INTRODUCTION
• TEAM HOYT VIDEO CLIP
• SLIDE #1
• Team Hoyt consists of a father-son squad: Dick and Rick. They race. They race a lot. Sixty-four marathons. Two hundred and six triathlons. Six triathlons at Ironman distance. Two hundred and four 10K runs. Since 1975, they’ve crossed nearly a thousand finish lines. They’ve even crossed the USA. It took them forty-five days to run and pedal 3,735 miles, but they did it.
• The Hoyt’s love to race, but as you could see, only the father Dick is able to run, swim, and bike. Dick’s son Rick’s legs do not work and he is not able to speak.
• Rick was born in 1962 a victim of CP resulting from the umbilical cord being wrapped around his neck cutting off the oxygen to his brain for too long a time.
• Doctors gave no hope for Rick’s development, but his parents refused to believe it.
• They knew Rick could think even though he could not walk or talk.
• Rick graduated both High School and College!
• Rick wanted to run and at age 15 he asked his father if they could enter a 5-mile benefit race.
• Dick was not a runner, but he was a father, so he loaded his son in a three-wheeled wheelchair, and off they went. They haven’t stopped since.
• It seems obvious to all that young Rick Hoyt relies on his dad to do it all: lift him, push him, pedal him, and tow him. Other than a willing heart, he makes no contribution to the effort. Rick depends entirely on the strength of his dad.
• Do you know that is exactly what God wants you to do?
• In our next step of deciphering the Rosetta Stone of the Bible, we see that God tells us:
• John 3:16 ( ESV ) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
• Rick wanted to run, but he could not, he needed someone to run for him.
• Rick was willing but unable; he needed someone who was willing and ABLE.
• SLIDE #2
• If we want to go to heaven, we need to realize that we cannot do it alone, we need someone to carry us over the finish line. Rick has to believe in and trust his father to get him to the finish line.
• Our job is to believe. God loves, God Gave, We believe!
• We are to believe in HIM!
• The phrase “believes in him” doesn’t digest well in our day of self-sufficient spiritual food. “Believe in yourself” is the common menu selection of our day. Try harder. Work longer. Dig deeper. Self-reliance is our goal.
• This is difficult for many today because we want to show tolerance to all roads to God. Don’t all paths lead to heaven?
• Let’s begin by first understanding that you cannot save you.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. YOU CAN’T SAVE YOU.
• This goes back to trying to earn God’s love by doing things. Rick Hoyt wants to run, swim and bike, but he is and never will be able to do that, we are in the same boat when it comes to trying to get to heaven on our own, or trying to save ourselves.
• Can you imagine what would happen if Rick’s father said he was not going to participate any longer and then took Rick and dropped him off at the starting block?
• Rick would not get too far because he cannot race by himself.
• Too many of us try to save ourselves and we fail to realize we are never able to do that, NEVER!
• Rick cannot carry himself across the finish line but his father can.
• You cannot cross the finish line with by your good deeds, by being smart enough, good looking enough or slick enough.
• SLIDE #4
• Romans 4:5 ( ESV ) And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
• Paul is telling us that we cannot do it ourselves, but IF we trust the one who justifies, our faith will be counted as righteous!
• If we could justify or declare ourselves righteous, then Jesus would not have had to die on the cross.
• Rick has to trust in his father in order to be able to race, Dick does all the work, as a matter of fact, Rick causes his father MORE work.
• Our sin caused Jesus to have to go to the cross so we could be saved. Without Jesus, we never even get into the race.
• SLIDE #5
• John 1:12 ( ESV ) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
• WE are told that in order to be in God’s family we MUST receive Jesus. WE cannot buy our way, bluff our way, charm our way, nor EARN our way into God’s family.
• SLIDE #6
• John 10:28 ( ESV ) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
• Notice that Jesus says HE GIVES US eternal life! If is a gift.
• Many people live their lives trying to save themselves, this cannot be done.
• Quit trying to earn what God wants to give you!
• The life that we live for Jesus is not about EARNING His favor, it is about a love response to Him for what He has done.
• We strive to obey because we love Him and want to please Him.
