Faith for Salvation

The only thing that works real good all the time is my forgetter. The following is the text of the adult Sunday School Bible study and provides an excellent review of a particular aspect of our faith. Different voice, different approach, same old story. Let's talk about it...

“Faith For Salvation”

Golden Text: John 3:16God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life
Focus: to recap Christ’s message of salvation and be grateful for forgiveness
Objectives:

1. consider where we are in regards to our salvation

2. reflect on the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ

3. become grateful for the gift of God’s forgiveness of sin
Tell me the old, old story

Of unseen things above

Of Jesus and His glory

Of Jesus and His love

Tell me the story simply

As to a little child

For I am weak and weary

And helpless and defiled
It is a simple, yet vastly complex salvation that we have.Simple from the fact that if a person chooses to

A-dmit they are a sinner

B-elieve that Jesus is the Son of God

C-onfess Jesus as Savior and Lord , they will be saved.
It is complex in that we live in a world that was created perfect, without sin. Sin-missing the mark, falling short of the goal, resulted in alienation from God. The punishment or result of sin is seen in the calamities that we experience in life including sickness, pain, and death of the physical body as well as eternal damnation. You may recall Sister Ruthies' message before Christmas, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” wherein she explained the predicament that we were in until Christ Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the grave and ascended back to heaven. This was the only way that this vicious cycle, this grip of sin on our lives, could be broken. We have no power of “turning over a new leaf” and hitting the mark of perfection. We have no ability to live in such a way that we can be acceptable to God without the forgiveness of sin.

Years ago in England, a convicted burglar who had served a seven year sentence, and his Judge who sat on the Supreme Court of England "coincidentally" attended the same evangelistic crusade. When the minister gave his appeal to those who would follow Christ, both the burglar and the judge found themselves side by side at the altar. The minister did not think that they were aware of one another’s presence as they were kneeling. Later, the Judge inquired of the minister. "Did you notice who was kneeling beside me at the communion rail this morning?" The pastor replied, "Yes, but I didn't know that you noticed." The two walked along in silence for a moment, and then the judge said, "What a miracle of grace." The pastor nodded in agreement. "Yes, what a miracle of grace." Then the judge said, "But to whom do you refer?" And the pastor said, "Why, to the conversion of that convict." The judge said, "But I was not referring to him. I was thinking of myself." The pastor, surprised, replied, "You were thinking of yourself? I don't understand?" "Yes," said the judge, "It did not cost that burglar much to get converted when he came out of jail. He had nothing but a history of crime behind him, and when he saw Jesus as his Savior he knew that there was salvation and hope and joy for him. And he knew how much he needed that help. But look at me. I was taught from my earliest infancy to live as a gentleman; that my word was to be my bond; that I was to go to church, say my prayers, take Communion and so on. I went through Oxford, took my degrees, was called to the bar and eventually became a judge. Pastor, nothing but the grace of God could have caused ME to admit that I was a sinner on the same level as that burglar. It took much more grace to forgive ME for all my pride and self-deception, to get me to admit that I was no better in the eyes of God than that convict I sent to prison.

