'Words of Life' w/ Pastor Mark D. Ingram
'Words of Life' w/ Pastor Mark D. Ingram
What Does Being 'Saved' (Eternally) Mean?
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life..." John 6:63
We humbly apply JESUS's wisdom to our insufficient effort to provide eternal life, spiritual renewal, change or growth to human hearts. We pledge to simply cast bait while prayerfully relying on GOD'S SPIRIT to minister to all with "...ears to hear what thus saith our LORD..." concerning 'eternal' things.
Within this week's broadcast / podcast of 'Words of Life' with Pastor Mark...
The Philippian jailer's urgent question approximately 2000 years ago, echoes loudly through time and challenges us still: "What must I do to be saved?"
In this week's broadcast / podcast episode of 'Words of Life', Pastor Mark strips away religious complicatedness to reveal the surprisingly simple answer that Paul and Silas gave—an answer that remains just as relevant and powerful today.
Believe on the LORD JESUS and you and your household will be 'saved.'
Growing up as a preacher's kid, Pastor Mark shares his journey from viewing GOD as ONE always ready to pounce upon our every mistake but this lead to a misunderstanding of the true need for salvation. "I had church, but I did not have that safe, confident, and secure relationship that GOD desires for all of us through his only son, JESUS CHRIST," he confesses, giving listeners permission to question whether they've truly grasped what 'being saved' truly means.
This message goes beyond church attendance, religious rituals, and denominational requirements to examine what truly matters... to GOD. Through a careful examination of scripture, Pastor Mark explains our human condition—infected by sin from birth—and contrasts it with GOD'S HOLY, perfect character. This fundamental gap between who we are and who GOD is reveals why salvation is necessary and why JESUS is the only solution for every human soul that has ever existed.
The beauty of the gospel (good news) shines through as Pastor Mark reveals how GOD has addressed sin throughout history: once, through the flood, secondly, through JESUS's sacrifice at Calvary, and in the final judgment to come, HIS great white throne judgment. Yet amid this sobering reality comes the astonishing good news: salvation requires no religious works, credit checks, or theological degrees—only belief in JESUS CHRIST—being the sole hope for our eternal safety.
Whether you're questioning your security with GOD or have been searching for spiritual clarity concerning your eternal destiny, this message offers a transformative understanding of what it truly means to be saved.
As Pastor Mark challenges, "Don't add to what JESUS alone has accomplished for us and don't subtract from what JESUS alone accomplished for us", ask yourself: is this my Philippian jailer moment—my chance to discover and take possession of good news that can safely secure my eternity?
What Does It Mean To Be Saved?
Acts 16:25-31
Song of the Week: YOU—Me.
wordsoflifewithpastormark.com
In lieu of eternity, sermons and musical artists are featured to extol JESUS CHRIST as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity.
We thank you for joining our Words of Life broadcast or podcast, where our mission is making God known for extolling Jesus, the Christ, as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity. We now join Pastor Mark for this week's Words of Life message.
Speaker 2:Hey, there again to you my Words of Life listeners and viewers. This is Pastor Mark, and before we start each broadcast, if you're listening to the broadcast anywhere over the world, or if you're listening to the podcast, should I say you're watching the broadcast and you're listening to the podcast? No matter which one you are doing, I like to always start off by thanking you, because the truth is, you could have been anywhere else, you could have been watching anyone else, but you have allowed God's spirit to guide you to us, my wife and I, this ministry, to hear his word, and for that we are thank you. I want to apologize right now. We are originating from the area of Dallas, texas. We live down here, specifically in Mansfield, but in the Dallas Fort Worth area, we are experiencing, as we get ready to come out of spring and go into summer, allergies, or, as my baby girl used to say when we were younger, allergies. And so, with that being said, if I have to take a drink of water because of my throat or whether or not my eyes are itching, please forgive me. We are in allergy season here in the Metroplex down here in Dallas, but the truth of the matter is this message was really on my heart. I felt like God put it on my heart. To put it out, because people need to know this gospel, good news message that God has sent to us.
