Discernment Part 11    Other Religions pt.1  Judaism    12-30-2001

To know God you must approach the right God in the right way.
Jesus put it this way:
Jn 17:3  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

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The True God
One must believe God to be…

Self-existent (eternal & independent) (Ex.3:14, Dt. 32:39, Isa.43:10, 46:4, 48:12)
The Creator  (Acts 17:24)
All-Powerful (2 Chrn.20:6, Isa.46:9-10) and active in human affairs  (“The God who…” passages)
All-knowing (Jer.10:7-14, Isa.46:9,10)
Perfect in every way  (Ex.15:11, Dt.32:3,4,16-18)

Jesus

One’s treatment of Jesus reveals his treatment of God (Jn.8:19, 14:6-7)

Regarding Jesus, one must believe all His claims about Himself. (Jn.8:21-26)

Chief among these is His claim to be the self-existent God of the OT. (Jn.8:24,28, 13:19

He also claimed… 
•	to do miracles (Jn.10:25,26), 
•	to be the Messiah (Mt.16:17, 26:64)
•	to be without sin (Jn.8:29)
•	to be pre-existent before His birth (Jn.8:58)
•	to be from heaven (Jn.3:17, 8:21-26)
•	to be God’s unique Son (Jn.8:29)
•	to be the sacrifice for our sins (Jn.3:13-17).
•	to have been physically raised from the dead (Lk.24:39)
•	to being returning to save His people and judge the world (Rev.22:20)

One must not only believe in His full deity, but also His humanity (1Jn 4:2-3)

The Right Way to Approach God

1.	As a Response to His revelation of Himself in Scripture  (Mk 16:16)
2.	As a response to Jesus’ words (Dt.18:17-20, Ac 3:19-26)
3. Admitting the Truth About Yourself

A.	I am Sinful & unable to save myself  (1Jn 1:8-10, Mt.5:20) 
B. I must approach God on His Terms (Salvation by Faith Alone) (Ro.4:5, Gal.4:8-11)

Faith involves believing the Gospel and entrusting yourself to Christ, and there are numerous implications to that.

Examples:
1. If you believe that Christ is Lord, you will approach Him as your Lord.  (Ro.10:9)

2. If you believe God’s is telling the truth when He says His way is best, you will turn your back on your own way, and follow His way (repentance) (Ac 26:20, 1 Pe.3:10,11)

3.	If you have genuine faith, you will worship God.  (Jn.4:24)

4.	True faith will always result in love for God and for people. (1Jn 4:8, 1Co 16:22, 1Jn 3:14)

If you have genuine faith, you will not love the world, but will be willing to turn away from it.  (1Jn 2:15, Jas.4:4, Eph.5:8-9, 1Pe 2:9, 1Jn 2:9, Ac 14:15)

5.	Genuine faith is always marked by humility. (Mt.18:1, Lk.18:9-14)

World Religions 

This is a term we use to speak of religions that prevail in large sections of the world.  There are 8 major ones that are the religions people generally are referring to when they use the term "world religions.”  

They are Judaism (Abraham 2000 BC, Moses 1800 BC), Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Shinto, and Taoism.  

As we examine each religion, you need to keep something in mind that is very important.  Just as the vast majority of those who claim to be Christians do not hold to the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, the same is true for large numbers in other religions.  

When you talk to someone who is part of some religious system, try to avoid sticking to a script of what’s wrong with that religion.  Focus instead on what that particular person believes.

For example, if it’s a works righteousness system, but the person you are talking to believes in salvation by grace alone, you don’t have to press the fact that his religion teaches works.

Most every person has his own unique religion, regardless of what system he attaches himself to.

There is value in pointing out to a person that his beliefs don’t match the official teaching of his religion, so you can get him out from under their influence, but focus mostly on the person himself.

This is helpful not only for understanding how to present the Gospel to the person, but it also tends to make the person more receptive, because you care about what he believes.

Your first step is not to identify where he deviates from the essentials.  Nor is the first step to identify areas where you agree on peripheral issues. 

