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What's Not Enough to be Saved

Brian Messerli
02/16/25 - Praise and Preaching Service

Acts 1:8 - There are few things more frustrating in life than ALMOST reaching a goal, but falling short because you didn’t have enough.  When you’re a kid at Disney, you may look at Space Mountain and think, “I can handle that, I want to ride the big kid ride” but then when you step up to the height requirement stick which says 44 inches, you’re only 41.  Or maybe as an adult, you’re in the market for a new car, you’ve found one online you can afford, but when you go to the lot, you notice another car with way more bells and whistles, and you realize that’s the one you REALLY want, but alas…you simply don’t have enough to afford it.  It’s painful to fall short.  In fact, one of the most painful endings in all of sports was Super Bowl 34 between the Rams and Titans.  The score was 23-16 Rams, with 6 seconds left in the game.  The Titans have the ball with just 10 yards to go to make a touchdown to tie the game, send it into overtime and have a chance to win.

They snap the ball, the quarterback throws it to Dyson, his wide receiver, Dyson catches the ball at the 5 yard line, all he has to do is run 5 yards to score, but he gets wrapped up by Mike Jones on the defense, and he tries so hard to run but he falls forward, reaching out with the ball to cross the end zone…only to come up inches short.  Rams win, Titans lose.  It’s a brutally painful memory for Tennessee.

But as painful as all those situations are, what would be infinitely more painful would be for someone to come so close to having their soul saved by Jesus, yet only to come up short because what they did was not enough to be saved.

Now, it’s clear from our opening text here in Acts 1:8 that God WANTS all people to be saved!  Jesus intended for the good news of salvation to be shared first in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and then to the remotest parts of the earth!  Which means Jesus wants everyone to be saved, no matter who you are, what your religious background or ethnicity is, and no matter what society says about you!  This concept of salvation moving from Judea to Samaria is SO shocking, because Jews HATED Samaritans!  Remember when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4?  That was so surprising because, John writes, “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans,” and in Luke 9, James and John wanted Jesus to call down fire from heaven and DESTROY the Samaritans!  Yet the gospel of Jesus breaks down every social barrier and offers hope even to the most hated in society, to the point where it’s even offered to Gentiles in the remotest parts of the earth, who were even MORE hated by the Jews than Samaritans were!

Jesus has the power to penetrate any heart and save any soul, BUT there’s a catch.  We have to be saved on HIS terms.  And people come up short of being saved because they don’t accept His terms.  This morning, I want to give you an encouraging Bible story about a man who WAS saved and did NOT fall short because He obeyed Jesus’ terms.  And as we go along in this story, I want to point out that if he would have stopped short of following any one of those terms, it would not have been enough for him to be saved.  And with each point I make, the lesson will get more and more shocking and potentially offensive.

Acts 8:12 - Here we find Philip the evangelist, who was a Jew, but he’s in Samaria preaching the gospel to people Jews are supposed to hate, and even though the Samaritans are also supposed to hate Philip because he’s Jewish, they love the good news about Jesus, and people are responding in faith and coming to the Lord in baptism and everything is going great in Samaria!  But then…

Acts 8:26 - Now, if you’re Philip, this is a really strange request.  Things are going so well in Samaria, and he’s making a real difference there, yet this angel of God asks him to leave.  And he doesn’t say to leave and go to another populated city so that hundreds or thousands more people can be saved, he asks him to travel south from Samaria back down to Jerusalem which is 100 miles away, a pretty long trip without a car, and then to take this deserted road which wouldn’t have very many people on it at all.  So God moves him from huge crowds to an empty dirt road.  And if you’re Philip, you’ve got to be thinking, “What on earth is God’s plan here?  This doesn’t make any sense.”  Yet what we find is that God values the one just as much as he values the many.  God is certainly thrilled to have hundreds or thousands of people in Samaria coming to the Lord, but there’s one soul in particular right now on God’s heart, and He sends Philip to go find him.

