A sermon on calling on the name of the Lord

 

Joel.2:32;.Acts.2:21;.Rom..10:13-17:.KW—03.14.10.
Intro:.
A...The.Bible.says,."…Whoever.calls.on.the.name.of.the.LORD.shall.be.saved…"...
......1...This.expression.is.commonly.misunderstood..
......2...Ask.the.average.religious.person.what.it.means.to.call.on.the.name.of.the.Lord..
.............."Lord,.save.me.".
.............."Lord,.I.accept.you.as.my.personal.Savior.".
.............."Lord.Jesus,.come.into.my.heart.".
...........a...Many.people.hear.a.Bible.statement.like.this.and.then.immediately.form.in.their.own.minds.what.they.want.
................the.statement.to.mean.".
...........b...What.exactly.does.it.mean.to."call.on.the.name.of.the.Lord"?.
B..."I.once.spoke.at.a.funeral.for.a.man.who.was.well.known.for.his.wickedness.and.blasphemy...He.made.no.claim.to..
......being.a.child.of.God.and.constantly.belittled.those.who.said.they.were...The.man.was.killed.when.he.fell.from.a.
......building.where.he.was.helping.to.put.on.a.new.roof...A.denominational.preacher.also.spoke.at.the.funeral.and.
......tried.to.comfort.the.family.by.telling.them.there.was.someone.standing.on.the.ground.near.where.the.falling.man.
......hit,.and.he.heard.the.man.utter,.'Lord,.Lord,'.before.he.died...The.denominational.preacher.assured.the.family.and.
......the.entire.audience.that.the.man.was.saved.and,.at.that.very.moment,.was.in.heaven.because.the.Bible.says,..
......'Whoever.calls.on.the.name.of.the.Lord.shall.be.saved.'"..(Don.McWhorter,.MSOP,.'07,.42).
......1...This.kind.of.doctrinal.perversion.no.doubt.brought.additional.guilt.on.this.preacher...cf..Jas..3:1;.Lk..6:39..
......2...I.shudder.to.think.about.how.many.people.have.passed.into.eternity.believing.this.awful.lie..
C...."And.it.shall.come.to.pass.that.whoever.calls.on.the.name.of.the.LORD.shall.be.saved."..Acts.2:21.
.......1...Observations:.
...............The.promise.is.universal—"Whoever…".
...............The.promise.is.conditional—"Whoever.calls…".
...............The.promise.is.required—If.one.does.not.call,.he.obviously.will.not.be.saved..
.......2...Is.the.Bible.full.of.contradictions,.or.can.we.really.know.what.this.statement.means?..Joel.2:28-32.
.
I...What.does.it.not.mean?.
.
.....A...Simply.and.only.believing.in.Jesus.for.salvation.
.
..........1...Calling.is.something.that.comes.after,.and.in.addition.to,.belief...Rom..10:14.
..........2...This.reminds.us.that.faith.alone.does.not.save..."You.see.then.that.a.man.is.justified.by.works,.and.not.by.
...............faith.only."..Jas..2:24.
.
.....B...Prayer.without.obedience.
.
...........1...Prayer.without.obedience.is.worthless..."One.who.turns.away.his.ear.from.hearing.the.law,.even.his.prayer.
.................shall.be.an.abomination."..Prov..28:9.
...........2...Nowhere.in.the.entire.NT.can.we.find.where.an.alien.sinner.was.ever.instructed.to.pray.for.his.salvation..
.
.....C...Simply.articulating.the.words,."Lord,.Lord…".
.
..........1...A.lot.of.folks.attempt.to.equate.the.uttering.of.those.words.with.calling..
..........2...Passages:.
.................."Not.everyone.who.says.to.Me,.'Lord,.Lord,'.shall.enter.the.kingdom.of.heaven,.but.he.who.does.the.will.of.
..................My.father.in.heaven."..Mt..7:21.
.................."By.why.do.you.call.Me.'Lord,.Lord,'.and.do.not.do.the.things.which.I.say?'..Lk..6:46;.cf..Mt..25:11-12.
II...What.does.it.mean?.
.
......A...Acts.2.
.
...........1...Context:.
................a...Descent.of.the.HS:..vv..1-4;.cf..Jn..16:13;.Mk..9:1;.Acts.1:5,.8.
................b...Reaction:—amazement.and.doubt...vv..5-13.
................c...Explanation:..vv..14-21.
.....................1...Fulfillment.of.Joe's.prophecy...Joel.2:32.
.....................2..."This.is.that…"..v..16.
.....................3...Right.place—Jerusalem...cf..Isa..2:3.
............2...Statement:.."And.it.shall.come.to.pass.that.whoever.calls.on.the.name.of.the.LORD.shall.be.saved."..v..21.
............3...Sermon:..vv..22-36.
.................a...Jesus.was.approved.of.God..
.................b...He.was.crucified.according.to.God's.foreknowledge..
.................c...You.have.crucified.Jesus..
.................d...God.raised.Him.from.the.dead..
............4...Conclusion..."Therefore.let.all.the.house.of.Israel.know.assuredly.that.God.has.made.this.Jesus,.whom.you..
.................crucified,.both.Lord.and.Christ."..v..36.
............5...Response:.."Now.when.they.heard.this,.they.were.cut.to.the.heart,.and.said.to.Peter.and.the.rest.of.the.
.................apostles,.'Men.and.brethren,.what.shall.we.do?'"...
............5...Reply:..What.would.you.expect.Peter.to.say?..Believe?..Pray?..Call.out.the.Lord's.name?.
.................a...Compare:.
.........................."And.it.shall.come.to.pass.that.whoever.calls.on.the.name.of.the.LORD.shall.be.saved."..v..21.
.........................."Repent,.and.let.everyone.of.you.be.baptized.in.the.name.of.Jesus.Christ.for.the.remission.of.sins…"..v..38.
.........................."And.with.many.other.words.he.testified.and.exhorted.them,.saying,.'Be.saved.from.this.perverse.
...........................generation."..v..40.
.................b...Watch:.
.........................."If.you.call,.you.will.be.saved.".
.........................."But.how.do.I.call?"..Repent.and.be.baptized..
.................c...Example:.
.......................1)..Saul.had.an.ardent.persecutor.of.the.church...cf..Acts.7:58;.8:1-3;.9:1-6.
.......................2)..He.was.met.by.the.Lord.on.the.road.to.Damascus.and.given.instructions...9:3-6.
.......................3)..He.wasn't.told.to.pray..
.......................4).."And.now.why.are.you.waiting?..Arise.and.be.baptized,.and.wash.away.your.sins,.calling.on.the.name.of.
.............................Lord."..22:16..Ex:..Suppose.one.were.to.say,."I.saw.a.squirrel.leap,.run,.and.jump,.playing.on.the.limb.of.
.............................the.tree."..Notice.that.leap,.jump,.and.run.are.verbs.while.playing.is.a.participle...Question:..What.was.
.............................the.squirrel.doing?..He.was.playing.on.the.limb.of.the.tree...But.how.was.he.playing.on.the.limb.of.the.
.............................tree?..He.was.playing.on.the.limb.of.the.tree.by.leaping,.running,.and.jumping..
..................d...Calling.on.the.name.of.the.Lord.is.the.same.thing.as.obeying.the.gospel...Rom..10:13-16.
.
Concl:.
A...It.is.essential.that.you.obey.the.gospel...2.Thess..1:7-9.
B...Have.you.called.on.the.name.of.the.Lord?..Have.you.obeyed?.........................

 

--Mike Benson

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