March 17, 2013
Morning Service

Matt. 18:11.

 

Review:

Last Sunday evening we discussed:

·         Instructions concerning the Sabbath.

·         Parable of the ambitious guest.

·         Parable of the great supper.

·         And closed with the cost of discipleship.

This is something that has come up quite often lately.  Our dedication to the Lord.

 

This morning we want to look at the beginning sentence of the parable on how the Lord referred to His followers as sheep.

 

Mat 18:11-14  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.  Mat 18:12-14  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?  (13)  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.  (14)  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

·         We are, or have been that little one that Jesus came to save.

·         Jesus said this in St. Jn. Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

·         The Apostle Paul has told us; Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

·         Some have a greater since of being a sinner than others, but we are all sinners, and need a Savior.  Jesus is that only Savior.  Act_4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

·         First of all what do I need to be saved from??

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus said this;  Mar 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

1.       We need to be saved, and delivered from the cares of this world.  Worrying about a job, a home, keeping up with the neighbors.  This sometimes drives people to alcohol, and drugs.  THIS IS NO LIFE.  Jesus can save you from this kind of life.

2.      You need to be saved from the wrath of God that is coming on this world. 

Joh_3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Rom_1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Eph_5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Col_3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Rev_14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

·         So how does Jesus save those who are lost?  How does Jesus deliver, and save from the cares of this world, and the wrath of God?

 

The Hebrew writer explains it very well;  Most people believe in some kind of deity.  The Jews, to whom this letter is written, believed in Jehovah God, the Eternal Spirit.  All religions, in one way or another, look to this divine Spirit.  WHAT WE AS CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IS THAT THE BIBLE EXPLAINS ALL ABOUT THIS DIVINE BEING, ALMIGHTY GOD.   But now notice.

 

So, first of all we must believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.  Then it will explain how Jesus saves us from our sins.

 

So, how is it that Jesus saves? 

 

Listen to the Hebrew writer;  Heb 1:1-3  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  (2)  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  (3)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

·         Jesus is the Son of God.  Rom 1:3-4  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;  (4)  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

·         You cannot read this inspired Book without believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.

·         He, by Himself, purged our sins.  From the beginning God required a blood sacrifice for sins.  Jesus shed His life’s blood on Calvary for all mankind’s sins.   

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

·         It is for whosoever will, to receive the gift of eternal life, and be saved from the cares of this world, and the wrath of God which is coming on this world.

Jesus chose certain men to take forth the message of salvation.  He gave the Apostles authority to cast out demons, heal the sick, and to preach the gospel message of salvation.  He gave the keys of the Kingdom to Peter, and in Acts chapter two Peter used those keys to open the door of salvation to the Jews. 

·         Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  That gift is one and the same, for without the Holy Ghost you do not possess eternal life.  He it is alone that is eternal life.  HOLY GHOST = ETERNAL LIFE.

·         Then in Acts chapter ten Peter uses the keys again in the house of Cornelius, a gentile soldier, and this opens the door for all men of all races to be saved.

In verse 48 Peter said this;  Act 10:47-48  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  (48)  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

 

Receiving the Holy Ghost is receiving the gospel message of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.   No man will refuse you baptism into the family, or church of God.

 

Never was a Scripture so true;   “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM WOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

 

ARE YOU THAT LOST SHEEP THIS MORNING?  HAVE YOU ACCEPTED JESUS OF NAZARETH AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR?  HAVE YOU BEEN DELIVERED FROM THE CARES OF THIS WORLD, AND THE WRATH OF GOD, THAT IS COMING ON THIS WORLD?  YOU CAN BE.