A.W. Tozer, some of you will recognize that name,
but he once said,
if man had his way,
the plan of redemption would be an endless and bloody conflict.
Salvation, or in reality salvation,
was bought not by Jesus' fist,
but by his nail-pierced hands.
Not by muscle, but by love.
Not by vengeance, but by forgiveness.
Not by force, but by sacrifice.
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
surrendered in order that he might win.
He destroyed his enemies by dying.
And he conquered death by allowing death to conquer him.
Good morning.
What a great day this is.
I've been looking forward to it.
You have that sort of whittle out.
You're right, Rod.
No, I'm really happy to be here with you this morning.
I heard a saying years ago that sort of stuck with me.
Every day is a good day,
but some are better.
My prayer for you this morning
is that today is going to be one of those better days
for each and every one of you.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father,
thank you for allowing us to be here together
to worship and glorify you this morning.
We ask that the Holy Spirit
fill us all with your love
and your peace
and comfort us
with the knowledge and truth
of your word.
Amen.
We're getting some variety
the last couple of weeks.
Charles was here last week.
I'm here this week.
And with luck,
Pastor Josh will be back from Mexico
by next week.
Or it's your turn, Rod.
When Pastor Josh told us
at an elders meeting
a couple months ago now, I guess,
when he was going away,
what the dates were,
and that those dates would include two Sundays,
my spidey senses went,
uh-oh.
Well,
then he asked Charles and I
if we would each take a turn
coming up here to talk to you.
Well, Charles took the first week,
and here I am.
Well, my immediate reactions
when Josh asked us that were,
well, maybe he was a little anxious,
a little fearful,
doubtful,
but
the opportunity
to share God's word
is such a blessing
that those feelings
quickly went away.
The Lord then put a thought
in my head about
what it was that he might
like me to talk about this morning.
Tozer referred to it a little bit,
the thought that came into my head
was salvation.
Now, we've been talking about it
at different times,
like salvation
and how sure are you,
what is it,
and why do you want it?
Well,
I had really
to do not a lot of thinking
because I don't get
random thoughts in my head
unless they're coming from
the Lord,
usually,
and he put that one there,
so here goes.
I'm going to give you
a couple points
the way I see them
on salvation.
First thing I'd have to look at
is salvation.
Well,
what does it mean?
What does salvation
actually mean?
Well,
being kind of old school,
I took out my
Funkin-Wagnall's Dictionary.
I don't,
some of you might remember
that term,
but
for the kids,
a dictionary is a book
with words in it
and it describes
what those words
actually mean.
Okay.
And as I was looking up,
looking for salvation,
I'm going down the page
and I saw salvage.
I thought,
hey,
that's close.
What does that say?
And
the definition of salvage was
anything
saved from destruction.
And I thought,
hey,
you know,
that's close.
That's not a bad answer,
but
well,
let's see if we can clarify
it just a little bit more.
And the very next word
under salvage
was salvation.
I thought,
okay,
here we go.
Now,
they listed three possible
definitions
for
salvation.
The first one
was the process
or state
of being saved.
Preservation
from impending
evil.
I thought,
well,
that's getting closer.
Then there's one
that said,
any means of deliverance
from danger,
evil,
or ruin.
Again,
it's in the ballpark.
And then it said,
in theology,
it means
deliverance
from sin
and its penalty.
and I thought,
bingo.
Now we got it.
I think that covers it
as good as
I was going to get it
covered.
Next question
I would ask,
the second point would be,
well,
where would we find
salvation
and how do we secure it?
How do we get it?
Well,
my first suggestion
to you would be,
read your Bible.
Okay,
your Bible
tells you exactly
where
and how.
And that's
Jesus.
In Isaiah 2,
or 12 rather,
verse 2
states,
Surely God
is my salvation.
I will trust
and not be afraid.
The Lord,
yes,
the Lord
himself
is my strength
and my defense.
He has become
my salvation.
Acts 2,
36 to 38
state,
Therefore,
let all Israel
be assured
of this.
God has
made this
Jesus
whom you
crucified.
I'll just clarify
here, okay?
This is Peter
talking to
a big group
of Jews
shortly after
the crucifixion.
Okay?
So,
God has
made this
Jesus
whom you
have crucified,
both Lord
and Christ.
When the people
heard this,
they were cut
to the heart
and said to
Peter and the
other apostles,
well,
what can we
do?
What should
we do?
And Peter
replied to
them,
repent and
be baptized,
every one of
you in the
name of Jesus
Christ,
for the
forgiveness
of your
sins,
and you
will receive
the gift
of the Holy
Spirit.
God's
spirit.
John 14,
6.
We all
know this
verse,
I think.
I am the
way,
the truth,
and the
life.