Luke 7:36-48

When we read about an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees in the gospels, we usually see the Pharisees either accusing Him of false teaching or some form of law-breaking. And we usually see Jesus setting them straight by pointing out their ignorance of their ways in regards to the law and the things of God. We are prone to lump all the Pharisees together and think that they were all antagonistic towards Jesus. That is not the case. Here is a Pharisee that invited Jesus to his home for a meal. The custom was that a guest would take off his sandals upon arrival at someone’s home and a servant would wash their feet. This was not done. However, a certain uninvited guest shows up. Her name is not given, but she must have been known as a woman of questionable moral character. She comes with an express purpose as evidenced by the fact that she brought a box of expensive perfume with her. She has to be bold to enter the house but is also seen as humble and repentant as she kneels to wash Jesus feet with her tears and anoint them with the perfume. Can you imagine the fragrance filling the room. This was the good stuff costing a years wages. As she performs this act of love, the Pharisee is thinking to himself that if Jesus were a prophet, he would know what kind of a woman she was and refuse to let her touch him.
Jesus says to Simon, “I have a question”. Simon’s answer reveals something about how he views Jesus. “teacher, ask it”. He does not indicate that he sees Jesus as a prophet, certainly not as the Son of God. Jesus goes on to tell the story of two men with debts that they could not pay. Both were forgiven of the debt. The question Jesus asked Simon was, “which of them will love the creditor most?”To the world, the answer seems obvious. The one who was forgive most.
Charles Allen said, “the hardest people to reach with the love of God are not the bad people. Bad people know they are bad. They have no defense. The hardest ones to win for God are the self righteous people. Why is that so?It boils down to our lack of understanding or willingness to accept that All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The human soul is eternal.
If the soul is not eternal, then there is no need for concern over salvation. If death means the annihilation of the individual, then there is no cause to be concerned about one’s eternal destiny. Before realizing the need for salvation, a person must admit the eternality of the soul. Heaven and Hell are inescapable realities.
Without the hope of spending eternity in the presence of God or the threat of being punished with eternal separation and condemnation, there is little reason to consider the need for salvation. Jesus taught the doctrines of Heaven and Hell more than any other Bible voice. If Jesus Christ is to be believed, then so are the doctrines of Heaven and Hell. Every person will give account for his life before God - The Judge.
The wicked and the righteous will be forever separated. Thereafter, each will face either eternal damnation and separation from God or eternal salvation in the presence of God and the holy angels. The scriptures have repeatedly demonstrated that when men do only what is right in their own eyes, and neglect the call of God unto a higher way of living, they are destined for a tragic ending. Whatever prevents a man from admitting his need for salvation, whether it be foolish pride, blasphemous mockery, or ignorant denial, only the truth can make him free. Remember last weeks summary statement: when a person obediently follows Christ, he is able to see.. (able to understand the truth) Anyone of us should appreciate any efforts another person might show to save, preserve, rescue or deliver us from any danger or jeopardy. When a fireman rescues someone from a burning building, he is considered a hero. Salvation is a deliverance from sure eternal death.

My dad loved John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. If the gospel does not condemn a person, why do people feel so offended when confronted with it? In part, it is because many (if not most) people have successfully been able to push the feelings of guilt resultant from being a sinner. Most of our vices are things that help with that suppression. The gospel confronts the suppression of the truth. Similarly, there is a struggle with the concept of being born again. We live in a physical world and often find it difficult to grasp spiritual truths. Again, when we obediently follow Christ, we gain the ability to see. If you are familiar with the account of the children of Israel in the desert, you remember the illustration that Jesus used of the serpent being lifted up. When the people began to complain against God provided leadership, He sent poisonous snakes into the camp. When people started dying, they began to confess their sin and asked Moses to pray for the snakes to be removed. God instructed Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. All who looked on it would be healed from the poisonous bite. Now folks, in the natural this does not make any sense. What can looking at a bronze serpent on a pole do for the physical body just bitten by a snake? Yet, when they obediently responded to what God had said to do, they were healed. In many hospitals you still see today the symbol of healing as a serpent on a cross. In like manner, with the poison of sin dominating human life, those who simply look to the cross of Christ will be healed from its bite. Salvation rests completely upon God’s love for His creation. He willingly made the sacrifice, taking on sin and death so the curse of sin and death could be broken. Genuine love is anchored in action, not emotion. 1 Corinthians defines love in concrete action. The world often portrays God as a tyrant waiting to pounce on anyone as soon as they sin. But the reality is that 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 did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. Hope is available to all who will respond. My testimony is one of God’s amazing grace. If you have been born again, so is yours. We don’t deserve it, we receive it. From that moment on, as you choose to follow obediently in His footsteps, God’s light is shed on your path and you begin to see life more clearly. All the blessings of life in Christ rest upon the foundation of our salvation.

“Faith Born of Desperation”
Golden Text: Mark 9:23
If you can? Said Jesus. Everything is possible for him who believes

Focus: to reframe desperation as a catalyst for faith and grow in our ability to trust God

Objectives:
1. be encouraged when struggling with doubt
2. acknowledge God’s authority over stubborn problems
3. persistently seek God’s help

Last week I said that the greatest power that a person can exercise is faith in God. It is the spiritual resource that connects humanity to God. Faith in God connects finite with infinite, temporal with eternal, powerless to omnipotent. BUT our understanding of human relationships does not always give good analogies for understanding God’s ways. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways.
I have often stated that I cannot change a person’s heart, only God can do that.
In life we are faced with many things that are out of our control and it can be frustrating. It can lead to doubt or even despair……BUT, Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes”. Is that possible, to believe in despair, to believe when the clouds of doubt are overhead, to believe when faced with the impossible?

