Exclusive Salvation Pt.1 | Acts 4:12

[00:00:00] We'll truth, Daily. This is Daily Truths with Dave Ahlman.

[00:00:07] A poll has taken many years ago in the Lutheran Church Missouri Senate that asked this question.

[00:00:13] Now you're going to be surprised when you hear the answer that over half the people provided.

[00:00:18] The question was this. How does one get to heaven? Pretty straightforward question right?

[00:00:27] But over half the response said, one gets to heaven by their good works, by doing the best they can, by avoiding the wrong thing and doing the right thing.

[00:00:38] By adhering to the golden rule, by keeping the 10 commandments, half the people said, we are going to heaven because of what we do.

[00:00:48] There are many denominations today who teach and proclaim the same thing.

[00:00:53] I don't need to mention which ones they are. You probably know which ones they are, but they proclaim a universalistic gospel.

[00:01:02] Basically saying it really doesn't matter what you believe or who you believe in or what religion you had here to, we're all going to end up in the same place.

[00:01:13] As a matter of fact Pope Francis, in the year 2017 at a worldwide convention,

[00:01:20] we're all going to proclaim the Jews and Hindus and Buddhists and monuments and Christians all believe in the same God, and we're all going to end up in the same place.

[00:01:30] Did you hear that? Did you hear the false doctrine?

[00:01:37] And put it against this is the powerful story about Pentecost today which we have in front of us.

[00:01:46] This story is absolutely pivotal and it's primary to the fundamental teachings of the faith. You see Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was going to come on the disciples, and exactly that's what happened.

[00:02:00] After he has set it up in heaven, remember we talked about his sentient last week, right? After he has set it up in heaven, he told the disciples to wait until they were clothed with power from on high.

[00:02:11] So one day pass, two days pass, five days pass, finally ten days passed and the spirit of God descended on the disciples.

[00:02:20] Now this was the festival of Pentecost and the average population of Jerusalem at this time was about 50,000.

[00:02:28] But because people Jews from all different lands had migrated, had come to Jerusalem, the population of Jerusalem was about 250,000.

[00:02:39] So 200,000 Jews had descended on the town this day. And they heard the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Now we've had some pretty good winds here in Boulder, right? You know what that sounds like.

[00:02:54] You know what it's like when your roof is falling apart or when the shingles are blown off, or maybe a window is blown in. By the way, I could remember growing up in North Glenn, Colorado.

[00:03:05] And we had really strong winds because it was a 1968 or whatever and we had no trees there. North Glenn was a brand new sub, and you know my folks had me do think we had this big picture window that would bow when the wind would blow.

[00:03:21] So my folks had me stand up against the window to hold it in. Can you believe that? And the wind was gone.

[00:03:30] That's the way it was on Pentecost day.

[00:03:34] Incredible thing is, they're probably wasn't a cloud in the sky.

[00:03:40] You see it's the same latitude. Jerusalem's the same latitude as El Paso, Texas. And when we moved there in 1992,

[00:03:49] they described to us that El Paso got 363 days of sunshine a year. So did Jerusalem.

[00:03:57] And so the wind was blowing, but probably there wasn't a cloud in the sky. And the people that had gathered to Jerusalem that day, some 200,000 strong, many of them wondered, where is this wind coming from?

[00:04:09] Where is it emanating from? And so they come to this place, this large room where the wind is proceeding from. The sound of the mighty rushing wind is proceeding from.

[00:04:19] And what are they here? They walk into the room. There's tons of fire on the followers of Jesus' hands, proclaiming the Word of God in various tongues.

[00:04:28] And some of those were Jewish leaders. And the observation they made about the disciples was, these men are drunk.

[00:04:37] And what did Peter say? Who gets drunk at 9 o'clock in the morning?

[00:04:44] That's basically what he said. And then he preached this sermon. And he basically said that Christ was crucified and resurrected.

[00:04:55] And he basically said, all those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

[00:05:03] Do you hear the exclusivity? That's a tough word to say. I practiced that a lot this morning. The exclusivity of salvation through faith and Christ.

[00:05:11] You see the Holy Spirit had descended on the disciples to give them power to proclaim the exclusivity of salvation.

[00:05:20] And the same thing has happened to us. Now we fast forward to the Book of Acts chapter 4.

[00:05:27] We go from chapter 2 to chapter 4. And the disciples are coming to the temple.

[00:05:33] And there's this cripple standing outside the temple actually not standing. He's sitting because he's a cripple. And he's been crippled all his life.

[00:05:41] And people who've gone to the temple have seen this guy day in and day out, and they know that he can't walk.

[00:05:47] And so we ask for arms. Because as Peter, John, give me a handout. Now Peter and John were poor preachers. Okay? They didn't have any money.

[00:06:02] But you know what Peter said? Golden silver, we don't have any of that. But in the name of Jesus, what we do have we give to you?

[00:06:10] Get up on your feet and walk, and the guy did, and people were amazed. And now Peter starts proclaiming in Christ the resurrection of the dead.

[00:06:20] And the religious leaders are upset about this. And so they take Peter and John, and they throw them in prison. And the next day they bring them out.

[00:06:28] And they say this by whose power and authority did you make this cripple well?

[00:06:33] And this is what Peter said, listen to this.

[00:06:36] Minofus, let me know to you that it's through the power of Jesus Christ whom you crucified. But God raised up from the dead that this man stands before you completely well.

[00:06:47] And he is a stone which you as a builder's rejected, which has become the very cornerstone. And here is the text.

[00:06:56] And salvation is known through no one else.

[00:07:00] For there is no other name given among mankind by which we must be saved, except the saving name of Jesus Christ.

[00:07:10] And what did you hear the exclusivity of that passage? Why isn't that so many people believe, hey we're all going to end up in the same place where the inspired authentic spirit driven word of God tells us there is only one source of salvation.

[00:07:29] There's only one way to eternal life and that way is Jesus Christ, amen.

[00:07:35] Thank you for tuning in to Daily Truths with Dave Olman.

[00:07:38] Pastor Dave Olman is the pastor of Mount Hoorchurch in Boulder, Colorado.

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[00:07:53] Come back tomorrow for your next Daily Truth.