Introduction
In the days of the New Testament people believed wealth symbolized
God's blessings. They felt a rich person was on their way to heaven. Jesus
clarified this and some asked "Then who can be saved?
Today many still have the wrong Idea about who needs salvation and who can be saved. What about you? Do you grant want to grant salvation to someone because the are good people or they have had good deeds?
Do you believe that real good friend or neighbor is going to heaven just because they are good? Who Needs to be saved and who can be saved?
1. Bad People Need Salvation and Can be Saved
2. Ordinary People Need Salvation and Can be Saved.
3. Good People Need Salvation and Can be Saved.
Luke 22:37 "For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me,' And He was numbered with transgressors'; for that which refers to Me has {its} fulfilment." (NAS)
Mark 15:27 And they crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. (NAS)
B. This Man was A . . Confessed Criminal. v 41
41 "And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for
our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
C. This Man was A . . Compensated Criminal. v 42-43
42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"
43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me
in Paradise."
Illustration
At a recent conference I heard a pastor tell about going to witness
to the husband of a church member. This man had a bad reputation. He really
did not appreciate his wife's church going. The pastor was impressed to
go by this man's house.
This pastor stands about 5:8 and weights about 140 lbs. When he knocked on the door the husband answered and he stood about 6' 4" and weight about 300 lbs.
This pastor said I felt like turning and running away; but I said "hello I am your wife's pastor and I would like to talk to you." In his great big voice he said "come on in" The pastor said "I was still nervous and just blurted out ": Have you reached a place in your life that you are certain you will go to heaven when you die?"
This big burley guy said "preacher I reckon I've been so bad I will go straight to hell" This floored the preacher and he began to share the gospel and this man drank in all he was sharing. When he finished the presentation he asked "does this make sense." The man said "it sure does". So they got down on their knees to pray the sinners prayer and the door bell rang.
The preacher said "are you expecting someone." The man said "no and they could be as important as the person I am about to meet." He prayed to receive Christ,
Application
Bad people need salvation and can be saved.
B. This man was an Ordinary Man with a . . Dedication.
v 27 - 29
27 And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the
prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing
that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried
out with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!"
29 And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he
fell down before Paul and Silas,
C. This man was an Ordinary Man with a . . Desire.
v 28-31
30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to
be saved?" 31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall
be saved, you and your household." (NAS)
Illustration
In one of my pastoral experiences a man by the name of Emery Harris
attended regularly. He was not a Christian but his wife was and he came
with her. I witnessed to him and he tried to avoid me. I would knock on
the front door and he would run out the back door. After I figured this
out I would knock on the front door and then run around to the back door
and give him a big hand shake and say How you doing Emery.
Well I did not hound him but I made sure he knew I thought caring about someone was a lot more than just talk.
Emery had to go back to Texas for a workers compensation hearing. He planned to save money by hitch hiking. Some men stopped, beat him up and took the money he had and just left him bleeding along the side of the road.
He picked himself up and began to hobble toward the closest town. As he walked along he looked up to the clear summer sky and began to cry. He called out to God and said "I don't see how you could want me but I sure need you and I want to take you as Lord of my life." Ole Emery was just an ordinary man in need of salvation and he got saved.
Application
Are you an ordinary person? Most of us are ordinary people.
Ordinary people need salvation and they can be saved.
B. This Good Woman Was A . . Pietist Women. v 14
a
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller
of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God,
C. This Good Woman Was A . . Pliable Women. v 14
b
". . . was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond
to the things spoken by Paul.
D. This Good Woman Was A . . Persuasive Women.
v 15
15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us,
saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my
house and stay." And she prevailed upon us. (NAS)
Illustration
Let me further illustrate the truth of good people needing salvation
and being saved with the story of Cornelius in Acts 10:1-5.
1 Now {there was} a certain man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the {Jewish} people, and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had {just} come in to him, and said to him, "Cornelius!" 4 And fixing his gaze upon him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
5 "And now dispatch {some} men to Joppa, and send for a man {named} Simon, who is also called Peter; (NAS)
You will remember he sent for Simon Peter and Simon came and declared the Gospel. In:
Acts 12:14
12 "And the Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. And these six brethren also went with me, and we entered the man's house. 13 "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa, and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14 and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your (NAS)
Illustration
At the Evangelism Conference this week Avery Willis a Vice President
of the International Mission Board share events from his recent mission
trip to Africa. One event was very unusual as they went to share with a
in a tribal village. They people were very hungry to hear the gospel story.
After they shared the people said come see our church building.
Avery and the missionaries said "how do you have a church building?" The people said "our chief said someone was going to come and share but then no one came. The chief said maybe we need to build a church building to get some one to come share.
So they built a building.
Application
Suppose it took a leap of good works to obtain salvation. Bad people
would try to make the leap and fail. Ordinary people would try to make
the leap and fail. Good people would try to make the leap and fail. WHY?
Because
Rom 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (N
Admitting he has struggled with witnessing in the past, Patterson related a simple prayer that helped him overcome his reticence to sharing the gospel.
"I prayed, 'Lord, give me the opportunity to share my faith today,
the ability to recognize it when it occurs and the courage to go through
with it when I recognize it,'" he said, adding that he still prays that
prayer daily.
Patterson ended his message by asking the audience to commit to praying that prayer for the next 30 days. We need to make this kind of a commitment because:
I challenge you right now to say that prayer because
1. Bad People Need Salvation and Can be Saved
2. Ordinary People Need Salvation and Can be Saved.
3. Good People Need Salvation and Can be Saved.