Speaker 2:I've ad-libbed enough. I'm going to ask that you turn to the book of Acts. It's that fifth New Testament book Matthew, mark, luke, then you have John and right after that, the fifth one, you have the book of Acts. We're going to read from chapter 16. I'm going to read, I do believe, verses 25 through 31. And we are going to. My version today is going to be the English Standard Version and your version might differ. It sounds a little bit different but different translations, but the word of God is the same Again Acts, chapter 16, verse 25 through 31,. English Standard Version. And we're going to read about this Philippian jailer who has been converted. I'm done ad-libbing. Hopefully you found it. The words are up on the screen and here we go.
Speaker 2:About midnight, paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were open and everyone's bonds, their shackles, were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice do not harm yourself, for we, the prisoners, we are all here and the jailer called for lights. He rushed in and, trembling with fear, the jailer, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said sirs, to Paul and Silas, what must I do to be saved? I'm going to repeat verse 30 again, that end portion of verse 30. What must I do to be saved? Final verse, verse 31. And they, paul and Silas, said believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. May the Lord add a blessing to the hearers, the readers, but, most importantly, those that intend to do with his help, his holy word.
Speaker 2:The title of this week's message is quite simply what does saved, what does salvation? What does that mean? I'm a preacher's kid. I grew up in church my whole life. I kind of went wayward between about the mid-20s or early 20s to 30s, but still I grew up in church. I'm a preacher's kid and I've gone to church basically my whole life, but I'm kind of understanding as I've grown in the Lord, I didn't really know why I was going to church.
Speaker 2:The one thing that I understood growing up I had this and understand that everybody's view of God is impacted by how they were raised or what they were taught. I grew up I was just deathly afraid of God. That was my view growing up of God, because I was taught you know, in a sense, that God is sitting on his throne. You cannot make one mistake and if you do, oh my gosh, the wrath you are going to feel God's wrath. And so I grew up afraid of God, as if he was this symbolic grandfather or father figure that's waiting to lash us or hit us over the head for every misstep or lack of good that we did not do or the bad that we did do. And that was just wrong.
Speaker 2:Now, what I do understand, I do understand and I'm grateful for number one my mom, dad, my grandparents, my relatives, those that are in the church. They literally taught us about having a relationship and why Jesus Christ was important, and that literally started to help me understand as I got older and God started speaking to me through his word and understanding who God is. You have to do that through the prism of who Jesus is to us and who Jesus is to us. You got to understand you can't even get to God without Jesus, and so this view of who God is it has to start with. Well, wait a minute, what does saved have to do with anything? Because I know a lot of people that go to church and may not have a relationship with God through Jesus. I would probably think growing up I went to church my whole life but didn't have a clue about what it was to be in right relationship with God through Jesus, with God through Jesus. I had church, but I did not have that secure relationship that God desires for all of us through his only son, jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:And so today's message I'm not going to talk about church per se. I'm not going to talk about the things of the church. Don't have nothing ever to say about pastors. I am going to talk about what does it mean to be saved? Because sometimes we can put so much weight and burden on people that they got to do A, b and C and we haven't even given them the thing that matters the most. What matters to God the most, is that you are, we are saved, salvation is ours and then everything else, god's spirit. He will faithfully teach us before we leave this planet.
Speaker 2:And so let's talk about just the word to be saved. If we were to define that in a natural sense, it is to rescue from impending danger or harm. It is to come to somebody's defense, or rescue it is to set them free. To be saved is to deliver someone. It is to preserve or to keep safe. It is to protect or to safeguard, to salvage or reclaim. For example, such and such was saved from that burning house. They were saved from drowning. They were saved from that fast approaching oncoming car. They were saved from that falling tree limb In summary, car. They were saved from that falling tree limb. In summary, impending unavoidable harm would cause our demise if we were not saved from either of the dangerous scenario examples.
Speaker 2:And so, in spiritual context, the Greek rendition of the word within our opening text conveys that one is being preserved, they are being rescued, they are delivered, they are protected. Preserved or protected from who? Preserved or protected from what you may ask. You might even be asking me right about now why must one be saved from something or someone? It is right here that we have to understand what we're dealing with, and I think I would probably say, more importantly, who we are dealing with, who we will have to bow before and give an account of our lives to once our eternal appointments commence.
Speaker 2:And so right now we need a little bit of context. The day that humanity, the day that we were born, the day you and I came into this world, we were infected by sin period. You have to start right there. If you have a hard time understanding or accepting the fact that we humans, we qualify for eternal damnation, that is, eternal separation from God's mercy, his grace, his hope, if you do not understand or accept that that is humanity's lot in life. Spiritual death, it should be irrevocable. It is irrevocable if you leave this planet. Death, that is, without accepting salvation from the only way God has deemed it to be possible. It cannot be changed. Your decision that is. It cannot be changed. Your decision that is.
Speaker 2:And so as we start, we have to first admit there are no ifs, ands or buts. It has nothing to do with how good you are. Goodness has nothing to do God's salvation. But we have to get this in our spirits first. I'm not just talking. Let's go to God's word.
Speaker 2:Romans 5 and 12, just as sin came into the world through one man, adam, and death then entered through that sin, and so death then spread to all men. Because now, because of Adam, all men have been infected or we have all sin? First John, chapter one, verse eight If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Verse 10 says if we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar and his word is not in us. Romans, chapter 3, verses 10 through 12. None is righteous, no, not one. No one understands, no one seeks for God. All of us have turned aside Together. They, every race, every creed, every color. We have all become worthless. No one does good, not even one. We have to understand this. People, human beings, humanity, we have a sin problem. Not one human is inherently good or righteous. Don't let a person, don't let a religion, a preacher or teacher convince you otherwise that you are good enough to stand on your own, inherently, in God's presence after we leave this planet. It's not happening. If God said we are filthy and infected by sin, accept it. Begin to evaluate the same question, if we've ever reached the point that the Philippian jailer did in asking this question the Philippian jailer did in asking this question what must I do to be saved? And so let's start with our exegesis, taking out of the text only what the text meant back then, so that we can understand how we can bring it forth to application in our lives.
Speaker 2:Our text starts with Paul and Silas in prison, and they're singing songs to the Lord before the earthquake hits. But it's interesting to note how the verse concludes. The prisoners were listening to them, and I'd like to interject a brief word of encouragement for those and forget that Let me quit being fake. I like to say for those as if, yeah, others might be impacted by what I'm about to say, but the medicine has to come to the preacher first. If I'm preaching, I have to eat this message first, and so here's a brief word of encouragement that God gave me and for those that are called and entrusted by him to share his gospel with the world that's in desperate need of it. There might not be a great audience before you, you might not have a pulpit regularly to preach and teach from, but there is always someone somewhere listening to or watching. Just like the Philippian jailer did to Paul and Silas, the Philippian jailer did to Paul and Silas Somebody somewhere is always listening to or watching the reason for our hope and we might be the only opportunity that they hear, see or experience. This is a chance to meet God through that message. So to you, to me, I encourage us stay faithful in what God alone has entrusted us. We are blessed if we have the ability to teach God's word, giving people Jesus, the Christ, as the only means to God. We are blessed. That is a sacred trust. It is nothing to take for granted. There is always somewhere. Granted, there is always somewhere. There is always someone at that, someplace listening to or watching the reason for your hope, my hope, and we might be their only opportunity to introduce them to this glorious God that we're all going to meet through Jesus, the Christ.
Speaker 2:Now back to our scriptural exegesis. As Paul and Silas are singing, a great earthquake shakes the foundation of the prison and now every prisoner. They are shaken loose, free to escape, no longer bound, nobody accountable. Okay, so this was their chance to escape, and this immediately wakes the jailer up, because even the jailer knows the consequences of accountability. I mean, I can imagine his fear in the dark of night when he almost committed suicide, assuming that every prisoner had escaped. The jailer knew that his life would more than likely be required if one prisoner escaped. And so here's when Paul cries out don't harm yourself, for we, the prisoners, we're all here. And this causes the jailer to respond with gratitude, thankfulness. He calls for light, he rushes in and with a show of respect and this gratitude, the jailer asks the question that every one of us must one day give an accounting for what must I do to be saved?
Speaker 2:Completing the exegesis, now, let's start thinking about our transition from the text then to right now. Start thinking about our transition from the text then to right now, because it's interesting to note within the final verse that Paul and Silas did not give the jailer a list of religious do's or don'ts to be saved. Paul or Silas, they didn't talk about well, you have to wear this specific clothes. You can't wear this, you have to worship this way. They didn't say that. Oh my gosh, you better be ready soon as you come in. You have to get. This is a sidebar.
Speaker 2:I literally went in a church and you know it's bad enough to put an ATM in a church. Really, come on. But this actually happened to my wife and I. We went to a church for potential membership one day and this was before I really got settled in my purpose of God giving me to preach and to teach the gospel, whether I have a building or not we went to a church and they literally gave us an application and we were like, what is this for? It was literally for a credit check. They were going to run our credit to join the church. Are you serious? These are the things that I'm talking about that we have to get back to the basics. The basics, because God is going to hold those of us entrusted with his word. He's going to hold us accountable for how we interact and deal with or what we even require of his people. I mean, people are requiring stuff of God's people that God doesn't even require of us. Paul and Silas didn't talk about well, we got to check your credit. That literally happened to my wife and I at a church and we were just like you know what Thanks, but no thanks.
Speaker 2:Denominational doctrines. You have to worship. Oh, you cannot play music in this church or you better learn how to dance and shout and run around the church. Nope, that isn't what Paul and Silas gave them. They didn't make any priorities when it came down to religion to be saved. They didn't think about family traditions, they didn't think about pastor preferences. It had to be made to save you. Paul didn't say you have to listen to it the way I do. Silas didn't put in and say but hold up. I got this kind of background and I might throw a little hoop on my didn't say any of that. There were no religious works. There was no penance to be completed. You didn't have to go to another man, you simply had to believe.
Speaker 2:Paul and Silas kept this critical moment simple for the jailer. When he asked what must I do to be saved? Paul and Silas said the very same thing. I'm going to say to those of you watching this broadcast and you're listening to the podcast To be saved, you simply have to believe in the Lord Jesus. And the verse says and you will be saved, you and your household. That's it. Don't add to what Jesus alone has accomplished for us, don't subtract from what Jesus alone accomplished for us. And if a Philippian jailer understood the awesome power contained within an earthquake which shook him to his very core and caused him to respond, if you are watching this broadcast, if you are listening to this podcast. It is very possible that God has manufactured this very moment for you to to respond, just as the Philippian jailer did. Just as the Philippian jailer did. So here's where we have to backtrack to connect why. Let's backtrack to connect the why of being saved right now.
Speaker 2:Earlier, we established the fact that humans, we are sin personified. I mean, we are par excellence. That simply means we are the very best at sinning. I am the very best at sinning, or I am the worst sinner there could be. There is no worse sinner than me. I'm the very best at doing sin, and this is the view. I can admit that, without God's mercy and grace, I'm the very best at sinning. I'm the very worst there could possibly be.
Speaker 2:As the word of God teaches us, we are par excellence at it, and this is the humility, this is the fact, the view of our hearts that we must have to properly commune with God. Period. Don't come before him any other way. Remember Romans 3, verses 10 through 12. None are righteous, no, not one. No one understands, no one seeks for God. All have turned aside Together. They, every race, every creed, every color. We've become worthless. No one does good, Not even one. This is the human condition.
Speaker 2:And then there is God, and I'm going to take my time with this because I need us to understand that nobody comes to, nobody approaches, nobody seeks God on their own. We must be drawn to him by him. God must condescend, he must stoop low in his great love for us to save those who will admit that they are lost without his salvation. Again, what, or better yet, who must we be saved from? And the answer is this we must be saved from the very essence of this holy, perfect creator, whose whose character demands justice in righteously dealing with you guessed it the sin issue which plagues humanity.
Speaker 2:Understand God is beyond comprehension or understanding. God is holy, he is without peer, he has no equal, he is perfect, he is righteous, he is the everlasting. I am. God exists independent of anyone or anything. He answers to no one. God simply is. He is omniscient, he knows everything, he's omnipotent, he is all power. There is no power greater. He is omnipresent. There is nowhere that God is not. It's not like God is in a fight with Satan or evil, because for his glory and purpose he doesn't send it, but he is allowing Satan to exist for a season and a reason, so that he alone gets all the glory for saving filthy us. It is his story, it is his glory and saving sinners like myself. And so it's important that we understand who we are and who God is.
