Who Needs a Savior

[00:00:00] Welcome each of you this morning and your greetings in Jesus name. We're glad you're here. We trust that our time together will be worthwhile. It's hard to believe that it's only three weeks till Christmas. It just seemed like it was yesterday when it was Y2K and just about a few minutes ago it was 2009 and now we're almost at 2010. Things are flying by. [00:00:33] I have entitled my message this morning, Who Needs a Savior? The message of a Savior is a message that goes throughout the scriptures. It's repeated over and over and over again. And as we think about this question, we need to ask ourselves, do I need a Savior? Really? [00:01:05] You know, the Chinese need a Savior. We know that. The Nepalese, they need a Savior. The Nigerians, they need a Savior. We know that most of America needs a Savior. What about Mennonites? Do they need a Savior? Who needs a Savior? I think it's important for us to think about this, and the Scriptures speak about this often. Let's ask ourselves some questions. What's the purpose of a Savior? What does a Savior do? [00:01:39] There were a lot of people in Jesus' day that were looking for a Savior. They were looking for a Savior from the Romans. They wanted to be free from that political and physical bondage that they were under. So the purpose of a Savior to them was to release them from the political power of the Romans. To a lot of people in our world today, a Savior is one who would be able to bring all the people together around common causes and save our planet. [00:02:25] To save our world. To save the human race. There's really a broad picture of this, what is the purpose of a Savior. What might a Savior be expected to do? Is He someone that is so much superior to everyone else that He has the wisdom or He has the strength or He has a combination of those things so that He's able to bring about something supernatural? [00:02:59] Where's a Savior come from? Is it someone that has been educated in the proper places, has come out of a certain country, and now has risen up to be someone special? Well, who decides if a Savior is due anyway? Who decided that Jesus was due? Was it a group of the rabbis that got together and they said, [00:03:35] Whoa, you know what? It's about time we have a Savior. We've got to get on the stick. We've got to make this thing happen. We've got to bring it about. Is that what happened? Is that what happens in our world when we think of Saviors? Now, what if the Savior fails the mission? Then what? It happened often. There were many men in the time of Jesus Christ [00:04:10] that their mothers were sure that they were the Savior of Israel. And they would rise up, they'd get a group around them, and they would go forth and fall flat on their face, get killed, get put in jail. And the savior that they thought they had failed. He wasn't a savior after all. We might ask ourselves another question along with that. [00:04:45] What determines if a savior is successful? And I think that's a question we can ask. Now what I want to do this morning, I want us to look at a number of scriptures, a lot of scriptures. And we're not going to take the time to read all of the scriptures that I have here. I've got about six pages, six or seven pages, and it's all scripture, except for a few notes. But I want us to think about these scriptures and I want us to see some things that are really important about this whole thing of who needs a savior. [00:05:20] This is not from my perspective. It's not from the perspective of the rabbis. It's not from the perspective of all of any or all of humanity. It's from God's perspective. And so I want us to think about this. First of all, whoop, back up here. Got one skipped there for some reason. First of all, I want us to, well, the first one is a promise given and kept. [00:05:52] In Genesis 3.15, where Adam and Eve had fallen into sin, there was something happened. Man and God became separated. Up until this time, God had come and walked with Adam every day in the garden. They had communicated and fellowshiped together. God had talked with Adam and Adam had talked with God and they had a blessed time together. [00:06:23] But then Satan came along and tempted Eve and Eve was deceived and Adam participated willingly. And so God comes along and he says there's a curse because of that. There's death, there's so on. And in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 he says, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman. He's talking to the serpent. I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. Who is thy seed and her seed? [00:06:58] It shall bruise thy head, her seed shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel, her seed. You see the back and forth that's going on here, but it's following two columns. It's following Satan, or the serpent, and his seed, and it's following the woman and her seed. And the woman in her seed points to the Savior, Jesus Christ [00:07:33] Galatians chapter 4 verses 4 and 5 refer to this But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons And in Acts chapter 13, it says when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, [00:08:13] I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, who shall fulfill all my will. Of this man's seed shall God, according to his promise, raise up unto Israel a Savior. So the woman's seed comes down through the line of David to Jesus Christ. God provided a Savior. Now secondly, we ask this question, a Savior for the enemy? Wait a minute. Why would there be a Savior for the enemy? [00:08:49] When we think about this, it's important. This is interesting. Isaiah talks about a lot of things about the Savior. Let's go down there into verse 23. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt, my people, and Assyria, the work of my hands, and Israel, my inheritance. [00:09:29] Interesting verses. God says, look, this Savior is going to be for your enemies. Egypt and Assyria, Assyria was one of Israel's worst enemies God used them over and over and over again to punish the nation of Israel And here he is saying, look, I have a plan Where Israel and Egypt and Assyria are going to all be together [00:10:03] By the work of the Savior It's interesting to me how God brings this out And like I said, Isaiah is one of the most messianic of all the prophets He understands, he sees things so clearly or portrays them so clearly I shouldn't say he sees them, he didn't see them as clearly as he portrayed them Peter tells us that But God is bringing a Savior for the enemies [00:10:35] Do you think God has a savior for the Iraqis? For the Iranians? Do you think that savior, if followed, will cause the same effect between us as peoples as he would the Israelis and the Egyptians and the Assyrians in his plans? I think it's important for us to think about [00:11:07] Now, God reveals his supremacy as a savior Here's Isaiah 43, read this chapter, I'm not going to take time to read it this morning I want to refer you to these statements that I picked out here God says down in verse 9, let all the nations be gathered together, let the people be assembled Who among them can declare this and show us the former things? He's asking a question, let them bring forth their witnesses God's saying, look, I want all the people of the earth that are claiming any kind of spiritual claim [00:11:50] I want them to bring their witnesses and make it known We're going to have this discussion, we're going to have this trial You're going to be on trial, you bring your witnesses And he says, I'm going to bring my witnesses You are my witnesses. He's talking particularly to the nation of Israel but it forwards to us as well. You're my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen that ye may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord and beside me there is no Savior. [00:12:30] God's saying look, you are my witnesses Let all the earth bring their witnesses Let the Buddhists bring their witnesses Let the Hindus bring their witnesses Let the Muslims bring their witnesses Bring your witnesses before me, you're my witnesses My people, my children are my witnesses Of the fact that I am the Lord God And beside me there is no Savior And then in verse 12 he says, I have declared and have saved, I have showed there was no strange God among you when there was no strange God among you. [00:13:09] Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. God's telling Israel, look, back before you knew the Savior and back before you took hold of strange gods, back then was when I chose you. When you were nothing, I chose you, and I am your Savior. Now you be my witnesses. Then there's the last verse that I want to refer to, and I want us to think of it. This is important, because it relates to this whole matter of a Savior. [00:13:42] Verse 25, I, even I. This is God speaking. This is not us. This is not some theological council getting together. This is what God has to say about it. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake. Don't ever let it come into your mind that God is redeeming you because of who you are. [00:14:21] It's because of who He is That's the message of the Savior There is none of us that can stand before God and make any claim to anything I have blotted out your transgressions for my own sake, God says And we've got to remember that, we've got to keep that in mind Isaiah 43, read that chapter God declares that he alone can save. This is Isaiah chapter 45 and he's pleading for response. [00:14:59] He mentioned that in Isaiah 53 or 43 already. There is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior. There is none beside me. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. There is no other Savior. There's no other possibility for us. And so God is expecting that we respond to that. Jesus is God's appointed Savior. [00:15:35] Let's just turn to this over in Isaiah chapter 61. I want to read these verses. They're important. I've noted some things that are relating to Jesus here, but I want us to read these verses. Isaiah 61, 1-3. This is what Jesus, when he was given the scroll in the temple, as he stood up and was asked to read, this is what he read. And Luke chapter 4, verse 18 and 19 refer to this. [00:16:09] The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, And to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. [00:16:52] You notice this coming through over and over again. God is the Savior. It's His plan to provide a Savior. He gives His Son as a Savior so that He can be