United Church of God

Our Journey on Salvation

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Our Journey on Salvation

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Downloads

Our Journey on Salvation

MP3 Audio (22.33 MB)
salvation (58.82 KB)
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A short story is shared about a man named Manny who learns how to escape a land called Hopelessness to a land called Destiny. The ship that carries him across the sea is named, "Salvation". Salvation is not a destination, but a gift given for escaping certain death to enter everlasting life. When the destination is reached, salvation is fulfilled, and all your work is rewarded by receipt of your inheritance. A handout is available in "Downloads".

Sermon Notes

PRESENTER'S NOTES

A man, his name was Mannie, lived on an isolated island where there were plenty of people and resources, but no real hope for happiness, nor was proven method known for leaving the island. People were born, lived, and died on this island. The name of the island was Hopelessness. Mannie had heard of a land far across the sea where everybody was prosperous and happy, and a person could experience unlimited opportunity. And that huge continent of fabled lore was called Destiny.

Destiny’s existence was only a place found in fables, for nobody had ever returned who had determined to get there. Some tried to swim on their own strength. Some found the instructions, even complete instructions, for building a boat that, built perfectly, could withstand any treachery offered by the sea. Some put their boat to sea, knowing it was not built perfectly, or deceiving themselves into believing that it was. Meanwhile, others spent their whole lives working on their boat trying to perfect it, and they died before ever even attempting to leave shore.

But, everyone who had ever attempted to leave by their own devices, either by swimming or by boat, something would cause their boat to flounder, break up and/or sink. Those who attempted to swim away; either drowned, succumbed to sharks, or washed back on shore still alive to end their days in Hopelessness. And you could say the lucky ones died trying, because everyone who made it back to shore became despondent, or angry, or just completely disbelieved anymore that Destiny existed.

Mannie was one of those who hoped that distant land was real. For much of his early life, he was fine with where he was. He took advantage of whatever was available to him. He explored every inch of the island. But, at some point he realized something was missing and something was wrong. He had heard about that distant land, but only with experience on the island did he begin to take notice about that place called Destiny.

That hope became great enough that one day he determined that, as long as he tried really hard and gave it his all, he could build a boat sturdy enough to endure the journey. Surely, somebody, some day, would make it across the water and report back of his or her success. Surely, that somebody could even be Mannie.
As he began to build, he realized how hard a project it would be. Over time, he realized more and more how impossible the project would be. Unlike many, he began to realize he could not do this on his own. He didn’t fall for the self-consolations about good effort. He realized with deep regret his initial idea to “give it his all” would never be enough.

“There must be a way”, he thought to himself. “There has to be a way, and I can’t reach that distant shore if I must be relied upon to build the perfect boat.” So, with desperation he cried aloud, “Help me, please!” and he meant it with every ounce of his being.

Within moments he looked up to see a Man. This man looked like any man would, but He had such an air of confidence, peacefulness and happiness about Him.

“No need to despair, Mannie,” the man pronounced. I am a sea captain from a far away place, and I captain the perfect ship.”

Of course, this rather confident statement piqued Mannie’s curiosity. “Okay. Where is it, and what can I do to acquire such a boat, dear Sir? I will give everything I own for such a ship!”

“You do not have enough to acquire such a vessel as mine, and, yet, I can still give you full use of her helm. I require only one thing, and that is your all.”

This brought sadness to Mannie’s countenance. “But I have given my all to this project and cannot complete my boat! How do you expect me to successfully navigate yours?”

You have given the boat you are building your all, but it isn’t good enough. I require you give Me your all. I will supply the ship. You have to trust Me completely, obey all my navigational commands, and never give up, for the sea is full of treachery. You will be my instrument for navigating the waters. Whenever you trip up, if you get up, my boat is sufficient to carry you to Destiny, but you must never willingly shirk your duties to me, you must believe my words, and you must obey my commands as your Captain.

You see, I can provide to you the ship. But you have to climb aboard, and the vessel must still cross the sea. Put your trust in the construction of My ship and maintain your belief in Destiny, because of your trust in my craftsmanship and my instruction. I am the Captain of that ship, and always will, but you will be my heart, hands, and feet for navigation.
Mannie thought to himself for a moment. He was convinced there was no future in Hopelessness, that the Captain looked trustworthy, and that the boat looked sound.

Again, he expressed his doubt, “I don’t think I can do this alone. How will I have the knowledge and strength to navigate toward Destiny?”

The Captain spoke with assurance, “I will help you. I will share with you all my knowledge and abilities. I will provide a voice of hope and encouragement. If you will trust me and maintain belief in Destiny, you WILL make the journey. The perfection of this ship replaces the boat you could never make well enough to survive the journey.”

“Additionally, based on the skills you have, use, and develop to navigate this treacherous sea, I will reward you with a job in Destiny that fits your abilities perfectly. Stay on board! Work hard! Be diligent! Never give up, and you shall have your reward in all the happiness and prosperity that is Destiny.”

With a look on his face that could only be expressed as revelatory, the man replied boldly, “Dear Sir, I, this day, give my whole life to you! I accept the call to take the helm of this fine vessel, and I will rely completely on your strength and knowledge. I release all future good I do to your credit, for I will be on a ship I could never build or captain on my own.”

“But, please, sir, do tell me the name of your ship so that I may properly identify it in the harbor.”

“The name of my boat?” teased the Captain. With a growing smile, he proclaimed, “Her name is, Salvation.”

“I give Salvation for your success to reach Destiny. You must never grow weary of the journey. You must never give up on the prefect quality of my vessel! No matter the rocks, the storms, the reefs, the shark-infested waters, you must trust Salvation to deliver you to Destiny. Except by this vessel, you will find no other way. I will be with you every league of the way.”

Following these words, the captain handed the man his citizenship papers.

“I now make you a citizen of Destiny, with all the rights and responsibilities afforded every member of that distant land. Present them to the Shipping Authority when you arrive, and there I will set you up in your new life.”

With these final words and official citizenship in hand, Mannie promptly boarded Salvation to leave Hopelessness behind, and with a growing faith he knew that Salvation would carry him through every trial to his new homeland, that real place, called, Destiny.

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In this story we learn that Salvation is a ship. It’s perfectly built and able to weather any storm. All Mannie had to do is accept the challenge, take the helm, and obey orders.

NOTE: Top Half is Hopelessness…

{HANDOUT}

NOTE: Bottom Half is Destiny…

Let’s turn to Romans for the scripture that prompted me to write today’s short story. EXPLAIN! (Larry Sharp, 7th day, Special People)

Romans 6: 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2: 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

2075 este es-teh' second person plural present indicative of 1510; ye are:--be, have been, belong. see GREEK for 1510

But there is WORK to do, the same works you and I might have attempted without God’s Spirit under the law, having God’s Spirit in the law.

Colossians 3: 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

469 antapodosis an-tap-od'-os-is from 467; requital (properly, the act):--reward. see GREEK for 467

Requital - something given in return, compensation, or retaliation

As is my usual practice, I’ve had a tendency in the past to present to you a concept rather than a single strand of logic, so let me try to summarize the purpose of today’s message with THREE POINTS.

  1. ALL of us have already earned our wages. The payment for sin is death. It’s all over and done if there is no redemption, no matter what we desire.
  2. ALL of us must accept those wages, realizing that no amount of effort, no matter how sincere, can remove the wage already earned. When we are baptized, this action shows our surrender to that consequence. Instead, we must look to our Redeemer who can save us from death, anyway, through the free gift of unmerited pardon, called salvation. This occurs when we come up out of the water as a new begotten son or daughter and immediately receive by the laying on of hands the earnest of our inheritance (Ephesians 1; Hebrews 9:15).
  3. Salvation came to us as soon as we got on the boat, so to speak, so then we must work in the same way as we might have otherwise attempted before without real hope, but with the Spirit of God in us, doing it all in Christ’s name with full assurance.
     

LOOK BACK at the chart to review salvation!

What does this prove? For sure, it proves to us at least two lessons to understanding the association of salvation, works, and inheritance:

  1. The Bible does not teach cheap grace. For by cheap grace, Salvation would not be like a boat, but only a destination, and there would be no work necessary to reach our destiny, which is an inheritance earned. This type of grace suggests an eternity living in sin while being accounted as righteous. I would define an eternity of literal imperfection, but called perfect, as an eternally miserable prison.
  2. Your salvation is found in the death, resurrection, and life of Jesus Christ, your Captain, which means your entire journey to your inheritance is kept afloat by that salvation, which allows you to carry in you the power and nature of God to work in Christ’s name and only to God’s glory, not your own.

You and I cannot earn salvation, because we are already dead in our sins, but by the death and resurrection of our perfect Redeemer, we can earn our inheritance, which is the completed work of salvation by faith, made Spirit born members, immortal and perfect, of the family of God.

If we see salvation as only the destination, then our work will be for salvation, and we cannot earn it. We will fail. We are dead in our sins. This is where, if we don’t really understand the nature of salvation, we will confuse the purpose of our works of obedience. The Spirit of God given us is an earnest of our reward, but it is given us because Christ has saved us and made us anew, begotten in God’s family.