Outline for Teaching at Cherry Hills Community Church Sunday, Feb. 19

Douglas Groothuis, Denver Seminary

JESUS AND THE NEW SPIRITUALITY

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF JESUS

A. The Jesus question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-16)

· Americans answer: much confusion

B. The danger of false views of Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:1-4)

C. The need to defend the true Jesus (1 Peter 3:15-16)

II. THE REAL JESUS: BIBLICAL BASICS

A. Jesus’ unique deity

1. Jesus’ own words (Mark 2:1-10, 23-28; John 8:58)

2. Apostolic authority (Colossians 2:8-9)

B. Jesus’ true humanity (John 1:14)

C. Jesus as the only Savior and Lord

1. Jesus’ words (John 14:1-6)

2. Apostolic authority (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

D. Jesus as the only basis for salvation by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)

III. THE JESUS OF THE NEW SPIRITUALITY (NEW AGE)

A. The New Age world view: pantheism (all is God) monism (all is one)

B. The New Age view of Jesus (see 1 John 4:1-6)

1. Enlightened master, guru, adept, yogi, swami

2. Jesus is separate from the impersonal “Christ Consciousness”

3. Jesus is not uniquely God in the flesh--one of many spiritual examples

(see Acts 4:12)

4. Jesus’ crucifixion not redemptive (see Colossians 1:22)

5. Jesus’ resurrection is not literal (see 1 Corinthians 15)

6. Jesus’ second coming is not personal and physical (see Acts 1:1-11)

7. The Bible is not the final authority on Jesus: other sources replace it

(see 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

a. Other supposedly historical documents (Gnostic, etc.)

b. Channeled material (A Course in Miracles)

c. Near-death experiences (Betty Eadie, Embraced by the Light)

8. Esoteric interpretation of Scripture: texts out of context as pretexts for

theological and spiritual error (see 2 Peter 3:15-16)

V. DEFENDING THE REAL JESUS TODAY

A. Spiritual warfare and prayer (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:1-10)

B. Communicating the real Jesus to those who are confused

(1 Corinthians 8:5-6)

C. Defending the reliability of the New Testament (Luke 1:1-4; 2 Peter 1:16)

D. Counting on the power of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4;

Ephesians 1:18-23)

VI. RESOURCES FOR DEFENDING THE BIBLICAL JESUS

Books:

1. Douglas Groothuis, Jesus in an Age of Controversy (Wipf and Stock, 2002), Confronting the New Age (InterVarsity, 1988), Deceived by the Light (Wipf and Stock, 2002).

2. Ajith Fernando, The Supremacy of Christ (Crossway, 1994).

3. John Stott, The Cross of Christ (InterVarsity, 1987).

4. Booklet: Douglas Groothuis, Are All Religions One? (InterVarsity, 1996).