Sunday Evening Service

LAST SUNDAY AT OUR EVENING SERVICE, WE HAD A GREAT MEAL, LOTS OF GOOD FELLOWSHIP AND BEGAN THE SERIES OF “CHRISTIANITY AND WORLD RELIGIONS”.
ADAM HAMILTON, SENIOR PASTOR OF THE METHODIST CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION, DISCUSSED FOUR KEY QUESTIONS WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND AS WE GET INTO OUR STUDY:

1.  WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT RELIGIONS?
2.  HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS VIEW OTHER RELIGIONS?
3.  HOW IS GOD AT WORK IN OTHER RELIGIONS?
4,  WHAT IS THE FATE OF THOSE WHO EARNESTLY PUIRSUE GOD THROUGH OTHER RELEGIONS?

SOME VERY INTERESTING STATISTICS WERE POINTED OUT IN HIS BOOK, WHICH I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO GET: (SEE PASTOR)

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 6 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
TWO (2) BILLION, OR ABOUT ONE-THIRD, ARE CHRISTIANS.
ONE POINT THREE (1.3) BILLION ARE MUSLIMS
900 MILLION ARE HINDUS.
360 MILION ARE BUDDHISTS.
14 MILLION ARE JEWISH

IN THE USA 77% OF POPULATION CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIAN
15% CLAIM NO RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
1.3% ARE JEWISH
1.5% ARE MUSLIM, BUDDHISTS  AND HINDUS.

DURING THE LAST DECADE, CHRISTIANITY GREW AT A RATE OF 5%
BUT
ISLAM GREW AT RATE OF 110%
BUDDHISM AT RATE OF 170%
HINDUISM AT RATE OF 237%

STAGGERING STATISTICS ARE THEY NOT?  WHY??

IN ORDER TO BEGIN OUR UNDERSTANDING, WE LOOKED AT THREE VIEWS

1. THE PURALIST PERSPECTIVE - ALL RELIGIONS ARE EQUALLY VALID PATHS TO     ULTIMATE REALITY, OR GOD.

2.  THE EXCLUSIVIST PERSPECTIVE - ALL WHO DO NOT ACCEPT  JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD WILL BE CONDEMNED TO HELL.

3.  THE INCLUSIVIST PERSPECTIVE - GOD IS AT WORK AMONG ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, EVEN WHERE THERE IS NO CHRISTIAN  WITNESS..

WITH ALL THE PUBLICITY TODAY CONCERNING RELIGION, THE NUTURE COMMITTEE STRONGLY URGES YOU TO JOIN US IN THIS SERIES, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE FAITH OF THE OTHER RELIGIONS.  HOW CAN WE TAKE OUR FAITH TO THEM IF WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR FAITH?????

NEXT SUNDAY WE WILL BEGIN OUR STUDY OF HINDUISM.  PLEASE JOIN US.