Matt8:5-10
What is the worst problem you can imagine? Sickness? Sending a loved one off to war? Financial ruin? Loss of health? What problem seems so big that nothing touches it?
How do these kinds of situations make us feel? Angry? Cheated? Helpless? Depressed? Fear has a way to paralyze us. It can place such an obstacle in our path that we don’t know how or are unable to act. When this happens, as Christians, we must reframe the problem in such a way that our faith enters the picture. We need to see God as the One who has the power to work in impossible situations.

The centurion was an outsider in a little town on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee.
Here is where I love to read parallel translations. The NIV says that the Centurion came to Jesus asking for help. The King James says that he beseeched Jesus.
Beseech is to ask with urgency, or ask with anxiety.
The Centurion came to Jesus and he had a problem. He was concerned for his servant. There was a sense of urgency in his coming. Lord, I’ve got a problem and I need a solution.

In our lives, often, it takes a state of desperation to bring us to God with a sense of urgency. Hence, our lesson title, “Faith Born of Desperation”

PRAY = think about the impossible situation in your life. You know it will never get any better, or will it?

Faith begins with a good understanding that God exists AND that He cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you…..
That’s fact brothers and sisters. God, your heavenly Father cares for you
Jesus, speaking to the crowd as recorded by Matthew,
10:28-31 do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows

The Roman Centurion had it right. He had men under his command. He knew about authority and discipline. It was the backbone of the Roman army. He understood that there was a higher authority than his own commander. He understood that God rules over all the earth and that not only kings and kingdom are subject to His word, but also demons and sickness bow to the authority of God.
Faith begins with that as a foundation. God exists, He is real, He cares and He has all authority. Consider the evidence. The Old Testament is filled with examples that the law of faith supersedes the laws of nature. When Paul wrote to the church at Rome, inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words.
Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
The book of Joshua records a time when the sun stood still-the law of faith overrides the nature law of the universe
The book of Daniel records such things as people walking about in a furnace of fire and staying in a den with hungry lions for a night without harm in either case. The law of faith is greater than the natural laws of consuming fire and beasts devour.
2 Kings 6 records that an iron axe-head floated – the law of faith supersedes the law of buoyancy
In the book of Exodus you read about the plagues of Egypt, the parting of the red sea, and water from a rock as well as manna from heaven for bread to eat.
In Joshua you read about the crossing of the Jordan at flood stage, the battle of Jericho and the conquering of the land.
The law of faith conquers all when that faith is placed in God.
The New Testament is filled with miracles that Jesus performed while here on earth. We only have a small picture of what actually took place during those three years. John would end his gospel with these words.
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

I want you to notice something very significant. We think our circumstances may limit our ability to believe God for the things we need. Maybe you didn’t grow up in the home environment that I was blessed to experience in my younger years. Get this, the people of Capernaum would hear the teachings of Jesus and witness His miracles, and fail to believe the evidence. Jesus denounced the city of Capernaum for their lack of faith. In
Matthew 11:23, 24 “and you Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you”

The Centurion came from this environment. He was surrounded by evidence and rubbed shoulders everyday with disbelief. He chose to believe. Even more significant, he chose to act upon his belief.
Faith begins by believing in the evidence of God. The Psalmist said “the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. (19:1)
Jesus is the greatest evidence of God. In Him we see the perfect image of God.
There is a wonderful verse found in the book of
Genesis 4:26. At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord
Yes, we live in a secular age. We are surrounded with science, education and technology that seemingly are aimed at solving all our problems. But have they? No, No, No ten thousand times NO.
We need God in a time of need. The only way to have Him help you is to call on Him.
God invites us to do just that..
Jer 33:3 call on me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things which you do not know
Matt 7:7 if you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him
James 4:2 you do not have because you do not ask God

Someone has said it this way, If you don’t bother God, everything else will bother you.

