Series Title: Sent
Message Title: God's Rescue Mission...Part 1
Matthew 9:35-36 NLT
35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Romans 3:23 NIV
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 NIV
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8 NIV
But God demonstrates His own love for us…while we were still sinners…Christ died for us.
Romans 10:13 NLT
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:14-15 NLT
14But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?
1. Salvation is for EVERYONE
Romans 10:34 NLT
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?
2. REJECTION isn't the problem
Calling requires belief
Belief requires hearing
Hearing requires someone speaking
Have they actually heard the true story of Jesus?
Many people in our world aren't rejecting the real Jesus...They are rejecting a counterfeit, distorted version of Jesus.
We have the tools to save the lost, but do we lack the will to search?
3. The Rescue Station is OPEN
John 5:1-8 NLT
1Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 2 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” 8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
Talk It Over Questions
1. Have you ever been lost or in a situation where you needed someone to rescue or help you? What happened?
2. Do think that some believe they are "too far gone" ...meaning they've disqualified themselves for salvation? If so, why do you think that is?
3. The sermon said, "The ground at the foot of the cross is perfectly level." What does that statement mean to you?
4. The sermon suggested many people aren't rejecting the real Jesus but a distorted version of Him. Why do you think that's true today?
5. This week we were encouraged to picture someone who is far from God. Who came to your mind?
What keeps you from sharing your faith with that person?
Ask Your Kids
Let's Serve Like Jesus
1. What are some jobs where people serve and help others, and how do they serve others?
2. We can serve like Jesus when we put him above EVERYTHING else. How can you make sure you are doing that this week?
3. The book of Matthew tells us how to live out part of God’s purpose for our lives—to serve others, to choose kindness, and to love God above everything else. We do that when we serve everyone with an attitude that honors and obeys God instead of an attitude of wanting attention from people. What are some ways we can serve others without seeking applause or pats on the back from other people?
