SERMON SUMMARY

Not only is Christmas a time for celebration and for reconciliation, it is also a time for salvation. When we talk about salvation, we are generally referring to God’s deliverance FROM sin, ourselves, and hell. God offers salvation as a free gift to those who accept Christ (Ephesians 2:8). Our salvation is not based on what we have earned (Romans 5:8).

While you were still stuck in your sin, Jesus took on the cross for you. Not after you cleaned yourself up. Right in the midst of it, Jesus died to save you in your current messy, broken state. All God asks is that you call on Him for Your salvation and he is faithful to provide it. This doesn’t mean your external problems disappear; rather, it means God is with you through difficult circumstances and provides hope and peace throughout even the most painful trials. God also doesn’t immediately turn you into the perfect father, or mother, or friend. But God provides his Holy Spirit that begins to change you from the inside out and piece by piece, He begins shaping you into the image of Jesus.

So first, we are saved FROM something. Jesus came to earth to rescue us from the internal and external problems that weigh down our lives. But we aren’t just saved FROM something, we are saved FOR something. The blessings that come with salvation don’t begin at death, they begin immediately (John 10:10). Jesus came to give this present life meaning and purpose. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus promises rest to his children. This isn’t about eternity, it’s about right now. The heavy burdens you are carrying, the stress that makes you weary, the worries that come with your responsibilities, Jesus wants to do something about that right now. He isn’t only providing a future, eternal solution to your problems, He provides immediate help. The hope that accompanies salvation is remarkable.

Hope isn’t the only immediate benefit to salvation. When I say that you are saved FOR something, I mean that you are given a purpose. Life is no longer a fatalistic series of chance encounters and events. God is constantly at work in our lives and in our world as a whole. God is on a clear mission to redeem and restore everything that was broken by sin. And he invites you to be a part of His mission. You are now called into His work of redemption and restoration. The world around us is becoming more broken every day, and God has called you to wade into the brokenness and provide hope and healing. We see God’s calling in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20,

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

The God who reconciles us to himself has gifted us with the mission to do the same for others. The message of reconciliation has been entrusted to us as the ambassadors and representatives of Jesus. God is making his appeal through you. Here’s why I think this is so important… God has specifically placed you in a neighborhood, a job, a school, a church, a community that desperately needs the message of reconciliation to God. You have relationships and influence with people that no one else does. You are the ambassador of Christ in that relationship. could through you. Accept the calling God has placed on you. Embrace the fact that salvation not only rescued you FROM hell, but it saved you FOR a purpose. This is especially important around Christmas. There are family members who don’t know Jesus, co-workers whose families have fallen apart and have noone to celebrate with, children living in group homes who have never experienced Christmas in the way you are accustomed to. The opportunities to be a conduit of God’s grace and love are plentiful at this time of year. Don’t let them pass you by.

APPLICATION / CHALLENGE

• Trust Jesus today to save you—throughout eternity and for today’s problems. If you would like to know God personally, contact us here. Scroll down to the Ministry Information Request section and mark the first or second  checkbox. We look forward to helping!
• Identify at least one way to tangibly demonstrate God’s love during the Christmas season.
• Let your pastors help you know how to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ.