Introduction: People around the world are very religious: In India they love Hinduism. In Japan, Shinto. In Africa and South America, Spiritism and Witch Doctors, in the Middle East, Islam. In America we have hundreds of religions ranging from Mormonism and Witchcraft to Reformed Presbyterians. Times have changed. It used to be that evangelism and the necessity of sending missionaries to win the lost in other countries was just taken for granted. Nowadays it is hard to find anyone who will come out and say that non-Christians need Jesus. Take President Bush, for example. Religion was a major issue in the last presidential campaign, on both the Democrat (Lieberman) and Republican side, and people asked a lot of questions. Last year George Bush was interviewed by Tim Russert, during the campaign, and candidate Bush was very reluctant to present Jesus as the only Savior. Here are some quotations:

"Russert: In 1993, you suggested unless you accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, you couldn't go to heaven.

Bush: No, no. What I said was my religion says that you accept Christ and you go to heaven...No, sir. God decides who gets to go to heaven, Mr. Russert.

Russert: Even non-Christians?

Bush: God decides...

Russert: If you believe that the way to the Kingdom of God for you is Jesus Christ, in a sense don't you have a moral obligation to try to urge other people to follow the same path?

Bush: Not in my line of work I don't. My line of work is political. My job...is to respect others, and respect their religions...I'm not so presumptuous as to play God. There are many great religions in the world... the key is not to hold out, you know, my religion is better than yours.

Russert: Do you think that all major religions are equally true?

Bush: I think that we're all God's children, and far be it from me, as a lowly sinner, trying to decide who gets to go to heaven and who doesn't, for example. I mean at one time, in 1994, I said, "My faith says you must accept Christ to go to heaven." And there was a significant backlash...and so to answer your question, there are great religions in the world, and it's important to recognize that there are great religions in the world....I just happen to be a Christian."

Now Bush is a politician, and was trying to please everyone, and get elected. I understand. But he missed a great opportunity to stand up for Jesus. I'm reminded so much of Peter's exprience at the campfire, denying Jesus, and missing a great opportunity to witness.

Jesus is the only way to Heaven. The so-called "great" religions of the world are not really great. They are realms of spiritual darkness, and Christ has commanded us to send them the light. Let's look at these verses in John, where Jesus has a conversation with the Pharisees. What do these verses say about religious people?

I. You can be extremely religious, and still be far from God (John 8:13). Jesus was talking with Pharisees, as religious a group of people who ever lived. They studied the Old Testament and Jewish religious writings constantly. They were always in the Temple and the synagogue. They added hundreds of rules to the 10 commandments, to insure that they would keep them perfectly. They tithed, even the spices in the kitchen cabinet. They prayed long and loud.

II. You can hear Jesus' words, or read the whole Bible, and not understand it at all (John 8:12-19). They accused Jesus of lying. They couldn't figure out who His Father was. They judged spiritual things "according to the flesh." Paul wrote about this problem in I Corinthians 1:18, 23; 2:14). The Bible says that people who have not turned to Jesus are incapable of understanding spiritual truth, no matter how religious they may be.

III. Religious people who reject Jesus, will "die in their sins." Even the very religious ones, are "of the world." They cannot go to Heaven while rejecting God's Son(John 8:20-24). To "die in your sins," means to die without having your sins forgiven, and without the penalty of sin being lifted from you.

IV. It's not a hopeless case! God can save people from false religions (John 8:28-32). Nicodemus is the most famous example of a Pharisee who came to Jesus. He believed in Jesus early in Jesus' ministry, and he assisted in Jesus' burial. Many other Jewish religious leaders eventually came to faith in Jesus after His death (Acts 6:7). Many religious people today are turning from their false religions to believe in Jesus (share some missionary illustrations).

V. Religious people were Jesus' worst enemies. People may be very religious (such as the Pharisees), and yet try to kill Jesus, and His followers. Being religious does not make you good, or a friend of God. They accused Jesus of being demon possessed, and tried to stone Him to death. (John 8:37, 48, and 59). The most religious of all, Paul the Pharisee, was instrumental in the imprisonment and deaths of many Christians (Acts 8:1 and 9:1-2). Nowadays it is the very religious Hindus, Muslims and Communists (the religion of worship of "man" and "state") who are persecuting Christians around the world. They accuse Christians of being evil, and see themselves as servants of their gods.

Conclusion: It is important for Christians to remember that we were not saved from our sins by converting to a religion, but by believing in Jesus. We are saved by God's grace, not the rules and regulations, or even living by the Golden Rule. We must understand that people around the world, no matter how religious they may be, are worshipping false gods, and they need the Savior. Jesus gave us the great commission, and told us to go to the whole world, and to make disciples. May the Lord help us to resist the tolerant, inclusive spirit of the age, to believe the words of Jesus, and to be obedient to His Great Commission. Amen.