Salvation Essentials Series

Salvation Essentials

Acts 10:34-48

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - March 2, 2014

*The Apostle Peter preached this message almost 2,000 years ago, but it is just as fresh today as the first day it was heard. This is the message that the world needs to hear today. This is the message that every person in the world needs to receive today.

*This message is the only hope for the world. It is the only hope for us. And in this Scripture, God gives us four salvation essentials.

1. When it comes to our salvation, the first essential is healing.

*People need healing. We all need all kinds of healing, and Jesus is the ultimate healer. We see this truth in vs. 36-38, where Peter said:

36. "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ He is Lord of all

37. that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

38. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."

*What kind of healing was Peter talking about here? Well this Greek word for healing was used 28 times in the New Testament, and it was used for all kinds of healing.

[1] Certainly that includes physical healing.

*For example, Matthew 8:5-13 tells the story of a Roman centurion who came to Jesus, pleading with Him. There the Word of God says:

5. Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,

6. saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.''

7. And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him.''

8. The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

9. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.''

10. When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

11. And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

12. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.''

13. Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.'' And his servant was healed that same hour.

*The word "healed" found twice in this passage is the same word that Peter used in his sermon about Jesus. The Lord physically healed that servant in a miraculous way. And ultimately, all physical healing comes from God.

*Most of the time He uses the natural healing process He has given to us. God also uses the dedicated health care professionals and medicines He has blessed us to have. But many times, we have also seen God answer prayer, and go beyond what the doctors can do. That's why James 5:16 tells us, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

[2] Jesus is our physical healer. -- But He is also our emotional healer.

*We know this is true because in Luke 4:18-19, Jesus said:

18. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19. to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.''

*Jesus said: "He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted." Again, it’s the same word for healing Peter used here in Acts 10:38, and nobody can heal a broken heart like Jesus.

[3] He is our emotional healer. -- But most of all, Jesus is our spiritual healer.

*And this spiritual healing is by far the most important kind of healing. Physical healing in this world is temporary. Emotional healing may also be temporary. Yes Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted, but those hearts can be broken again. But the spiritual healing Jesus can give will last forever and ever!

*We see an example of this spiritual healing in Matthew 13:14-15. Sadly, in this case the Lord was talking about people did not get healed. They missed God's spiritual healing, because they refused to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. And Jesus said: