|
CHEAP SALVATION
Luke 6:47
Sunday Morning Sermon
July 18, 1999
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
Text: Luke 6:47
On November 22, 1955, I was born to Don & Marie Way. I could have been born to Dean & Marti Way or even Mickey & Diane Way.
Don Way eventually gave his life to Christ. Dean & Marti never did, neither did Mickey or Diane.
Don & Marie Way were faithful to church for many, many years. Dean & Marti might have attended church a few times, as did Mickey & Diane.
Don & Marie Way believed in the bus ministry. Dean & Marti ridiculed the bus ministry, as did Mickey & Diane Way.
Don & Marie Way spent 35 years in the ministry and for the most part, were basically middle class folks, maybe averaging $25,000 - $30,000 a year.
Dean & Marti probably made in excess of $75,000 - $80,000 a year before they retired. My uncle Mickey probably made $60,000 - $70,000 or more a year before he retired.
Don & Marie Way raised their family in church faithfully. Dean Way never took his kids to church more than a few times. Mickey Way never took his kids to church more than a few times.
I’m not being critical of my uncles, I’m just making observations. My uncles and their wives have always been kind to me and my family.
I would have had the same grandparents on my dad’s side, but I would have seldom seen them.
Dean & Marti’s children saw my grandparents maybe a dozen or so times before my grandfather died - no kidding.
I could have been born into a non-religious Way family and I would have missed some wonderful memories.
But in God’s great grace I was born into a Christian family with good parents.
One of my fondest memories of the late Truit Suhl was when they were in our Mission Conference in 1997 and we cried together at God’s goodness to each of us in the fact that we were both born into Christian families and that our fathers were preachers.
I could have been born into a family that never went to church.
I could have been born in a drunkard’s home.
I could have been born in an abusive home.
I could have been born in Africa where I might not have ever heard about the Lord Jesus Christ and died and gone to hell.
But, by and large, God has been really good to me.
I have Christian parents,
I was raised in a Christian home,
We went to church as a family,
We had a good family life, even though it was a poor life when I was a kid,
My brothers and I never saw our daddy drink,
We never saw our daddy smoke,
We never saw our parents scream and fight,
We never saw any fights or heard any cussing from our parents,
We had a more than decent home life,
God has been good to me, more than good to me.
I guess you could say that I am a “church kid” or “church brat” because in all the years of my life, I probably have missed a Sunday morning service less than 15-20 times -- that’s right -- less than 15-20 times. In my adult life, I do not remember missing a Sunday morning service. Out of more than 2,220 Sunday morning services in my lifetime, I have missed less than 20 - less than 1% of the services.
But, wait a minute, many times that type of life leads to a cheap salvation.
Do we really understand how marvelous it is to say “I’m saved”?
Have you ever shouted because you’re on your way to heaven?
“But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”
I’m afraid that many of us, me at the top of the list, have been guilty of taking our salvation for granted.
I never fell into deep sin.
Alcohol and I never got along. I went with the guys a few times but I would pour mine out and say, “Man, that was good.”
I tried snuff, Copenhagen, one time, and that was enough for me. I swallowed it accidentally and it made me sick and I threw up.
I never shacked up with any woman.
I never did drugs or popped any pills.
I never shot up any kind of drugs.
I never got into perversion.
I never got into crime or vandalism.
I never cursed my mom or dad.
I’ve never been in jail.
I’ve never been arrested.
I’ve never been in trouble with the law, except a speeding ticket or two or three.
In fact, I’ve had my driving license since January 1971 and I’ve only had three speeding tickets -- 28 and a half years and only three speeding tickets -- that’s a pretty good record. And I’ve probably driven close to half a million miles in those 28 plus years.
I figured a few years ago that I had been to Pot O’Gold Youth camp more than 30 times, so 30 times at 550 - 650 miles per trip and that figures out to be over 16,000 miles on the road just driving back and forth to youth camp and junior camp.
Shoot, I’ve driven to Oklahoma City probably 100 times in the past six or seven years at 275 miles a trip and that figures out to be over 27,000 miles.
What I’m trying to say is that many people have similar testimonies about having a pretty good family life and a pretty good adult life.
But, if we’re not careful, it makes our salvation cheap.
“But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”
The Lord is trying to tell us that often when little is forgiven, those people love little.
Are we truly thrilled about our salvation?
Have you ever thought about the fact that God brought someone into your life who led you to Christ?
Have you ever thought about the fact that it was a miracle that God saved you?
Or do you sing “Victory in Jesus” with your mind in neutral?
Do you even sing?
I just believe that one of our biggest problems is that we take our salvation for granted.
We think God is lucky to have us.
But that’s why some ex-drunks make the best Christians.
That’s why some ex-drug addicts make the best Christians.
Men like Dr. Ron Gearis who was a sailor;
a sailor who drank,
a sailor who smoked,
a sailor who cussed,
a sailor who did sailor things,
but when he got saved, he never got over it,
he’s still excited about his salvation.
Men like Dr. Jim Vineyard who was in Special Forces;
a military man who drank,
a military man who smoked,
a military man who cussed,
a military man who fought,
a military man who thought nothing about killing in the battlefields of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam,
a military man who was a whoremonger,
a military man who was a wicked man,
but when he got saved, he never got over it,
and he’s still excited about it.
The other night at the Youth Conference and it was getting near 10:00 and we weren’t through with the services, he said, “When I was lost I thought nothing about staying in a bar all night long until early the next morning. I lived hard and fast for the Devil, I can live just as hard and fast for God. If I can stay in a bar all night, I can stay in church until after 10:00.”
Men like Dr. Gearis and Dr. Vineyard don’t take their salvation for granted, but sometimes those of us who didn’t live that kind of life, we do.
“But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”
It’s real to John & Rhonda Magas. They both come from homes where their parents were not saved and did not go to church.
Mrs. Magas got saved at age 16 and her parents told her to leave home if she was going to be a part of church. It means something to her.
Their salvation means something to them. They prove it with their kids. They have passed on something real because it is real to them. They enjoy their salvation.
In just a few short weeks, they will be getting on a plane and heading for L’Volv, Ukraine, to spend the rest of their lives on the mission field.
Their salvation means more to them than the average Christian.
The rodeo finishes tonight, and people will sit in 96+ degree heat for two hours (or more), sitting on hard wooden bleachers with no seat backs which make them very uncomfortable, pay $5.00 or $6.00 per person and sit shoulder to shoulder with loud obnoxious strangers -- BUT those same people will complain about two hours in church, sitting comfortably on padded pews with their church family and friends, and with the air conditioning at 72 degrees.
Cheap salvation.
The choir recently sang one of my favorite songs, “And Can It Be That I Should Gain?”
And can it be that I should gain,
An interest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be?
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace,
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! How can it be?
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye difused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
Amazing love! How can it be?
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Do you think about that OR are you bored stiff?
Cheap salvation.
“But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”
|