The necessity of salvation

I'd like to follow, let's go back to the book of the Acts, chapter 4. Luke is the writer, but he's going to be quoting what Peter was listening to and giving. So, noticing at verse 10 of Acts chapter 4, Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before thee whole. The man had been healed, it was a miraculous miracle, of course.

This is the stone which was set at Nath of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Now, another reading turned forward, get things focused here with these glasses. Romans chapter 1, the apostle Paul is the writer. Look with me at verse 16.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek, or that means the Gentile, the person part from the Jewish race. Now a final reading, come forward again to the book of Hebrews. And we'll notice a verse in chapter 2. Here the writing is raising a question.

Verse 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? Now may the Lord bless his word with what has been set before us. I would like to think a little again of being reminded already in the meeting, the need or the necessity of being saved. Eternal destinies are in the focus.

The chart that is behind me in the wall, the upper part would remind us of heaven and its glory. The lower part of the darkness of despair, of eternal loss and tragedy, in hell and eventually the lake of fire. God never intended that man would be there.

His marvelous love revealed in the person of his son. That it might be well, not only in the days of, from the very beginning of time with man, to this present night. He's interested in your well-being in the light of eternity.

Not only a salvation that prepares you to leave the world and the assurance of heaven. But a salvation that will bring peace and enjoyment now. With an assurance with the highest authority in the universe.

God's word himself. Bringing to the understanding of the wondrous provision that is provided in the person of his son. So as Peter speaks that day in Acts chapter 4. He's speaking to God's earthly people there of course there.

The Jewish race. But he's reminding them that God has but one way of salvation. It's not in people, not in place that we've been reminded of already.

It's in a person. We had no choice of being born a sinner. We inherited that from our parents and they from their parents.

It goes all the way back as Romans relates. To the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. When Eve handed Adam that fruit.

He partook of it and their eyes were opened. And you read very shortly. When the Lord God came down in the cool of the day and walked through the garden.

He was calling out. Adam where art thou? Adam was trying to hide himself behind the trees in the garden. But the eye of God was upon him.

And beneath this roof here above the ceiling. Looking down on this gathering. The eye of God is upon you.

There's not too many here I can really call by the first name. You get older you get forgetful. But listen God knows you.

He's interested in you. He's concerned as to your enjoyment and assurance in life. Friend you leave the world.

Never having experienced spiritual birth or God's salvation. And being brought into fellowship and relationship with God to be a child of God. It will be a tragedy for you for unending ages forever and forever.

We are grateful tonight. That we can proclaim to you. These wonderful words of truth.

As Peter spoke that day. He brought himself into the picture. Because he is in need of salvation.

You can go to John chapter 1. And his brother Andrew listened to John the Baptist preaching. As he pointed out. Behold the Lamb of God which beareth away the sin of the world.

And Andrew responded. Right away he's burdened about his own natural brother. Findeth Peter.

And he brings him to listen to the word of Christ personally. Wonderful friend that there's one that's interested in your soul. I know as a believer.

We have loved ones. We have people around us. And we are concerned.

Because friend it's so easy to be deceived by the God of this world. The devil who has no interest in your well-being. He determined to take you the way of the natural man.

Moving to life. Sad friend to miss God's salvation. And like the man recorded in Luke 16.

He opened his eyes in hell. Never having thought probably very little in attention in his lifetime. Don't make the mistake.

Here's God appealing to you. And Peter as we think of those words. I repeat it again.

We must be saved. I was thinking a little earlier today. Pardon me for reminiscing.

Way back to the first funeral that I recall attending in my life. I was probably 10 or 11 years of age. It was a lady who died suddenly of apparent heart attack.

And my parents, I went along with them. I didn't know her personally. I began to get acquainted with her children later on.

After her departure through Sunday school. Over there up in the water in Iowa in those years. But you know that made an impression upon me.

Lying there in the casket, her body. But I began to realize she had departed from this life. It was just the earthly house.

We are spirit, soul and body. Our natural body is the house we're living in. Presently.

But God is concerned and interested with love. He never pushes or forces. But he may speak loudly as we've been reminded.

To get our attention. A world filled with activity. Even the traffic this morning that was going north as I came south to Ankeny.

I know at least on this end where probably a lot of them were going. The pleasures of life, friend, and all that cares. Listen.

We're praying tonight that you'll make salvation your priority. Because, friend, it's a vital issue. It's not only deliverance from eternal ruin.

But it's knowing and being brought into acceptance. With God in his beloved son. Our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Peter spoke that day, I repeat the words. There's none other name under heaven given amongst men. Whereby we must be saved.

Are you familiar with John chapter 3? Here the Lord speaks to an older man. A ruler of the Jews. He acknowledged the Lord and did miracles.