Speaker 2:We cannot perceive or conceive what never doing one iota of wrong is like, but that's God. It's inconceivable. He is the most highly exalted one, not one of many, he's the only God. He is separated. Isaiah 6 and 2 convey that. Angels seraphim to be exact, they must cover their eyes, their feet, their parts in his presence. An endless multitude of voices constantly, without one breath taken, sing holy, holy, holy in heaven. Earth and sky one day will soon run from his presence.
Speaker 2:And here's some context for us. If we should never, if we can't ever look directly at a sun hanging in the universe by the only one who created it, in the universe, by the only one who created it, why would we even attempt to arrogantly think or look in his direction or enter his presence without acknowledging who we are and who he really is? God is to be feared. He is to be worthy of our worship and our praise. He deserves reverence. God is not the big guy on high, he's not the dude, the guy, he's guy upstairs. He's none of that. He's not any cute colloquialisms, colloquial I'm just stunned. It's just. I'm not going to even try to pronounce that word again, but understand what I'm trying to say. God is to. He is not normal. We can't have this cavalier. His name is not to be misrepresented. He's not to be just referred to just in disdain or as if he doesn't matter. He's not some cute church title. He's not some cute name of our ministries. God is worthy of worship and praise. He is awesome by himself. He oversees creation and the universe exists because of him alone. He is in total control, in charge of everything and everybody. And once we humbly attempt to understand who God is and who we are prayerfully, we start to see oh my gosh, I'm in trouble if I have to meet this God one day without being saved. We need to see our need for salvation. We need to understand I must be saved before my death date. Everybody has an appointment personally with this same God after death, whether you believe it or not.
Speaker 2:Hebrews and I want to throw another sidebar in here. If you're watching the broadcast, you're listening to the podcast. I don't believe nothing. This preacher's saying I challenge you. Why are you still listening? It could be because God loves you so much that he's put on your heart. I'm going to see what this preacher has to say through the end. That's a personal heart. I'm going to see what this preacher has to say through the end. That's a personal invitation. I have nothing to do with it. You're not watching me because I invited you. You're not watching me because you found me. You're watching and listening to this message because God directed you to it, and this could be your. What must I do to be saved? This could be your Philippian jailer moment.
Speaker 2:Hebrews, chapter 9, verses 27 through 28. Just as it is appointed, it is appointed for man to die only once, and after this comes judgment, verse 28. So Christ having been offered only once to bear the sins of many, he will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Revelations, chapter 20, verse 12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the Lord or before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead, those never accepting Jesus's act on their behalf. They were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done, their lives, their own merit, instead of the protection and the salvation found in Jesus alone.
Speaker 2:If we possess one iota of humility in this moment, god is not to be played with. He is not again, just oh. There's a man upstairs, the big guy on high. There's not a name to be used profanely, don't even utter his name irreverently. This holy one with whom all will have to meet. He mandates that his perfection cannot and will not ever tolerate one speck, one iota, one minute grain of sin. If that were measurable. Whenever sin is present, god's character demands that wrath, death follows. And yet though we I know I do though we deserve his wrath.
Speaker 2:Psalm 103, verse 10, states God has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us according to our iniquities. Isaiah, chapter 43, verse 25, to Israel and now to us I, yes, I alone God, will blot out your sins for my own sake, and I will never think of them again. Lamentations, chapter 3, verses 22 and 23. Because of the Lord's great love, his mercy, we are not consumed. For his compassions. They never fail, they are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness to us.
Speaker 2:Nehemiah, chapter 9, verses 30 through 31. Your people, god, you expect us to confess our sins. And in those verses the word says you were patient with them for many years. Your spirit admonished them through your prophets, yet they would not listen. So you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great compassion, you did not put an end to them, you did not forsake them, for you are a gracious and compassionate God.
Speaker 2:And here's another quick interjectory thought. Could God be allowing everything in our nation to be placed in distress, so that we will cry out and then return to him? Be merciful unto us, o Lord. That's my intercessory prayer, real quick. Romans 5 and 8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this. While we were still sinners we're still. I know I was out there doing I should have been dead a couple of times, but while we were yet still sinners, christ died for us.