No one
comes to
the Father
except through
me.
Well,
the way,
the truth,
and the
life.
Well,
apart from
the way,
there would
be no
going.
apart from
the truth,
there is no
knowing.
And apart
from the
life,
there is
no living.
God says,
remain in
Christ and
rest yourselves.
He is
the way,
the truth,
and the
life.
In
Romans 10,
9,
if you
declare with
your mouth,
Jesus is
Lord,
and believe
in your
heart,
that God
raised him
from the
dead,
you will
be saved.
And then
I'll go to
probably the
best known
verse ever
in the
Bible,
John 3,
16.
And 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.
And I
thought,
boy,
that kind
of hits
it on the
nose,
but
God said,
well,
keep reading.
So I
did.
And the
next thing
is John,
of course,
3,
17.
And I
would even
go add
on verse
18a,
the beginning
of verse
18.
For God
did not
send his
son into
the world
to condemn
the world,
but to
save the
world
through him.
Whoever
believes in
him is
not
condemned.
They have
salvation.
Whoever
believes in
him.
There are
many other
verses,
really,
there are a
lot of
verses in
scripture
that explain
this process.
but I
think the
verses we
just read
stated so
clearly and
precisely that
I could
probably stop
there and I
would go on
to the
third part,
point three
in my talk
to you this
morning.
And the
final point
is the
assurance of
your salvation.
salvation.
How many of
you can look
in the
mirror right
now or this
morning or
when you go
home and
look at
yourself and
say,
you're saved
and you're
going to
heaven and
I know it.
Hopefully
every one of
you.
And if you
don't have
that insurance,
let's see what
the Bible and
these words tell
us.
Little thing we
found actually
this morning,
you know,
like documents
like teaching,
you teach from
sort of change
minute by
minute.
And we
were talking
about things
this morning,
Colleen and I,
and she got
looking at
things and I
got looking at
things and I
said,
hey,
that's a good
one.
So I'm going
to read this
to you.
It's a quote
from somebody.
where we
found it,
it didn't say
who it was,
it just,
but I liked
it.
We tend to
seek assurance
of salvation
in the things
God is doing
in our lives,
in our
spiritual,
in our lives
or in our
spiritual growth.
In the good
works and
obedience to
God's word
that is evident
in our
Christian walk.
Now,
while these
things can
be evidence
of salvation,
they are not
what we should
base the
assurance of
our salvation
on.
Rather,
we should find
the assurance
of our salvation
in the objective
truth of
God's word.
We should
have confident
trust that
we are saved
based on
the promises
of God.
God has
declared,
not because
of our
subjective
experiences.
Where do
you get
confidence?
Where do
you get
an absolute
conviction?
I'm saved
from God's
word.
Look it
up.
It's
there.
salvation.
It's not
just a
wonderful
experience.
It is
also a
blessing
to know
your
salvation
is secure.
You don't
have to
worry about
it.
Relax.
He's in
control.
You're right
there.
Right in
his pop.
He's got
you.
there.
There are
no ifs,
ands,
or buts.
Okay.
If you
are saved,
it's there.
It's yours.
Nothing can
take you from
the palm of
his hand.
John 23,
I think it
is,
Jesus said,
now I've
got to read
my writing,
I give
them eternal
life,
and they
shall never
perish.
No one
can snatch
them out
of my
hand.
No one,
nothing.
If God
has given
you
your salvation,
know it,
believe it.
It's yours.
Nobody's
going to
take it
away.
Okay.
we
shouldn't,
we should,
here's a,
I was
listening to
a reading
devotion by
Dr.
David
Jeremiah a
couple weeks
ago,
and he
quoted a
lady by the
name of
Sheila Walsh
in the
devotional,
and she
said,
remember,
it is
important to
read the
Bible
carefully,
taking in
every
promise
in its
context.
We
shouldn't
twist God's
words to
mean whatever
we want
them to
mean.
Okay.
Read
something in
the Bible.
If you're
not sure,
look in the
Bible,
because the
Bible will
back itself
up.
It will
repeat it
to you.
It will
say it
again.
Okay.
But when
we have
accurately
understood
one of
his
promises,
we can
stand on
it and
rejoice
with
confidence.
God
does not
change,
nor do
the glories
of his
person,
or the
salvation he
has
engineered
for us.
God's
promises
are as
dependable
as he
is.
And I
like that
quote.
Think about
it.
God's
promises
are as
dependable
as he
is.
So if we're
going to
find verses
in the
Bible
that give
us a
promise,
it's
God's
word.
It's
dependable.
Okay.
If God
promises it,
it will
be
fulfilled.
Guaranteed
it will
be.
