No Need

TITLE: No Need
DATE:  July 12, 2019
TEXT:. Eccl 7:20 - ESV - Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
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In the 1800’s there was a fisherman who worked Plymouth Sound.

The sun had almost set when he saw a sailor on a neighboring boat stumble and go over the side. Knowing Arthur, that was the sinking sailor’s name, had a reputation for drinking, the fisherman waited to see if everything would be OK. When he saw  no struggling, no swimming, he jumped into his dingy and rowed to the spot where Arthur had gone overboard.

Truth be told, it was more by God’s grace than by skill, that enabled the rescuer to grab a hold of Arthur’s arm and drag the drunken man to safety.
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Realizing this was hardly the time for a temperance lecture, the rescuer got liquor-logged Arthur back to his own bunk. Then, having made his semi-conscious compatriot as comfortable as possible, the fisherman rowed back to his boat.

The next morning the rescuer rowed back to see how Arthur the floundering fisherman was doing.

From a distance the rescuer gave a hail, but Arthur, who was standing on the deck of his ship gave no answer. Twice more the rescuer called out and both times his greeting was met with silence. Finally, when he was close enough to carry on a normal conversation, he said, “Arthur, how are you?”

Arthur answered with a grunt: “What do you care?” “

“Well, I care a great deal, considering I saved your life last night.” “You did no such thing” said the hung-over sailor, peppering his comments with some nautically creative cursing. “I’m fine today; I was fine last night, and I don’t need nobody like you thinking you have to save me.” Thus ended the conversation.  The rescuer rowed away, he reflected upon Arthur’s dark attitude and his equally dark future.

Shaking his head, he concluded, “How sad, it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Tragically, there are many people who, like Arthur, don’t want anyone to talk to them about their condition. They think they’re fine today and they hope they will be equally fine tomorrow. And that’s the catch.

Although they may think they’re all right, they’re not. Their day of death is marked on the calendar; their day of judgment is just down the road a piece and without Jesus they’re afraid. They may not want to face that fact; they may choose to deny that fact; they may grumble and curse at anyone who reminds them of that truth, but their denial and oaths don’t change anything.

What changes things is Jesus Christ. At the beginning of time humankind’s disobedience invited sin, Satan and death into our lives. The Lord knew only His Son had the ability to live a perfect life; only His Son could resist Satan’s suggestions toward sin; only His Son could defeat death.

God wants you to know  His Son, Jesus came to earth as the offspring  of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and His entire life was spent doing all that you couldn’t. So you might be saved, Jesus was maligned and misunderstood by those who should have welcomed and worshiped Him. So you might be forgiven, innocent Jesus was denied, betrayed, beaten, whipped and crucified. God wants you to know that before His Son died, He was saddled with the weight and punishment of your sins.

All this God has done because He didn’t want ”things to be that way.”  

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord for planning our salvation, we give thanks. Now, let those who think they have no need of a Redeemer be touched by the reality of their sin. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
 
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html