Strategies For Staying Saved

Acts 2:36–40 (KJV 1900)

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Title: Strategies For Staying Save

Lesson 5

Introduction…

Strategy is a part of any successful venture in life.

If something is going to be successful it’s going require a strategy.

This nation is looking for a plan to get us out of this financial crisis.

Here’s an email strategy I think would work:

Dear Mr. President:

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America's economy. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

There’re about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them a severance of $1 million apiece for early retirement with the following stipulations:

They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed. They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed. They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that! If more money is needed, have all members of Congress pay their taxes...

No war is ever won, no life is ever effective, no business is ever successful, and no marriage is ever happy without a strategy.

It’s the same with serving God – you won’t stay saved without a plan.

Body…

There’s nothing greater in the entire world than salvation!

If we miss Heaven, we’ve lost everything!

“What profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” (Mat.16:26)

There’s no question about what we have to do to be saved or born again (Acts 2:38), but that’s not the end of the salvation process!

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” (Acts 2:40)

This salvation that Peter preached wasn’t intended to just get us saved, but to keep us saved.

Most of the New Testament is dedicated to instructing saved people on how to retain their salvation.

None of us are just going to stay saved.

The flesh, the world, and Satan are too powerful of enemies – we must have a strategy.

As pastor, much of my time is spent planning and strategizing on how we as a church can help keep people saved, committed, and faithful, but none of it is enough if you don’t come up with a plan of your own.

Someone said, “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail!”

Maybe you haven’t thought about it yet, but what’s your strategy for staying saved?

I ask because the enemy doesn’t want you to stay saved!

You can be assured that he has a strategy to make sure that you don’t make it.

What is your plan?

If you don’t have one you better get one!

I’m here to help you get a strategy for staying saved!

I. Be Serious About Being Saved…

What are you serious about? Your job, family, money, recreation?

There has to be a certain seriousness about serving God!

If you’re not serious, then you probably won’t make it!

The scripture talks about an “…eternal weight of glory” (2Cor.4:17).

Being saved has to “weigh heavy” on us!

You say, “I don’t want to live like that.”

You’re not going to be saved by being carefree and noncommittal about your salvation!

1 Peter 4:18 KJV 1900

18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

It’s got to take priority in your life – Paul said, “This one thing I do” (Phil.3:13).

People that are lighthearted, relaxed, and comfortable aren’t going to make it – you’ve got to get serious about it.

“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb.12:28-29).

If you’re saved it’s going to be because you were intentional, focused, and deliberate about it.

`I can promise if you’re saved, it won’t be accidental.

No one is going to accidentally make it to heaven, evade sin, do the will of God, and stay in the church.

II. Keep Moving Spiritually…

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll still get run over if you’re sitting there.

“The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord.” (Ps.37:23)

Notice, He won’t take the steps for us – He only orders them!

God is not going to do it for you! You’ve got to exert the energy, put forth the effort, and begin putting one foot in front of the other.

The Scripture talks about “walking with the Lord.” This thing we’re involved in is a journey with a destination, but to get there we have to begin to walk.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”

We’re not going to reach our destination if we stop pushing forward!

Moving requires action, energy, effort, and exertion but you’re not going to make it by standing still!

Lazy people aren’t going to stay saved!

You may be lazy about a lot of things in life but you better not be lazy when it comes to serving God.

When you’re serious about staying saved there’ll be some things you’ll do:

Pray

Fast

Worship

Give

Forgive

Protect your thought life

Avoid areas of temptation

Be faithful to church

III. Stay Involved In Ministry…

Everybody needs to be committed to some ministry within the local church.

Ministry is so vital.

The church can get by without your involvement but you can’t get by without it.

Ministry does more for us than it does for those we’re ministering to.

Sometimes, the only thing that keeps us saved is our ministry responsibility.

People that don’t have a ministry don’t always feel the weight of responsibility to give, show up, be faithful, and stay committed.

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1Tim.4:16)

If God has called you to do something, don’t quit – keep doing it because you’re not only going to help someone else be saved, but you’ll keep yourself saved in the process.

I have to be honest – there are discouraging times in life, even when you’re serving God.

Paul said, “I fear, lest when I have preached to others, that I myself might become a castaway”.

He was fearful of letting go of his call and losing out with God and being lost in the end.

It’s my ministry and call that keeps me in prayer, faithful, and doing my best!

Get involved in ministry, don’t ever let it go – you may find God directing you to change directions in your ministry, but don’t let it go.

Refuse to become someone who was once consumed with a call and desire to do something for God but is now content to only come on Sunday morning and sit on a pew.

If you’re not involved in a ministry, you need to seek God, find a place, and do something in the kingdom.

You may never sing in the choir or preach in the pulpit but there’s a place of involvement for you!

IV. Don’t Ever Think Eternal Security…

You can never allow yourself to believe that just because you came to an altar, you can live any way you want and still make it.

None of us are ever above or beyond being lost.

That word “lost” alone ought to be enough incentive to keep us saved.

“If the righteous scarcely (barley, hardly) be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?” (1Pet.3:18)

It’s assumed by millions of religious people that once you’re saved it’s impossible to lose your salvation.

It’s possible, even after being enlightened and tasting of the heavenly gift and having been made a partaker of the Holy Ghost and tasting of the good word of God to fall away (Heb.6:4-6).

I have a scripture for your consideration… “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk.17:32). Why? She looked back and perished!

“Wherefore, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never fail.” (2Pet.1:10)

Maybe this was some of the “many other words” Peter preached in Acts 2:40.

If nothing else, it’s certainly a call to stay alert to keeping our salvation.

One of the easiest ways to lose your salvation is to think you can’

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1Cor.10:12)

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV 1900)

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

V. Stay Committed To A Local Church…

You need the local church! I don’t believe you can be saved without it!

If you’re going to make it, you have to be a part of the body of Christ, and the only way to do that is to stay connected to the church.

Sometimes it would be easy, when things aren’t going the way we would like, to leave and change churches.

You’ll have the opportunity to get frustrated, angry, hurt, and bitter, but there’s something to be said about going through the hurt and dealing with it.

Several things happen when you stick it out:

It develops character

It builds respect

It deepens your relationship with God

It keeps you accountable

It makes you more useful

Certainly, if a church is unhealthy and it’s affecting you and your family in a negative way, then you need to make a change.

But, if you run when things get tough, the enemy will make sure you never stop running.

The truth is, the same thing you’re encountering here you’re going to encounter at the next place.

People are people… only one you can change is YOU!

If you keep running, before long you’re going to say, “There’s not a good church around,” and you’ll stop going to church altogether.

It’s the enemy’s way of driving a wedge between us and the church. He knows if we stay in the church, we’re going to make it.

The best thing you can do is say, “Lord, this is where you’ve planted me and this is where I’m going to stay”, and refuse to leave unless He speaks audibly or writes it on the wall!

Hebrews 10:22–25 (KJV 1900)

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.