Salvation: More Than a Moment

We are still in the series What’s that Mean? Last week we looked at the Church, today we are going to look at salvation. Many if not all of us have heard of salvation- how many have heard of the term salvation? Exactly many if not ALL. What’s more important than just hearing the word SALVATION, is understanding what it means AND EXPERIENCING the gift of salvation for ourselves! Knowing what salvation means, is life and death, for us and those the Lord is sending us to! When we talk about being a church where Disciples make Disciple's - its so all can experience salvation. Thats the mission of Christ, the mission of the cross. Before we get too far into the message-

COMMUNION: I would like to start today with COMMUNION: We do this in remembrance of Jesus Christ, the one who gave His life for us. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your savior you are welcome to participate in communion with us. I will read some scripture, we will take a moment to reflect, to lay whatever we need to down at the altar, we then will collect the bread and the juice- representing His body and His blood- and then we will pray and Thank God for it and take it together.

1 Corinthians 11: 23-32 23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. 32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

—Please play background music as I pray and we move into communion and as we take communion and thank God for the elements until the last prayer please-

WHY is salvation important? It’s important because -

Salvation is Gods Rescue Mission

Salvation means deliverance — from sin, death, and separation from God. The Greek word often used in the New Testament for salvation, literally means deliverance, preservation, or rescue.

However the best place to start today, is not by telling you WHAT salvation is, but WHY we need it?

I want to share a story I heard from one of Ray Comforts videos that really made an impact on me not just why I need to know about salvation, but why others do as well:

Ray Comfort’s “Airplane and Parachute” Illustration

Imagine you’re on a plane, and a flight attendant offers you a parachute. She says, “This parachute will make your flight more comfortable.”

So you put it on, expecting the trip to get better. But instead, the parachute is heavy, uncomfortable, and everyone around you laughs at you for wearing it. You eventually get frustrated, take it off, and throw it aside — thinking, “That didn’t help me at all.”

Then Ray says:

“But what if the flight attendant had said something very different? What if she said, ‘This parachute is here because, at any moment, you’re going to have to jump out of this plane at 25,000 feet.’

Suddenly you wouldn’t care if it was heavy, awkward, or if people laughed at you. You’d cling to it tightly, because you know it’s the only thing that can save your life.”

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When we tell people, “Jesus will make your life better,” we’re giving them the first parachute. They might try Him for comfort, but when trials come or life gets hard, they’ll take Him off.

But when they understand why they truly need salvation — that they’ve broken God’s law, that judgment is coming, and that only Jesus can save them — then they will cling to Him, not for comfort, but for rescue.

Because salvation isn’t about making life easier; it’s about being saved from death.

Ray often ties this to the following scriptures:

Hebrews 9:27 — “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Romans 3:23 — “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23 — “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So YAH salvation is not about comfort, it is about being saved from death to life-

It wasn’t intended to be this way, it was in the garden of Eden where the fall of man took place.

Genesis 3:22–24 (NLT) Then the Lord God said, ‘The man has become like one of us, knowing both good and evil. What if he reaches out, takes fruit from the tree of life, and eats it? Then he will live forever!’ So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden… After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” When Adam and Eve sinned, it wasn’t just that they broke a rule — they broke relationship. The moment sin entered, death did too — not only physical death, but spiritual death. Humanity was cut off from the Tree of Life, representing eternal fellowship with God. Sin didn’t just make us bad people who need to be good — it made us dead people who need to be brought back to life.

Ephesians 2:1–5 (NLT) Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins… But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

We need salvation because without Jesus, we’re not just lost — we’re spiritually dead. We were created for intimacy with God, but sin separated us. Salvation isn’t just forgiveness for what we’ve done; it’s restoration of who we were meant to be — sons and daughters who walk again with God in relationship, just like in the garden before sin.

Romans 5:8-9 —  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

That is why we need saved- but more than that we also need to understand that

Salvation is more than a moment

When we place our faith in Christ, we are instantly justified — made right with God. But that’s just the beginning of a lifelong transformation called sanctification — the process of becoming more like Jesus.

Philippians 2:12-13 — ...… Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Romans 12:2 — Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

So salvation isn’t just a moment at the altar — it’s a daily journey of being shaped by grace.

I’m sorry (not really) if I am busting your whole theology up on what salvation is, if you have come today thinking salvation means saying a prayer one time, and you receive some kind of ticket to heaven you can not be more wrong. True salvation means turning away from sin and turning toward Christ in surrender.

Acts 3:19 — Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Romans 10:9 — If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

It’s not about “praying a prayer” — it’s about entering a new life under the Lordship of Christ.

We’re going to watch a short video (not super short though)—a visual reminder of what Jesus did for us and the price He paid. I want you to let the Holy Spirit speak as you watch. Don’t just see it… feel it. Remember that what you’re seeing—He did for you.

PLAY MOVIE

John 3:16 For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. That’s not just a verse we memorize—it’s the heartbeat of salvation. That’s love. That’s grace. That’s redemption. That’s Jesus

AND THEY DIDNT EVEN KNOW, THEY WERE JUST LIVING THEIR LIVES. OUR SALVATION CAME AT A COST! He paid the cost because YOU are valuable to HIM and so is EACH SINNER.

WORSHIP TEAM PLEASE COME UP

As we’ve watched, remembered, and shared in communion this morning… we’ve been reminded that salvation isn’t just a story — it’s our story. It’s the story of a Savior who left heaven, carried a cross, and said, I’ll take their place. I’ll take their shame. I’ll take their sin.

But here’s what we need to hear — Jesus didn’t do that just so you and I could have a moment at the altar… He did it so we could have a relationship with Him every single day of our lives.

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Some of us have treated salvation like a ticket to heaven, like a parachute of comfort that we have knowing its there, but never let it become the heartbeat of how we live. Some of us have walked with Jesus… but we’ve drifted, grown numb, or tried to do life in our own strength. And some of us — if we’re honest — have never truly surrendered.

TODAY, the Savior who gave His life is calling you home. He’s not asking for perfection — He’s asking for your heart.

If you’re ready to truly live — not just exist — STAND remain standing.. If you want to know Jesus personally, not just know about Him — STAND If you’ve been far from God and you’re ready to come home — STAND WITH US

Don’t wait for the right feeling. Don’t wait to clean yourself up. He is waiting for you just as you are!

The cross is still enough. His grace is still greater. His arms are still open. Remain standing and if all of us can join in with those standing and repeat after me as we pray-

Jesus, thank You for the cross. /Thank You for saving me/ not just once, but every time I fall and run back to You./I surrender. /I give You my heart,/ my past, /my sin, /and my future./ Make me new./ Teach me to walk with You daily./ Salvation is not just a moment / it’s my life with You./In Your name I pray, Amen These altars are always open if you need prayer please feel free to come up here.

Church, as we stand together, let’s lift up the only name worthy of all our praise — the One who gave His life to save ours. Let’s declare it together — All Hail King Jesus.