Yes, it is humbling to ask for help. Especially for us men. It isn’t limited to just asking for directions. It is the pride of the male makeup. Exercising faith means humbling yourself before the Lord and seeking His power because we have a need that is beyond ourselves.
1Peter 5:7 Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time.
Hebrews 4”1 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

But Andy, you don’t understand, I have been asking God about this situation, this condition, this problem for years.
Luke 18 the story is told of a widow seeking justice. She continued coming until she got what she was asking for. Jesus challenges us at the conclusion of this account to do the same because God will respond to those who day and night seek His help.

Here is another amazing fact about this account. To call anyone “Lord” except Caesar was an act of treason. Yet this Roman official called Jesus Lord. He recognized that Jesus had the authority to do what he needed and was asking for.
The Centurion pushed past the unbelief of others in his community. He pushed past the prejudice of Jew and Gentile. He pushed past all the things that could have kept him from asking. He took the risk and asked God to intervene on behalf of his sick servant.
One more amazing details of this account. He, the Centurion, knew who he was and He knew who Jesus was.
I am not worthy, I do not deserve for you to come into my house.
Just speak the Word.
We often struggle under the same concept.
Poor self image, low self-esteem, unworthiness, worthless.
But you have been made in the image of God.
you are His image bearer.
You have been endowed with divine worth and you are valuable enough to God to pay a tremendous price for your redemption.
Having been born again, you are now His personal ambassador here on earth.
Help is a four letter word that a Christian should not hesitate to utter. Desperate times can enable our faith but you may have to work through doubt and fear. Let faith in God enable you to overcome.
If you can believe, all things are possible….. Who said it? Believe it. Act on it. Worship the one who is able to turn the impossible into the possible!

The account of the widow who would not be denied ends with a question that is scary.
Jesus said, nevertheless, when the son of man returns, will he find faith upon the earth.

I fear that Sunday after Sunday, people leave this place of gathering still carrying their sorrow, their feelings of helplessness, their doubt and despair.
Now I don’t understand it all, but I do understand this.
Heb 4:16
16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help (us) in time of need.

Let’s put our pride aside and run to this place with faith that has been born out of desperation

Faith to Follow Christ
Golden Text: Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me”

Focus: Following Christ without reservation leads to abundant life

Objectives:
1. explain why people follow Christ
2. consider actions or changes that God has called us to make and commit to making these changes
Faith is an ongoing part of each of our lives. You exercise faith every day. You get on a elevator, you exercise faith that the equipment is going to work properly. You exercise faith in the person who maintains the equipment. You stop at a restaurant to pick up something to eat. You exercise faith that the food has been prepared properly. The same for when you pick up groceries. When you stop at a gas station, you exercise faith that the fuel is clean and not watered down in any way. And we could go on and on but you get the point. The greatest power that a person can exercise is faith in God. It is the spiritual resource that connects humanity to God. Think of it, faith connects finite with infinite, temporal with eternal, powerless to omnipotent.

But let us be honest with each other. In order for us to exercise faith in God, we must have a right picture of God. God is revealed in scripture as creator, sustainer, redeemer and Father. He is true and just in all His ways. And He has chosen to love with an everlasting love. Even in this aspect, we must be sure that we have a clear picture of God. In Romans 11:22 we read, behold then, the goodness and the severity of the Lord.
So we cannot pick and choose or makeup the character and nature of God. Rather we must go to scripture.

The focus of this time that we are going to spend together is to look at the life that following Christ results in. Does following Christ lead to an abundant life? It can. It has the potential to do that. Gods desire is that following Christ will inspire you to live for Christ wholeheartedly. Let’s take a look at the record.

John 1:29-31
Matthew and Luke begin their gospel with the account of Jesus birth.
The gospel of Jesus according to John begins with a theological statement about the divine Son of God. Then John immediately goes to the account of John the Baptist.
Think of it, there has not been a prophet in Israel for almost 400 years. John the Baptist appears on the scene like a prophet of old. He challenges people to change. Repent and be baptized. When asked if he was the promised one, John the Baptist states that he is a forerunner of the one who would save the people from their sins. He says that one is coming of such spiritual stature that he is unworthy to untie his sandals.

When John the Baptist sees Jesus coming down the road, he points and says, “behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”

Is there any significance to that title?
As lamb of God, Jesus would fulfill all the requirements of all the sacrifices Israel used to make. The animals were a sign that sin had to be removed.