glorified. He blots out our transgressions for His namesake so that He is glorified. It's not about us. It's about Him. [00:17:24] And then over in Luke chapter 4 verse 18 where Jesus reads this scripture. He says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And you might notice that the last part of the scripture there in Isaiah He doesn't read. It wasn't time yet for that to happen. [00:17:54] But I want us to notice, Jesus is God's appointed Savior, and there's something important here. The Spirit of God is upon me. This morning in our Sunday school class, we talked a little bit about John the Baptist. Why the people flocked to hear John the Baptist? And for us, we automatically look at his camel's hair. and girdle and those kind of things. And we say, you know, there's something about this man that causes people to be curious. [00:18:28] But you know what really drew the people to John the Baptist? The Spirit of God was upon him. He was anointed with the Spirit of God from his mother's womb. That's why the people came. That's what God was doing. John was appointed to prepare the way for the Savior, but Jesus is God's appointed Savior. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, the Lord hath anointed me, has given me a special touch, and he sent me. [00:19:02] That's the message that Jesus gives as he comes to earth. Jesus is God's appointed Savior. Now, Mary comes to this, oop, got something not working right back there. Mary comes to the Savior. Luke chapter 1 verse 46. Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Did Mary need a Savior? She was chosen by God to bear the Savior. [00:19:39] To be the mother of the Savior. Did she need a Savior? She knew she did. You know what? What is one of the basic things that we have to know in our heart before we come to a Savior? We have to have a need, don't we? We have to have a need. Another one is humility, humbling ourselves, and that goes along with recognizing the need. [00:20:11] Before any of us will come to the Savior, we have to recognize the need that we have. Is it any wonder that God chose Mary? She recognized her need of a Savior. My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Oh, there's the first one. It got down in there where it didn't belong. Okay, now, the shepherds also received the news of the Savior. [00:20:44] In Luke chapter 2, the angel came unto them and said, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day a Savior. Why didn't he tell the angels that a king was born? I mean the shepherds, why didn't the angels tell the shepherds that a king was born? Why didn't the angels tell the shepherds that God has come to earth? [00:21:17] Why did they tell them that there was a savior born? And it's interesting to me, I was thinking about this and this is kind of what prompted this whole thing of the savior As I was thinking about, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin. And I got to thinking, he came to Mary and told Mary what was going to happen and she said, I rejoice in God my Savior. [00:21:50] Comes to the shepherds and says, here's a Savior. This is for the whole world. This message is to go out to all people, every tribe and kindred and tongue and nation, all of the people groups of our world. The Savior is for all. It's interesting to me, I had never really thought about this so much, but the Samaritans were some of the first to receive the Savior. [00:22:24] This is there in John 4 where Jesus came to the woman at the well and he was speaking with her about her relationships that she was involved in and so on, dealing with her. And you remember she went to the city and she brought back a lot of other people. And there in verse 42, and it says, these people said to the woman, now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him in ourselves, and this is indeed Christ, the Savior of the world. [00:23:02] Isn't that interesting? Here's these Samaritans that were cast out. Unacceptable. Half-breeds. Scum. They listen to Jesus and they recognize him as the Savior. The rabbis listen. They said he's a deceiver. Why do you think the difference was? Part of it's based on need. [00:23:34] The rabbis didn't need a Savior. Remember, Jesus told them, those that are whole don't need a physician. Those that are sick, those that have a need for healing, go to the doctor. And so the Samaritans received the Savior. The Jews rejected the Savior. This is Acts chapter 5, reviewing again what all God had done. He's talking about Jesus, the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. [00:24:11] Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things, and so also is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them. What? Did you ever think about the irony of those words? He just got done telling them, [00:24:43] here is the opportunity for repentance and forgiveness of sins. Here's a Savior from God for the nation of Israel. And they're getting their heads together figuring out how they can kill Jesus and kill those that later on bring the same message? It's amazing. It's just simply amazing. The Jews rejected the Savior. Mary received the Savior. [00:25:14] The shepherds received the Savior. The Samaritans received the Savior. The Jews rejected the Savior. The ones, the very ones from whom He came. The very ones to whom he came rejected him What a sad picture Now I want us to think about plans were made for this Savior before the world began Let's turn to a couple scriptures again 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 7 through 10 [00:25:45] One of the things that Paul talks about and a lot of people get this confused A lot of people think about the mystery of the gospel and say, well, you know, the Bible tells us that things are mysterious and they're difficult to understand. But I want us to notice something. