We open this day of praise. Welcome Father our God, welcome Jesus and welcome the Holy Spirit, we are all here today to praise You all, and we just deeply want to thank You and share our hearts of love with You all. Welcome to the Church Ministries 95th Sunday Service Assembly. We know we are living in a hurtful and a fallen world and I am deeply sorry some of the world has rubbed off on some of us, the news we are hearing with a giant earth quake at a 7.6 magnitude hit the borders of India and Pakistan up to a thousand they say are dead and there is another hurricane brewing up near the Bahamas. And the news that the Catholic Church is saying in the news they don’t believe in the bible now. That alone is a shock. Maybe I should do a sermon on Church history. What is going on God is the world coming to an end? Is Jesus coming back now? Hear I am trying to praise the Lord and I have all these news flashes going off, the Catholic church has gotten to me, and a friend of mine just called for prayer and his wife is sick and she has to go to the hospital right when they are having the Baby fest which is a campaign and seminar for once a year they have a fund raising event to take care of all the needs for the babies for a whole year, and all I here are tragedies, Dear Lord and Jesus please help all these people my God, my God, I can feel the cries myself, and Church I ask you to pray for Scott and Eileen because this is there life, saving babies this is what they do, and now Scott’s wife is in the hospital right when there in the middle of this fund raiser and there whole ministry depends on this weekend, and they both have to be there and Eileen is in remission of cancer cured by the Lord, I can just break down and cry in fact, I have been crying all morning for the Katrina disaster then the Rita disaster and we didn’t even get over the Tsunami yet I am still getting letters from all that general area, I have a friend out there in the Islands of India, Rev. Dr. Jacob Chacko and he has been helping people left and right and I know it is a 24 hour a day job for him and he has been a very close friend. The attacks are getting so strong that I have been in tears, and the thing with the phone and the computor and this week with the pharmacy, the emails, my feet swelling, this whole week has been a big mess the prayer ministry is suffering and Satan is out to destroy this church and the prayer ministry.
Dear Heavenly Father, Where do I begin, How can I tell you how much we love you, an how much we want to thank you, for being our God, and for loving us before we were even born. We want to worship you and praise Your name. We love you Jesus, we thank You, all of us, please stay with us, please comfort us all. Please send your Holy Spirit to every household, office, or apartment, village, desert town, or wooded area, or any type of a building or structure or even a non structure out some where in the woods, it does not matter where we worship you Father, we can worship You Lord anywhere, or where anyone else can hear or read this service, please send us Your warmth and tears of joy and compassion to all of us, please Father heal us all, of any and all afflictions, and please continue to hear our prayers, even after our service is over, please forgive us of all our sins, we need to give You thanks and praise, God You have done so much for us I don’t know where to even begin to thank You we love You so much Father, please bond to us, please anoint us, please purify us all, so we can enter into your heavenly Kingdom. Lord please show us the way home, In the mighty Name of Jesus, Amen
1. In August 2005, Newsweek and Beliefnet asked 1,004 Americans what
they believe and how they practice their faith.
2. Among the questions was this one: Can a good person who isn't of
your religious faith go to heaven or attain salvation, or not?
3. Here are their responses...
Yes No Don't know
Evangelical Protestants 68% 22% 10%
Non-Evangelical Protestants 83% 10% 7%
Catholics 91% 3% 6%
Non-Christians 73% 3% 24%
Total 79% 12% 9%
4. The responses are interesting...
a. Most people believe those of different faiths will be saved
b. Among Catholics and more liberal Protestants, that view is
overwhelming
c. Even the majority of those who view themselves as "evangelical"
agree
[This would suggest that most believe many will be saved. Is that true?
Jesus was asked a similar question (cf. Luke 13:23), and spoke often on
the subject of who will be saved. Note that He taught...]
