Sand Mountain Sermonette 46
Colossians 1:13-14; Romans 6:23
Little Pirates, Big Lesson
“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14
When I was in the first or second grade, I encountered something that brought home to my little soul the unfathomable depths of the meaning of the word, “rescue.” I went with my parents to visit my great grandfather Hood’s farm located several miles out of town. Now “Granddaddy Hood” as we called him, was my mother’s grandfather and that day, the day my first cousin Gary and his family visited “Granddaddy” from California was a day to remember!
Granddaddy’s farm was neat! He lived in a classic wooden farmhouse featuring a big barn across the road and next to that, a big pond you could walk all the way around. Another sight for sore eyes, was my cousin Gary, who was my age and had brought official pirate swords all the way from California for us to play with. After receiving my sword, Gary and I proceeded to walk across the road that morning to be the swashbucklers we had always dreamed of being. Granddaddy’s barn became our ship, and his pond, the Caribbean. We proceeded to go to one side of the pond to play while my dad, my Uncle Benny, and Granddaddy walked to the other side of the pond to talk a spell. In the meantime, Gary played in the muddy bog at the shallow end of the pond where we were located, while I laid down my sword, grabbed a stick a little taller than I was, and walked out into deeper water.
After I had walked out into the water up to my shoulder blades, I decided to reach out about two feet in front of me and position my stick into the bottom of the pond so I could catapult myself into the deeper water. The problem was, I couldn’t swim, and after having made this bad decision, as the stick sank into the bottom of the pond, I found myself sinking into water over my head! I still remember fighting my way to the top and calling out to Gary who couldn’t swim either, and who was laughing for he thought I was just playing.
Then, after I went down a second time, I managed to fight my way to the top once more, and in doing so, I saw my dad and my Uncle Benny looking at me from our side of the pond as I went down for what I knew was to be the last time. And amidst the bubbles and the panic I could see my dad’s body splashing into the water above me. Dad pulled me out and pushed on my chest and later told me, “A ton of water came out of you, son!” And for the rest of the day, I sat on my father’s lap, leaning upon his chest knowing I had been rescued and was now safe in his arms as the cash bills from my father’s wallet placed between the windshield and windshield wipers of his car dried in the afternoon sun.
The greatest rescue ever occurred the day Jesus defeated the power of sin and the penalty of sin being death, on the cross! The Bible says Jesus blood was spilt publicly on the cross of Calvary and your sin-debt and mine was nailed to the tree! Paul says, “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” His blood paid for our sins in full! He died on the cross in our place! No greater love for you and for me, by name, exists or ever will. Paul says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Have you repented of your sin and invited Jesus into your heart as Savior and Lord? When you do, you will be taken from darkness, deception, and destruction, and transferred to the clean, white, and peaceful place of His presence, now and forever!
In His Name, Pastor Louie