Evangelism Optimism: Let's Save Everyone!

I'm tired of accepting that few will be saved in my life. I'm over this idea that every family will have black sheep, every circle of influences will have lost people. Why do we think that? Probably because Jesus spoke of few entering heaven. And while, on the global scale, His numbers are right on, they don't have to be the case where we live. I mean, most people in our area believe in God, Jesus, and the Bible, at least to some degree. This was not true in Jesus' day, nor even now all over the world. But here? Nearly all people here have these infant stages of belief. Why can't we help save all those people?

In the podcast this week, I walked you through the story of Paul's shipwreck in Acts 27. The story involves 276 people, most of whom were ungodly and defiant in the beginning. All of them were supposed to die because of this sin, but instead, everyone was saved! Not a single one of those officers, seaman, or prisoners, was lost. Here is a list of the points from the sermon I preached last Sunday and in the podcast from Monday:

A Warning is Given (v9-10)
The Advice is Ignored (v11-12)
Consequences Followed (v13-20)
Hope of Salvation is Given (v21-26)
Faith and Obedience Required (v27-32)
Encouragement Ensued Together (v33-38)
Though the End was Rough, All Lived (v39-44)

I know! The steady, gradual, lengthening of the points is cool! Lol. Sorry, I had to add that. They key to this story is between points 3 and 4. At first, they would not listen to God. They didn't believe they were lost, so they didn't seek to be saved. But then, something changed. Their sin led them down a dark and desperate path. From there, God comes back into the picture and graciously offers life to the men! They humbly accept it. What follows is encouragement from Paul and ultimately deliverance by God. Sound great right?

Is it just that easy to save our family and friends? Yes. It really is. Listen, so long as someone denies they are lost, they cannot be saved. But have you noticed how a life of sin adds doubt and fear to people's lives? Yeah, me too. We can save everyone... who knows they need to be saved. So keep an eye on your family and friends, co workers and neighbors. If they get to a point of consequences, and they realize they've made a mess of things, it is time to re-introduce God into their lives! God's willingness to save them, and the support of God's family, is the best!

Is there a Bible study that can accompany this process? I'm so glad you asked that! The story of Acts 27 lays out a great picture of God's grace and salvation to those who are humble and willing to simply do what He says. But eventually you have to actually get into the verses that teach us about the spiritual salvation process. I love, love, love Romans 1-8 for this. I call it the Roman Road to Salvation, and everyone who follows it will be saved. Here is a sample of how it would work in conjunction with Acts 27.

A Warning is Given (Romans 3:19-23; 6:23)
The Advice is Ignored
Consequences Followed
Hope of Salvation is Given (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:1-11)
Faith and Obedience Required (Romans 6:1-13)
Encouragement Ensued Together (Romans 12:6-14)
Though the End was Rough, All Lived (Romans 8:31-39)

Romans 3 shows us that all sin. Every single one of us has shipped off when God said to stay in port. Many of us have experienced the consequences of those choices. So, Romans 3 and 5, God reintroduces hope in the form of Jesus Christ. He will save us! However, Romans 6, we must be willing to have faith and obey. We must be baptized into Christ and become obedient to the will of God. When we do, Romans 12, Christians will surround and support us, and we will help one another "stay in the boat." And while the end of our lives may be scary, Romans 8, not even death can separate us from the love of Christ! We will all be saved in the end!

I can't think of a single person in my life who doesn't need this message. Can you? Christ died for everyone. God desires all men to be saved. And the Gospel is the power to save everyone who will believe. So... what are you waiting for... Let's Save Everyone!

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