And certainly he did in his public ministry. But it seems like he was amazed and perhaps astounded when the Savior said. Ye must be born again.

He didn't even know what he was talking about it seems. He knew a man couldn't enter into his mother's womb and be born in the natural way again. The Lord was speaking about a spiritual birth.

A birth to bring you into the family of God as he's brought a number of us into. We all have an earthly relationship. But, friend, it's most blessed and most wonderful to be brought into the family of God.

And to know peace with God. And to be assured that when you breathe your last. And even when we consider what we term the rapture.

The coming of Christ to the air to snatch away the remains that are those who have departed. They're absent from the body. They're with the Lord.

We'll receive at that moment as the rapture takes up every living believer on the face of the earth. We'll be gone at that moment. Wonderful what's going to happen.

For every child of God it's most blessed to anticipate it. But, friend, we're thinking of a God that loves you. Of a God that wants to draw you to himself through his son.

And to make known to you as Paul related there in Romans chapter 1. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is a power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it. How personal.

But, friend, how important. And we are assured tonight that the God who loves you. His wonderful kindness sent his own beloved son into this world.

He made that pathway that ended in his earthly time at the place called Calvary. And the message of the gospel, friend, while you and I have a need by nature with our guilt. We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

A man was preaching 69 years ago in Waterloo, Iowa when I was saved. I remember him using an illustration one night. He says, you can point the finger at others and you've got three fingers pointing back at yourself.

We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Listen, God wants to bring you by faith to Calvary. He wants you to understand that on that cross, he who is pure and holy and sinless and undefiled.

He did no sin and he knew no sin. And he could not sin. But in love God gave his son.

He did not spare him. And the Savior submitted him to the hands of cruel men who had falsely condemned him. They led him out with a bleeding back after that scourging, took off his brow.

And there they nailed him to that cross, threw his hands and feet and lifted him up upon the cross. Fellow traveler to eternity tonight, in those six hours, he bore the judgment of God for a ruined race. What a provision for the human race.

All the centuries that have went before and come since Calvary. The provision is the same. And the opportunity is your privilege to come to know Christ.

What a message. But the response, friend, and we say this kindly. You're the one that's going to have to make the move to come.

The Lord spoke in those words. John records it in the gospel. Him, that is he or she that cometh unto me, I'll in no wise cast out.

And so we're grateful tonight for the gospel and its power. The deliverance from not only guilt and shame and sorrow. But friend, the blessing of bringing souls into that understanding and true enjoyment and peace and assurance.

That it is well with my soul. That I'm ready to leave this earthly scene, whatever the moment will come. You see the warning there in Hebrews chapter 2 is this.

As the writer raises a question. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Ponder the issue that he's speaking about. So great salvation.

It is great. The greatness of God's love. The greatness of the one whom he sent into the world to save.

Sinless, holy, pure, spotless. But to think of those hours that he hung upon the cross. For the first three hours men sat down.

There were two malefactors on either side. They were dying for the crimes they'd committed against their fellow men. Barabbas was allowed to go free.

And they placed upon the cross, the center cross the Lord Jesus. There he's hanging. They sat down and they watched him.

The three hours. And suddenly there was darkness. I'm assuming that in that darkness they didn't move very far away.

My first wife and the children one time we were down in a, I think it was Kentucky. Went on a tour. I've told this maybe some of you have heard it.

Took a little tour of the mine. And the fellow that was leading the group, maybe 20 people or so, he said, I don't want anybody to be alarmed now. We're going to shut off the lights.

It was dark. Even holding my hands out there 16, 18 inches you couldn't see nothing. Friend, if you miss heaven.

If you leave the world never saved. If you miss God's salvation. And it's very easy to neglect.

What a tragedy. And there's no escape. That's the answer to the question.

How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? It's great when you think of the very fact of the price it was paid. The life of Christ. The suffering that he bore.

The shame that they spat upon him. Ridicule him. Spoke in mockery.

Hated without a cause. And yet if you're a familiar tonight friend of those seven cries of the Savior. Spoke from the cross.

The first one was this. Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.

Those men were seeking to do away with Christ. You remember one of the malefactors said to his partner in crime. Partner in crimes no doubt.

This man has done nothing amiss speaking of Christ. We're getting the due reward of our deeds. But in the mercy of God.

One of those men, those thieves. He changed his mind. You know it's wonderful.

And I say it's a blessing. Whenever you're made, anyone is made to think of the matter of the hereafter. That's priority number one.

In regard to your bliss and joy in mind. To come to know the one who paid the price. Of suffering the shame of the cross.

You know there's where the love of God has been so marvelously displayed. God is no respecter of persons. I've told some lately.

Maybe up here where you heard me. I was sitting in the clinic where. For a routine call at the doctor.

