Intro: So many people today have lives that are shipwrecked. So many today have lives that are at the bottom of life’s ocean. Why have people come to the bottom of life’s ocean? Because they have been sunk by the weight of sin! Oh beloved today realize that God sent His only Son for a great salvage Mission! It is for your salvation that Jesus came on His great mission.
In Dr. Luke’s Gospel Jesus told a wee little man that His mission was to salvage souls.
Luke 19.10 “For the son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.”
Jesus came for search and rescue!!
Oh dear soul today realize that the beloved Son of God stepped out of Heaven’s glory to stand in mans gore to salvage your soul. Mans sin sentenced Him to a devil’s hell; God’s Savior will salvage you for heaven!!
What we will see in just one verse of the Bible today is that some will be salvaged and some will not. What is the difference between those that are salvaged and those that are not? The only difference is a choice. Life is a choice. It was God’s choice that you were born; it will be your choice if you are reborn.
Salvation it is what has been called the scarlet thread that runs through the entire Bible.
In Daniel twelve we see that some grab the thread of salvation. We also see that others never even see the thread.
Daniel 12.2
Daniel tells us that when the books are opened there will be two different groups of people.
· Some to everlasting Life
· Others to shame (disgrace) and everlasting contempt (comes from Hebrew root to repulse; picture Jesus spewing people out of His mouth)
The word everlasting appears in both of the groups. What then does it mean?
Everlasting: comes from a Hebrew word that means forever, unending, always, continuous existence, everlasting, unending future.
If you die before the returning of the Lord Jesus Christ, mark it down, you will awake to an everlasting, unending, always, continuous existence of either life, or shame and contempt (death in hell separated from the love of God).
So what is it that will determine whether or not you awake from death into unending life, or unending death?
It is God’s Great Salvage Mission that will make the difference. The surprising note of God’s Salvage Mission He only salvages those who call on Him.
2 Corinthians 4.7 tells us we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
But unless we ask God to salvage or save us, God will allow us to stay lost for all of eternity.
I. Man is sunk by Sin
A) All are sunk – Romans 3.23
1) No one has escaped the storm of Sin
a) Everyone is born a sinner
Psalm 51.5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”
b) Everyone is a slave to sin that has not been salvaged.
Romans 6.16 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting to death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”
1) Sin controls
John 8.34 “Jesus answered them, Truly, Truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave to sin.”
a) Your Present
b) Your Future
2) Sin condemns
John 3.18 “Those who believe in Him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
a) Condemnation is a present fact
If you have not turned from sin, and accepted Jesus’ Salvage Mission, you stand before God condemned.
b) Condemnation is a future truth
If you die in this world sunk in you sin you will be condemned to Hell.
A building that stands condemned even though demolition crews have not knocked it down is still condemned. It is only a matter of when the building will ultimately be destroyed.
Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard, from Australia who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the service, one of the church officers came to counsel with him in the study. "Dr. Howard," he said, "we don’t want you to talk as openly as you do about man’s guilt and corruption, because if our boys and girls hear you discussing that subject they will more easily become sinners. Call it a mistake if you will, but do not speak so plainly about sin. "The minister took down a small bottle and showing it to the visitor said, "You see that label? It says strychnine -- and underneath in bold, red letters the word ’Poison!’ Do you know, man, what you are asking me to do? You are suggesting that I change the label. Suppose I do, and paste over it the words, ’Essence of Peppermint’; don’t you see what might happen? Someone would use it, not knowing the danger involved, and would certainly die. So it is, too, with the matter of sin. The milder you make your label, the more dangerous you make your poison!"
It seems to echo the words of today. Be seeker friendly don’t tell anyone they are condemned. Only speak on love, only speak on living. We want to do what ever we can to get them here. Be like Joel Osteen and just encourage people, just smooth talk them to Jesus. Don’t ever say if they don’t accept Jesus they are already, presently condemned!!!
People are not smooth talked to Jesus they are led to Jesus when they realize they are poisoning their lives with sin!!
Realize sin is a hurricane that will destroy you!!!
-- Because of the condemnation of sin no one escapes the waves that the storm of sin brings.
Romans 3.9 “”What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
All are already under the crushing waves of sin that leads to death!
2) No one has stayed above its killing waves.
Romans 6.23 “The wages of sin is death”
Ezekiel 18.4 “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.”
There is the false idea today that people are good. That idea has many people sitting like a wooden log in a sea of sinful water. A wooden log can stay afloat for a long time. No matter how big the log the time will come when it becomes water logged and sinks.
No one can escape it the Soul that sins will die.
B) All are salvageable
1) All have sinned, but all can be saved.
Give me some scripture on that Bro Bill, (Glad you asked.)
Acts 2.21, Romans 10.13 ”And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Even though man is sunk into the most unreachable depths of sin, Jesus’ arm is longer than any depth. He can reach from heaven and salvage your soul no matter how deep you have sunk. There is no depth to deep, no sin too foul for Jesus.
The wages of sin may be death but the Gift of God is Life!!!
2) All can be saved, but will all be saved?
a) No!
b) Hebrews 9.27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”
Ships that have been totally destroyed cannot be salvaged.
When you are cast into hell, or into the second death of the lake of fire there is nothing that can salvage you!
God desires not one piece of treasure to be lost. He wants everyone to come to repentance.
II. Man is salvaged by God’s plan
A) God’s Plan to Salvage men’s souls
1) Replacement
a) Conviction of the Holy Spirit leads to realization of Sin
b) Realization of Sin leads to recognition of need for the Savior
c) Substitution, God already from His great love provided the replacement Jesus Christ.
2) Repentance
a) Turning from the tempest of Sin
b) Turning to the safety of Him – The Lord Jesus Christ
1) Safety of the Rock of ages in the storm of Sin.
3) Redemption
a) God Salvages you forever (buys you back)
b) God Seals you as His treasure – Ephesians 1.13
According to John 10.28, 29 nothing and no one can snatch you out of His hand once you have accepted His Grace.
a) Basis God’s grace
b) Condition “faith in Jesus Christ”
c) Result – saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2.8,9)
Illustration:
There was a young boy who lived in a New England seaport and loved to watch the boats come in from their daily catch. One day he decided to build a little sailboat all of his own. He worked for weeks, making sure each detail was just right. Finally the big day arrived. He went down to the wharf and proudly put his boat into the water. As he triumphantly observed his new sailboat, he noticed that the wind had suddenly changed, and the tiny boat was being swept out of sight. The little boy was heartbroken. Every day for a month he went back to see if his boat had been washed up on shore.
Finally, one day in the market he saw his boat in a store window. He excitedly ran into the store and told the proprietress that it was his boat. The woman only responded by saying that the boat would cost him two dollars. After pleading with her to no avail, the boy finally pulled out some money and gave it to the storeowner. As the boy was leaving the store he said, “Little boat, you are twice mine. You are mine because I made you, and now you are mine because I bought you.”
We too can say that if God has salvaged us. If we acknowledge our sin before God accept Jesus’ death and resurrection for our pardon, confess Him as Lord, repent, turn from sin, we too are His.
The plan is in place, all it takes is a decision. Jesus stands ready with His nail-scarred hand to rescue you from the depths of Sin.
Will you be saved from sin today?
Conclusion: In honor of what Dr. Adrian Rogers always said, and in Honor of What my Lord and Savior did through Dr. Rogers’ life, Would you
“Come to Jesus”
Let him salvage your soul. Allow the loving arm of God to drag you out of the depths of sin. “Come to Jesus.”
If you are already a Christian why not be a part of salvaging the lives of others.