Acts 8:27-31 - The soul on God’s mind was an Ethiopian man who served in the court of Queen Candace.  He was either an ethnic Jew living in Ethiopia, or he was a native Ethiopian who had converted to become Jewish, but he’s on his way back from Jerusalem in a chariot when the Holy Spirit told Philip to go join him.  Now, up to this point in v. 31, the Ethiopian’s soul has not been saved because Philip has not yet shared Jesus with him.  What that means is, there were 3 things so far about this Ethiopian man that were not enough to be saved.

1. Being a Good Person

• The fact that he served in the Queen’s court and was put in charge of the treasury for the whole nation speaks to his trustworthiness.  Here’s a man you can count on, he has proven himself to be a man of integrity who can be trusted to oversee funds without skimming money off the top for himself.
  • Do you remember Judas, who was put in charge of the money box for Jesus and the other disciples?
    • John 12:6b - You can tell a lot about a person by the way they take care of other people’s belongings.  And Judas’ mishandling of the treasury box was a reflection of his corrupted heart.
    • But for this Ethiopian man, he was a good and responsible steward for the Queen.  What’s more, he’s humble.  When Philip asks if he understands what he’s reading, he doesn’t say, “Of course I do, I’m a highly educated court official.”  No, he admits he doesn’t understand.  And for those you who were in the Isaiah class last quarter, you understand why he was having such a hard time, because it’s tough book, and we’ll see in a few minutes the particular chapter he was reading was debated among the Jews, and no one really knew for sure what it was talking about.  And he had the humility to admit, “I don’t know what it means and I need help.”  Why?  Because he was a good man.
• Yet that wasn’t enough to be saved.  If it were, God would have never sent Philip to him.  God could have said, “That’s a good man, I’m letting him into Heaven, so I can just let Philip stay in Samaria.”
  • This probably hits close to home for many of us, because we have friends and family members and neighbors who we would call “salt of the earth” kind of people.  They’re responsible at work, they’re good parents, they’re kind and helpful and do volunteer work and sometimes it seems like they’re more loving than Christians are.  But it’s NOT enough to be saved, and it won’t get them to Heaven.  Why?
    • Ecclesiastes 7:20 - When we say someone is a “good person,” we’re comparing them to other people.  But in the Bible, God is the standard for goodness.  Goodness in the Bible means morally perfect and sinless, and Jesus said “No one is good but God alone.”  When we see a good person, we’re seeing glimpses of God’s image in them shining through, but no matter how much of God we see in them, it’s always an imperfect reflection because even the best people have sinned against God, in their hearts, in their minds, with their mouths and their actions.  And even though we can’t see it, even the “good people” are walking around with a stain on their soul no amount of good deeds can ever remove.
      • Isaiah 64:5b-6 - This Ethiopian man was a good person, but like all humanity, his good works were not enough to be saved.

2.  Being Rich

• When we hear that he was reading Isaiah, that doesn’t surprise us because we all have Bibles.  But in the first century, it was incredibly rare for anyone to have their own private copy of Scripture.  Just owning this one Isaiah scroll would have costed between 1-3 years worth of salary for an average worker.  He was incredibly rich and held a very important position in his kingdom!
  • And in the first century world, the default assumption was, “If you’re rich, you MUST be right with God!”  Which is why what Jesus said to the rich young ruler was so astounding.
    • Matthew 19:23-25 - That’s SO radically different than anything they’ve ever heard!  Which is why their response was, “If rich people can’t be saved, then WHO CAN?”
    • And while we don’t have that same assumption about rich people today, I do think there’s a tendency for us to give an almost over-the-top respect and admiration to the rich, like we idolize them, especially celebrities.  If we’re not careful, we can wrongly view rich people as the best of the best in society, and equate social class with moral virtue.  This is why companies use celebrities so often in marketing campaigns because we think because these people are rich and famous, therefore we should trust them to tell us how to live.
      • We may even be intimidated to share the gospel with a rich person because we feel like they have better things to do than to speak to lowly peasants like us and we shouldn’t bother them with Jesus.
      • Philip may have been intimidated to speak to this Ethiopian man, especially because he would NOT have been traveling alone, he would have been traveling in a caravan, and I don’t picture this as some dingy little chariot held together by duct tape either.  It would have been clear to Philip that this was a very rich man, especially after he heard him reading Isaiah out loud, but Philip ran up to him anyway because he knew his riches were not enough to save him.  Philip knew as rich as he was, if he were to die before obeying Jesus, his soul would be lost forever.
        • Matthew 16:26a