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 7, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory. [00:26:20] What's he talking about there? The hidden wisdom before the world to our glory? He's talking about the Savior. That's what he's talking about. Which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. See, he clarifies it there. The mystery that he's talking about. Because if those men that were involved in crucifying Jesus and the demon powers behind it, had they known that, they wouldn't have done it. [00:26:54] But it was hidden from them. It was a mystery, not understood by them. Now, 2 Timothy chapter 1, verses 9 and 10. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. And is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. [00:27:37] But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the thing which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. And then Titus 1, 1 and 2, Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. [00:28:14] Now what Paul is saying there in Corinthians is, if you go on and you read there and you understand, he's saying, look, God kept this a mystery. Down through history it remained a mystery. God was planning it before the world began That's an amazing thing in itself If you today were a young man Levi, I'll pick on you [00:28:48] Because you fit into this picture about as good as anybody could here today You're just past where I'm going to refer to Just a few weeks ago, you were planning to get married. If you would see in your mind at that time that, and I don't believe, I'm not trying to say anything by this, I'm just using it for an example. You could see in your mind that the one you were calling to be your wife would totally reject you, would totally trash you, [00:29:25] would have nothing to do with you, would just trump all over your heart and all over what you want and what you are thinking of. Would you go through with those plans for marriage? Isn't that what God did? Before the world began, he was already planning and had in place the plan for salvation. [00:29:59] He knew that man would despise him. He knew that Jesus would hang upon the cross and that he would be spit upon and that he would be beaten, that he would be rejected, that he'd be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. That was all known to God And God could have said, it's not worth it I will not create man And God would have been justified in that, wouldn't He? Or after He had created man and man had chosen his own way [00:30:33] And walked away from God, God could have said, okay I chose you, I gave you opportunity I gave you the best that you could have and you wasted it, it's over. You have nothing to look forward to but death. God would have had every right to do that, wouldn't he? And that's the beauty of this whole thing of the Savior. God had this plan. God that cannot lie promised before the world began. [00:31:08] Where did he promise it? We don't have that record, do we? He promised it to himself. He promised it to Christ. He didn't promise it to us because we weren't here. But somewhere he promised before the world began that he would send a savior and redeem us back to himself. In spite of the fact that he knew what we would be as mankind. Plans were made for this Savior before the world began. [00:31:43] That's an important truth for us. The Savior is going to save our bodies. Philippians chapter 3 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. He's going to change this body. Not only is he saving our spirit, he's going to save our body. One of the things we often talk about when someone dies who's ill or has a handicap or something like that, [00:32:22] we talk about the fact that in heaven they won't be blind, they won't be deaf, they won't be sick, they won't have cancer. The Savior is the Savior of the body. Philippians chapter 3. I read that verse. It's important for us to remember. Now, God wants all men to be saved. We looked at the fact that God provided the Savior for all men. [00:32:53] And He wants all men to be saved. Titus chapter 2, oh I'm sorry, 1 Timothy chapter 2 Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, verse 4 there Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time, verse 6 The message comes over and over again that the Savior is for all men [00:33:26] And God wants all men to be saved. Now, because God wants that to happen, will it automatically happen? No, because God's chosen that it's for those who receive His salvation. St. John chapter 3 there. The Savior is returning. Titus 2, 11-14 tells us that, Look, we're looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. [00:34:01] That's what we're looking for. That opportunity, that