Prepare To Meet Your God

Prepare to meet your God (Amos 4:12 )

Intro : Pearl Harbor

A few minutes before 8 AM on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japanese carrier-based airplanes struck Pearl Harbor. In a raid lasting less than two hours, they sank or seriously damaged eight battleships and 13 other naval vessels. Almost 200 American aircraft were destroyed, and approximately 3000 naval and military personnel were killed or wounded. The U.S. authorities had broken the Japanese diplomatic code and knew an attack was imminent. A warning had been sent from Washington, but, owing to delays in transmission, it arrived after the raid had begun. In one stroke, the Japanese navy scored a brilliant success-and assured the Axis defeat in World War II. The Japanese attack brought the U.S. into the war on December 8-and brought it in determined to fight to the finish. Germany and Italy declared war on the United States on December 11.

The Boy Scouts have a motto : Be Prepared

Text: Amos 4:12 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel."

In life we are taught to be prepared for things in life

School (pencils and paper )

Everyday life

set the alarm

get ready

God says in his word to prepare to meet Him

Why prepare to meet God

(1.God demands it

All have sinned and fallen short

Rom 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(2.Because of our sinful condition

(1). Adam and Eve

(3. There's a war going on

1 Pet 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Pet 5:9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

1 Pet 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

(1). There's a devil loose

in Schools

in entertainment

in sports

in our homes

even in Churches

How to prepare to meet God

Repentance (turn from your sin )

Mat 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

WHAT IS REPENTANCE?

Relationship (Have a relationship with God )

Learn Spiritual Warfare

(1). Know who you are in God

(2). Put on the full armor

Belt of truth

Breastplate of Righteousness

Foot armor (to carry the Gospel of Peace )

Shield of Faith

Helmet of Salvation

Sword of the Spirit

(3) Take authority over the situation

When to prepare

Now --putting it off makes it harder

Now--the blessings of God in this life

Now-- the blessings of God in the next life

Life is so unsure

The lake swim and the judge

Young man swimming across lake

Gets cramps

Going down for the 3rd time

Wakes up in a boat with a man helping him

Man takes him to the shore and gets help

Young man at hospital wants to know who helped him

Given name and phone #

Calls and thanks man

Becomes Friends with the man (but dosen't know anything about him

Time passes --looses contact with the man

Joins a street gang

One night a fight

Someone pulls a knife

Somehow he has a gun in his hand

He pulls the trigger

He's arrested

Grand jury (murder)

Trial

The Judge enters

1). The man in the boat

2) the most he'll give me is life in prison

3). I've got it made

The verdict (guilty)

The sentence (death)

The empty courtroom

But You know me you saved me

I was your savior now I'm your judge