Christ Our Savior

Well, good morning. This is certainly not the way I figured I would be addressing you this morning. But and the times we live in it is what it is. So as we prepare to worship today, our first Sunday back for in-person worship will be October 25th. So, please pass that along to anyone else, you know from the church and I'll say more about that here in just a little bit. But I want announcement is that we need more volunteers still to help with children's church on Sunday mornings to help with the children Sunday School classes and in the nursery, so if you're interested in helping any of those areas, please let me know or Mary McCullough and we will get you connected. On the last couple weeks. I've been putting a church names up that people have suggested and there's only one new one on the list. You can see the top when they're the Lighthouse Alliance Church or Chapel. I'm sorry, so please put that on there. Maybe if you have a favorite if you're watching this on Facebook or whatever, maybe put your favorite off of that list in the comments and we'll look at those and we'll keep taking suggestions and moving forward on that.

Birthdays this week Ron Stuckey, October 11th, Dustin Garwood, October 13th. Olivia Gilbert, October 15th and Jennifer Gilbert, October 15th, please I wish these people happy birthday as we Won't be able to see them face-to-face church, but you can send them a message most certainly and happy anniversary to Tim and Cindy Jackson on October 14th. We won't be worshiping together and song this morning. But you know, if you have a favorite worship song, I'd encourage you that's something else you can leave in the comments to what's your favorite worship song is and I that'll just be information. That'll help our worship team down the line know as they select songs.

Our Joys and concerns Short Lane New want to keep praying for the family of Bessie Saunders as they mourn the loss of her but also I was contacted this morning by a member of the family saying that there are four members of the family that have tested positive for covid-19. So that's just another thing on top of their lost. So be praying for the family and be praying for those that in our church in our community who might have been at the viewing or at the funeral dinner who were also exposed so pray for that and as precaution, that's just why we aren't having Church the next 2 weeks in person cuz we know a lot of our people from our church were probably there at that feeling and had contact so we are just being extra cautious and nap but continue to pray for that family. Continue to pray for Bill and Bonnie Christy and Marcia are those who are in our care facilities as that, it's been a challenging time for them. Most certainly also pray for continued healing for Pat Michaels Ron sticky Russell and Mary Jane Nichols Jed Nussbaum Bill sticky and Tim Dean and always remember our service members AJ Andrews Roush Evan deploys, Vinny Marino as they serve our country. this message is the first one in a new series that I was going to be starting today and a lot of what this series is going to be about is you know, who is the Christian Missionary Alliance a lot of people wonder about that denomination cuz well there aren't any Christian Missionary Alliance Churches in Adams County, but that's who I'm ordained. That's who I my friend Bryce Bennett at this has been coming to church is ordained by and that's who my sister has served with for the last 18 years in Bosnia. And I understand their name you first got understand a little bit about their history. And this is in no way an extensive or exhaustive history, but just a little bit of it to help, you know. You know when Albert Benjamin Simpson first started what would later become the Christmas tree Alliance his intentions were not to form a denomination but a missionary sending agency that would partner with like-minded Christians and the name Christian and Missionary Alliance. They were forming an alliance between Christians and missionaries to be able to see the Great Commission completed that's always been at the core of who the alliance is. Something I want us to do over these next four weeks is take a deeper. Look at some of the core Theology of the Christian Missionary Alliance. And I would invite all of you if your computer savvy or not to spend some time on their website at ww.w. CM Alliance. Org and most information that I'm going to share over. The next four weeks comes directly off their website. You know, and I know that this will probably seem like information overload these next few weeks, you know, there's a lot to process here, but I wanted to give you a proper introduction to who the Christmas Star Alliance is and what they believe and especially now that I'm passing to do this virtually instead of in person. I will most likely teach a Sunday school class sometime after the first of the year where we will dig much deeper into these topics and have a better opportunity to actually discuss them as we work through them. And I think a good way to for us to look at Alliance theology is to look at their symbol that they used to represent their dead denomination. You know, the logo is made up of four symbols that represent what they called The fourfold Gospel. This was Central to ABC Simpsons Theology. And this is the core beliefs of Alliance Theology and we're going to take a look at each of them over. The next four weeks each week will look at a number another symbol and the part of the fourfold Gospel that it represents. Those shapes are the cross the lever the picture and the crown this week. We will start with the first one across. What's the cross represents Christ Our Savior? Jesus's death on the cross was the Fulfillment of Old Testament law. Under that system a blood sacrifice was acquired to atone for a person sent so by his death and Resurrection. We are redeemed which means that by his blood we are justified by his blood we are made righteous and by his blood we are accepted in his name because of his righteousness and because of his sacrifice, we are no longer are eternally separated from God because of our sense