• My children cannot earn my love, they have it because they are my girls.
• Don’t believe in you; you can’t save you. And don’t believe in others;
• SLIDE #7
II. THEY CAN’T SAVE YOU.
• You may have heard the statement that many in our society of tolerance will say, “All roads lead to the same place.”
• In other words, which ever religious path you decide is right will lead you to the same heaven.
• Is that statement really practical?
• Do all roads lead to Tucson, Phoenix, or London, England? What if you wanted to fly to Paris, France? You go to purchase a ticket from the airline and you ask about flights going to Paris and they tell you that you can purchase any ticket you want because all flights lead to Paris!
• Would you buy into that? So if I decide I want to take the flight to Denver, CO, that I will land in Paris France?
• All religions are not the same, as a matter of fact, they downright contradict each other.
• Islam says Jesus was not crucified. Christians say he was. Both can’t be right.
• Judaism refuses the claim of Christ as the Messiah. Christians accept it. Someone’s making a mistake.
• Buddhists look toward Nirvana, achieved after multiple reincarnations. Christians believe in one life, one death, and an eternity of enjoying God. Doesn’t one view exclude the other?
• Humanists do not acknowledge a creator of life. Jesus claims to be the source of life. One of the two speaks folly.
• In our society this is not going to be a popular statement, but it is so true, someone is right and someone is wrong!
• 1+1 does not equal 3!
• Some historians clump Christ with Moses, Muhammad, Confucius, and other spiritual leaders.
• Jesus’ own words contradict this thought. Jesus Himself does not agree with that line of thought.
• SLIDE #8
• John 14:6 ( ESV ) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
• Does that passage lend itself to opening the door to others?
• Was Jesus narrow-minded or was He stating truth?
• Would have it been better had Jesus said that He “KNEW” the way or that He knew “A” way? Maybe He should have said that He could SHOW you A way?
• If you are looking for some other “religious” person to save you they can’t!
• Jesus disciples did not soften the blow either.
• SLIDE #9
• Peter in Acts 4:12 punctuates the point that Jesus made concerning Himself by saying the following.
• Acts 4:12 ( ESV ) And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
• Who else can you believe in so that you can be saved? NO ONE ELSE.
• All these other religious leaders cannot save you, they have not power, nor the authority to save you.
• All paths do not lead to the same place.
• What if I am sincere in my belief that all paths lead to the same place?
• What if I take that flight to Denver because it is cheap, and I sincerely believe that flight will get me to Paris, France?
• Will I land in Paris? What if as we land in Denver that I go to the pilot and ask why we are not in Paris. He will say this flight does not go to Paris, it goes to Denver.
• Then I respond to him that I sincerely believe this flight will take us to Paris.
• Will I end up in Paris from this flight? NO!
• You know better. Different flights have different destinations. That’s not a thickheaded conclusion but an honest one.
• Every flight does not go to Paris. Every path does not lead to God.
• Now for the good news!
• SLIDE #10
III. JESUS CAN SAVE YOU.
• You do not have to rely on yourself; you should not rely on other to save you since they cannot.
• You can rely on Jesus!
• Do you realize that when Dick Hoyt enters a race, his CP riddled son Rick also enters. They are both counted as competing even though Dick does all the work.
• When Dick crosses the finish line, Rick also crosses with him and Rick also receives a finishers metal even though Rick was along for the ride! Both Dick and Rick share in the victory!
• SLIDE #11
• 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ( ESV ) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
• Jesus says HE is THE way, THE truth, and THE life! He is the ONLY way to be able to come to the Father!
• Jesus can save you, but for Him to do so, you do need to do something.
• SLIDE #12
• John 6:29 ( ESV ) Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
• Rick trusts his father Dick to get him to the finish line, are you ready to trust in the heavenly Father to get you over the finish line?
CONCLUSION
• Trusting in God means we will obey Him. If you want to be on the right path, the only path to God, then you need to:
• Faith, repent, confession, baptism, new life!
• Quit trying to do what you cannot possibly do. Rick does not try to run the race without his father, we need not try to save ourselves or rely on anyone but Jesus!
