God’s Great Rescue
February 8, 2015 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: Your salvation is the greatest rescue story of all time.
Focus Passage: Romans 3:21-26
Introduction: On March 23, 2003, US Army PFC Jessica Lynch was traveling in a convoy in Iraq when it was attacked by the enemy. 20 year old Lynch was wounded and taken prisoner. Unfamiliar with women prisoners, the Iraqi forces took her to a hospital in Nasiriya. There, a 32 year old lawyer only known as Mohammed took pity on her and shielded her as much as he could, although she was tortured and interrogated. He somehow got word to US forces that she was being held in the hospital and on April 1, 2003, US Army and Marine forces created a diversionary attack nearby. Meanwhile, an element from the Joint Special Operations Task Force 121 composed of U.S. Army Special Forces, Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs), Army Rangers, and Delta Force launched a nighttime raid on the hospital, and successfully retrieved Lynch and the bodies of eight other American soldiers. While it took scores of soldiers to successfully rescue Jessica Lynch, Jesus rescued us all by Himself. He said in the presence of those who would crucified Him that He could have called down 12 legions of angels to protect Him, but He freely gave of Himself that we all might live.
I. Justification – Rescued from the Penalty of Sin (Forgiven)
a. being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; (Romans 3:24 NASB)
b. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB)
c. "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36 NASB)
d. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NASB)
II. Sanctification – Rescued from the Power of Sin (Made to Be Like Jesus)
a. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)
b. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NASB)
c. But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18 NASB)
III. Glorification – Rescued from the Presence of Sin (Changed and Presented to God)
a. Glorification is the future and final work of God upon Christians, where he transforms our mortal physical bodies to the eternal physical bodies in which we will dwell forever. (Matt Slick)
b. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 NASB)
c. and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4 NASB)
Application/Invitation: Jesus gave all that you could be rescued. He has broken down the door; He is waiting for you to hold out your hand. What is preventing you from being rescued out of death to come into life? What is holding you in the dark from coming into the light? The rescue is free to you; it cost Jesus His life.
(Sermon adapted from a sermon series by Ted Cunningham, Branson, MO)