Speaker 2:Psalm 130 and the third or the fourth verse. I'm going to read third and fourth verse of the 130th Psalm. If you, o Lord, if you kept track of iniquities, then who, o Lord, could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be feared. I can think of all the things that I've done, feared. I can think of all the things that I've done and I know I deserve eternal separation from God. That's where we have to start. I know I deserve wrath. I know I deserve eternal death. God doesn't have to remind me or tell me. I can think back of so many things since teenage years, all the way up to now. I know what I deserve. But God has not given me and I'm so thankful what I deserve. That doesn't mean he hasn't dealt with my sin.
Speaker 2:My dad Bishop he's passed about six years ago, the last couple of weeks ago. But my dad Bishop Mackie Ingram, he always taught. He taught the congregation. He taught us you deal with your sin issue before God gets to it. That's a daily word. That's something that I still try to live by. My dad was like you deal with it before God gets to it, because he gets to it. He's going to prove he loves you by chastising you, like any good father would.
Speaker 2:God has warned us in his word to address our sinfulness because to save us understand where we are in history. Two of three times yeah, three is a good number, but two of these three times we can actually refer to history and we are right on the cusp of the third reckoning forthcoming, let's backtrack. First time, genesis, chapter six, verses 11 through 13. Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and the earth was filled. It was filled with violence. And God saw the earth and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them in a flood with the earth. Yet Noah found favor with God and he and his household of eight were saved.
Speaker 2:The second time, isaiah, chapter 53, verses 5 and 6. But he, jesus, was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon Jesus was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord God has laid upon him, jesus, the iniquity of us all. That's as if we had never sinned because of Jesus's act on our behalf, his great love for us. Jesus has saved us from the perfect character which demands the wrath of God upon sin. Two of three times history has already dealt with sin. God has addressed it. It's only happening one more time and that third time, that final time, that God's wrath will eliminate sin Revelation 20, verses 14 through 15, then death and hell were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Speaker 2:If you are watching this broadcast, if you're listening to this podcast, now is the time for you to respond. The Philippian jailer. He did not wait. He realized something awesome in an earthquake that made him ask a simple question. He recognized the tenuousness of his life and he heard men singing to this awesome God and he reacted. He responded. He said what must I do to be saved? Paul and Silas gave the jailer the same solution to our hopeless, sinful condition. They gave the jailer Jesus, the only hope for the eternal souls of every person that will bow before their creator. Everyone will be accountable for the same offer that Paul and Silas offered the jailer and that I am now offering you.
Speaker 2:God will not. I'm going to repeat that he will not allow the precious blood of Jesus, offered as a sacrifice and a propitiation before God's throne on our behalf. He will not allow that to be treated irreverently, to be trampled under foot as meaningless or worthless. John 3, 16 through 18 states for God so loved the world that he gave us his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That is, I am saved, for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Jesus. For whoever believes in Jesus the exact words of Paul and Silas is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God. Believed in the name of the only son of God.
Speaker 2:The question has been asked viewer or listener, god is holding you accountable at this very moment. So I repeat the question again, as Paul and Silas gave it to the Philippian jailer Do you believe, for those that disagree, for those that find ways to disparage God's story, with the many excuses that Satan would have you believe? This isn't about a church, this isn't about a person, this is about you and your eternal soul. Do you believe, could this be your earthquake moment, that God is reaching out specifically to you, no matter what happened at church, no matter what happened in the family, in your life, in your relationship? Do you understand that God is stretching forth his hand in hopes of saving those of us that have not yet accepted Jesus as Savior, of us that have not yet accepted Jesus as Savior? If that's you, god wants to save from his forthcoming wrath upon everybody that chooses to reject his gracious offer. God offers us his only son as our redeemer.
Speaker 2:We require redeeming before meeting God personally. Jesus is our intercessor before God right now. Even when we missed the mark on certain day, jesus tells God I paid it. All they're mine. Jesus is our go-between, the only one able to reconcile us back to God safely. He is our crossover into God's present safely. He is our invitation. He is our personal RSVP, our Reponde Sivuple, which translate please reply. Jesus is our savior who saves us from eternal separation, eternal damnation and deserved eternal wrath of God. Jesus saves us from that. All we have to do is just accept the gift and believe. That's it. I implore you Be reconciled to God Through his only sacrifice, jesus, the Christ. No man, no religion, no good works unto being made right with God. It is only through the sacrificial death and the resurrection of Jesus that God will see our lives through before we meet him after death. And we're meeting God in joy eternally or in horror eternally.
