For anyone unable to attend worship services today, April 22, at Good Shepherd, a video of the service may be watched below:

For those who were unable to attend, a video of today’s worship service at Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rogers may be watched below:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Many would attempt to place Biblical Christianity alongside the other religions of this world as if it can be viewed as one of many ways to worship and serve God and obtain eternal rewards. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Jesus, the founder of the Christian Faith, makes it very clear that Christianity is an exclusive religion and that the only way to come to God the Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, is through faith in Him as God the Son and God’s Messiah and Savior!

After speaking of the many mansions (or dwelling places) in His Father’s house, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Jesus and His cross are the only way to achieve fellowship with God the Father. He is the truth and only His doctrine is truth. And, only through faith in Him and His innocent sufferings and death on the cross for the sins of the world is there life in fellowship with God now and forever in the mansions of His Father’s House.

Jesus, through His teaching, reveals our utter sinfulness and failures to measure up to the demands of God’s holy law (cf. Matthew 5:20). And He calls upon all to trust in Him and His cross for life everlasting.

Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:14ff.). And He also said: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (3:18; cf. 3:36; 5:23-24; 8:24).

This means that all the other religions and “isms” of this world are false – lies of the devil – and can save no one. Those practicing Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, etc. may be fine people in this world but they are deceived and lost forever. Even within the outward pale of Christianity, those who do not acknowledge their utter sinfulness and look solely to the crucified and risen Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting are lost forever and will suffer in the fires of hell!

It is as Peter testified of Jesus before the Jewish rulers and people: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

So, can Jesus and Christianity be lumped together with the other religions of this world as equally valid ways to God? Not according to Jesus and Biblical Christian doctrine! It is as John writes in his first epistle (1 John 5:11-12): “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, grant that we see the exclusiveness of true Christianity and place our hope and our faith solely in You and Your cross for our salvation. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” John 20:30-31

Why was the Bible written? And, why does it not tell us of every miracle and word of Jesus?

Why was the Bible written? The apostle John answers that for us when he says: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

The teaching and the miracles of Jesus recorded in the Bible are there for us to read that we might believe that Jesus truly is the promised Messiah, the very Son of God in human flesh come to be our Savior, and that believing we might have life eternal through His name.

The apostle Paul also encouraged Timothy to continue in “the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

And, why does the Bible not tell us every miracle and include every word preached or taught by Jesus? John also answers that when he writes: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (John 21:25).

But the Bible provides us with enough witnessed accounts of Jesus’ life, His teaching, His miracles, His sufferings, His death and His resurrection that we might, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, come to know and believe in Jesus as our God and Savior. The Bible provides us with all that we need to know to be saved through faith in Christ Jesus and atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world.

God grant that we read and believe the witness of the Bible and place our faith in Christ Jesus and His sufferings, death and resurrection that we, too, might have life through His name. Amen.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

This is so true! The beginning of wisdom and knowledge is to know the LORD God (Jehovah God of the Bible) and to honor and revere Him as our God and Maker. Indeed, apart from the fear of the LORD, all the knowledge of this world will be of little value and benefit.

Proverbs 9:10 says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

How can one begin to understand life or the world in which we live without knowing and revering the God of the Bible who created and redeemed us? How can one know how and why he even has life, and how she should live life, without this knowledge of God?

And, “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Few take the time to consider the wisdom and knowledge revealed by God Himself in the Bible. Most assume they know enough and neglect the true source of wisdom and understanding. Thus, they live their lives in foolish pursuits and end their lives in emptiness and hopelessness.

The wise will seek the knowledge and wisdom which God gives in His Word. “The LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

And it is through His Word, the Bible, that He makes us “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15. He reveals to us our sinfulness but also the redemption accomplished for us by the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of God the Son in our stead.

God, grant us the wisdom to know You and honor You as our Creator and our Redeemer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible]