“Father, I am your servant, willing and desiring to be used to bless your people.”
The Fields are white and the laborers are few!
2. C.H. Spurgeon said, “If God does not save a man by truth he certainly will not save them by lies, and if the old gospel is not competent to work a revival, then we will do without the revival;
Good Morning, I want to honor all of us Seniors for a minute. we all know what we mean when we talk about “Senior Moments”
It’s when you try to do something, or think of something, and you’re totally without a clue
• You know you’re getting older when the only thing you want for your birthday is not to be reminded of it.
• One Senior said: “When the doctor asked what I did for exercise, I said pushing ninety is exercise enough!”
• Another Senior said: “There are four advantages to getting old and forgetful: One, you meet new friends every day; two, every joke you hear is new; three, you can hide your own Easter eggs; and four ummm, I forget the fourth thing.”
Now, I know some people are very sensitive about their age
One precious lady said as she was being interviewed and was asked: “I see your birthday is April 12. What year?” Her reply was, “Every year.”
Time is precious. We really are not here on this earth for very long. We are like when you go to turn the light switch on, and the bulb is shot. One day it will eventually happen. So, how can we make the most of the time we have? We can make the most of the time we have left on earth by making the most of our walk with God.
Many people live carelessly not giving much thought about their relationship with God. One day we will all have to stand before the Creator of this universe. The question that demands an answer is this: Will the road you are currently on lead you to God as your Heavenly Father who will receive you as a forgiven child? Or will it lead you to God as your Judge who will expel you to an eternal punishment?
Two roads to God
Raccoons go through a glandular change at about 24 months. After that they often attack their owner. Since a 30-pound raccoon can be equal to a 100-pound dog in a scrap, a zoo keeper felt compelled to mention the change coming to a pet raccoon owned by a young lady named Julie.
She listened politely as he explained the coming danger. He never forgot her response. “It will be different for me . . .” And she also smiled as she added, “Why Bandit would never hurt me.” Julie underwent plastic surgery just three months later for facial lacerations sustained when her adult raccoon attacker her for no apparent reason.
All too often sin comes dressed in an adorable disguise and so we play with it. How quickly we find ourselves saying, “Oh It will be different for me.”
Warnings are very important. I have been a watchman for about twenty one years, sounding the alarm and blowing the trumpet of God’s Warning.
If your smoke detector goes off, it’s giving you a warning. If the lights on the dash of your car, or truck comes on, it’s a warning that something needs to be given attention. You may have driven a car for years and a warning light stays on whether the car is running okay, or not. We just assume it is just another false alarm. So you have to make a decision whether to believe the alarm and take appropriate action, or to disregard the alarm and go on with your business.
There are warnings in the Bible. Every person must make a decision to believe the warnings and take the appropriate action. There is a warning given by Jesus in Matthew 7. It is a warning to folks who really think they are okay. There are millions of folks who really believe they are safe from the coming judgment and anger of a Holy God. They have a false sense of security. It’s like when that huge ocean liner, the Titanic, was struck by an iceberg. It was a matter of a few hours and it would sink to the bottom of the ocean. Many people rejected the lifeboats thinking that they were more secure on the Titanic than the lifeboats.
Matt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit.
7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
In this last part of the chapter, we see the description of two ways, two types of people, two destinations, two gates, two kinds of trees, two kinds of fruit, two foundations with two kinds of builders. When it comes to making a choice as to where you spend eternity, there are only two options. It is heaven, or it is hell.
A third option is not given.
When it comes to choosing the way to get to heaven, there is only two options. There is the right way, and then there is the wrong way. Our American culture does not want to accept this. Burger King caught on to what Americans like so they came up with a catchy phrase, “have it your way”. When it comes to making preparation for heaven, you can’t do it your way. It is either God’s way, or it is the wrong way.
