WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN
SERMON TITLE: SIN. SAVIOR. SALVATION.
“For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
TEXT VERSE: Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I want to preach to you this morning on the Sin, the Savior and then the Salvation. Often times when we get wrapped up in our church lives we tend to forget about those that are lost and dying and on their way to a devils hell. Often times it seems we spend more time trying to figure out how to run the church than on filling the church. If you haven’t been told lately, I want you to know that God loves you. It doesn’t matter what size or what color you are. God loves you and he loves you so much that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus, to die on the cross of Calvary.
Before we get into the message we want to remember a few scriptures. Second Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
I’m glad God doesn’t want anybody to perish. God doesn’t want anybody to die and go to hell.
First Timothy 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
There’s one reason why Jesus Christ came into this world and one reason only and that was to bring us to God. He introduced us to God. He brought God down to our level. He brought us up to God’s level through the Holy Spirit. God sent his Son because he doesn’t want you or I to die and go to hell. He doesn’t want you, your children, your parents, your sisters and brothers and friends, nor your co-workers....God doesn’t want anybody to die and go to hell. Aren’t you glad that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 12:47 “I came not to judge the world but I came to save the world.” Christ is not here to judge you because of what you’ve done in the past. He’s not here to judge you because of how you look. He’s not here to judge you because of how you act. Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world but he came to save the world.
NUMBER ONE: SIN
I want you to notice a few things in Romans 5. I want to tell you where sin came from. A lot of people don’t know what sin is or where it came from. If you don’t know about sin, how can you get saved? Some folks think you can get saved just by coming to the house of God. I have news for you. Christ can save you at the house of God but he can also save you out on the street, in the hospital, in the nursing home, in the prison, and at your house. There’s only one thing you can’t get without Christ and that’s saved. I think a lot of people have Christ in their mind and they’ve missed getting him in their heart.
I want to point out a few things about sin. In reading Romans 5 we often read about sin and think about Adam. Adam was the first man who ever walked upon earth and he was created in the image and likeness of God. Adam was a man upon this earth that represented you and I as mankind. God created Adam and Eve in the perfect state, in the garden of Eden. They had everything they could want but because of the devil and sin, Adam fell from this perfect created being condition and fell out of the will of God and he fell into sin. And because of that sin, it passed upon all men. In Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
When God created this universe, sin was not a part of this earth. When God made the Garden of Eden there was no sin there. Isn’t it pitiful to say that it wasn’t until man came along that sin came about? Thank God that Noah found Grace in the eyes of God. The Bible says that where sin did abound, grace did much more abound. But sin entered this world by one man and that man was Adam.
Now look at Romans 5:18 “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
Not only did sin entered into the world by that one man but by the offence of that one man the Bible says that judgment came upon all men to condemnation. It’s not those murderers, those drunks on the street, or the people in prisons that have done bad things....that’s not what makes them sinners. I want to tell you what makes us sinners. A sinner is when a woman gives birth to a child and they take that first breath. According to the word of God they are born in sin. If you have children and they have never been saved, they are condemned. You have a brother or sister and they’ve never accepted Christ as their personal savior. Their condemned. You have parents that have never been saved by the grace of God, their condemned. When sin came in judgment passed upon all men for that all have sinned.
Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” You know why it says that many were made sinners and not all? Because Jesus Christ walked on this earth and he didn’t have any sin. It couldn’t say all but praise God he took our judgment when he died on the cross of Calvary. The Bible says he paid our sin debt.
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short f the glory of God.” There’s not one of us who can out do sin. There’s not one of us that cannot have sin in our life at one point. Whenever I read about sin in the Bible I read that death goes right along with it. We read to you that for the wages of sin is death. Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul that sinneth; it shall die.” Jesus said in one place that if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins. It’s scarey to think that without Christ...Hell would be our home.
James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death.” Christians often times don’t know how to handle sin. They say they are saved by the grace of God but they are still sinning. Let me tell you that you are never going to be above sin. But I’m concentrating more on the ones that are lost. If you’ve never been saved by the grace of God then your sins are not covered by his blood. When he comes back in the clouds of glory or you face deaths door before he comes back and your sins aren’t covered by his blood...hell will be your home.
NUMBER TWO: SAVIOR
Thank God there is a savior. The Bible says there is one mediator between God and men and that’s the man Christ Jesus. There is no one else that can get you to heaven but him. There’s no one else that can cover your sins with his own blood except Christ. There’s no one else to go to but Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:6-8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet preadventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
We talked to you about sin and what it will do to you but thank God he made a provision for our sin and that’s his Son Jesus Christ. He came and died on the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt.