You know the culture that we live in will try to tell us that you know, there are many different paths that you can take to get Scott, but that simply isn't true. There is only one path in that path is Jesus Christ? ask 412 tells us that salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under Heaven given to Men by which we must be saved. So Jesus is an exclusive savior is not exclusive in the sense that of who can be saved because he offers the free gift of Salvation to all who call upon his name. But Jesus is an exclusive savior in the sense that he is the one and only true path to God. That's a very important thing to remember. Another awesome thing about our savior. Is that Jesus's death and Resurrection ensures his follower an endless list of promises. From God's holy word. When we accept Jesus Christ is our savior. His promises are for us including peace today and Hope For Eternity with him. when that day comes the Christmas tree Alliance believes that the Bible is our ultimate Authority in God's word. There are many great and precious promises. Because Jesus is our savior scripture tells us one of the first promises we'll look at is that we are forgiven. Acts chapter 2 verse 38 Peter replied repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What better gift is there than the gift of Salvation the gift of being forgiven of your sins to give that we can only receive from Jesus Christ Our Savior. There's no other way to get it. No way that we can buy it. It is a gift that is offered freely to us. But we must accept it on God's terms and when we accept that gift another great part of our Salvation is that all of our guilt is gone? Romans 8:1 says therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When we accept that free gift of Salvation, we are truly forgiven in the guilt that we once felt for the sinful life that we lived can be melted away by Jesus Christ because we know that we are now at peace with God and as it says in Romans Bible and therefore we have been justified through faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that amazing to think that Christ sacrificed himself so that we could have peace with God? What an amazing gift Our Savior offer to all of us and that's why God's Wrath has been satisfied you otherwise God cannot be with us because he can't be in the presence of sin. But because of what Jesus did on the cross that has been satisfied tells us in first John chapter 2 verse 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. You got died on a cross for each and every one of us and that means everyone in the world throughout all time. Because of that sacrifice we are now free to live as New Creations. We don't have to live in our old simple ways Trap by those old habits and patterns continue to wreck our life and drag us down. We don't have to be stuck in that a 2nd Corinthians 5:17 to remind us. Therefore if anyone is in Christ. The new creation has come the old has gone. The new is here.

What a glorious gift it is that we are able to live as a new creation no longer trapped. In that old sinful life that we had before we came to know Jesus Christ and because of that the girl of the greatest part is our gift is that we can now enjoy eternal life with God.

What's the most famous verses in scripture John 3:16? It says for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Did the great reminder of the great promise? Of what salvation can bring to us? But you know, I've got another great part of that of when we accept that gift that we have been adopted by God into the family of Believers in so often when we're living in our old sinful ways and one of the tricks the enemy likes to use his to make us Think We're Alone. That we have to fight this battle daily alone. We have to face the struggles that come in this life alone, but nothing could be further from the truth. When you accept the free gift of Salvation from Jesus Christ, you are adopted by God into the family of Believers as it says in John chapter 1 verse 12 Yeah, all who did receive him to those who believed in his name. He gave the right to become children of God. If you've accepted that free gift of Salvation you are now a child of God. You don't have to do this alone anymore. You have the entire family of Believers walking with us walking with you as you go through the challenges of life. But even more than that when you accept that free gift of Salvation the Holy Spirit now lives in US. Holy Spirit now lives innocent as it says in Romans 8:11 in if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you You know when we wonder how we're going to have the strength to face all the challenges that come out Us in everyday life. This is how because once we accept the free gift of Salvation. Not only do we not have to do it alone anymore. But the spirit of God dwells within us and that is what will strengthen us and give us the courage in the face. We need to face whatever comes at us in this life. We also know that as we go through the struggles in life that Jesus is our Advocate. He's fighting for us. He's fighting right alongside us as a Assassin's first John chapter 2 verse 1 the second part that says we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous one.