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"
He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' "But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' (Luke 13:22-27 NIV) The first thing Jesus would ask is are you saved? The thing is Jesus knew He was going to die but that didn’t stop or alter His mission. Jesus clue was to work hard to get in. He meant to put ones whole self into listening and responding like for instance Mary and Martha was working to prepare the meal for Jesus and the disciples and she wanted Mary to help, but Mary chose the right thing to do to sit at the Master’s feet and to listen and learn what He had to say which was far more important because Jesus was going away and Mary wanted to stay close to Jesus and learn all she could from Jesus, while Martha was preparing the food which was important too but Mary chose the right way, I hope you all understand the analogy. Jesus did not explain the narrow door yet, but we must seek out and enter through while it is still open, so that means do not waste your time, like the world is coming to and end and people across the street are just treating this like any other day, the thing is the door is open soon it will be closed. The next task would be a high level of concentration of recognized life of our own sins and have God accept our forgiveness. Just by watching the miracles of Jesus and to listen to His words is just not enough we have to be like a magnet to understand all of His teachings, plus the main part of the situation is just not listening but we have to have this in our minds to turn from sin to repent and thoroughly trust in God for salvation. Finding salvation is a lot more then it seems, we have to use all of our insides with severe concentration, and most people don’t get the meaning and they are really not willing to give a 100% to be sent forth in our education and our spirit and our cleanliness of our insides of the bowl. We cannot just think we can save ourselves there is a lot more to it; we can’t do any different types of deeds that work our selves into Gods favor. The thing is we are like I said before like a magnet to almost attach ourselves to Jesus to enter through that narrow door, no mater what ever we have to go through, our love for Jesus is our number one degree of concentration to know Him and striving with every once of strength we have left to follow Him and what ever the price. We have to put this in our minds and make it like our ultimate degree of making our decisions now before it is too late, the door will not stay open forever.
I. FEW WILL BE SAVED
A. MANY THINK MOST WILL BE SAVED...
1. Or to put it another way, that most people will go to heaven
2. Yet Jesus taught that few would be saved - Lk 13:23-24; cf. Mt
7:13-14"
[“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”] (Matt. 7:13-14 NASB)
Everyone has their own interpretation of these scriptures but I am sorry I and the Lord have studied these scriptures for a very long time. The thing is when we different denominations we get division and we get different thoughts and different views, but the views should be a simple to understand. When they call it the narrow gate it does not mean it is hard to be come a part of the body, we must remember that there is only one way to live and to live eternally with God and it is a crying shame that only a few decide to walk that road. We all have to understand that Jesus is the only way that is why he says I am the way the truth and the light, because he alone died for our sins there was no other people up there suffering getting beaten and clubbed and just being humiliated by the guards and spit on and making fun of Him with robes and a crown made of very sharp thorns that dug into his flesh when the put it on his head and they didn’t put it on there lightly they wanted to in flick more and more pain the moment they had the chance just being able to throw in a good punch when they were changing the robes, which I find is just sick and there are people that just get off on hurting other people, and those people are impacted with the devil and his ways and thoughts. He did more than just die for our sins this was a horrible execution and it was hours of torture like they said in the newest Jesus film the last 12 hours of His life, to the point He made us right before God!! Living the way of Christ some feel it is to hard and some people it just comes naturally, to me to live as Christ I do try and a lot of it is natural because it would be my normal personality, but I could have never handle all that ridicule and I would have burst out and said something all along the way, I could not have keep silent, you see that is why I respect the man and I say man because He took the beating like a man, a man that none of us will ever meet until we do get to heaven and hug the body of our Lord Jesus. You see you all just better be thankful that Jesus provided a way for us to escape the fires of Hell. His way of living is with in truth and in the light and it is right living, and we all should be thanking God He has given that chance to be with Him in heaven, there is a man to admire, I guess you call it a guy thing when you get beat up and you handle your wounds. Praise God there is the narrow road.
WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER...
1. Only eight souls were saved during The Flood – (Gen 7:21-23); [“For forty days the floods prevailed, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth. As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface. Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth, standing more than twenty-two feet above the highest peaks. All the living things on earth died--birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all kinds of small animals, and all the people. Everything died that breathed and lived on dry land. Every living thing on the earth was wiped out--people, animals both large and small, and birds. They were all destroyed, and only Noah was left alive, along with those who were with him in the boat. And the water covered the earth for 150 days.”] (Gen. 3:17-24 NLT)
1 Pet 3:20; [“So he went and preached to the spirits in prison-- those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And this is a picture of baptism, which now saves you by the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Baptism is not a removal of dirt from your body; it is an appeal to God from a clean conscience.
Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers are bowing before him.’] (1Pet.3:19-22 NLT) I as going to leave out verse19 because we can talk about this verse forever but the thing is I am a person always seeking the truth, and truth always set you free, so if we find just a piece of freedom it will be well worth talking about it and I am not going to be afraid to talk about it, beside I do not have any idea what God has planed for me or how much time I have this morning, I was in tears crying out to God as if I was in the psalms but I wasn’t, I wanted to be closer to God and I can only take so much, and the torment that is getting thrown at me, from Satan is just unreal, and I need to just let it out beside I am already dead in Christ so it doesn’t really matter, my people will listen and they are all loyal, I am going to have to pick some assistants of course I can not pay anyone, but I will tell you one thing that mission is going to be built and we are going to need men to run it, and I don’t know of anyone here, that I can put my whole heart into, in other words give them the keys and say lock her up. I think it would be a good transition I have a guy from Angola Africa and all I have to do is set up his visa, when I feel a bit better then I am and the swelling goes down and the pain starts going away and it would be good to have Rev. Kalala Joaquim working here for the mission in America, in fact if I could get a few people from all of the 8 countries, I think the mission would be quite unique with people all over the world working together for the body of Christ. That is my vision, whether I make it or not it will be put up and built right down to the neon sign that says Jesus and a small letters saves blinking on and off over looking the harbor, boats will be able to see it, if we get the building I have been staring at for two years. Here we go again where no one knows what is the meaning or the actual meaning of the scripture we know one thing that Jesus did die and go back and see the prisoners and we do know the angels that married the normal men are one class that I would think Jesus would talk too, and we also know all his faithful followers who had been waiting for their salvation during the whole Old Testament era. When Jesus died in the book of Matthew the bodies of many holy people came to life and came out of their tombs and went into the holy city and appeared to many people, I think many of them were set free and then later went up with Christ. (Matt. 27:52-53) So all we have down there are prisoners, I don’t believe there are any good people but who am I? We should all weigh all the facts we don’t know about second chances and we don’t know if the punishment has been adequate for some and we don’t know who all is down there still, we do know Christ could go wherever He wants if He wants to go to Hades and preach to the people that are in prison it is His prerogative. We know the Good News is preached to everyone as well as the past present and future, Jesus is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever Heb. 13:8, some say that Christ’s spirit was in Noah but that just does not feel right but that is what I have read, lets go back to the good news being preached it has been preached in the past and as well as the present, and it has been gone to the dead and the living. God has given every opportunity to come to Him but this does not give people a second chance for those who reject Christ in this lifetime. We know one thing when Christ went down there He ministered to several different beings or people and even I am getting confused , help me Holy Spirit, we do know in between the crucifixion and the resurrection He went to the realm of the dead and I don’t think Christ would leave any one that was of turning towards repentance, there might have been a few that started to pray and talk to God during to time of the flood, also it is also believed that the Spirit of Christ was ministering to people for 120 years when they building the ark 1Pet. 1:1 says that the Spirit of Christ, but the scripture is a bit shaky and we know He went to the realm of the dead, to hell or Hades, so He did preach to them the spirits in prison, next we have two sets of fallen angels that in Gen.6:3 those were the ones the men angels fell in love with the female people and they were cast into Hades, then we have the angels that followed Satan, but to me the suggestion is Isa. 14, but in the text it tells me Eze. 28:15 Now this could also mean all the people that that lived before Christ that have died and gone to hell, or the fallen angels that have sinned by marring human women before the flood, this view is way on top of the list of apocryphal literature, we know that God does not give anyone a second chance, but if you look at salvation we are all getting a second chance and they are all miracles that are bringing us to salvation through Jesus Christ and there is a scripture in the book of Revalation chapter 14 where an angel flies and gives a last chance for the chance to believe and love the Lord.
