Why do we need Jesus?

Imagine a passenger on an international flight. The flight is going on rather well but all of a sudden a flight attendant approaches him and asks “Sir would you like a parachute?” to which the passenger replies” Of course not! My flight is going ok so far why would I need a parachute there doesn’t seem to be any trouble with the plane” The Stewardess replies,” Well sir if you would just try this parachute on I can assure you that your flight will be even better than it is now. The ride will be smoother, the people will like you more and it will just be an all around more enjoyable trip.” So the passenger says “sure why not?” So he tries on the parachute and the first thing He notices is the weight of it on his back. He notices he can’t sit quite as high in the seat as he did before. The next thing he notices is that most of the passengers around him do not have parachutes on and they start snickering and pointing at him ridiculing him for even considering needing a parachute. Then another stewardess walks by with a boiling pot of fresh coffee. She trips over another passengers leg and spills it all over the man’s lap. The man jumps up in pain and anger ripping the parachute from his back and throwing it on the floor and curses it and the stewardess who gave it to him.

Now consider a 2nd passenger on the same flight. A stewardess approaches him and asks “sir would you like a parachute?” to which He replies “of course not this flight is going rather well and the plane seems fine why would I want a parachute?” the stewardess says,” well sir at any minute now the plane is gonna fail and you will be forced to fall from 25,000 feet but if u have this parachute on it will save your life!” The man then says,” Of course I will take this parachute!.” So he puts on the parachute not even noticing the weight of it because all he can think about is how its gonna save his life. He notices passengers around him without one and offers them all a parachute to which some accept and some reject. When those who rejected begin to mock him he doesn’t care because he knows it will save his life. Later a stewardess walks by with a boiling pot of fresh coffee tripping over another passengers leg she spills it onto his lap. Does the man jump up and toss the parachute down cursing it? Of course not! He didn’t put the parachute on to make the flight better, he put it on to save his life so if anything he clings tighter to the parachute and looks forward to the jump that will deliver him from the hardships of the flight.


-Prosperity? : Some televangelists/preachers today preach a perverted gospel that some call Prosperity Gospel. They say that if you accept Christ and worship God you will become : Prosperous , Wealthy, Happy with life, and Healthy. They say that if u become a follower of God then when something comes along you want or when there is an issue you want changed you can “Name it and Claim it” and that you can direct the Holy Spirit to work for you in all things. What does the Bible say about this?

1 Timothy 6:3-10 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Scripture maintains that “the love of money is the root of all evil” and we should withdraw ourselves from people who suppose that financial and physical gain is godliness.

Ephesians 5:5-7 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Here we see that no covetous man, who Paul here calls an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of God. What does prosperity gospel teach? Coveting after money and personal gain and using God to achieve such. According to Scripture, ones who follow such a teaching are idolaters and have NO inheritance in the kingdom of God.
Even Jesus warned against such teachings:
Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The New testament warns of false teachers who will come:
2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Sounds like a warning against the very Prosperity teachers of today who make merchandise of people by fooling them into thinking if they send their money in to them that God will bless them because of it.

-Name it and claim it? What about using God to suit our needs? Ordering God to work for us? Prosperity preachers will say that anything you need be it healing, monetary gain etc you can simply “Name it and Claim it” and that since you are a child of God, God is obligated to fulfill your wish. But what does the bible say about this?
James 4:13-16 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. All things that we ask for should be according to the Lords Will not our own
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Asking in Jesus name is not just saying “in the name of Jesus” it’s asking according to His Will.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Jesus said He will do what we ask “in my name” or according to His will. He even ordered us to ask God “….Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”-Matthew 6:10…not “our will be done”.

-Wealth and Prosperity a result of being born again? These Prosperity Preachers say that once u
accept Jesus (and send in your monetary gifts of course) u will live a new life of happiness and wealth.

What does Jesus say is the road we travel once we become His disciple?

John15:19-20 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

There will even come a time where family will give each other over to be killed
Matthew 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
We are to deny our own selfish desires and seek God and His Will.

1 Corinthians 4:11-13 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
Even Peter (who saw Christ in the flesh) and Paul who was visited by Christ in a vision were poor during their travels. But they didn’t blame God for it they endured it, because they already knew the road wouldn’t be easy. They didn’t follow Christ for personal gain they did it to bring Him Glory.

Why then do we need Christ why do we need salvation/being born again?
1. We all have sinned-
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Ever told a lie? Stolen anything? Used Gods name in vain? Looked with lust? Jesus says in Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
In doing just one of any of these you have broken Gods law and if you break part of the law you are guilty of all of the law
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

2. We are all condemned to Hell because of that sin
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

3.We accept Christ for our salvation from Condemnation.
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Christ is our Savior from God’s Wrath. While we all deserve God’s Wrath, He loves us so much He provided a way for us to be saved from it
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The danger of this “Prosperity Gospel” is that it twists Scripture and changes God from being our savior to being someone to answer our every whim and to work for us. And it disillusions people who hear the message to believe that the Christian life is an easy life and makes them more likely to give up and blame God when trials do come. So let us remember that we do not use God for our physical gain and to store up treasures on Earth. And that even though we are children of God we still will face trials and temptations but God is sufficient to give us the strength to make it through them. We all need to accept Christ so that we might be reconciled
with God and saved from Wrath.