You know, it's because of his righteousness that he died on the cross for us and that his death on the cross could atone for our sins. Because that another one of the great promises that we have when we have Jesus as our savior is that death has no more sting. 1st Corinthians 15 54 says

When the perishable has been closed with Empire from the Mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true death has been swallowed up in Victory. yeah, we've heard so much about People having covid-19 and we are all these numbers on the news everyday. What a great thought think about for all those who are in Jesus Christ. That death has been swallowed up in Victory. That can give us real hope and we can realize that because of that. Hope we have in Jesus Christ that we have an inheritance that will can never perish never spoil or ever fade or if you live in Indiana. We should probably add ever rust. 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 4. It says an end to an inheritance that can never perish spoiler fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.

You know, what an awesome list of promises from God's Holy Scripture. And this is only a partial list. I didn't go through all the ones that are on the alliance website. There's a few more that are there. Because Christ died for us all of these are ours when we accept him as Savior all of that's available to you. You only have to accept the free gift of Salvation that God is offered to you. But you know another good thing to look at as we think about this is as we consider Christ's death on the cross and what it offers to us and that free gift of Salvation. I think it's important to think about the three tenses of salvation. What do I mean by that? Both there's the past tense. We have been saved. We have been Justified or made righteous in God's eyes when Christ died on the cross over 2,000 years ago. We were saved at that point, even though we didn't exist. We have been saved at that point and when we accept the free gift of Salvation we are saved. But you know God's not done with us at that point. Cuz you have the present tense. Also we are being saved. You are in the process of being Sanctified or more made more like Christ through the Holy Spirit and we'll talk more about that next week as we talked about Christ Our sanctifier. But we all know that we are all a work in progress and that's what this is talking about that daily. We are being saved everyday Christ is working and us through the Holy Spirit to help continue to shape us to be more christ-like and everything that we say and everything that we do and everything that we think.

And then there's the future tense. We will be saved. When Christ returns, we will be glorified or made like him. We have mint Eternal inheritance. You know, we don't know when Christ will return or exactly what that's going to look like, but we know that it's coming. We know that it's in scripture so we know that it's true. and when Christ returns to take his bride 2 Return his church to its rightful State. We will be a part of that if we have accepted the free gift of salvation.

I know I've went through a lot of scripture here and talked about a lot of different things, but there are four important points to remember about Jesus as our savior. first one isn't using Universal savior as it says in John 3:16, whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life all who come to him with repent Parts. Sorry for their sins and believe that he is who he says he is will receive salvation. That's an important thing for us to remember It's also important for us to remember that Jesus Christ is an exclusive savior. Read me Acts 4:12 that salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name in heaven given to Men by which we must be saved. Are contrary to what the cultures going to try to tell us? They're not multiple paths to God. There is only one path to God and that is Jesus Christ. We should boldly Proclaim that to everyone we know. Another important thing to remember is that he has a comprehensive savior. In Romans chapter 8 verses 29 and 30 we read for those God foreknew. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those that He predestined he also called those he called. He also Justified those he justified. He also glorified.

This passage of scripture makes it clear that our Salvation includes not only justification and forgiveness of sin, but also God's commitment to reform us into the very image of his son. And that one day when the process is complete we will be glorified. So God is not going to stop working on us until he is done.

The last point to remember is that Jesus is an all-powerful savior. Nothing can separate us from God's love Christ work on the cross sealed our Salvation forever. It is a complete work as it says later in Romans chapter 8 verses 38 and 39 says that for I am convinced that neither death nor life neither angels nor demons neither the president nor the future nor any powers neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ. Jesus our lord. Jesus Is Our Savior nothing can separate us from his great work on the cross. Nothing can separate us from his love nothing can separate us from the Father's love that truth that promise is at the core of the Christian belief. It's at one of the core beliefs of the Christian Missionary Alliance. It's what the Christmas Mary Lyons bleeds about Christ Our Savior. Please join me next week as we look more at Christ Our sanctifier as we dig into that and then as we continue through the other weeks and we look at Christ Our healer and Christ are coming King. Hopefully everyone will stay healthy and will be back together in a few weeks. See you next week online and then see you back in person on October 25th. Please bear with me in prayer Heavenly Father. We thank you for this wonderful opportunity to come and to Worship You Lord I pray for your protection over our people. Are we pray for your protection over those who do have covid-19 and Lord we pray that you will just be with us and guide us and help us all through this difficult time Lord help us not to lose our focus on you and the significance of our Saviour we pray this all in your most. Holy name. Amen.