There in Cedar Falls. And the nurse comes down the hallway. And she stood there.

I want Robert. Three older men stood up. I say older.

Suddenly she says I want Robert or. The other two had to sit down. I didn't tell the nurse that.

But I thought about it afterward. I felt I should have mentioned something. Wonderful the word whosoever.

If there's other Roberts here. It's just as good an offer as it was for me. No matter friend what your name is.

Who you are male or female boy or girl. God desires your salvation. The pity of this.

Scene of filled with pleasure and everything else. So easy. To neglect.

Put it off. I was the same. I was 17 years of age when I was saved.

I had thought for many years as a boy younger. Some of these years. Someday.

Someplace. Sometime. I want this settled.

But that summer of 1950. In the middle of August. I became concerned.

Folks didn't have to do much coaching. To get my brother and I to meeting. We were ready to go to listen.

We had to go anyway. We knew that. It was their desire of course.

But I went to listen. And I remember the Sunday night of August the 27th of that year. The speaker spoke.

Sorry from Isaiah chapter 53. Verse 5 was his text. He was wounded.

Speaking of Christ. The prophet wrote it long ago. He was wounded.

For our transgressions. Bruised for our iniquities. These are all words relative to sin.

You see a sign on a lawn. Don't transgress. They don't want you walking across that property.

Iniquity is coming falling short. We've all sinned. And the text reads on.

He was wounded for our transgressions. Bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement or the punishment.

That we might have peace. Was upon him. And when he strikes.

We are healed. And I say this tonight. I remember walking out of that gospel hall there.

Western Avenue in Waterloo, Iowa. He did it for others. But you know.

I had to get more personal than that. And it did happen. I was there Wednesday evening.

The 28th. And I thought I'm going to go visit the saints. In their midweek meeting.

Of August. And after the meeting was over. I said well years ago.

It was 745. That was the tradition in Iowa. In those years.

Every evening meeting. Whether it was midweek meeting or Sunday night. So.

This was about 9 o'clock. I said brothers and sisters. In that little room there.

To the left. I had asked a man. How do you know when you believe? The man had spoken the night before.

The sufferings of Christ. He hadn't answered me. In a direct way.

He opened the scriptures. As I recall. Not one of them had the word believing in.

Isaiah 53 and 5. The suffering of Christ. He turned his Bible over. He read 1 Peter 3 and 18.

For Christ hath once suffered for sin. The just for the unjust. That he might bring us to God.

Being put to death in the flesh. Quickened by the Spirit. Pardon personal reference.

But I remember thinking. One verse in the Old Testament. One in the New.

And it tells me the same story. The finished work. Friend, do you know him? As we've heard already.

Do you know him tonight? Salvation is knowing Christ. Receiving Christ. And for my blessing.

Apparently. It was William Patterson. Mr. Alec Dryborough.

I learned just about three years ago. Was saved in meetings in Scotland. So he's preaching in 1949.

They called him Bobby over there. Bobby Patterson. Billy Patterson, sorry.

Doesn't matter, friend. Christ the substitute. Christ the sin bearer.

The Christ who suffered. The Christ that finished the work. What can you do to save yourself? We're reminded.

The jailer realized nothing. But bless God. He's in love.

He's punished his son. To become and is your substitute if you receive him. And those words were quoted.

To as many as receive him. To them give you the right or the authority to become the children of God. Oh.

It's all been done. What a revelation. I didn't see the lights flicker or anything.

But I knew that he had borne my sin because God declared it. His authority. About a week later I spent a day in the fog.

I was wondering, did I believe right? I call it that. I went back. What happened that last Monday night? I took him at his word.

What gave me peace thinking about it afterward? Peter makes that statement. The word of the Lord endureth forever. What I received on the basis of the authority of this book.

The Bible. God's word. Using men to write it.

But inspired by the spirit of God. His truth remains. What a blessing to have peace with God.

And to enjoy it. And to anticipate whenever life ends or the Lord may come and lift from the earth his own. What a change.

What a blessing. How wonderful to be ready. To be absent.

To be present. To see him face to face. It will be a marvelous moment, friend, but it's not just going to be for a moment.

Ages upon ages upon ages. To be in the glory. Don't miss God's salvation.

Don't neglect it. How long do you and I have? We don't know. Behold now is the day of salvation.

Behold now is the accepted time. Might you trust the Savior and you will appreciate with a love that has been so marvelously displayed on your behalf and mine. To draw you to the Savior and to have God's salvation.

To be saved and to know it. I wasn't looking. I don't know if I was even wearing a watch that night.

But I think of that moment. The burden was gone. He took my sins and bore them before they were committed.

He paid for them. And the promise is sure. He that hath the Son hath life.

The Lord bless his word. We'll sing a song and then we're dismissed. Shall we pray?