time when God will come back to earth in Jesus Christ and will redeem us from all iniquity and gather to Himself a people, a special purchased possession. The Savior is an expression of God's love and kindness. Titus chapter 3 verses 3 through 7 [00:34:31] I want you to notice, let's just turn to that scripture. I want you to notice some things here. Titus 3, 3 through 7 We ourselves also Who does that include? Who does it include? Some of us? You and not me? Or me and not you? Who does it include? Every one of us, right? We ourselves also, Paul's talking about himself, but it's for all of us. [00:35:03] were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But what happened? After the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. [00:35:37] The Savior, the merciful one, the one with kindness and love, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. I don't know how much you've ever thought about this truth, but it's an amazing truth. [00:36:09] God's love and kindness toward us as mankind is revealed in the Savior. And Ephesians tells us that throughout the ages of eternity that God is going to show to us the exceeding riches of His kindness toward us in Jesus Christ. And that's what He's talking about here in Titus. That God has expressed His love and His kindness to us [00:36:43] And for the ages of eternity God is going to show us How that fleshed out How that worked out What that meant How it came about in our lives We often enjoy sitting and listening to a life story A testimony of what happened in someone's life That's kind of what it's going to be. I picture it this way anyway. God's going to set each of us up there and He's going to show how in our lives [00:37:19] the exceeding riches of His kindness was revealed to us in Jesus Christ and we'll all be overwhelmed and amazed. The next one will come and He'll share that with us and we'll just be overwhelmed. Our spirits will be blessed to think about the amazing kindness and love of God our Savior. The Savior is an expression of God's love and kindness. We can only find God's approval by accepting His Son as the Savior. [00:37:54] John talks about this. He goes into some pretty great detail. You read through 1 John there and he talks about it a lot. Now, he says the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. He said, that's fine. I don't need Him. I don't believe that He is actually God. I don't believe that He is actually man. Well, you know what you just did? You just eliminated the Savior. [00:38:25] And John says, look, you've got to accept this truth. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God. That's what it's all about. The only way that we can find God's approval or God's acceptance is not by works of righteousness that we do. The only way that we find approval from God is by accepting His Son as our Savior. [00:38:59] And John talks about that. He talks about what that means. He goes into some pretty rigid tests that we can give ourselves to see if we really believe that. If we're really living that. And it's important for us. It's been a long time since I preached out of 1 John. I was looking through my notes here a while back and I realized that I probably have more notes from 1 John than I do from any other book of the Bible [00:39:30] but it's been a long time the last one that I want us to think about is what does God deserve for providing a Savior? what does He deserve? Is there something that we can give to Him? Let's go to Jude. The last couple verses of Jude there, 24 and 25. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling [00:40:03] and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Do you know God's able to do that? You know, Jesus is able to present us before God as faultless with exceeding joy. That's amazing. Just simply amazing. Just think on that truth for a while. To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. [00:40:46] That's what God deserves. Glory and majesty, dominion and power. He already has it. It's already His. But He deserves it. He deserves it from our lives because of the fact that He provided a Savior. Let's stand together for prayer. Our Father, we thank You this morning. [00:41:24] We thank You for the Savior. And Father, I pray in all of the activity, in all of the busyness, in all of the coming and going, in all that's involved in this Christmas season, I pray, O God, that you help us. Remind us by your Spirit that it's about a Savior. And because of you providing that Savior, you deserve glory and majesty, dominion and power [00:41:59] Throughout all of the universe Throughout all of the earth And specifically in each of our lives I pray you go with us, Lord. Help us to be able to speak to the needs of people around us, people that need a Savior. To deliver us from ourselves, to deliver us from our sin, [00:42:36] to deliver us from the evil influence that's happened in our lives. from our world around us. And God, we confess before you this morning our own neediness. I confess my own need of a Savior. I need Jesus. I need Him every hour. [00:43:08] There's none like Him. Lord, we thank you. We praise you. We ask you to go with us from this place. Help us to glorify you in our lives and to point out the message of the Savior. In Jesus' name, amen.