Jan. 9, 2000                What's the Point?                 John 20

By Ronald George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

    What's life without a point? The Greatest song of the 20th century is reported to be the Rolling Stones hit entitled: "Can't Get No Satisfaction." This song embodies the feelings of humankind without God. Life is an endless carousel that has no meaning. No meaning in life means no reason to live. Life without a point is life going hunting without bullets. It's life bowling without any pins. It's life a basketball game without a rim. It's like cooking a huge dinner without any hungry people to sit and enjoy the feast. It's like going to school and never finishing or getting a diploma. It's like having a job and never getting a paycheck. It's like fishing without any bait. So, what's your point? Living without a reason to live is useless. The writer of the book of Ecclesiastics says that all is vanity. Do you have a point to your life? Do we have a point to our church? It's like the disciples of Jesus after he was crucified. They had no point to go on. Until the third day that was when he rose again and appeared to them in the locked room. That was when the disciples got the point. Have we got the point?

Scripture Text:

John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them [his] hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.

What's the point to living?

Part I: What's the point to living? It is to be saved. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost

To know God and walk with him throughout life. He is the living God that could not be destroyed by death.

  1. We can be Saved.
  2. We can know God and know that he is a God who has overcome death, hell, and the grave in our place.
  3. We can know God who will never leave us or forsake us. He cannot let us down.
  4. He is our point and our satisfaction. He is our peace.
  5. Knowing God on a daily basis and walking with him throughout live is the point to living.
  6. The point is there is a reason to live. He is our reason. We have been saved from a lifetime of aimless wondering that comes to a devastating end.

Now what?

What's the point to being saved?  

   Did you hear the one about the pastor who loved to golf?      It seems he woke up on a Sunday morning, a beautiful morning for golf and decided to call in sick to the president of the church council. So that he wouldn't be seen, he drove 40 miles to unfamiliar country and registered to play a round of golf. Since everyone in that neck of the woods went to church, he was alone at his tee time, but that was perfectly alright with this preacher who was seeking anonymity.      As he lined up his first shot, St. Peter leaned over to God and said, "Say, you're not going to let him get away with this are you?"      God sighed and responded, "I guess not."      Just then the preacher smacked the ball and it took off in supersonic flight, lifting up straight and true and with distance. It landed 400 yards later, bounced, dribbled and then rolled on to the green, across it and into the cup for a 430 yard hole-in-one.      St. Peter turned at looked at God, "That's what you call justice, that's divine retribution?"      With a twinkle in the eye, God answered, "Who's he going to tell?"

Part II: What's the point to being saved? .

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you …23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.

What's the point to knowing God?

If I straighten the pictures on the walls of your home, I am committing no sin, am I? But suppose that your house were afire, and I still went calmly about straightening pictures, what would you say? Would you think me merely stupid or very wicked? The world today is on fire. What are you doing to extinguish the fire? -- Corrie ten Boom, Amazing Love, 101

  1. The point to being saved is that we are to save others.
  2. We have been joined to God in Christ and now he sends us as he was sent.
  3. We have a divine mission and purpose for being.
  4. Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
    5.
  5. We have been sent by Jesus to seek and to save the lost. This is our point. This is why we are here.
  6. We have the opportunity to join Christ in this work of Saving others.
  7. Live the Life is the title of a Michael W. Smith Song. Living the life so that others can see Jesus in us and want to know the Savior.
  8. We have a living Savior and we have a living faith that makes a difference on Monday mornings and Friday nights.
  9. We have the desire and the power to forgive others. Because we have been forgiven.
  10. We have the desire to help others to come to know the Savior. .
  11. We have the Savior living within us so that we want to work for him.
  12. The point to being Saved is to Save others.

Have you been in the work of saving others? Will you join him in seeking and saving others? There is a waterfall of souls into the lake of fire that are waiting for salvation.