Sunday Outline 3/20: I Am Saved. or Am I Saved?
Life Thought:
Acts 24:16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
- Striving to live life free of offense.
- Offense: To be offended is to have/put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, to be entrapped.
- Striving means to train and exercise oneself
- Living without offense does not happen because opportunities for offense are not presented to you but rather because you are prepared to deal with them.
- Genuine and valuable relationship is discovered on the other side of offense.
- Long term relationships are ones that have walked through much hurt and offense to the other side.
- It is a myth to think a good relationship is one that does not have to deal with offense.
- It is not that you cannot have relationship without offense…. It’s just that most relationship at some point will have opportunities for offense.
- If we walk away at the moment offense grabs a hold of you then you are robbing yourself of the opportunity to experience what genuine relationship is.
- If you think you can exchange a relationship for another in which offense would not be included you are fooling yourself.
- Trying to exchange an offended relationship with one that you will not have offenses in is a futile endeavor because where ever you go you will have the same opportunities.
- Ways to respond to offense:
- Give it time to heal before reacting.
- Bring it to the Lord in prayer and devotions.
- Acknowledge the offense to the person who offended you.
- Engage the person and talk about it.
- Bring it into the light. Don’t pretend it is not there.
- Ela… Like morning fog dissipating as the morning sun rises so will your offense in time when it is brought into he light.
- Keep yourself small in your own eyes and do not seat yourself at the prominent position in your mind.
- Do not look for opportunities to stay offended.
- Know that people are not putting as much energy as you feel to offend you.
Main Message: I AM SAVED or AM I SAVED?
- Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts 2:21 (NKJV) 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved
Matthew 20:30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
- Jesus became man so that all who believe can be saved.
Hebrews 2:14-18 (NKJV) 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
- Salvation does not come by the great deeds Jesus accomplished in His life.
Genesis 3:23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.
- Salvation is found only in the Name of Jesus.
Acts 4:12 (NKJV) Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 2:38 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- There is nothing you can do to earn salvation but many things you want to do after salvation comes into your life.
John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
- To be saved means when life here on earth ends; life in the Presence of the Lord begins.
2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
- What does it look like and sound to be saved?
Matthew 5:12 (AMP) 12 Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you.
John 17:11-19 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
Psalms 107:1-9 (NKJV) 1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses. 7 And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. 8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
Answering the question for some of us “Am I Saved”.
Acts 2:12 (KJV) And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What does this mean?
Acts 16:30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Salvation Call – Make a decision today.