Our Savior Knows

On the afternoon of June 12th, just this past summer, two hikers began climbing a mountain near Torreys Peak in Colorado. They contacted rescue workers around 5 p.m. saying that they were 'off route'. Mission leaders stayed on the line, guiding them back on track and eventually to the summit an hour later. Just moments after reaching the top, the hikers encountered a sudden storm and reported, "We've been hit by lightning. My partner's down. He's not responsive, he's foaming at the mouth. Do I start CPR? What do I do?"

Thunderstorm conditions completely grounded all standard rescue helicopters, but a Colorado National Guard Blackhawk managed to fly into the weather to reach the summit and rescue the men. The rescue occurred around 14,200 feet in elevation - it's believed to be Colorado's highest-altitude helicopter rescue on record.

Try to put yourself in those guys' shoes - you set out looking for adventure, you get lost, you're struck by lightning, and you can't possibly rescue yourself. Most of us would probably say - I can't put myself in those guys' shoes because I'm not ever going to be climbing a mountain in Colorado! And that's probably correct. But could you possibly get stranded in a snow storm? Through a series of unexpected events - I just found myself driving home at 2am in the middle of that blizzard we had last week.

Even with cell phones and GPS, it's still possible to get stranded or lost. What about an unexpected health emergency where we need to call 911? As self sufficient as some of us may be - as much as we don't like to admit needing any help - we still occasionally may need someone who can rescue us.

We don't ever like to think of ourselves as 'lost' - but that is what many of us were without Jesus. That's the condition of every single human being without Jesus. This morning, I want to remind us about some truths confirming that Jesus is our perfect Savior. First, Jesus always knows...

I. Where you are

In the story about the hikers - even when they were lost and disoriented - by tracking their signal, the rescuers knew right where they were.

Some people who don't want Jesus to see them doing what they're doing might be uncomfortable with Jesus knowing where they are. But those who trust Jesus should be incredibly comforted by that truth. You are not alone, even when it feels like it. The Creator of everything, of all the trillions of galaxies spread throughout the entire universe - God knows exactly where you are in all of the vastness of His creation!

Jesus knows our struggles and temptations. He knows our successes - and our failures. Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. He created you. And Jesus said, He "came to seek and to save what was lost."

Think back to the story of the woman at the well - Jesus came to the well and found a Samaritan woman there. He spoke to her and asked her for a drink of water. She was surprised because it was not proper for a Samaritan woman and a Jewish man to hold a conversation. But they kept speaking and they continued to talk about water. Jesus told her that He could give her living water – and that she'd never be thirsty again.

She became interested and then asked for some. And then remember what happened next...

John 4:16-18 (NIV)

He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." (17) "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. (18) The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

Jesus wasn't pointing this out just to shame her, He was acknowledging truth - He was diagnosing the problem so that healing could then happen. Jesus knew her life. He knew her heart. Her life was completely exposed to Him. He knew what she had done and with whom. AndHe knows the same things about you and me.

He knows what paths you've traveled. He knows what turns you've made. He knows what dead end streets you may have been down - and He still loves you. Jesus knows right where we are. Do you know where you are? That might sound like an odd question...

But think back to the story of Adam and Eve. Remember what happened after they ate the forbidden fruit? God came to the garden and called out – "Adam, where are you?" - Do you think that God didn't know? Of course He did! God knew right where Adam was. But part of reaching safety is knowing right where you are. Part of reaching safety is knowing that you are lost - that you've made some bad decisions. Do you know where you are?

Jesus is the perfect Savior because He also knows...

II. Your condition

The hikers were not only lost — they were in a storm, hit by lightning, terrified and in danger. Their condition was beyond simply being 'misplaced' - it was life-threatening. In the same way, Jesus knows our true condition. He knows our sin, our strengths and weaknesses, our brokenness. But it says this in Romans 5:8-9 (NIV)...

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

In the hiker's story, when they called for help, the rescue workers could've said, "If you'd have done your homework - you'd have known you started your ascent way too late in the day. Everyone here knows there's a storm up there just about every day around the same time. You made a series of really dumb decisions - rescue yourself!"

That's not how Jesus operates. Jesus meets you in your condition, whatever it is - not to condemn, but to save!

Think back to the story of the woman at the well again - Jesus knew exactly who that woman was and where she'd been when He approached her. He didn't think, "She's not really the type of woman I want to be seen with in public." Jesus knew she'd made some very poor decisions and was in the situation she was in, all of her own making. But He came to her anyway.

What's your situation based on your life choices? What kind of shape have you been in the past...? God knows. The Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Jesus knows that – and He loves us just the same. Someone said, "God loves us just as we are – but He loves us too much to leave us that way." God knows our condition - in our good times and bad – and He still thinks we're worth saving.

Jesus is The perfect Savior because He also knows, how much...

III. Time you have left

In the hiker's rescue, the urgency was very real. They were in the middle of a storm, conditions worsening. They couldn't wait - time was against them. The rescuers had to act immediately - not when the weather got better, not when the sun came out the next day - but 'today'.

