Today’s Message April 27th…
“Seven More Accusations!”
Matthew 5:13 – 16

Do you realize…
Christianity has a
perception problem!
What people think of you
becomes their reality!

The accusation…
“Christianity has become stagnant
(bloated, brainwashed)
with blind followers who would
rather repeat trite slogans,
than actually feel true
compassion and care for others
the way Jesus did.”

Is it possible…
that the Christianity we see
in the world today, is no
where near what Jesus
had in mind when He left
earth to rejoin his Father?

Everyone is a hypocrite at
some point. It is a common
occurrence…it happens.
The problem is the attitude of
moral superiority that we
carry around with us!

Christians fail to display
verbal or behavioral
evidence of a
changed life!
(II Cor, 5:17)
“You are a new creation in Christ;
old things have passed away,
all things now have become new”

“Christians” 23 – 41 42+
Living together 59% 33%
Sexual fantasies 57% 35%
Sex outside of marriage 44% 23%
Using profanity 37% 17%
Getting drunk 35% 13%
Having an abortion 32% 27%
Pornography 33% 19%
Non prescribed drugs 16% 8%
TV airing “f” word 7% 6%

Our words do not
match our actions!
**************************
“If you claim to be religious,
but cannot control your tongue;
your religion is worthless!”
James 1:26

We should not treat
people differently based on
their particular sins
they may commit.
Top Three Accusations!
1) Anti-Homosexual 91%
2) Hypocrisy 87%
3) Judgmental 85%
Today’s Message…
“Seven More Accusations!”
Matthew 5:13 – 16
(Page 936)

Word Association _ Christianity
Billy Graham – 29%
The Pope – 17%
George W. Bush – 17%
Martin Luther King – 8%
Mother Teresa – 7%
Mel Gibson – 7%
Jim Dobson – 5%
Images/Analogies for Christianity
*The Titanic
*An ostrich head
*A broken down bus
*A dilapidated old building

#4
78%
Too old fashioned!

A perception of
being inflexible makes
Christianity
look old fashioned!

#5
75%
Too Political!
(What ever happened
to the separation
of church and state?)
Outsiders Perception…
The political efforts of
conservative Christianity
is a problem in America

“The message seems to be lost in
an exchange for an aggressive
conservative political strategy that
demonizes segments of society.
I believe that American Christians
have become the tools of the
Republican election machine
at the expense of their own
image and message.”

#6
72%
Too out of touch with reality!
Does the Church see
the big picture?

#7
70%
Too insensitive to others!
Do we really ask ourselves
“What Would Jesus Do?”

#8
68%
Too Boring!
Just Wondering…
do you come on
Sunday/Monday for
worship or to
be entertained?

Young people today are the
most protected generation ever.
Being overprotected seeks to
fuel their willingness to defy the
safe life, and try experience or
something new, even if it means
breaking parental boundaries.

#9
66%
Too intolerant of
other faiths!

#10
61%
Too Confusing!
(We don’t understand the
words you are using)

25% of outsiders say that
Christians use words
they do not understand!
There is a fountain filled with blood
Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb
Our sins are washed away
There is a Balm in Gilead
You are dead in your baptism
Eye causes you to sin; gouge it out
What they want from us!
“Listen to me!”
“Don’t label me!”
“Don’t act so smart!”
“Put yourself in my place!”
“Be genuine!”
“Be my friend with no
other ulterior motives!”
Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth…
You are the light of the world…
so let your light shine before all
that they may see your
good deeds, and praise your
Father in heaven.”

Today’s Message March 30th…

“Let’s Make A Deal!”
Acts 1: 6 – 11

Question #1
How did the bowl disappear?
Is it proper to do
“magic tricks”
on a Sunday morning?

Entertainment vs. Worship
What should take place
in a worship service?
1) Praise to God!
2) Encouragement!
(from others, and to others)

Question #2
What were all of the
appearances of Jesus?
Where did He go,
and who did He see
after the resurrection?

Appearances of Jesus
Mary at the tomb – Mark 16:9
Two Women – Matthew 28:9
2 Men, Emmaus Road – Luke 24:29
10 disciples – John 20:19
Thomas/11 disciples – John 20: 26

Appearances of Jesus
7 disciples fishing – John 21:5
500+ believers – I Cor. 15:6
James – I Corinthians 15:7
Ascension – Luke 24:50/Acts 1
Paul’s Conversion - Acts 9: 4

John 21:25
Jesus did many other things as
well. If everyone of them were
written down in detail,
I suppose that not even the
world itself would not contain
the books to be written.

John 20:30
Jesus did many
other miraculous signs
in the presence of the
disciples which are not
recorded in this book.

Question #3
Who were the 70 additional
other disciples that Jesus
sent out to minister to
the towns and villages?

Luke 10:1
Then the Lord appointed
70 others, and sent them out
two by two, ahead of him
to every place and town,
saying “the harvest is plentiful,
but the workers are few.”

Acts 1:15
(In the upper room)
In those days, Peter stood up
among the believers,
(to speak to them,)
a group numbering about 120.

Question #4
How did Jesus “vanish” from
their sight when He and the
two men on the Emmaus Road
were eating together?

Luke 24:30
When they were eating, he took the
bread, and gave thanks for it.
Then their eyes were opened, and
they recognized him, and he
disappeared from their sight.

Acts 1:6 - 11
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for
the gift my Father has promised you
which you heard me speak about.”
So when they met together, they asked,
“Lord, are you at this time going to
restore the Kingdom to Israel?
He said, “It is not for you to know the
times and dates, the Father has set.”

“But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes on you; and
you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
After he said this, he was taken up
before their very eyes, and a
cloud him them from their sight.

As they were looking intently into
the sky, suddenly two men dressed
in white stood beside them.
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand
here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus who has been taken
from you into heaven, will come
back in the same way that you
have seen him go to heaven.”

Zechariah 14: 1, 4
On that day when the Lord is coming,
his feet will stand/touch
on the Mount of Olives,
and it will be split in two,
forming a great valley…
and you will flee
by my mountain valley.

Question #5
Why did Jesus have to die?
Why couldn’t people just
“believe in Him” without
Him suffering a cruel death?
(Sacrificial Lamb?)

Jesus died for the…
Presence of the Spirit!
Peace of God!
Penalty for sin!
Power over sin!
Proof of God’s word!
Purpose of your life revealed!
Promise of eternal Heaven!

Here’s the Deal…
(If, then, conditional clause)
“If you are my witnesses,
then, I will give you my power.”
“If you live for me,
then, I will live in you!”

Deal, or no Deal?

Do You Realize…

Jesus is counting on you!
You are His disciples today!
No one else is just like you,
who can do what you can do,
and say what you can say!

Play/Pause