John 1:32-34
When John announced that the Son of God had come, he also told how he had come to be sure of this., God directly told John that it would be the one upon whom the Holy Spirit descended as a dove from heaven.
The dove was significant in Jewish history. Noah sent out a dove from the ark to determine if it was ok to open the doors and return to living on the earth. The dove was one of the animals that could be used for a sacrifice in the temple. The presence of the dove implied peace and the beginning of a new life. John saw this symbol as more than that. It signified that the one upon whom the dove descended was the Son of God sent to take away the sin of the world.

In Jesus, God himself is with us. He became a human being so He could restore a broken relationship. When we get the right picture in our heads, how can we resist Him?

John 1: 35, 36
Did you ever wonder why Jesus came when He did? After all, the message of Jesus could be shared so much more effectively with today’s media-right? The world wide cable news, the internet, the radio all reach to the ends of the world.
Did you know, even today with our mass multi-media the best way to truly impact another persons life for Christ is through personal involvement with that person. I don’t have the statistics this morning but I have heard that people coming forward at an evangelistic rally are repeaters. In other words, they have gone forward before. Maybe hoping that this time it will be different.
Let’s just examine closely the record we have of John the Baptist. Do you suppose he spoke to the crowds that came to hear him? What do we know of the effect of such proclamation? Nothing. But one day we read about him talking to two close followers.
One of those men was Andrew who would become a disciple of Jesus. After hearing John say that Jesus was the lamb of God, Andrew went to see Jesus.

John 1:37-39
John challenged people not to assume that they were ok because of their religious heritage. He told them of their need to repent of their sinful way and turn to righteous living. There is a difference between someone who is seeking the truth and someone who is just wanting to hear the news of current events. The difference is our response. The truth is the truth, there is no getting around it. But two people can hear the same truthful message and respond differently.

Last week, I tried to emphasize the link between our relationship with God and our obedience. The two disciples acted on the message they heard. But when they came to Jesus, their question indicates they were flabbergasted in His presence.
“where do you live”! Think of all the great theological questions they could have asked.
How did you create the world
How did you make life
The flood, the fire consuming Sodom and Gomora
The best they could come up with was, where do you live
Now after spending time with Jesus, Andrew goes and gets his brother, Peter.
That is the secret. Share what you have found.
John’s preaching stirred their hearts and it caused them to search for Jesus
When they came to Jesus, they found that he accepted them
Even today, He welcomes all who seek after Him.

John 1:43-45
John did not tell the stories of every person who followed Jesus. He only mentions a few names: Andrew, Peter, Philip and Nathaniel. All were brought to Christ by someone pointing the way except for Philip. It’s still the most effective way today. We have a great responsibility to do this work.

John 1:46-49
Nathaniel seems to be a skeptic. He knew the scripture, but he wasn’t so sure about this guy who had just came on the scene. He knows about the promised Messiah and all that stuff BUT
Philip does what we must do. Challenge people to come and see. What a simply invitation. The result of that meeting was Nathaniel proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God and the King if Israel.
You never know what is going to happen when you talk to people about Jesus. The Holy Spirit is doing a work. You and I get to share in that work and when we do, it can lead to exciting things.

John 1:50-51
Jesus commended Nathaniel for his belief based upon such a small thing as knowing where he was when _Philip found him. He promised that if he stuck around he would see greater things than this. In fact, Jesus said that he would see the windows of heaven open.

When we decide to follow Christ, we begin a new life. If we give Him our lives, with nothing held back, we gain a richer life than we could ever imaging. With time, our concept of what God can do changes and we become unafraid to ask Him anything.
The God who made you, calls you just as Jesus called His first disciples. You are a witness to the changes they under went as they spent time with Jesus. He’ll do the same for you. You know the changes God wants you to make. You know the people God wants you to reach. Respond as those early disciples and go make the invitation – come and see.

Jesus made it clear that we must leave the stuff of this life behind if we are going to be His disciple. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

It is at this juncture where the will of God cuts across our own will that a cross is formed. Jesus presented the conditions by which we can follow him. We must deny ourselves. The essence of this is, we must obey Him. Our will must become subservient to His will. His way must become predominant to continued living life our way.
Jesus knew that it would be impossible for Him to give us guidance to any disciple who would refuse to obey him. There must be obedience and commitment to the will of God
Then and only then can we experience the abundant life that God promises to those who truly follow wholeheartedly after Him