- In Luke chapter 19, it starts with, "Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through." Jesus was actually on His way to Jerusalem - He was just passing through Jericho. But then we see the story of Zaccheus, the chief tax collector who climbed a tree just to see Jesus. And we see, in Luke 19:5 (NIV)...

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."

Notice that word 'today'. Here's the context - Jesus was on His way to make His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, the week before His crucifixion, where He was planning on dying for the sins of the world. And on His way to completing this mission - He stopped and insisted on staying with Zaccheus. Jesus knew that He wouldn't be returning to Jericho and this would be the last opportunity for Zaccheus to hear the truth from Jesus' own lips!

We don't know how much time we have left on this earth - only God does. I don't know how much time I have left to live. I read that currently the average white male in America lives to around 76 years old. If I live to the average age that means I only have less than 19 years left. But I may not live that long - or I could live longer. There's no guarantee of tomorrow. We might think we have time, but Jesus knows, and He calls each of us now.

Over the course of my ministry years I've conducted over 70 funeral and memorial services for different individuals - most of them since coming to Deep River. Some were quite young - one was a teenager. Some of them were nearly 100 years old. All of this to say – I don't know how much time any of us have. But I do know...

Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, (28) so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

This passage from Hebrews doesn't talk about the number of days a person will live – but it does talk about what happens after we die - judgment. It seems to me that we should be more concerned about the judgment than we are about how long we live. That day will determine whether we spend eternity with God or separated from God.

Our perfect Savior knows just how much time we have left - and His plans are best, whether we understand them or not - and His timing is always perfect. When you give yourself to Jesus in baptism - when you're clothed in Christ - when you're adopted into His family - when your grip on this life finally gives out, He will be there to catch you.

Jesus is The perfect Savior, because He knows...

IV. You can't save yourself

Remember those hikers - the two men were injured and overwhelmed by weather. They couldn't just walk themselves out. They needed a team of experts and a military Blackhawk helicopter! They couldn't save themselves!

Our rescue is not something we can accomplish by our own strength. In the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus called out, "Lazarus, come out!" Lazarus had been in the grave for four days already, why hadn't he walked out by himself before? Because he couldn't. Because he was dead - that's kind of an obstacle to getting up and walking. Lazarus didn't raise himself - we can't either.

You don't have to raise your hands - but how many of you here have tried to be consistently, 100% really good? How many of you have tried to always do the right thing every single time? Anyone succeed? Anyone here get it right every time? - Anyone here perfect? More likely - anyone here ever fail? Yeah - me, too. I'm not suggesting we don't try - we should. We should fight to 'do good', to do right - we should fight sin in our lives with everything we have! But even our best efforts will fall short.

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, (2) in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (3) All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (4) But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, (5) made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.

You cannot save yourself. You need a Savior. You may try to "fix" your 'spiritual condition', but you can't do it alone. God knows our efforts – He knows how hard we may have tried. But only He can save us! It doesn't matter how good you may have been, or feel you are - you still desperately need a Savior in Jesus!

Acts 4:12 (NIV)

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

But here's the important part. Think about those hikers one last time. Would the rescue team have come out in a storm if they hadn't gotten that call for help? Your rescuer will not come unless you believe in and accept Him. Look at what it says in John 3:35-36 (NIV)...

The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. (36) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.

But here's a sad truth – not everyone who gets lost, gets saved. In 2019, a man by the name of Don Chambliss got lost on the same peak as those hikers who were rescued by the helicopter. He was reported missing by family, but it wasn't until four days later that his body was found below a ridge.

Not everyone gets saved. However - IF anyone reaches out to Jesus, they can and will be saved! Jesus is our perfect Savior – He has the absolute power to seek and to save those who are lost!

So What?

Where are you? Are you on the right road and safe with the Father? If you are good in your faith in Jesus - what about those around you? Do they know they need a Savior? Do they need you to introduce them to Jesus? Have you talked to anyone about your Savior outside of these four walls recently...?

My Dad is currently in the hospital after his back surgery. Things went well, but the recovery has not been quite as smooth as we'd hoped. One of his nurses came in to give him his pain meds and he started up a conversation. He found out she'd grown up in the Church, but hadn't been back in years. Turns out she lives in Whiting where my Dad knows the minister of the Christian Church there. He gave her the contact information and encouraged her to check it out. He's just 'passing through' on his difficult way to recovery, but he made sure to stop and give a lost person directions.

Anyone here a bit lost? Have you taken a wrong turn in life? Is the path you've chosen not working out so well for you? You need Jesus! You call on Him and He will come and find you! We serve a God who specializes in taking lost, broken lives and turning them into something incredible! Some of us here are testimonies of that! We are not who we were because of Jesus! ...But we have to trust Him to save us.

Jesus knows where you are. Jesus knows your condition. Jesus knows how much time you have left. You can't save yourself - but He can, and He's the only One who can!