Pastor Elio Marrocco's "The Uniqueness Of Christianity" sermon at New Life Christian Church on May 9, 2014. You can learn more about New Life Christian Church here: http://www.newlifecc.ca
2. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
• God is
• What man is
• How God redeems man
• What sin is
3. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
All other religions teach salvation
by good works,
but Christianity offers salvation
by grace alone through faith.
4. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
Billy Graham,
"There are many religions in the world, but
only one Christianity, for only Christianity
has a God who gave Himself for mankind.
World religions attempt to reach up to God;
Christianity is God reaching down to man."
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In the world's religions we have
man's answer to man's problem,
but in Christianity we have God's
answers to man's problems.
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"The supreme gift we bring to others,
not arrogantly nor with pride,
is that in Jesus our Lord
we find the final and complete
answer to man's needs.“
George Carey
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"For the human sickness
there is one specific remedy,
and this is it. There is no other."
Stephen Neill
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J. Gresham Machen,
‘All the ideas of Christianity might be
discovered in some other religion, yet there
would be in that other religion no
Christianity. For Christianity depends, not
upon a complex of ideas, but upon the
narration of an events.’
9. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is unique
because Jesus Christ is different
from all the leaders of the world.
10. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
Philippians 2:8-10 (RSV)
"He ... became obedient unto death, even
death on a cross. Therefore God has highly
exalted him and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth."
11. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
In Christianity we have:
1. RELIABLE REVELATION
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‘There is more historical evidence
for the reliability
of the New Testament
than of any ten pieces
of classical literature put together.’
Steve Kumar
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Gap between the original copies of various
writings and the existing copies:
Tacitus Roman historian 1000 yrs
Caesar's Gallic War 1000 yrs
Plato 1300 yrs
Aristotle 1400 yrs
New Testament 30, 100 & 200 yrs
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‘The evidence for our
New Testament writings
is ever so much greater
than the evidence for many writings of
classical authors,
the authenticity of which
no-one dreams of questioning.’
F. F. Bruce
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H. G. Wells,
"Information about the personality of Jesus
is derived from the four gospels, all of
which were certainly in existence a few
decades after his death."
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Sir Frederic Kenyon
"Both the authenticity and the general
integrity of the books of the New Testament
may be regarded as finally established."
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Christianity Is Unique Because:
2. A RESURRECTED REDEEMER
18. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
There is one event in the life of
Christ that separates him from
every person that ever lived in the
history of the world
— the resurrection.
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There are but two essential requirements:
1. Has anyone cheated death and proved
it?
2. Is it available to me?
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Here is the complete record:
• Confucius' tomb – occupied
• Buddha's tomb — occupied
• Mohammed's tomb — occupied
• Jesus' tomb — EMPTY.
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Argue as you will ...
THERE IS NO POINT IN
FOLLOWING A LOSER.
G. B. Hardy
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The fact that all the founders of
the world's religions could not
conquer their own death is good
evidence that they do not
represent the truth.
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"He came in complete human
form to meet a universal need in a
way that is adequate for all times
and places and is without parallel
or substitute.“
H. D. Lewis
24. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
Steve Kumar,
‘There is more historical evidence for the
resurrection of Jesus Christ than there is for
the fact that Napoleon was defeated at the
battle of Waterloo or that Julius Caesar was
a Roman emperor.’
25. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
Bishop Westcott,
‘Indeed, taking all the evidence together, it
is not too much to say that there is no
single historic incident better or more
variously supported than the resurrection
of Christ.’
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Christianity provides us with,
3. A RESOURCEFUL RELATIONSHIP
27. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
The Christian faith provides a right
relationship between man and
God through Jesus Christ.
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John 10:30
I am the Father are one.
Mark 2:10,
The Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins.
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John 8:58
Before Abraham was born, I am.
John 5:23
He who does not honor the Son does not
honor the Father, who sent him.
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Revelation 22:12, 13
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is
with me, and I will give to everyone
according to what he has done. I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the First and the
Last, the Beginning and the End.
31. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
The founders of world's religions
say, "Do! Do! Do!“
but Christ says, "Done!
It is finished!"
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‘This is the unique element in the gospel,
which tells us that what we could never do,
God has done. We cannot climb up to
heaven to discover God, but God has come
to earth, in the person of His Son, to reveal
Himself to us in the only way we could
really understand: in terms of a human life.’
J. N. D. Anderson
33. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
In Jesus Christ:
• Our sins are forgiven.
• Our guilt is removed.
• Our fear of death is destroyed.
• Our faith is founded on a personal God.
• Our search for truth is satisfied.
• Our security and identity are complete.
• Our Iives are now based on a new hope.
34. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRISTIANITY
Confucius taught,
“You should have followed my teaching and
then you would never have fallen.”
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Mohammed advised,
“Allah wills whatever he wills.”
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Buddha came by and said,
“It’s all an illusion in the mind, change your
mind and you will change the problem.”
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Krishna came along and said,
“It’s your karma that you have fallen into
the lake. You deserve it.”
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Jesus said,
"I have come to seek and to save those who
are lost," and he comes right into the lake
and lifts you out and saves you!”
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Psalm 40: 1-3
‘I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to
me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the
slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my
feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to
stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a
hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and
fear and put their trust in the Lord.’