Day of Salvation
Day of Salvation 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Let’s define the word “good” for a moment.
Ask for definitions.
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Good is often considered an ideal in our world today. Most definitions focus on aspects of that ideal.
Day of salvation slide
Big idea: We all need the Savior
Why? Because on our own we are not able to reverse the damage of sin and death. We are enslaved and headed for eternal death. Thanks be to God, who brings life through the Son!
Together, we’re going to take a journey to see why we all need the Savior. The first stop on our journey is simply this:
Stop #1: God is good.
Stop #1: God is good.
Understand the holiness and righteousness of God.
The first stop on our journey is to understand who God is.
Study God’s righteousness, and his holiness.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
It is before this holy God that we come.
God’s holiness is what separates Him from all other beings, what makes Him separate and distinct from everything else. God’s holiness is more than just His perfection or sinless purity; it is the essence of His “other-ness,” His transcendence. God’s holiness embodies the mystery of His awesomeness and causes us to gaze in wonder at Him as we begin to comprehend just a little of His majesty. - gotquestions.org.
Holy - Word study.
God is good. He is totally righteous and without sin. He created this world perfect.
Stop # 2: We’re not good.
Stop # 2: We’re not good.
We’re sinners. We have a problem.
Perhaps Paul Washer said it best: “God is good, and you’re not.” He’s right. We’ve seen that God is good, but what about humanity?
Humanity was originally created “good.” Pure, innocent, and free of pain, suffering, guilt, sin and death. That’s how the good God created! And His creation was good! But humanity has a choice: will you stay in relationship with the Creator, or go your own way?
Let’s turn to the third chapter of Genesis to find out:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
So the first woman and first man chose to defy what God had told them to do and go their own way. What happened?
Sin entered.
Sin is going against God’s law. It is breaking God’s law and rebelling against Him. (gotquestions.org)
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
This is what Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. They sinned. This created enmity with God.
(Go straight into Romans 5 12)…
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Lest we think we’d be better than any Adam and Eve, remember that we too have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all sinners. First because of inherited sin. As members of the human race and the children of Adam and Eve, we are inherently sinful. Yet we are told that in our own right each of us is sinful. This we read here in Romans, that all have sinned.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
What does this mean for us? Now estranged from God and rebelling against Him, we are spiritually dead.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
Not only that, but the problem of sin is how we explain the results of this broken world around us. We experience physical death, pain, and suffering as a result of rebelling against the good Creator.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Death, physical and spiritual is now a part of our world. Why do you think we have so much suffering in the world today? Why do people who seem good have bad things happen? Why is cancer a thing? Why do people steal, cheat, lie, and murder? Why is this world such a mess? Sin.
See humanity has a problem. We need God. We cannot fix this mess we are in our own. What do we do? This leads us to our third stop:
Stop #3: We Need Jesus.
Stop #3: We Need Jesus.
God loved us enough to do something about that gap. He wants to have relationship with you and for you to live free in Jesus.
There must be a way to get peace with God! To bridge the gap and return to God, to right standing. There must be a way to be freed of the suffering and death we see. Is there?
Many religions will tell you they can get you peace with God. But there is only one way: Jesus
There are many religions in this world that will promise reconciliation with God. They say that if you just do enough, work hard enough, or perhaps in some way redefine who God even is that it’ll be ok.
Here’s some examples:
Buddhists believe that you simply must follow the three universal truths, and four noble truths. They believe that if you follow these, and follow the Middle Path, you’ll reach nirvana. Notice the subtle play here? Just do enough.
Islam is another popular religion. It teaches 6 major beliefs that are similar in some ways to Christianity:
One god
Angels
Holy books
Prophets
Judgement and afterlife
Divine decree - that god is all powerful, and allow humans free will.
Sound familiar? Here’s part of the problem: Islam again places the emphasis on what one does as a means to salvation. How did you life in this life? It better be good enough!
How about another big one: Atheism: Atheism says “there are no gods!” It is the belief that there are no gods or deities, whatsoever. Atheism, together with agnosticism and those unaffiliated are the largest growing category in the US, for 2023-2024. Yet here’s the problem with atheism: essentially by saying “there is no God” you’re making yourself into one. You become master of your own fate and destiny. There is no purpose outside of this world, and the highest power around is simple human organization at its best.
Do you see how each of these tries in some way to solve mankind’s issue of suffering, pain, brokenness. Some try by saying “you just have to get good enough.” Others simple deny the existence of God altogether and say it doesn’t matter.
What does Scripture say?
What does Scripture say?
Jesus came and proclaimed:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
He also said:
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
What does this mean? Remember our sin problem: We are a broken humanity trying to get back to a good God on our own. But we’re not good enough to do it! So God did it, by sending Jesus Christ.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So Jesus came to this earth. He was born, and lived a life like ours, and then went to that cross and died. At that moment we must imagine Satan laughing, figuring he had dealt God the crippling blow. And indeed had Christ stayed dead this would be so. But He didn’t! No He rose on the third day, embodying the promise of eternal life!
In doing so, Christ reconciles us to God. Reconciliation is:
Bringing together of two parties that are estranged or in dispute. - Holman Bible Dictionary
It means to change or exchange. Now, our relationship with God is changed from estanged to family. From badwill to goodwill. Now we find peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So Jesus can say:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Jesus has come to give you life! Not the world definition with partying, selfish living and gain, and unhealthy things. Rather, life in God - satisfied, at peace, and with hope for eternal life.
Now God is calling to you:
Now God is calling to you:
Remember, Jesus said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you want to be right with God, and experience eternal life, you can’t get there on your own. But God loved you so much He sent Christ to come and make a way back. Only Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life! Only through Him to we regain what was lost way back in the garden of Eden: right standing and relationship with God.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Do you hunger for something more? Is there a longing inside of you that needs to be filled? For connection, for peace, and for purpose? That is fulfilled in Jesus Christ! Friend, you need Him! And so to quote Hebrews:
As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
If you’re hearing His voice today, do not harden your heart against the Savior. Rather, embrace Him and accept this free gift of grace!
How to accept Jesus
How to accept Jesus
Jesus is standing at the door to your heart right now. Knocking.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
What Revelation is picturing here is restored relationship. Eating with another person is an intimate thing. You don’t just eat with whoever, you eat with friends, or family. Jesus wants to bring you into the family of God. How then do we enter it?
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Faith is how we are saved.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
You are saved by accepting the grace of God in Jesus Christ through beliving in JEsus Christ. It is a gift to be able to do this! So,
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Friend, getting right with God is not about becoming good enough. You’re not good enough. God knows that. It’s about placing your faith in Jesus Christ, giving Him your life, and then living full of new life in Him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Big Idea: We all need the Savior
God is good
We’re not good
We need Jesus
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Response Time
Maybe you’re here today (or online) and you gave your life to Jesus a long time ago, but you haven’t been living for Him. If that’s you, it is not too late to turn and make a change. You can re-dedicate your life to Him right now and start living for Him again.
Maybe you’re here and you’ve never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Friend He calls to you with love and offers you grace and pardon for what you have done wrong. He offers you new life and hope. Do not push Him away.
Maybe you’re here and you are living for Jesus, but you’ve got something on your heart today that you need to talk with Him about.
Can we make this space a space of prayer? If you need prayer for something, there are prayer teams available. Let’s begin to pray and ask God to do something amazing here. To draw souls, to draw us to Him.
