Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

-John 4:13-14 (NIV)

This everlasting life that Jesus came to bring does not begin at the second coming but in the here and now.

Joy becomes central and sorrow only peripheral. Because we have answered life's most important questions: Origin, Meaning, Morality and Destiny.

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

-1 John 5:19 (NIV)

When good things are made ultimate things, they turn into idols that can never deliver what they promise.

The most alluring, destructive counterfeit to the truth of God and the inner joy and celebration that comes from knowing Him the way He seeks to be known is Religion!

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

-2 Corinthians 11:14 (NIV)

Part of accepting our mission is to never underestimate the enemy’s ability to distort and counterfeit the Gospel.

But to recognize the counterfeit we must first recognize the real thing! Unless we know the real thing, we cannot contrast and compare!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.

-Romans 1:16-17 (NIV)

And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

-C.S. Lewis, Farewell to Shadowlands

The Religious solution is his primary weapon. He counterfeits the Gospel and uses his anti-Christ’s to propagate the message.

Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father.

-1 John 2:22-23a (NIV)

What is the counterfeit of our time? How should we respond to it?

The two dominant monotheistic religions in our world are Christianity and Islam.

Both faiths:

• Worship a single, supreme Creator who is all-powerful and all-knowing.
• Trace their spiritual ancestry back to the patriarch Abraham—Christians through Isaac, Islam through Ishmael.
• Respect the prophets and figures like Noah, Moses, Adam and David and consider them prominent and pivotal figures.
• Mary and Jesus are revered in both religions to varying degrees.
• Teach: The immortality of the soul, a literal day of judgment, and the existence of heaven and hell.

However, just because two things have some things in common does not mean they are identical.

Islam is fundamentally different to Christianity.

1. Islam does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
2. Islam categorically denies the atoning work of Jesus on the cross.
3. Islam teaches that both these things are blasphemous.
4. And that Mohammed is greater than Jesus.

Islam is the greatest counterfeit to the Gospel in our time.

The greater concern has to do with: A new generation of Gen Z's and Millennials, who have been deceived by a secular world view’s redefinition of tolerance.

Old definition: No person should be discriminated against because of a religious world view.

New definition: All ideas are equally valid and equally true. Truth is subjective and no one truth supersedes another.

The Apostle Paul was very clear that:

1. Religious activity and ritual do not merit salvation.
2. Neither is sincerity a way to eternal security.

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

-Romans 10:1-4 (NIV)

The Devil's greatest counterfeit involves the Religious Solution. 

Ultimately, every culture attempts to deal with the reality ofdeath by being religious. By discovering the path that leads to ahope that whatever is next, we are secure.

Every faith system outside of Christianity is not merely filled with error but originates from the doctrine of demons!

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

-Acts 4:12 (NIV)

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

-John 14:6 (NIV)

but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 

-1 John 4:3 (NIV)

My heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

-Romans 10:1-4 (NIV)

Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.

-John Wesley

The Church has become far too appeasing to the masses:

1. In our efforts not to offend anyone, we fail to teach the next generation the truths of the Gospel.
2. The Gospel is offensive.
3. The real God will contradict you at some point!

Christianity and the cross are still the world’s largest faith narrative:

• It is time for the American church to wake up and advance the Gospel of truth, love and joy to the masses.
• Jesus publicly died on the cross so that we could publicly live out our Christian faith for Him!

We celebrate the Great Commission because God is moving across this world in miraculous ways. Because of Jesus Christ, our joy is central and sorrow only peripheral.

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

-John 14:6 (NIV)

Prayer:

Open our eyes to those around us.

One on one relationships

Change one change all.

He who saves one life saves the world entire.

Make a Decision