Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20061210.htm

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: GOD'S MIDEAST SOLUTION GIFT
Part I: God's Mideast Solution Gift Relative To Islam
(Luke 1:26-38)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

The Middle East crisis threatens the welfare of world peace this Christmas Season, so gaining a comprehensive solution is a chief aim of many world leaders.

However, to gain a true, long-term solution, one must realize that the crisis has at its core three deeply ingrained and deeply differing religious systems - Islam, Judaism and Christendom.

A key issue in this discord involves a different view of history between Islam and Judaism relative to the Jerusalem temple site. Islam claims that Abraham offered up Ishmael, one of the sons of Abraham (Genesis 16) on Mount Moriah, the site of the later Jerusalem temple mount (Sura 37, "The Rangers," in the Muslim Koran as cited in "It Is Written," SIM NOW, July-August 1989, p. 7; 2 Chronicles 3:1). The descendants of Ishmael are then considered by Arab Muslims to be the heirs of God's blessing through Abraham, meaning the Holy Land belongs to Arab Muslims.

This view sharply contrasts with the Jewish Old Testament record (Torah) of Genesis 22, the view that Abraham offered up his other son Isaac, and that the promised seed came through Isaac and his son, Jacob, the father of the Jewish people (Genesis 17). Accordingly, the Hebrew people of Israel believe that God gave them the Holy Land.

This religious difference has bloomed into a huge present crisis:

(1) Iran's Muslim president has often vowed that he plans to destroy the State of Israel even if it means using nuclear weapons.

(2) As the United States is seen by many Muslim terrorists as Israel's chief international friend and ally, Muslim terrorists hijacked four American passenger jets on September 11, 2001, crashing them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and accounting for the destruction of flight 93 in Pennsylvania. This attack contributed to the start of the present Iraq war and its international political crisis.



Accordingly, we may wonder what is the REAL ANSWER to the Middle East crisis, particularly as it relates to members of the Islamic faith, and what possible part WE could play in it!



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "In view of the potentially devastating hatred many Muslims have for Israel, does GOD offer any HOPE for peace in the Middle East this Christmas? If so, what is it so that I might promote it?!"
  1. The Islamic faith began with Muhammad who claimed that God's angel, Gabriel repeatedly appeared to him and, among many other things, led him to promote the destruction of the Jewish people:
    1. After "six months of meditation in a cave on Mount Hira" in 601 A. D., Muhammad claimed that God's angel Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him to proclaim the Islamic faith, cf. "The Man From Mecca," SIM NOW, July-August 1989, p. 2.
    2. More visions and trances followed in which Muhammad claimed that Gabriel dictated many other teachings that were later collected and written in what became "Islam's holy book, the Koran," Ibid., p. 3.
    3. Then, the Koran at Surah 5:51, Al Hil-ali, v. 54, Jusuf ali as cited in Dave Hunt's newsletter, The Berean Call, February 2000 states: "Take not the Jews and Christians as friends," and "Muhammad himself said, The last hour will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims kill them,'" (Mishkat al masabih Sh. M. Ashraf, 1990, pp. 147, 721, 810-11, 1130, etc.; Ibid.)
  2. However, Luke 1:26-38 of God's inspired Word reveals Gabriel appeared to Mary, the earthly Mother of Jesus, to promise God's establishment of the eternal, Jewish Messianic reign under Jesus:
    1. Luke 1:26-31 reports that "the angel Gabriel was sent from God . . . to a virgin . . . Mary" to announce the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
    2. Then, in contrast to the Koran, God's Word at Luke 1:32-35 reveals Jesus would be God Incarnate, and that He would be given the Jewish king David's throne to rule eternally over all of the Holy Land:
      1. Luke 1:32, 35 reveals Jesus would be called "the Son of the Highest" and "the Son of God," and since the word "Son" in that day (hiuos, U. B. S. Greek N. T. , 1966 ed., p. 201) referred to an adult son who was equal with his father (cf. John 5:18), Jesus would be fully God come in the flesh, John 1:1, 14.
      2. Then, Luke 1:32 claims that God would give Jesus "the throne of his father David," and verse 33 adds that "he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." These words predict an eternal Jewish rule over all the Holy Land:
        1. The "throne of David" included David's rule over both banks of the Jordan River running from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, 2 Samuel 5:1-3; Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, 1978, Map 5.
        2. The "house of Jacob" refers to the twelve tribes of Israel, the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob who comprise the Jewish people, cf. Genesis 49:1-27, 28 with Acts 26:7.
        3. Then, as Jesus is to rule over the Jewish people on David's throne in the Holy Land "for ever" in "his kingdom" that "shall have no end," opposite the claims of Islam, God will bless the Jews with an eternal kingdom under Christ over all of the Holy Land so that they will never be annihilated by anyone, Lk. 1:33!
  3. Thus, relative to Muslims of the Islamic faith, God's Mideast solution gift involves the evangelizing of Muslims to faith in Christ and eternal damnation for all who do not thus believe in Him:
    1. Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus Christ told His followers to make disciples of "all nations," Acts 1:8 with Matthew 28:18-20.
    2. Accordingly, God calls for Christ's followers to disciple all people of the ISLAMIC faith, that they might become believers in Jesus !
    3. Now, all who have not believed in Christ in the end will be sent by God to eternal hell, cf. Matt. 13:41-43; Rev. 20:11-15. This means that anyone of any religious faith, including the Islamic faith, who has not believed in God's Son, Jesus Christ for salvation from sin and hell will not belong to God's coming eternal kingdom of blessing.
    4. Thus, any faith, including Islam, that does NOT teach salvation from sin and hell by faith in Christ will eventually disappear from the earth.
Application: If we have not done so, may we (1) trust in God's Son, Jesus, as Savior from sin to receive God's gift of eternal life and become a subject in His future, eternal kingdom, John 3:16; Colossians 1:12-14. (2) Then, in view of the deep, dangerous hatred many Muslims have or have been taught to have toward the Jewish people, may we (a) love Muslims as deceived, lost people for whom Christ died, and (b) lead them to trust in Him as their personal Savior from sin and hell, John 3:16!