Jesus says in verse 13 “Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”
I. There are two roads people are traveling to go to heaven: the BROAD way, and the NARROW way.
I don’t believe anyone purposely gets on the road that leads Hell. Everyone thinks they are on the right road. If they really believe they’re on the wrong road, they would do something about it. That brings to light
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The devil is too cunning to label the road to Hell this way. I believe he has it labeled “Heaven”, therefore many thinks they are on the right road, but actually they are heading toward the place of eternal destruction. It is called the Broad Way, because there are so many people on this road.
Look at vv.13,14, there will be more people going to Hell, than there will be going to Heaven. It has the same handwriting on the wall as it was in the days of Noah, Most people think the majority is always right, No one wanted on the ark until the Judgment of a Holy God began to fall. They quickly realized it was too late when brother Noah could no longer sound the warning and open the doors of salvation. Same scenario in this case the majority is on their way too Hell.
That majority includes the hardened sinner, the drunkard, the fornicator, the idolator, the homosexual, and it includes the religious person who is depending upon their own self righteousness of do good works. Hell is full of what the world would consider “good” people. The moral person, the generous person, the good neighbor, the friendly person, that good-nature person, that person who is basing their acceptance with God on their own good merits and works of self righteousness.
It is called the Broad Way, because it will allow anything, and anyone to travel it. You can carry all kinds of baggage with you. You can carry any sin. You don’t have to give up a thing. You can come just as you are, and not make any changes. There is no repentance on the Broad Way! No Life Changes have to be made. Anything, and anyone is allowed, no exceptions! That’s the way of the world. We have room for everyone, except for one person. It was made plain in Bethelehem. When Jesus was born, there was no room in the inn. This world has no room for Jesus.
Yet, on the broad way...everything else is allowed. The promoters of the Broad Way says..You can make a profession of faith in Christ and hang on to your sins. You don’t have to change anything!!! It’s a lot easier to ask forgiveness than permission!
Church we must make the Most of the Time We Have left.
It is absolutely essential that you know Christ as both Lord and Savior. You cannot have a savior without a Lord and Apart from Christ there is no relationship with a Holy God.
To the child of God I urge you to make the most of your time you have left with the Lord! Don’t be a careless Christian who lives day by day with no thought of a deeper walk with Christ. Don’t settle for a “I know-nothing; I feel-nothing; I want-nothing; I desire-nothing”.
I would seriously question whether I was a believer if I did not want to know more of Christ. I would seriously question my salvation if I did not feel and sense God’s presence in my life. “Jesus stated My sheep know my voice”
Our faith is not based on feelings, for we walk by Faith and not by Sight”
I would seriously question where I stand with God if I did not desire anything of the Lord.
In order to make the most of our time with God, we will need to look carefully in three directions and answer three important questions.
1. LOOK AROUND. How are you being influenced?
There are only two possible ways we can be influenced. Either we are influenced with godly influence, or with ungodly” Worldly Pleasures” influence.
We need to ask ourselves the question: How are we being influenced?
What are we allowing to influence us? To shape us? To mold us?
You don’t have to teach kids to be bad. They learn that quite well.
As Christians we must beware of ungodly influences.
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
(1) Walking in the counsel of the ungodly. Walk speaks of the direction we are going. “Broad or Narrow” Turn from ungodly counsel. Don’t go that direction. Some folks start each day by reading their horoscope. That’s the counsel they get each day. It’s ungodly counsel. Some people will consult some psychic they heard on TV. Some folks will listen to a “talk show” and get counsel on how to deal with everyday life. Some folks will buy a magazine just to read some ungodly counsel that’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.
When we go in the direction of worldly wisdom, and forsaking godly wisdom, we are under ungodly influences. The next step is…
(2) Standing in the way of sinners. After we go in the direction of seeking advice from the ungodly, we move from consulting the ungodly to identifying with the ungodly. Standing speaks of how we are now identifying with the way of sinners. We are no longer opposing their viewpoint, we are embracing what they say. At first we walk to the ungodly to listen to what they say, now we don’t walk back to where we should be, Now we stand where they stand. We identify with their position. There’s only one position that’s worth having----that’s God’s position. There’s only one viewpoint that’s worth having---that’s God’s viewpoint. Everything else must go to the TRASH CAN!!!