John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this that a man would lay down his life for his friends.” You’ll not experience a greater love than Jesus Christ. (But preacher I love my spouse more than anything.) No you don’t. If you do then you don’t have Christ in your life.
John 1:29 “Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.” He came to take away sin. He didn’t die on the cross for you because you’re a Baptist or because you’re white or black or from America. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins.
First Timothy 1;15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.” Whether you know it or not, without Christ you are in Sin and it will carry you right off into hell but thank God Jesus Christ the Savior came to die on the cross for our sins to get rid of our sins to cleanse us of our sins and to make us whole and to make us acceptable in the beloved. He’s prepared us a place. It’s a place that has no sin. The land of no mores. No more sin, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow.
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Aren’t you glad God sent him to die on the cross for your sins? I’ve often thought about the time when one of our parents would die. They were good Christian parents who took me to church every Sunday. The day finally came when Daddy was called home to be with the lord. I often looked at the kind of life he led in front of me and I want to say it was acceptable and that it helped me every step of the way. Whether he knew it or not. Why, because he was in the house of God. he’s the one who told me about Jesus Christ as a little boy. Before I even knew anything about church or the word of God. He told me how Jesus died for our sins. I wonder who you’re telling. But I remember the day that I got saved. The preacher was up preaching and God began to speak to me and the Lord let me realize that I was lost. You can’t get saved until you realize that you’re lost. You’ll never get to heaven until you realize that you’re on your way to hell. I was sitting there on that pew and the Holy Spirit of God spoke to my heart and let me know that I was lost and I remember rising to my feet and we were singing “O why not tonight.” I was trembling, and weeping and I said, “Lord, I don’t want to die and go to hell but how will I know when it’s my time to get saved?” The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Now!” The Bible says that today is the day of salvation. I went to that altar and I began to pray and sob and I remember an arm coming around me and I didn’t know whose it was until he started to pray with me. It was Dad’s and here’s what he said, “Lord, he’s in your hands.” Then I remember him saying, “Son, I’ve done all I can do for you. The rest is between you and God.” Then I realized at that point that one day daddy would be gone. The point is...even though daddy has gone on to be with the Lord, I have another Father. That’s God and he sent his son and he saved me. I’ve got something to shout about!!! I won’t be a dried up Christian who doesn’t know who God is. PRAISE GOD, HE SAVED MY SOUL!!!!! I’ll shout the victory the rest of my days here. He kept me out of hell.
NUMBER THREE: SALVATION
The redemption. Going from the corruptible to in the incorruptible. Going from the ungodly to being godly. Going from a sinner to a Saint. Thank God for the salvation of an almighty God.
James 1:21 “Receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul.”
Acts 2:21 “It shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Preacher, how hard is it to get saved? It isn’t hard at all.
John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourself , it is the gift of God.”
You can’t save yourself. Your Pastor can’t save you. Only Christ can save you.
Romans 10:8-10 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Not only are you going to say it but you’re going to be able to live it. If you’re going to say it, you better live it. It’s the easiest thing to do, getting saved. Just believe in him. We’re preaching on Sin, savior, salvation. You can’t go from sin to salvation without the Savior. A way was made for you and I. When Jesus was laid in the tomb and soldiers stood there to guard it and Mary went over there and the stone was rolled away. It wasn’t rolled away so that Jesus Christ could get out. It was rolled away so that you and I could get in. You don’t believe that? Read the book of Acts where all the Apostles were gathered in the upper room and the doors were shut and Jesus Christ appeared in the midst of them. If he can go through closed doors, he can go through rocks on a tomb. I wonder, are you ready to come in today? He said whosoever will let him come take of the water of life freely.
LET US PRAY: Father, I have heard your word. The Holy Spirit has spoken to me and convicted my heart and told me that I am lost and on my way to hell. I don’t want to die and go to hell. I want to come live with you. I repent of my sins and pray that you would forgive me of my sins and cast them all away into the sea of forgetfulness and I ask you Lord to come into my life as my personal savior. I give my life to you now and forever. I believe Lord that you are the only begotten son of God and that you came to this earth to die for my sin. I believe that you died and arose on the third day so that I could receive eternal life through you. I pray this in Jesus name.