And I saw another angel flying through the heavens, carrying the everlasting Good News to preach to the people who belong to this world--to every nation, tribe, language, and people. "Fear God," he shouted. "Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all the springs of water." (Rev. 14:6-7)
This is the point where some believe that this is the final chance that the people of the world who are ever left to understand and except God as the one true God this angel is speaking in every language and it is announcing that no one can ever say that they didn’t here about the Word of God there is no more excuses and the people of the world may have their chance to proclaim their Love to God, some people think this is the final judgment but we know God will always as it seems here give a chance to all who have never heard the message of the Good News, It is like have you believed in our Lord Jesus have you confessed your sins then you have nothing to fear the judge of all the earth is your savior now and forever Jesus Christ. And here I am reading that God does not give second chances, but still for the fallen angels Satan took a third with him that is why we have so much mayhem in this world , people just don’t realize that the world is coming to and end sooner than we think, I mean the letters are on the wall and it is like know one can spell, what has Satan just made everyone into non thinking machines, that go to work and pay their taxes and live from pay check to pay check so many people are doing just that and if they get behind one week they loose everything, or if they get sick or there child gets sick everything is set up that way so you have to pay more than before and they have made it harder for people to ever get ahead, and here I am crying out to God this morning I could here the cries of the people from that earthquake. As I go back to Christ being the Spirit in Noah and all those years of ministering 120 years and they say that no one understood the good news or a savior is on the way into the future, all through the time when the Hebrews were slaves centuries after centuries they all new there would be a deliverer, and all those years of the suffering those Hebrews were crying out to God, and then when they finally get free they sin and destroy the plan that God had for them, it seems I am getting confused maybe Satan has had his hands and fingers in all of the world with Pharaoh and the change of leadership when everything was going well with Joseph and then they suffered almost immediately . We must admit there must have been many that were waiting through the Old testament that when Christ went to the prisons and explained his teaching to them they had to be somehow released from prison or they went back to sleep for the final return of Christ. Back in Gen. 6 was God that upset that He created man, He was back then just for a minute how do you think He thinks right now, God is so mad that he even tried a second time, If I were God I don’t know what I would be thinking, Here I am the God that created all the world and all the men and women and he even had special mates all set up for each person and persons, and so many people could not wait for the chosen one that God had picked out and they just went and married someone else because of the lust in their body or they just thought they were to old and everything in this world is a big rush but when it comes to the check out counter forget it is time to shift and wait and all that rushing you did all week just came to a halt the same with the bank and the Post office, it is quite amazing. So was God back then admitting He made a mistake, He wanted to start over and then look at the world now, everything is a lie from the father of lies and everything is not what it seams to be, back then and now God is expressing sorrow for what people have done to themselves, now here is a God that is so mad and nature is slowing bringing on disaster after disaster and people just think well let us help out with the people and send in some money and send some prayers and back to work take the kids to the day care center and when the kids are about 7 they have the personality of the kids and the day care people you don’t even know them anymore, the parents don’t spend anytime with there children and that is why the kids today are killing themselves with drugs alcohol and we have a suicide rate that is so high they will not print the truth, it will scare the parents totally out of there minds . What has happened to planet earth, where are the real Christians, well the real Christians are getting tormented with suffering and attacks from the devil and the devil just wants quiet little goats that don’t do any thing bad they pay there taxes and go do the same job for so many years and get there pension. God is just so amazed that people are choosing sin and death over life, eternal life with Him and Jesus. People today just don’t want a relationship with God. People and their sins just make God very unhappy, we need to make God happy and the people that He made are casting Him off to somewhere else, and this will not go on forever this is going to change and it is going to change soon. Noah was able to please God and did find favor in the eyes of the Lord even though there was so much sin going on all around.
"You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. Your great wealth filled you with violence, and you sinned. So I banished you from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings. You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So I brought fire from within you, and it consumed you. I let it burn you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All who knew you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end, and you are no more." (Eze. 28:15-19)
Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. (Isa. 14:13-21 KJV)
Many scholars favor this way the comparison of (2 Pet. 2:4-5) and (Jude 6) link the angels in other words these angles were cast into hell and there is another name that came up Tartarus it is a place of confinement prior to judgment, you see so there is such a place. So this Tartarus is some sort of a prison and it is mentioned in the text, So sometime after the resurrection of Christ he went down there and made a declaration with all these fallen angels. As history goes God did not spare the angels when they sinned, this could be the angels that rebelled along with Satan (Eze. 28:15) or the sin of the angels that portray in (Gen. 6:1-4) also (Jude 1:6) in other words what God was saying if he didn’t spare his angels neither will He spare false teachers, I found out where they got Tartarus, it came from Greek mythology and it seems that Tartarus is located in the lowest part of the underworld, and it is like a jail for all bad and evil people, plus departed spirits, rebellious gods this may also be the place of punishment for the heavenly realm, now that does not make sense at all (1Pet. 3:19-20) So the place of confinement cannot be placed or acknowledged , but that to is totally under God’s control, so these particular angels are awaiting there final doom until judgment day for everyone, (Matt. 25:41) and false teachers will face the same punishment and judgment as the bad angels, I tell you one thing I hope my words are correct, and that is why I work so long on Saturday over 20 hours, straight and if I eat something I will just fall asleep so I work until about 5 am.