Speaker 2:2 Peter, 3 and 9 states the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but God is patient toward us, not wishing that anybody should perish, but that all should reach repentance. And this is God's greatest desire for humanity that none perish eternally, but that all would come to repentance and be saved through Jesus from God's righteous judgment and wrath upon sin, this world, on this planet, anybody that has ever lived who rejects this offer, you will literally incur what we deserve eternal separation and wrath. Romans, chapter 3, verses 23 through 26,. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, everybody that's ever hit this planet. All are justified, though, by his grace, as a gift, through the redemption that is, in no other person again but Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation. In other words, god is satisfied with by the blood of Jesus to to be received by faith.
Speaker 2:Just believe. This was to show God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It's to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. God is going to count my life, your life, as if we had never sinned. All we have to do is believe in his son. God wants to cancel our sins. No other man can do that. There is no work that you have to do. You don't have to go to another human to be made right to God or talk to God. No, jesus makes that possible. God wants to cancel our sins and impart his righteousness unto us as an undeserved gift, so that he alone can justify us as if we had never sinned against him. And the only thing God wants us to do is accept his gift by faith, and that is in Jesus alone.
Speaker 2:Viewer or listener, what must we do to be saved from God's righteous eternal judgment upon sin? Just believe. Believe in the Lord Jesus and the promises made. God watches over his word. You will be saved, you and your household. Don't try to figure it out. It's God's job. Once you accept the gift, he will perfect that which concerns us. Your loving kindness, o Lord, endures towards us forever. You will never forsake the works of your hands which we are, especially those of us that believe in the only one that you've given for eternal security and salvation. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.
Speaker 2:I love how the verse concludes you and your household. Again, that indicates that someone is always listening, someone is always watching, especially in your own household. They are watching and listening to our actions, or lack thereof to us. And if they might ask us here's a challenge for you Would your life, would your actions be enough of an explanation of how to get to eternity safely? I'm grateful that God has given me this entrusted responsibility of sharing the good news. Sharing the good news, god, I am not separated eternally from him. Jesus has reconciled me to him. That's good news. That's called the gospel, just believe. I'm grateful for this opportunity to share the gospel when I'm dead and gone. Thank you, jesus. I'm dead and gone as long as the Internet lives. This is still being credited to my eternal account, whereas people will still have a way to get to heaven if they come into contact with this ministry.
Speaker 2:Because the only thing my wife and I purpose to offer you, whether it's a sermon, whether it's a video, whether it's a short movie or a song, we're giving you, jesus, everything else. There are plenty others that can give you that. My job isn't to talk to you about tithes and things that make up the church. We have pastors for that. I do believe. God called me to the Gentiles, those that are lost, to the Gentiles, those that are lost.
Speaker 2:Jesus is what you need. Jesus is what I needed, and the only thing that you have to do is simply believe. It really is that simple. There's no theology degree needed. There's no denominational pressure being applied, no amount of money required. I'm not asking you to give anything to us. I'm not asking you to go to a particular church. None of that is my business. God provides for us. He's enabled us to do exactly what we're doing. I can do no more or no less. Just believe on the only name given for eternal salvation. Acts 4 and 12 warns us salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Through a flood once and at Calvary twice, god has dealt with sin. We are living among the final time, when God's final judgment will be righteously judging those who reject Jesus and they choose to go before God and their own merits, while eternity awaits each one of us. So here's another question that I'm going to challenge you with. In what or whom do you believe?
Speaker 2:As the Philippian jailer rushed before Paul and Silas, falling and trembling from what had occurred the earthquake, the jailer took immediate action. This is an opportunity for you, my friend. Whether you're watching the broadcast, whether you're listening to the podcast, this is an opportunity for you to do likewise, and I offer to you the exact same words as they did to secure your eternal salvation by inviting you to believe in Jesus Christ alone. Close your eyes with me, and here's a brief prayer that I want you to pray if you are willing to accept God's offer. Oh Lord, I acknowledge that I need saving.