3.  Being Jewish

• In the first century, the fact that being Jewish was not enough to be saved was the most shocking and offensive of all of Jesus’ teachings.  It’s why the Jews killed Jesus, it’s why they killed Stephen in Acts 7, it’s why Saul killed Christians, and why, after Saul was converted to Christianity, the Jews chased him from city to city trying to kill him!  If I stood up and made this point in the first century, I could be murdered for it!
  • Yet here we see the Ethiopian was Jewish, either by birth or conversion, yet it wasn’t enough to be saved.  If it were, God would not have needed to send Philip to him.
    • Matthew 8:11-12 - Now, here Jesus does say many Jews WILL be saved, starting with the first Jews, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and many others will join them in God’s perfected Heavenly kingdom.  BUT, in the very next verse, He says many Jews, or sons of the kingdom, will be cast into outer darkness!  This was the most politically incorrect thing Jesus could have said!  In modern lingo, this would would have been deemed hate speech!  But Jesus didn’t HATE the Jews; no, Jesus was a Jew Himself and He came to save the Jewish people first!
      • And Paul, who was ALSO Jewish, taught the same thing Jesus taught.
        • Romans 10:1-2 - Paul LOVES his fellow Jewish people, and wants so desperately for them to be saved, but many of them won’t be because they’re trying to be saved on their own terms!  They’re on fire for God and they have passion and zeal, but the problem is they think they can be saved without Jesus, and Paul says that proves they are without knowledge.
• And this hits close to home because some of you may have Jewish friends or coworkers and you see them wearing a yamaka or tassels on their clothes, they appeal to the Old Testament to prove that they are the chosen people of God, and they’re worshipping the one true God!  How in the world can they not be saved?  It’s because the one true God they’re worshipping says in the New Testament being Jewish is not enough to be saved.  They’re going to be like Dyson in Super Bowl 34, with arm outstretched toward the end zone, trying to get there through a Jesus-less Judaism, only to fall tragically short.

4.  Being Devoutly Religious

• Acts 8:32-35 - The Ethiopian man is VERY devout and spiritually minded!  It was 1,500 miles from Ethiopia to Jerusalem, which would have been over 1 month of travel time round trip, and then he’s reading Isaiah even though it’s hard to understand and instead of slamming the scroll shut in frustration because he doesn’t get it, he keeps trying.  Not to mention, it would have been especially challenging trying to read while your chariot is bouncing over rocks and divots in the road.  If I were him, I’d be getting carsick, but he’s doing his DBR anyway!
  • Yet it’s STILL not enough to be saved!  This may hit close to home because some of your Jewish friends may be VERY devout, and they’re keeping the Sabbath and going to synagogue services and reading Scripture on their lunch break and refusing to eat bacon (which is a HUGE sacrifice), and you’d think, “Surely if anyone can be saved, it would be them!”  Yet religious devotion and spiritual mindedness is NOT enough to be saved, even when it’s directed toward the one true God!  This is even more true if we have Muslim friends who faithfully attend their local Mosque and they stop 5 times a day to pray to Allah, or maybe we know people that aren’t really attached to any specific religion, but they view themselves as spiritual and in touch with the realm beyond, and maybe they get up every morning and appreciate nature and give thanks to the Universe.  I’m grateful for 12-step programs because they’ve helped a lot of people, but unfortunately those programs can become like a new religion, where you have brothers and sisters you meet with on a regular basis, you have certain rituals to go through, and you’re submitting to a “Higher Power,” however you define that power for yourself.
    • And you may know people who have made every meeting, who have overcome addictions, and even become sponsors to help others through the program, but all of that devotion, even with a spiritual and religious feel to it, is NOT enough to be saved.
      • John 14:6 - It doesn’t matter how devout or spiritual or religious we are, we cannot be saved without Jesus.  Which makes this next point even more shocking!

