Sermon Tone Analysis

On January 9, 1876, Charles Spurgeon preached a message from the same text that I have read to you.

In the introduction to that sermon, he shared his testimony on how he came to know Jesus Christ.

/"It was about twenty-six years ago, that I looked unto the Lord, and found salvation, through this text.

You have often heard me tell how I had been wandering about, seeking rest, and finding none, till a plain, unlettered, lay preacher among the Primitive Methodists stood up in the pulpit, and gave out this passage as his text: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth."

He had not much to say, thank God, for that compelled him to keep on repeating his text, and there was nothing needed—by me, at any rate—except his text.

I remember how he said, "It is Christ that speaks.

'I am in the garden in an agony, pouring out my soul unto death; I am on the tree, dying for sinners; look unto me!

Look unto me!' That is all you have to do.

A child can look.

One who is almost an idiot can look.

However weak, or however poor, a man may be, he can look; and if he looks, the promise is that he shall live."

Then, stopping, he pointed to where I was sitting under the gallery, and he said, "That young man there looks very miserable."

I expect I did, for that is how I felt.

Then he said, "There is no hope for you, young man, or any chance of getting rid of your sin, but by looking to Jesus;" and he shouted, as I think only a Primitive Methodist can, "Look!

Look, young man!

Look now!"

And I did look; and when they sang a hallelujah before they went home, in their own earnest way, I am sure I joined in it."/

This great passage of the Bible was used of the Lord to bring that great man to Jesus Christ.

Now, we need to understand that Spurgeon's experience was not unlike that of any other believer.

He was brought face to face with his own condition and of his need for Jesus Christ.

Then, when he believed the Gospel, he was saved.

Now, there is a tendency to on the part of preachers and other Christians to make salvation more difficult to understand than it really is.

In fact, the doctrine of salvation itself is remarkably simple!

Yet, we use words to speak about it that people are totally unfamiliar to those outside the church.

It is as if we have our own special coded language.

We use words and phrases like, saved, blood bought; blood washed; born again; redeemed; and the like.

These are all good words and phrases, but they can be overwhelming and confusing to those who do not know what they mean.

Yet, there is nothing confusing, mysterious or hard to understand about salvation.

God has fixed it so that anyone can understand it!

This evening, I want to preach to you from this verse on the thought, Salvation Made Plain And Simple.

To begin with, the word salvation means The act of saving from harm.

Of course, this could apply to being saved from harm in any arena of the human experience.

It is possible to be saved physically, financially, emotionally, mentally, etc.

However, I want to use the word as it relates to your spiritual need.

Any other type of salvation is only temporary in nature.

Yet, when a person experiences the salvation of his or her soul, they have experienced something eternal that can never fade or be taken away.

Allow me to share with you a few features of God's salvation.

These few simple features are all you need to know to be saved.

And, they are what make salvation so plain and simple.

All I ask is that you give your attention to the Word of God and that you allow God to speak to your heart.

If you see that you need to come to Christ for salvation, please feel free to do so at any time during the service.

Someone will help you to get what you need from the Lord.

Now, let's look together at the features that make salvation plain and simple.

!

I. THE SOURCE OF SALVATION

* /"Turn to ME and be saved"; "I am God, and there is no other."/

#. this verse is crystal clear!

#. there is no doubt that God says that salvation can only be found in Him!

#. there is only one road to Heaven

#. there is only one remedy for sin

#. there is but one way to escape from Hell

#. and that is through God's plan of salvation

#. salvation does not come through the church, the baptistry, the denomination, or through family associations

#. it comes only through God's plan of salvation.

#. salvation can not be obtained through good deeds and clean living

#. it comes only through God's plan of salvation

!! A. GOD'S PLAN IS AN EXCLUSIVE PLAN

* /“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.”/ (John 14:6, NIV84)

#. this verse makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the only avenue that man can take that will bring him to God

#. if a man must have a million dollars to be called a millionaire, then he must have Christ to be called a Christian

* /“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”/

(1 John 5:12, NIV84)

#. no one goes to Heaven because they are a Baptist

#. they do not get to go because they are good people

#. they do not get to go because they have done good things or because they have been a good person

#. a person goes to Heaven because he is in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ

#.

God will not share the salvation of souls with any preacher, Pope, denomination, sacrament or anything else we can name

#. salvation comes through Jesus Christ and Jesus alone

* /“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”/

(Acts 4:12, NIV84)

#.

I am going to Heaven!

#. not because I am a Baptist preacher

#. not because I attend church

#. not because I have been baptized

#. not because I pay my tithes

#. not because I try to live right

#. all of those things are good and every saved person ought to do them, but those things cannot save the soul

#.

I am going to heaven because one day in July of 1973, I came to the place where I looked to no one or no thing but to Jesus Christ alone

#.

I am going because I know Jesus

#. one thing and one thing alone was required for me to be saved and I did that thing

#.

I looked to Jesus and He saved my soul!

* ILLUS.My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is seeking sand.

#. there is but one way to Heaven, to God and to salvation and His Name is Jesus

#.

He is the sole source of salvation!

!

II.

THE SCOPE OF SALVATION

* /“All the ends of the earth."/

#. one of the truths about God's plan of salvation is that it is for is for sinners, who if they repent of sin and come to Christ in faith, will be saved

#. the church must proclaim the free offer of the gospel to all men

* /“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”/

(John 3:16, NIV84)

* /“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”

And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”/

(Revelation 22:17, NIV84)

* /“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”/

(John 10:9, NIV84)

#. the Book of Revelation makes clear the scope of salvation