And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, Jude 6 NASB
The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it--that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. (1Pet. 1:10-11 Mess)
He went and proclaimed God's salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment because they wouldn't listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact--saved from the water by the water. (1Pet. 3:19-20 NLT)
"Then he will turn to the "goats,' the ones on his left, and say, "Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because-- I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.' "Then those "goats' are going to say, "Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?' "He will answer them, "I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me--you failed to do it to me.' "Then those "goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the "sheep' to their eternal reward." (Matt. 25:41-46 Mess)
But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way. For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell, in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day. And God did not spare the ancient world--except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood. Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him. Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment. He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones[c] without so much as trembling. But the angels, even though they are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, never speak out disrespectfully against the glorious ones. These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed. They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them. Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They revel in deceitfulness while they feast with you. They commit adultery with their eyes, and their lust is never satisfied. They make a game of luring unstable people into sin. They train themselves to be greedy; they are doomed and cursed. They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind--promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness. They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them. They make these proverbs come true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and "A washed pig returns to the mud." (2Pet 2:1-22 NLT)
For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell, in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day. And God did not spare the ancient world--except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood. Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him. Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. (2Pet. 2:4-8 NLT)
2. Only three souls escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
"Do you have any other relatives here in the city?" the angels asked. "Get them out of this place--sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. For we will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it."
So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters' fiances, "Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is going to destroy it." But the young men thought he was only joking.
At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out of here right now, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city."
When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful. "Run for your lives!" the angels warned. "Do not stop anywhere in the valley. And don't look back! Escape to the mountains, or you will die."
"Oh no, my lords, please," Lot begged. "You have been so kind to me and saved my life, and you have granted me such mercy. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved."
"All right," the angel said, "I will grant your request. I will not destroy that little village. But hurry! For I can do nothing until you are there." From that time on, that village was known as Zoar.
The sun was rising as Lot reached the village. Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and Gomorrah. He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, eliminating all life--people, plants, and animals alike. But Lot's wife looked back as she was following along behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
The next morning Abraham was up early and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence. He looked out across the plain to Sodom and Gomorrah and saw columns of smoke and fumes, as from a furnace, rising from the cities there. But God had listened to Abraham's request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain. (Gen.19:12-29 NLT)
Only two men out of 603,550 over the age of 20 were permitted
to enter the land of Canaan - Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "How long will this wicked nation complain about me? I have heard everything the Israelites have been saying. Now tell them this: `As surely as I live, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. I, the LORD, have spoken! You will all die here in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, none of you who are twenty years old or older and were counted in the census will enter the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
" `You said your children would be taken captive. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness. And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.
" `Because the men who explored the land were there for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years--a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. You will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.' I, the LORD, have spoken! I will do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will all die here in this wilderness!"
Then the ten scouts who had incited the rebellion against the LORD by spreading discouraging reports about the land were struck dead with a plague before the LORD. Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
When Moses reported the LORD's words to the Israelites, there was much sorrow among the people. So they got up early the next morning and set out for the hill country of Canaan. "Let's go," they said. "We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the LORD has promised us."
But Moses said, "Why are you now disobeying the LORD's orders to return to the wilderness? It won't work. Do not go into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you. When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD."
But the people pushed ahead toward the hill country of Canaan, despite the fact that neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD's covenant left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them as far as Hormah. (Num.14:26-45 NLT)
These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent. They were counted by families--all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war. The total number was 603,550.
But this total did not include the Levites. For the LORD had said to Moses, "Exempt the tribe of Levi from the census; do not include them when you count the rest of the Israelites. You must put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it. Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the Tabernacle will be executed. Each tribe of Israel will have a designated camping area with its own family banner. But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to offer the people of Israel protection from the LORD's fierce anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle."
So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. (Num. 1:44-54)
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is.[ From now on you know him and have seen him!"
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied."
Jesus replied, "Philip, don't you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen me do. (John. 14:6-11NIV)
[Sadly, there will be few who find the way that leads to life (Mt. 7:14). But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.
And what is the way that leads to life? Again, we find Jesus taught
that...]
II. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY
A. MANY THINK ALL RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WILL BE SAVED...
1. As some put it, "It doesn't really matter what you believe..."
2. Yet Jesus taught that no one comes to the Father but through
Him
B. WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER...
1. The example of Cornelius, a religious person who needed
salvation -
In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout man who feared the God of Israel, as did his entire household. He gave generously to charity and was a man who regularly prayed to God. One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.
Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel.
And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God! 5Now send some men down to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, a leatherworker who lives near the shore. Ask him to come and visit you." Acts 10:1-6 NLT
Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, some of the Jewish believers criticized him. "You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!" they said.
Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. "One day in Joppa," he said, "while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of small animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds that we are not allowed to eat. And I heard a voice say, `Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.'
" `Never, Lord,' I replied. `I have never eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws.'
"But the voice from heaven came again, `If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't.'
"This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven. Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying. The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry about their being Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon arrived at the home of the man who had sent for us. He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, `Send messengers to Joppa to find Simon Peter. He will tell you how you and all your household will be saved!'(Acts 11:4-14 NLT)
"Well, I began telling them the Good News, but just as I was getting started, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?"
When the others heard this, all their objections were answered and they began praising God. They said, "God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life." Acts 11:15-18
2. The example of many other religious people who needed salvation
a. The devout Jews on the Day of Pentecost - Ac 2:5,
On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. When they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born! Here we are--Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!" They stood there amazed and perplexed. "What can this mean?" they asked each other. But others in the crowd were mocking. "They're drunk, that's all!" they said.
Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. Some of you are saying these people are drunk. It isn't true! It's much too early for that. People don't get drunk by nine o'clock in the morning No, what you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel:
`In the last days, God said,
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
In those days I will pour out my Spirit
upon all my servants, men and women alike,
and they will prophesy.
And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below--
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
The sun will be turned into darkness,
and the moon will turn bloodred,
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.'
"People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing wonderful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But you followed God's prearranged plan. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to the cross and murdered him. However, God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life again, for death could not keep him in its grip. King David said this about him:
`I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is filled with joy,
and my mouth shouts his praises!
My body rests in hope.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
You have shown me the way of life,
and you will give me wonderful joy in your presence.'
"Dear brothers, think about this! David wasn't referring to himself when he spoke these words I have quoted, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on David's throne as the Messiah. David was looking into the future and predicting the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that the Messiah would not be left among the dead and that his body would not rot in the grave.
"This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this. Now he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.'
So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!"
Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"
Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles all who have been called by the Lord our God." Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, "Save yourselves from this generation that has gone astray!"
Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church--about three thousand in all. They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer.
A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. (Acts 2:1-47 NLT)
b. The devout Ethiopian returning from worship at Jerusalem
As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he did, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the queen of Ethiopia.The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage."
Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah; so he asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
The man replied, "How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?" And he begged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."
The eunuch asked Philip, "Was Isaiah talking about himself or someone else?" So Philip began with this same Scripture and then used many others to tell him the Good News about Jesus.
As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look! There's some water! Why can't I be baptized?"He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the city of Azotus! He preached the Good News there and in every city along the way until he came to Caesarea. Acts 8:26-40 NLT
c. The devout Lydia, a worshipper of God who kept the Sabbath
We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. From there we reached Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony; we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we supposed that some people met for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had come together. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am faithful to the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we did. ACTS 16:11-15 NLT
d. The devout Saul or Paul, doing what he thought was the Lord's will.
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak in your defense."
So Paul, with a gesture of his hand, started his defense: "I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, for I know you are an expert on Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!
"As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. Now I am on trial because I am looking forward to the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors. In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, O king, they say it is wrong for me to have this hope! Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?
"I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many of the believers in Jerusalem to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them whipped in the synagogues to try to get them to curse Christ. I was so violently opposed to them that I even hounded them in distant cities of foreign lands.
"One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. About noon, Your Majesty, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,`Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to fight against my will.'
" `Who are you, sir?' I asked.
"And the Lord replied, `I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you. And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles, to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'
"And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven. I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must turn from their sins and turn to God--and prove they have changed by the good things they do. Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. But God protected me so that I am still alive today to tell these facts to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead as a light to Jews and Gentiles alike."
Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!"
But Paul replied, "I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I am speaking the sober truth. And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak frankly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do--"
Agrippa interrupted him. "Do you think you can make me a Christian so quickly?"
Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains."
Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. As they talked it over they agreed, "This man hasn't done anything worthy of death or imprisonment." And Agrippa said to Festus, "He could be set free if he hadn't appealed to Caesar!" Acts 26:1-31NLT
This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group or by human authority. My call is from Jesus Christ himself and from God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
All the brothers and sisters[ here join me in sending greetings to the churches of Galatia.