5.  Being Told about Jesus

• The Ethiopian man was reading from Isaiah 53, which is all about a suffering servant who would one day be lifted up and exalted as King.  It was written 700 years before Christ came, but in stunning detail it describes a man who would bear our sins upon Himself, and be punished on our behalf, which would lead to our healing.
  • This is a great passage to share with your Jewish friends and ask them who they think it’s talking about.  Jews in the first century thought it was describing the nation of Israel, and many Jews today still believe that.  But that interpretation doesn’t fit very well.  The servant in Isaiah 53 is pictured as sinless and suffering ON BEHALF of and interceding for the nation of Israel.  So you can see why the Ethiopian man was so confused about this.  He knew what Jewish rabbis were saying about it, but it wasn’t sitting well.  There were also some Jews who believed it was about the Savior or Messiah, but that was also confusing because how could their conquering, victorious king also suffer and die?
    • Philip knew this chapter was all about Jesus!  He’s the one who came to die for the sins of Israel and the whole world, to intercede for us and make peace between us and God by taking our punishment upon Himself on the cross.  Because of it, He is now exalted as King, and we can be healed and forgiven of all our sins!
      • BUT notice, telling the Ethiopian man about Jesus is not where this story ends!  Because that’s not enough to be saved!  Many people in the first century were told about Jesus, but they shrugged their shoulders and walked away because they didn’t believe it!  In fact…
        • Isaiah 53:1 - Isaiah recognized when most people hear about Jesus, they won’t believe it!  So it’s not enough to hear the gospel, it must be believed!
• This may hit close to home for some of us because we may know people we’ve shared the gospel with and told all about Jesus, yet it’s been years and they still don’t believe it!  And there are some people who, no matter how much evidence they hear about why they should believe the gospel message, they simply won’t believe.  There are others who watch Youtube videos and listen to podcasts about Christianity simply because they find it interesting, but if they don’t actually believe what they’re hearing about Jesus, it means they’re not saved, because being told about Jesus is not enough to save us.
  • Now, the good news is, the Ethiopian man DID believe, BUT what’s shocking to modern ears is that that’s yet another thing that’s not enough to be saved…

