73rd Live Stream with Carlton Pearson - Do We Need Jesus to protect us from God?

About this sermon

Do We Need Jesus to protect us from God? Tomorrow is called "Good Friday," which seems to be a strange name to call the day when one of the most sadistic executions in history took place, purportedly ordained and indeed required by a Father God who would forgive "His" bad children, presumably all but one, on one condition: "His" only good Child was brutally tortured to death. Even Judas was a chosen and assigned betrayer. Remember Jesus said: "Have I not chosen twelve and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70) Does your god chose and use devils? The unknown biblical author of Hebrews, chapter 5, verses 7-8 (NIV) writes: "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered" Was he "saved" from death? Perhaps, but not from dying, something he is believed to have done for our sins, right? The concept of angry gods requiring blood sacrifices for appeasement precedes Judeo/Christian doctrine by thousands of years. The concept of redemption thru blood is not new or unique to Christianity. Humans have always associated the gods with fear and even terror. Pleasing a difficult God or appeasing a frighteningly angry one is a basis of most religious concepts, models and modalities worldwide and throughout history. The question I ask those of us brought up in Christian fundamentalism is: Are we saved from God by God? And if so, are the gods the same? We are taught to believe that Jesus knew from the beginning that God's forgiveness was conditioned upon his excruciatingly painful life sacrifice. We are also told and teach that Jesus taught that God was unconditionally forgiving, at least most of the time, eh? Do you not find something contradictory in that story? Carlton Pearson After college at the Oral Roberts University in Tulsa Oklahoma he served for 15 years on its Board of Regents, and two years as Associate Evangelist of The Oral Roberts Association, (ORA). In 1977, Pearson founded Higher Dimensions Ministries (now New Dimensions ), in Tulsa, which grew to over 5,000. Bishop Pearson was consecrated to the office of Bishop in 1996 thru a College of Bishops headed by Bishop Charles E Blake, presently the Presiding Bishop of the Churches of God In Christ, the denomination he was raised in and through whom he was ordained in 1971. In 1993, Carlton married the former Gina Marie Gauthier who is a professional Life Coach and Yoga teacher. More recently, he has felt a passion to proclaim the "Gospel Of Inclusion" and has written a widely acclaimed book by that name, published by Simon and Schuster. It confronts the Christian church's exclusivism as being inconsistent, in spirit with the teachings of Jesus. Pearson's frank and often controversial take on a number of different subjects has earned him appearances on television programs such as NBC and MSNBC's Dateline, ABC's Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley, The Edge with Paula Zahn and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Monique Show on BET, and a number of other television, radio and print media outlets. Bishop Pearson was recognized as one of America's 10 Most Influential Black Ministers by Gospel Today and Belief.net. He has received several honorary doctoral degrees. Bishop Pearson recently served as the Interim Senior Minister at Christ Universal Temple in Chicago. He and Gina now host New Dimensions of Chicago, building a local multi-cultural and radically Inclusive spiritual community that emphasizes expanded consciousness and Self Actualization. His newest book, God Is Not A Christian, Nor A Jew, Muslim, Hindu...God Dwells With Us, In Us, Around Us, As Us was published by Simon and Schuster and released in the spring of 2010. Visit our Youtube Channel for more video! Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/bishoppearson Website: http://www.bishoppearson.com Join Email List: http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=cqgwpvn6&p=oi&m=1011112155650

Topics

• Jesus Christ