THE CRY OF THE PERISHING


A. "LORD SAVE US: WE PERISH" - Matt. 8:25
  1. Our Lord's many engagements during the day made Him tired and sleepy. He had gone down into the lower part of a small ship and slept:
  2. A storm came and threatened the ship as well as the lives of the disciples:
    1. At least they were fearful of losing their lives.
    2. They became impatient with the Master, sleeping amidst danger.
  3. They cried unto him, "Lord save us: we perish":
B. MAN IS, BY NATURE, IN A PERISHING CONDITION
  1. This is evident from the express declaration of the word of God:
    1. "All we like sheep have gone astray" - Isa. 53:6
    2. The scriptures have concluded all under sin - Gal. 3:22; Rom. 3:19, 23
  2. This is evident from his true condition:
    1. "The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." - Isa. 1:5, 6
    2. Paul states the same truth in slightly different words - Rom. 3:9-22
    3. The end of such a state is death - Rom. 6:23; Jas. 1:15
  3. A sinner is not able either to change his condition, or to blot out his transgression:
    1. That is what the Lord says through the prophet Jeremiah - Jer. 13:23
    2. Paul affirms this by stating his own experience, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Rom 7:24
    3. He saw how the victorious Romans would tie the dead bodies of their fallen comrades to their prisoners and, according to ancient customs in war, the prisoners had to carry these bodies until they were completely decomposed.
    4. He saw in their cruel treatment of the prisoners a simile of the condition of a sinner and the contagion of sin.
  4. The cry of the perishing: "Lord save us":
    1. That cry is the gateway unto salvation.
    2. It reveals to the perishing their true condition -
      1. That is the first step for sinners to take to be saved - Luke 15:17
      2. It reveals their heart's desire to be saved - Matt. 14:30
    3. It indicates that they look to Christ to be saved - Ps. 121:1-6
      1. He and He alone can save the perishing - Acts 4:12; John 8:36
      2. He is always ready to save sinners - Jer. 33:3
C. OUR TEXT BRINGS TO OUR MIND A THREEFOLD LESSON
  1. That by nature we all are lost and perishing sinners, without any exception:
    1. There is absolutely no difference between one sinner and the other - Rom. 3:9
    2. It is sin in the heart that makes all of us wretched, blind unfit for heaven, even if our names are on the books of the church - Rev. 3:14-17
  2. That the hope of the perishing is found:
    1. In realizing his lost condition; the sooner the better for him - Luke 18:13
  3. But that is not enough! It is a good beginning, but he must go beyond this step. "I must come to the Saviour and confess my lost condition": EXAMPLES -
    1. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-45
    2. The prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32
    3. Mary Magdalene - a great sinner - Mark 16:9
      1. Our Saviour is ever ready, yea, waiting for the perishing to make their condition known to Him.
      2. He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to Him for help - Heb. 7:25
      3. He invites us to come to Him in these words, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28
      4. He will never turn any sincere person away from Himself - Jer. 33:3
      5. Prayer is the key to the entrance to the kingdom of heaven; let us use it to the fullest.


    Design © John Bryant 2011