6.  Being a Believer in Jesus

• v. 36 - At this point, he believed what he heard from Isaiah and Philip about Jesus!  If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be so ready to take action and get baptized!  Yet belief wasn’t enough to save him!  If it were, they could have gone their separate ways rejoicing, but there’s no rejoicing yet in this story.  In fact, instead of rejoicing, there’s a sense of urgency.  You can tell the Ethiopian man is eager to be baptized as soon as possible and says, “Hey there’s some water right there, what prevents me from doing this right now?”  He knew believing in Jesus wasn’t enough to be saved…
  • And this is so offensive to modern ears because most people today who believe in Jesus say that’s enough to be saved, and that we don’t have to be baptized.  Yet Jesus said…
    • Mark 16:16 - Some will say, “Yea but in the second part of the verse Jesus doesn’t say, “He who is NOT baptized will be condemned.”  True, but He didn’t have to because if you don’t believe, you’re obviously not going to be baptized either.  It’s like saying, “He who gets in a car and drives away will be saved.  But he who doesn’t get in a car won’t be saved.”  I don’t have to say, “He who doesn’t get in a car and doesn’t drive away won’t be saved,” because if you don’t get in the car, you can’t drive away, so it’s implied.  And Peter said…
    • Acts 2:38, 41 - Notice they were immediately baptized upon hearing that baptism is the way to be forgiven of their sins.  They knew, “If we’re not baptized, we’re not forgiven.”  And when they get baptized, that’s when their souls are added to God’s church.  And in Paul’s conversion story, Ananias said this to him, also with great urgency…
    • Acts 22:16 - It amazes me that modern believers in Jesus will say, “Our church is having a baptism day in a few months, and any Christians who are already saved can come and get baptized as a way to publicly proclaim their salvation and commitment to Jesus.”  There’s no sense of urgency because they don’t think it’s necessary.  But Jesus and Peter, and the 3,000 who were baptized immediately after Peter told them to, and Paul and yes, the Ethiopian man all knew how urgent it was, and so the Ethiopian says, “Let’s hit the brakes on this chariot, and get baptized immediately!”
      • Acts 8:37-40 - Again, he absolutely believed in Jesus, and even confessed that belief, but believing in Jesus wasn’t enough to be saved.  It wasn’t until he acted on that belief by being fully immersed in water, and rising up out of that water that he could go on his way rejoicing because now he was saved!
        • I find it fascinating that Philip believed baptism was so crucial that he couldn’t preach Jesus without preaching baptism.  Did you notice in v. 35 it says Philip preached Jesus to him, but then immediately after in v. 36 the Ethiopian man wants to be baptized.  That’s because Philip believed baptism was an inseparable part of telling people about Jesus.  They go together hand in hand, because baptism is the way we gain access to the salvation Jesus came to bring.
          • Acts 8:12-13a
        • I also find it fascinating that those who would argue baptism isn’t necessary  for salvation typically raise a hypothetical and ask, “But what about people in the desert where there is no water?  Are you saying they can’t be saved?”  This story answers that question, and shows us God cares so much about people’s souls, that He will make a way for them to be baptized.  He will send them a Philip, and He will find them water even out in deserted places because God wants ALL to be saved.
          • This one may hit closest to home of all, because so many of our friends and neighbors and coworkers who claim to believe in Jesus have not been baptized, or if they have, it was for reasons completely different than the ones Jesus, and Peter, and Philip, and Paul gave for baptism.  Maybe God will have mercy on them for that, that’s His call in the end, but from what God tells us to do in His word, what they’ve done is not enough to be saved.  I know that’s offensive, but it’s what the Bible teaches, and it’s always offensive when the Bible challenges our long-held beliefs.  But when our beliefs and what the Bible says are in competition; we need to set our beliefs aside and submit to God’s word, or, like Dyson who was inches away from the end zone, we will find ourselves falling short of Heaven.

• So this morning, if you have not been saved, don’t become another tragic story of someone who almost reached their goal, but fell short.  Maybe you fit into several of these 6 categories.  If so, that’s great, there’s nothing wrong with any of these categories and it can even help you to be a good candidate for salvation, like the Ethiopian man was, but just know, being in these categories is not enough to be saved.  You’ve got to believe and be baptized to be saved, just like the Ethiopian Eunuch did.  We’d love nothing more than to see you go on your way rejoicing this morning in the salvation of the Lord, and the invitation is for you to order the chariot of your life to stop and be baptized right now.
  • But if you’ve already been baptized, and haven’t been living right, I need to add one more point to the sermon because not even baptism is enough to be saved in that case.  Baptism isn’t an automatic pass to Heaven so we can live however we want.  No, the Bible speaks of salvation in two senses.  1) Initially in baptism when our sins are washed away.  2) In the final day when we enter Heaven.  A salvation Peter says in 1 Peter 1:5 is “waiting to be revealed in the last day.”  After we’re baptized, Jesus said in Matthew 10:22, “He who endures to the end will be saved.”  So if you’ve been baptized, but you haven’t endured in faith and you’ve abandoned the Lord, that’s not enough to be saved either.  If we can help you make your life right this morning in any way by obeying Jesus on His terms, come forward and let us know now!