6 Important Elements Regarding Salvation Series

Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

January 1979 – made that call -

MAX LUCADO, in one of his books, tells a story that he read about a newlywed couple that had a honeymoon disaster. They arrived at the hotel in the wee hours with high hopes.

They had reserved a large room with romantic amenities. That;s not what they found.

Seems the room was pretty skimpy no view, no flowers, a cramped bathroom, and worst of all, no bed! Just a pull-out sofa with a lumpy mattress.

The next morning the sore-necked groom stormed down to the desk clerk and vented his anger. After he finished, the desk clerk asked, Did you open the door in your room?

He admitted he hadn’t and when he returned to the room, he did. To his shock, there was a large beautiful room with a spectacular view, a king sized bed, and an elaborate rest room.

Why didn’t he try the door? Why didn’t he go down to the desk before going to bed?

I don’t know, but I do know that there are millions today searching for a better life. What they don’t understand is that Jesus is the door to this better life. We’re like that desk clerk. We can point them to it by our prayers, our giving, and even our going January 1979 opened that door

LIGHT BULB: seems simple but actually is very complicated process: transmission towers… substations…dam built holding back water….wires strung.. (UNCLE FESTUS)

Tremendous complexity behind a simple momentary act.(mystery of electricity)

SALVATION seems simple but behind it lays great complexity: mystery of the cross, Incarnation, miracle of the resurrection, Coming of the Holy Spirit, events of life orchestrated under God’s sovereign hand, prayers of believers. Some point a light bulb comes on in us and we see.

Call upon the Name of the Lord: How does this miracle happen? It is more than just words but it is a moment of faith, an act of grace that truly affects a new nature within us.

1) What is involved in bringing people to a place where they cry out to God in a sense of need and desperation and are saved?

Scriptures used as a basis for the churches missionary program.

Go from recognizing God’s sovereign control in chapter 9 to God’s command to go and aggressively and personally participate in the process of people coming to know Him.

6 IMPORTANT ELEMENTS REGARDING SALVATION(complex components)

PEOPLE HAVE TO BELIEVE (14) How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

1. Salvation has to come to this end: JESUS. It is to call on HIM, to believe in him.

a. Acts 4:12 There is no other Name under heaven by which we may be saved/Acts 16:30-31 What must I do to be saved? Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be

b. It is more than just words but to call on Him from a heart of belief. Jn 6:28-29 What must we do(our efforts) so that we may work the works of God? This is the work (singular act)of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.

2. The basis for people believing is for Christians to have an effective witness:

a. Understandable: be ready to make a defense of the hope that lies within you – have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. battle terms

Bonhoeffer studied for a year in New York City. He was uniformly disappointed with the preaching he heard there: "One may hear sermons in New York upon almost any subject; one only is never handled, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ, of the cross, of sin and forgiveness." - "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," Christian History, no. 32.

b. Undisputable - Credible: backed up by your life:

Our words make the gospel understandable but our lives make it believable.

1) Eastwood crusade counseling young man(deal with fear of witnessing) Found me following Sunday Night: standing outside theater witnssing

2) Brother’s #1 reason for not believing is because of what he sees when he turns on so-called Christian TV.

c. Undefeatable - Powerful: A witness bathed in prayer, in combination with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Power is conditional and not automatic

d. Undeniable - Aggressive: On the march, don’t have to be cornered to share the truth, Going….reaching…seeking the lost.

‘The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’

BREAKS DOWN AT ONE POINT

• No Clear Presentation - No Life Witness - No Power behind - No Action

Series of common sense arguments by Paul HOW ……

BELIEVE

PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR: How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?