September 29 Sermon and Announcements

 CERRO GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

September 29, 2024

God’s Promise of Salvation

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

The promise of salvation is a continuation of the promised result that

happens when we activate God’s promise from last week, forgiveness.

The biblical definition of salvation is the saving of human beings from

sin and its’ consequences-which include death and separation from

God-by Christ’s death and resurrection, and the justification entailed by

this salvation. That is a detailed description of what salvation really is.

For the promise of salvation to be real in the life of a believer there are

six different steps or stages that take place.

1. Hear the gospel.

2. Believe the gospel

3. Repent of sins

4. Confess faith in Jesus Christ

5. Be baptized

6. Be faithful until death

For the promise of salvation to be flowing through a Christian these 6

either will have happened or should still be happening. Let us take a

few minutes to look at each of these and see what you think.

The first place each Christian must start is to hear the gospel. That is to

hear that God came to earth in human form. Jesus lived a sin-free life.

Jesus as the perfect lamb was the ultimate sacrifice for every person

that believes. That last part gets into the second step for salvation. That

is to believe God exists and really paid the price for our sins, which

leads to step 3. The importance to admit to or confess our sins to God.

God doesn’t require us to confess our sins to everyone we see. He only

expects us to admit our sins to him. There may be times God leads you

to admit sin to another person but that is only at the Holy Spirit’s

prompting. Step 4 has to do with the 3 earlier steps. At some point you

may be led to make a public confession of your faith. Once again that is

as the Lord has led. Step 5 most often involves that public confession.

As an outward expression of your faith, God most likely will lead you to

be baptized as a symbol of old things being washed away and being a

new creature in Christ. Step 6 and the final step is to stay strong in the

faith until your time on this earth is over.

These are 6 steps or stages of a persons walk with the Lord that

confirms that the promise of salvation is real in the life of a believer. In

the midst of trials, our salvation is secure. Even though King David

didn’t know how salvation would come to believers as completely and

as powerfully as it did through Jesus Christ, he understood the promise

of salvation just the same.

In Psalm 62:1-7 he says this, “My soul finds rest in God alone; my

salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is

my fortress I will never be shaken. How long will you assault a man?

Would all of you throw him down--this leaning wall, this tottering

fence? They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take

delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their heart they

curse. Find rest, oh my soul in God alone; my hope comes from him. He

alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my

refuge. Trust in him at all times O people; pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.” So even when the things weren’t going as King

David hoped he knew the promise of salvation is mentioned in the

Bible.

I thought about reading many of the examples of how salvation is used

in scripture this morning, but I am going to leave you with just one final

example of the promise of salvation given to all who believe. In Romans

1, it talks of many of these steps or stages of salvation. Let us look at

God’s promise to us about salvation in verses 16 and 17. “I am not

ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings

salvation to everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the

Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a

righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: the

righteous will live by faith.”

That faith that is mentioned is the confidence we have in the promise

of salvation. What a great and loving Father we have!

Pastor Larry

Announcements:

Sunday School 9:00

Tuesday 9:30 Bible Study

Thursday 6:30 Executive Committee

Sunday, October 6 Love Feast 6:00 p.m.

--Delegates needed for District Conference at the York Center

church on November 1 and 2. Please let Carol or Pastor Larry

know of your interest asap. Registration has already begun.

--We need volunteers for the children’s message during worship

and for story lessons in the nursery. Please sign up.

Pastor Larry Traxler (217) 454-2362

Donation Box for September: utilities

First Sundays: Food Bank donations

Keep in Your Prayers

Jordan Wright; Chris Wright; Elliott (Evelyn Eads’ great-

grandson); Alan Baker; Ruth Siburt; Sharon Traughber; Dorthea

Wood; Mike and Kathy Gentry; Steve Needham; Larry Traxler;

Nancy Fansler; Stacie Warren; Nancy Gorrell; Nora Hanaver;

Ron and Kathleen Petersen; Doug Larrick; Shirley Clarkson;

David and Jan Bower; Debbie Garvey Leibrock; Mike and Carol

Seidenstricker; Adiline Young; Mayo and Darlene Hanaver;

many unspoken requests; victims of shootings and of natural

disasters; shut-ins; the Nigerian church; the Haitian church;

those in the middle of war and violence; military and other

services and their families; Brethren Volunteer Service workers;

Disaster project workers

District Prayer Calendar: Pray for the District’s treasurer,

financial secretary, and Property & Assets Management Team.

Also pray for the Church of the Brethren in Spain.