that we hide behind or take pride in it should motivate us to pray to share our faith boldly and to reach out because his name holds and you to tell someone and if you don't know where to start start with Acts chapter 4 verse 12 because it says and there is salvation and no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved and his name is Jesus Christ amen let's pray father we thank you this morning for speaking to us thank you Lord that our salvation does not rest on our feelings or our performance Lord but a person who said I am Jesus thank you because you never revised the statement thank you because we can go to you in times of need thank

you because we can trust that you don't change you're the same yesterday today and forever and for everyone in this room we ask let us leave today more settled than we came remind us God that we stand on you we don't stand on how well we can climb we stand on your name that holds truth in Jesus name continue have your eyes closed and your heads bowed maybe you've been hearing me speak and I've been talking and you've realized that you spent your whole life on a different map maybe you've been climbing through religions through good works through karma through crystal healings through all this stuff trying hard to find God but you haven't but today Jesus Christ was preached and he's touching the door of your heart would you just open but you arrived today with him and here's the good news of that you don't have to climb anymore the one who was already at the top of the summit is waiting for you there but he's also willing to come down because he already did and he died in our place he rose from the grave and he is saying to you right now what he said 2,000 years ago I am the way not a way you have to find but a person that has already come to find you and if that's you this morning if you're ready to stop climbing and working hard and trusting other things and you're ready to start trusting Jesus for salvation it's as simple as turning to him right now right where you are in your seats would you just mean it would you tell it to him you know you can't save yourself just believe in him believe that he died and rose for you and give him your life just be honest with God that's you our staff team is gonna be up here in the front circle in the middle back there by the stadium sitting at the bottom of those steps as we worship and we sing of the worthiness of God would you just come and talk to us and speak to us and allow us to confirm your faith allow us to come alongside of you if you need help putting those thoughts and that desire for Jesus into words please come to our team we're here for you if you've made Jesus Lord and Savior of your life but you've never taken that step of baptism would you come so we can counsel you on your next step if you've been visiting us for a couple weeks months and years and you never made been a member of United City Church and you

want to do that today girls track at 10 o'clock every single Sunday would you just come so we can talk to you we want to get to know you if that's you please come