May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. He died for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. That is why all glory belongs to God through all the ages of eternity. Amen.
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who in his love and mercy called you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ. You are already following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ.
Let God's curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. I will say it again: If anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God's curse fall upon that person.
Obviously, I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant.
Dear brothers and sisters, I solemnly assure you that the Good News of salvation which I preach is not based on mere human reasoning or logic. For my message came by a direct revelation from Jesus Christ himself. No one else taught me.
You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion how I violently persecuted the Christians. I did my best to get rid of them. I was one of the most religious Jews of my own age, and I tried as hard as possible to follow all the old traditions of my religion.
But then something happened! For it pleased God in his kindness to choose me and call me, even before I was born! What undeserved mercy! Then he revealed his Son to me so that I could proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When all this happened to me, I did not rush out to consult with anyone else; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. No, I went away into Arabia and later returned to the city of Damascus. It was not until three years later that I finally went to Jerusalem for a visit with Peter and stayed there with him for fifteen days. And the only other apostle I met at that time was James, our Lord's brother. You must believe what I am saying, for I declare before God that I am not lying. Then after this visit, I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn't know me personally. All they knew was that people were saying, "The one who used to persecute us now preaches the very faith he tried to destroy!" And they gave glory to God because of me. Gal 1:1-24 NLT
[Being religious is not enough, and one cannot truly be a Christian who
believes that salvation can be found outside of Christ (Acts 4:12).
The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?"
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of our nation, are we being questioned because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
`The stone that you builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.'
There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." Acts 4:5-12
But
note that Jesus also taught salvation is...]
III. FOR THOSE WHO OBEY
A. MANY THINK THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL BE SAVED...
1. That we are saved by faith only, with no need for obedience
2. Yet Jesus warned of those who believed in Him but were lost
"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as `Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On judgment day many will tell me, `Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply, `I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.
"Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash."
After Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught as one who had real authority--quite unlike the teachers of religious law. Matt. 7:21-29
a. They believed Him to be their Lord
b. They spent their lives in service to the Lord
c. But they had not done the Father's will!
B. WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER...
1. That Jesus is the author of salvation to all who obey Him
That is why Christ did not exalt himself to become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,
"You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father."
And in another passage God said to him,
"You are a priest forever
in the line of Melchizedek."
While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God. So even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.And God designated him to be a High Priest in the line of Melchizedek. Heb 5:5-10 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, we always thank God for you, as is right, for we are thankful that your faith is flourishing and you are all growing in love for each other. We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. But God will use this persecution to show his justice. For he will make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering, and in his justice he will punish those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power when he comes to receive glory and praise from his holy people. And you will be among those praising him on that day, for you believed what we testified about him.
And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds. Then everyone will give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus because of you, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the undeserved favor of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. 2Thes 1:3-11
3. Not all believers will be saved
a. The demons believe, yet tremble!
Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"--but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."
Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?
Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did--by his actions. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous." He was even called "the friend of God."So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions--when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds. James 2:14-26 NLT
b. Some believed, but were unwilling to confess Him
Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he made this prediction, because he was given a vision of the Messiah's glory. Many people, including some of the Jewish leaders, believed in him. But they wouldn't admit it to anyone because of their fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are really trusting God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness. If anyone hears me and doesn't obey me, I am not his judge--for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me gave me his own instructions as to what I should say. And I know his instructions lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say!" John 12:41-50 NLT
1. Believing that many (if not all) will be saved is...
a. A comforting doctrine
b. A view praised as tolerant and loving
2. But if one really desires to follow Jesus, they must abide in His
teaching
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
"But we are descendants of Abraham," they said. "We have never been slaves to anyone on earth. What do you mean, `set free'?"
Jesus replied, "I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because my message does not find a place in your hearts. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father."
"Our father is Abraham," they declared.
"No," Jesus replied, "for if you were children of Abraham, you would follow his good example. I told you the truth I heard from God, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham wouldn't do a thing like that. No, you are obeying your real father when you act that way."
They replied, "We were not born out of wedlock! Our true Father is God himself."
Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can't you understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to do so! For you are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don't believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me? Anyone whose Father is God listens gladly to the words of God. Since you don't, it proves you aren't God's children." John 8:31-47
a. That few will be saved
b. That Jesus is the only way
c. That salvation is for those who do His Father's will