So let's
look and
see if
there are
I was
going to
say any,
but some
verses in
the Bible
that, you
know, relate
to your
salvation and
it's
guaranteed,
that there's
promises
attached to
them.
First off,
John 24,
and this is
Jesus speaking,
I tell you
the truth,
whoever hears
my word and
believes him
who sent
me has
eternal life
and will
not be
condemned.
He is
crossed over
from death
to life.
I don't
know, it
sounds like a
promise there
to me.
Let's see if
there are any
more.
John 3,
16 again.
Let's go
back to it.
It tells you
about it,
but we
weren't
looking actually
for a
promise
before.
Now we're
looking for
promises.
So John
3, 16
and 18a.
For God
so loved
the world,
he gave
his one
and only
son,
that whoever
believes in
him shall
not perish,
but have
eternal life.
Again,
that's a
promise.
God's
promising you
that.
And then
verse 18a
puts on the
exclamation,
point.
Whoever
believes in
him is
not
condemned.
If you're
not
condemned,
you're
saved.
Romans 10,
19.
If you
declare with
your mouth,
Jesus is
Lord,
and believe
in your
heart that
God raised
him from
the dead,
you will
be saved.
not might,
not maybe,
you will
be saved.
No doubt.
There are many
more, but I
want to finish
with one last
promise that I
found.
And this
one comes out
of Romans,
chapter 8,
verses 35
to 39.
Who shall
separate us
from the love
of Christ?
Shall
trouble or
hardship,
or persecution,
or famine,
or nakedness,
or danger,
or sword?
As it is
written,
for your
sake,
we face
death all
day long.
we're
considered
a sheep
to the
slaughter.
No,
in all
these things,
we are
more than
conquerors
through
him
who
loved
us.
For
I am
convinced
that
neither
death
nor
life,
neither
angels
nor
demons,
neither
the present
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
Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Nothing
exists that
can take you
out of God's
hands.
You're
his.
We
need not
fear
life or
death.
Things present
are things
to come
because Jesus
loves us
and gives
us the
victory.
This is
not a
promise with
conditions
attached.
Okay?
It's not,
well, if you
do this,
God will
do that.
There's
always those
attachments.
You get a
promise from
a person,
there's doubt,
right?
There's an
attachment.
Well, if you
do that,
I'll do that.
If you
give me
10 bucks,
I'll give
you 20.
You're
doubtful,
right?
Okay.
This is
not a
promise with
those
conditions.
This
security in
Christ is
an established
fact.
And we
can claim
it for
ourselves
because
we are
in Christ.
Nothing
can separate
us from
his love.
Remember,
and remember
this always,
take it home
with you.
God's
promises
are as
dependable
as he
is.
And I've
never met
anybody
more dependable
than that.
I want
you to
believe it
and then
rejoice in
it.
Because
it's
yours.
You
don't
have
to
worry.
Now
Miranda's
going to
come,
I think,
is this
one?
No,
this isn't
it,
is it?
Hey,
I'm still
up.
Oh,
I was
going to
run
away.
No.
Have
to get
the other
page.
This is
a special
time in
any church
for any
Christian.
Okay?
Here at
Davidson
Community
Bible
Church,
we usually
celebrate
communion
every month.
I want
to emphasize
that this
is something
special.
Okay?
Very
special.
It is an
opportunity to
reflect and
remember
what Jesus
actually did
for us.
It is not
a right or
an obligation,
but rather a
chance for us
to personally
remember and
thank Jesus
for the
sacrifices he
made for us.
Matthew
26 to
28,
while they
were eating,
Jesus took
bread,
and when
he had
given
thanks,
he broke
it and
gave it to
his disciples
saying,
take and
eat.
This is
my body.
Then he
took the
cup,
and when
he had
given
thanks,
he gave
it to
them saying,
drink from
it,
all of
you.
This is
my blood
of the
new
covenant.
which is
poured out
for many
for the
forgiveness
of sins.
Serious
words.
Lucky thing.
Okay.
I want you
to remember
something just
before we
go for it.
we want to
invite everybody
who has a
personal
relationship
with Christ
to join
with us
in communion
this morning.
But before
we distribute
the elements,
I'm going to
take just a
second to
reflect on
things.
the broken
bread
represents
Jesus'
broken,
tortured,
and
crucified
body.
And the
cup represents
his blood
that he
willingly
shed
so that
our sins
can be
forgiven.
let's
just
reflect on
this for a
moment,
and then we
will pass
out the
elements.
into
the
hands
who
is
in
Thank you.
I'd like to call up the elders
and distribute the elements.
Thank you.
Just a reminder as they're passing out the elements that,
let's wait until all have received the elements
and then we will commune together.
Okay.
Thank you.
This is the body and the blood of Christ.
Thank you.
Now we'll have worship through song.