Speaker 2:I go my own ways some days and I cannot approach you in my own abilities, my goodness or efforts. So, lord, help me to take action today, to be believe that you alone are the only son of God that takes away my sin. In a world full of sinful choices. All you ask of me is to believe you will fulfill your purpose for me. Your love endures towards me forever. You will never forsake the work of your hands that I now am. I will, from here on, go forward and finally see. I will confess with my mouth that you are my only savior. You are my only Savior, you are my Redeemer, reconciling me back to God. And now you are anointing me to encourage others with my life of service. And because of Jesus alone, I am now saved from your eternal wrath. I can now go forth in confidence to be a blessing to all that I will encounter. Empower me, o Lord, to point others to you Through Jesus alone. I believe that I can do that. I can ask others what should you do to be saved? If they ask me, I can tell them. Lord, I believe that you have empowered me. Now it is in the name of Jesus Christ alone that I say amen, or it is so.
Speaker 2:Well, my friend, my words of life viewers or listeners, we have concluded yet another episode, and I know it was a long one, but that was on my heart. We can talk about so many things when it comes to being a Christian, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it was not my mission today to talk to you and to minister to the body of Christ when it comes to church. It was my goal today to minister to the lost Christ when it comes to church. It was my goal today to minister to the lost. What must I do to be saved? What does that salvation even mean? And I am grateful that you have tuned in. You've given us this opportunity to give the good news to you, the gospel message, and that's what is called good news. We are no longer estranged from God. We have been reconciled through Jesus. And as we conclude this episode, I just want to thank you again for tuning in to our ministry.
Speaker 2:Whether you watch the broadcast on our Roku channel or the internet, or you listen to the podcast on Apple Spotify, wherever you get your digital content, I do like to. I would like to. Before we conclude, I would like to invite you to tune into my wife's podcast, her broadcast, as well. It's called Biblical Thoughts with Twala. And again, you can also download our Roku channel. That is free, as well as our digital app. Whether you like Amazon, spotify, Apple Music, you can do that. Those downloads are free, as well as our digital app. Whether you like Amazon, spotify, apple Music, you can do that. Those downloads are free.
Speaker 2:Sermons, music videos, short films and if you have missed a particular sermon right here, I think the font's going to drop. You've missed a particular sermon, show or song that ministers to your heart. Download it for free. You can even go to our webpage, because there's our Roku channel updates with new content. Our web page does so as well. Right there, words of life with pastor mark dot com. Uh, you can hit us up, send me a message if you'd like.
Speaker 2:In closing today, though, I'm gonna throw you our song of the week. Forgive me if I'm wrong. I think it's either you Found Me because I'm saved, or it's you Me because God wants a relationship with us. It's one of those two songs. I might just throw both music videos in there, whether it's you Me or you Found Me, but in either case, if we get ready to sign off, we do celebrate the fact that God has saved you and myself. He has saved us to be in an eternal relationship with him. Instead of giving us what we truly deserve Until next time, because of Jesus Christ alone, we do hope to see you to minister to you again soon. God bless, we love you. We're out Bye-bye. What if I said to you that I loved you? Would you believe? Did you know that I had to choose to die and rise and make way? I only want to just see you become everything that else you could be. I'm never lying, only telling the truth if I think of you without me.
Speaker 3:I only want. I want you, you, me. I want to to, oh, we. And what if I lose, lose child? Please, I want you, you, it's me.
Speaker 2:I've got a future and a plan for us and I'm the only one who knows. I know you may not understand, but trust the best for you I'll hold. I know the thoughts that I think of you from beginning to the end. I'm the one who gave my all for you, only lost to pay for your sin. Only one I want you you, me.
Speaker 3:I want to to for real, fall away. And what if I lose, lose Child play? I want you, you it's me. I wanna love you, adore you and call you my own. I wanna hold you, console you when you've been wrong, then never will you ever feel like you're alone. Whenever you're thinking you need me. I want you, you me. I want to To Always. And what if I lose, lose child play? I want you, you, it's me. I wanna love you, adore you, call you my own. I wanna hold you, console you when you've been wrong, and never will you ever feel like you're alone Whenever you are thinking, you and me. I want to love you, you and call you my own. I wanna hold you, console you when you've been wrong, and never will you ever feel that you're alone Whenever you are, you, me. I want to to always. And what if I lose? You it's me. I want you, you me. I want to to away. And what if I lose, lose Child play? I want you lose child play. I want you, you it's me. Thank you you.