The best place to begin is in identifying areas of agreement on the essentials of the Gospel.

Here’s why: Suppose a Shiite Muslim from the Taliban walked up to you and started pointing out problems with your belief system.  How much influence would he have with you?  How carefully would you consider his arguments?

He may have some valid points, but the chances are you wouldn’t pay much attention.  

But if it were some secular person at work that you know fairly well, you might listen a little more. 

If it were someone here at Creekside, you might pay even more attention, and if it were your spouse, it would have even more impact.

You see, the more you have in common with someone, and the more you have a feeling of a person being on the same page with you in general, the more open you are to listen to that person.

So by establishing all the essentials with which you are in agreement with the person, you give the person assurance that you’re not some nut who is out of touch with reality.

Also (and this is very important) – all the elements of the Gospel cohere together.   If someone believes some of them and rejects others, that person has an inconsistency in his belief system.

Part of your job is to help him discover that point of inconsistency.  And it comes at whatever point he begins rejecting the essentials.  

One other crucial piece of information you need is this: what does this person regard as a valid authority for religious matters?  Does he believe the Bible?  OT?  NT?  Jesus’ words?  Logic? Tradition?

If he accepts an authority that presents the truth, use that.  If not, you have to begin by persuading him that the Bible is reliable. 

We will look at them in chronological order of their origin.  

The oldest is Christianity, which is just a more informed and developed form of the religion of Adam – the worship of the one true God.

Next comes apostate Judaism.  True Judaism would be Christianity.  Christianity is the truest form of Judaism, because it is the only religion that embraces the Jewish Messiah.  So when we speak of Judaism, we are speaking of apostate Judaism.

Judaism
Keep in mind the vast majority of Jewish people are Jewish ethnically but not by religion.  They are secular and do not believe in any form of Judaism.  So when you use the term “Jewish” it’s important that you distinguish between the ethnic group and the religion. 

Scriptures: OT & Talmud (Reject NT)

After about 1800 AD, Judaism divided into three general groups--Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform.  

Orthodox Jews are big into strict observation rituals in traditional ways, including the dietary rules, keeping the Sabbath and praying three times a day.  

Conservative and Reform Jews are more liberal in their practice of rituals.  

Reform Jews pay less attention to the Talmud, and focus on the OT.

Conservative Jews consider the Talmud as much an authority as the Bible.  However, they believe that Jewish practice may be changed to fit the times so that Judaism can remain relevant for each generation.  

Most eastern European Jews followed Orthodox Judaism, and most western European and North American Jews followed Conservative or Reform Judaism.  

The Reconstructionist movement, a smaller group that developed from the Conservative movement, stresses the cultural and community aspects of Judaism. 

          The structure of Judaism 

Judaism has no one person as its head and no international body with authority over religious practices.  Each local congregation chooses its own rabbi and manages its own affairs.  

The synagogue is similar to a church building.  

It is a place where they gather weekly for worship, and it is also the center of Jewish education and community activities.  Reform and Conservative synagogues are often called temples.  

Most synagogues are constructed so that the worshipers face toward Jerusalem during the service.  

At the front of the sanctuary stands the ark, a chest in which the scrolls of the Torah are kept.  In front of the ark hangs the eternal light, an oil lamp whose constant flame symbolizes God's eternal presence.  

The rabbi serves as spiritual leader, teacher, and interpreter of Jewish law.  They function like pastors.  They preach each Sabbath day, counsel, etc.

From what I understand, most rabbis have a very strong command of biblical Hebrew.

In the United States, Orthodox rabbis are trained at Yeshiva University and other rabbinical seminaries, Reform rabbis at the Hebrew Union College, and Conservative rabbis at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.  

The problem with Judaism is obvious – they reject their Messiah.

If it were possible for a person to worship the God of the OT while rejecting Jesus, the Jews would be saved.  But Scripture is clear they are not.

Ro.11:28  As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account

Ro.10:1-3  Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.   3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

I’ll be a Jew, and you begin asking me questions about what I believe, and apply the strategy we just talked about (find the point of departure from the essentials, and show the inconsistency).