Will Only A Few Be Saved? Series

INTRODUCTION:

Illustration/Story/Quote/Statistic- A family one day decided to go on a vacation. So they went to the ocean, to the beach to enjoy a day of swimming and relaxation. This was their first time to see an ocean of water and white sandy beaches. They set up their spot. Mother laid down on a beach towel to get a nice tan. Father took his little ones over to help them make a grand sand castle fit for a king. That left the teenager on his own to brave the waves that came crashing into the shore. Mom and Dad said, “Okay, just be careful and don’t go out too far.” The teenager agreed and everyone went back to their nice vacation.

The teenager had an amazing time out on the waves but his legs weren’t quite used to the undertow. Pretty soon there was a cry for help. The young boy was being dragged out to sea by the strong current. He waited too long and went a little too far. Now he could no longer fight it to get back to shore and was in danger of drowning. So he cried out, “Help me! Help me! I’m downing!” A lifeguard was on duty that day. And he heard the boy’s cries for help and finally caught sight of him struggling to stay above the water. He sprung into action while telling the father to stay put. No need to make the problem any bigger. And he swam out to rescue the teen.

There was a small celebration of thanks and relief when the lifeguard got the boy to shore safe and sound. The mother wrapped her towel around her son as the father scolded him. “Never do that again, son.” That was an adventure he would never forget. And he would never forget the lifeguard who pulled him to safety or the lesson learned.

Spoken Need- This is basically the illustration that I presented to the kids during VBS while explaining to them salvation. It’s not that complicated really. You are the swimmer. The tide and the undertow is the power of sin, the influence of the world, the current that can drag you under. Many of us go just a little too far. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard. All of us have gone astray, each of us to our own way. Therefore, all of us need saving. We’re all in danger of drowning in the flood. The flood being God’s judgment, the consequences of our sin, our disobedience. We need a Savior. So we cry for help.

On the first Sunday of this Sermon Series, the saving device was an Ark. God’s judgment was a literal flood that He would use to cleanse the world of sin and corruption.

To be saved one had to get onboard the Ark of Salvation, but only Noah and his family were saved from the flood. Only a few who obeyed the Lord’s commands. That Sunday I invited you to get onboard before it’s too late.

The next Sunday the saving device was the hand of Jesus. Some of you have seen that famous painting of Jesus’ hands reaching out kind of like this. Jesus saved a drowning Peter who saw the wind and the waves and lost sight of Christ walking on the water. That Sunday I actually invited you to get out of the boat and come to Jesus. The boat being the life that is getting you no-where fast.

This Sunday I want you to think about that lifeguard and that teenage boy pulled under by the current. What did he need to do in order to be saved? What was necessary in order for him to get safely to shore and not drown?

And we are going to ask this main question today too: Will only a few be saved?

BODY:

Please Turn in your Bibles to... Luke chapter 13

Context and Background- Now you might remember from the story of Noah that God shut the door on the ark, right? Well, in this story another door will be shut. And also in the story of Noah, only a few were saved from God’s judgment. Well, in this story, Jesus is asked that very question. Let’s look at this together.

Luke 13:22-30 New International Version (NIV) says…

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’