Lesson: God's GIFT of peace in the Middle East was announced by the Angel Gabriel to Mary so long ago: in the whole Scripture context, it revealed an eternal peace would come to the Middle East by GOD'S work through GOD'S establishing the eternal kingdom of Christ on the earth in the end, a kingdom built on each subject's personal faith in its King, Jesus Christ. Thus, to promote this plan, we must trust Christ as Savior from sin and herald this saving Gospel to all men, including all Muslims!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

Though the Islamic nation of Iran is led by a ruler who hates the Jewish people of the State of Israel, and he has warned that he will use even nuclear weapons to destroy it, the nation of Iran has had a great Christian witness by one of its own citizens, Reverend Mehdi Dibaj.

On December 3, 1993 in Iran's Sari Court of Justice while on trial for converting to Christianity from the Islamic faith, he said:

"I am a Christian. As a sinner I believe Jesus has died for my sins on the cross and by His resurrection and victory over death, has made me righteous in the presence of the Holy God. The true God speaks about this fact in His Holy Word, the Gospel (Injil). Jesus means Savior because He will save His people from their sins.' Jesus paid the penalty of our sins by His own blood and gave us a new life so that we can live for the glory of God by the help of the Holy Spirit . . .

"I have been charged with apostasy' . . .

They tell me, Return!' But to whom can I return from the arms of my God? Is it right to accept what people are saying instead of obeying the Word of God? It is now 45 years that I am walking with the God of miracles, and His kindness upon me is like a shadow and I owe Him much for His fatherly love and concern . . .

Life for me is an opportunity to serve Him, and death is a better opportunity to be with Christ. Therefore I am not only satisfied to be in prison for the honor of His Holy Name, but am ready to give my life for the sake of Jesus, my Lord . . .

May the shadow of God's kindness and His hand of blessing and healing be and remain upon you for ever. Amen. With Respect, Your Christian prisoner, Mehdi Dibaj." (The Written Defense of the Rev. Mehdi Dibaj that was delivered to the Court of Justice, Sari, Iran)

Reverend Dibaj was released from prison due to negative political world reaction to his sentencing. However, five months later, he was abducted and mysteriously martyred in June of 1994.



May we remember that Christ is calling out for His name precious souls like Mehdi Dibaj even from people who live in places that are inundated in the most virile forms of the Islamic faith. May we then reach out to the Muslim world with the saving, life-transforming Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!