Hell's Best Kept Secret

"Hell’s best kept secret"

Romans 3:10-23

Want each of you to know that we live in a dangerous moment in time and that at any minute under circumstances beyond our control, we may find ourselves in eternity. In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus taught us that after death there is no means available to change our situation. You may believe in your heart that of all places on earth the church is the last place to preach about eternity because every one in the church is surely going to heaven. Heard leaders in the church pray that if there be any lost souls with us here because they’re worried about offending someone if you insinuated that their soul might be lost.

The devil doesn’t want me to preach this message to you because he knows that if you ever come to grips with the reality of the sin in your life, you’ll respond to the Holy Spirit by asking forgiveness of your personal sins. The church has been deceived by this easy believism lie from the pits of hell and we’re running our church like tax exempt country clubs. We’ll let anybody in as long as they pay their dues and make an appearance once in a while. We even go so far as to preach them into heaven at their funerals although we never saw any fruit in their life to say they belonged to Jesus.

Before you rise up against me and believe that I’m mistaken let’s see what the Son of God had to say:

"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM!" Matthew 7:18-20

Beloved can I tell you that HELL is full of "good people" at this very moment and the church has foolishly approached EVANGELISM over the last few years. We’ve become "SEEKER FRIENDLY" and our only concern is if we’re having our needs met instead of becoming lighthouses for the glory of the kingdom of God lifting JESUS UP so that he may draw all men unto himself. Want you to know that I’m not here to lay a heavy burden on your shoulders because I wouldn’t pull on hair from my head to put burden on you but I will put my 300 pounds under you to help you be born into the family of GOD. Spent almost 15 years of my life lost in the shadow of the steeple but I was a "good Baptist". Gave my time and my talent as a Sunday School teacher and Youth Director while also faithfully paying my tithes and giving to every offering we took up in the church. Thought that I was o.k. or at least I’m doing better than Brother So and So and the devil always whispered in my ears that I wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the people I went to church with.

Mike you’re not a closet alcoholic and you don’t cheat on your wife and you don’t beat your children. Why you pay your bills on time and you really try to help people. You probably read your Bible more than the preacher and pray enough that surely God will accept you before he takes in some of these others. Want you to look at one more background scripture with me in Matthew 7:21-23.

"Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name? And in they name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them I NEVER KNEW YOU! Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Can I tell you in all honesty that I would have been one of these people if I had died any time before September 10,1995 with a church membership in my pocket and a tithe record at the church. Can’t think of anything sadder than that than to die expecting to go to heaven and open your eyes in hell.

When I first started preaching this message the Lord brought a scripture to my heart that I’ve used to strengthen myself because so few people respond to salvation in the church. Ezekiel 3:4-6 "And he said unto me, son of man go, get thee unto the house of Israel and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language but to the people of Israel. Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language whose words thou canst not understand. Surely had I sent you unto them they would have hearkened unto thee."