(3) Sitting in the seat of the scornful. Sitting speaks of a resting place. We have landed on a position that we feel very comfortable with. We first just walked around some ungodly counsel, then we began to stand around in ungodly counsel, finally we adopt it for our very own. We now sit down and take our seats. We sit in the seat of the scornful. SCOFFERS! MOCKERS! We now embrace ungodliness and scoff and mock at everything that is holy and godly.
We need to look around us and ask this question, How are we being influenced? Television has helped to make a nation of scoffers! Oh, but preacher, TV doesn’t influence me. Maybe it does, or maybe it doesn’t….I do know this….there are millions and millions of dollars spent on advertisement. Why?
Advertising has influence on what kind of cereal you eat, what kind of toothpaste you buy, and what kind of truck you’ll drive. We are influenced by what we see on television.
How we are being influenced will always reflect in what we become in character.
Take a good Look Inside your heart. Look inside where you really live. Ask yourself, “what kind of person am I becoming?” King David also recognized this.
Psalm 73:3 “for I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked”
Psalm 73:12 “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.”
It looks like the wicked are the ones who are filthy rich. The good person is the one suffering. But don’t forget Psalm 73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. .
God gave the writer some insight. You haven’t seen their end. Psalm 1:4 the ungodly are not so…the wind drives them away….last 4 words of Psalm 1 says the ungodly shall perish. They are on the broad way to destruction.
In this world….For the Believer…this is the only Hell you will see and experience.
For the unbeliever, this is the only Heaven they will ever know…
The Narrow Way is narrow because there is only ONE entrance to heaven.
There is Only one entrance into the portals of Heaven.
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
John 10:9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me,he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” There are not 2 doors, or 3 doors or 5 doors, there is only one It is not a Pentecostal or a Baptist door, it’s not a Church of Christ nor a Methodist door, it is a JESUS DOOR!
there are no exceptions. no loopholes! No way to get around this one!
John 10:1 “Truly, truly I say to you,he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.”
It is Narrow because it is a difficult way....v.14 “difficult is the way”
It is difficult because the flesh cannot enter into it. You can’t bring the unconverted life into heaven. in Matthew 19:16-24 The rich man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Jesus said “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
He held tightly to his riches. He held tightly to his possessions. Millions of people turn from Christ because they will not turn lose of their lives. They will not surrender to the control of God in their lives. They do not want to give up! The rich man did not offer to give up a small portion of what he had. It would have done no good. Jesus did not ask for a small portion. Why would we believe for one minute he will settle for our leftovers? He demands all or nothing! The rich young man knew what Jesus required. Jesus required 100% surrender. Jesus will not save you when you bargain with only a 25% surrender, or a 50%, or 90% surrender. The rich man did not ride the fence and try to bargain for both...Jesus did not provide a fence. You can’t be a fence sitter when it comes to following Jesus. Jesus demands a total commitment, a better word is SURRENDER! I surrender all!
Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. We live in a country of wealth-- One of the richest nations in the world. We value our possessions, money, our things, our toys, our time, our vacations, our families, our homes, our jobs. Until we are willing to surrender all that we have, all that we value to Christ, we cannot be His follower.
Holding on to this world will send your soul to Hell! That’s the true gospel according to Jesus!
Luke 9:23-25 “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?”
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. You can read the Bible, or hear it being read. You can even say you believe it, and that it is God’s Word, but if you do not do the will of My Father in heaven, how can you say you are going to heaven? If you don’t do what this book says, how can you say you are going to heaven?
Jesus says it is the person who works iniquity, or practices lawlessness who will be kept out of heaven. A Christian will certainly sin, and do wrong, but what Jesus is saying......Its the person who has an unbroken pattern of sin, and rebellion, who are not going to heaven.
They live for themselves. The Bible is not a part of their life. Prayer is not a part of their life. Witnessing for Jesus is not part of their life. Living for Jesus is not in their daily routine.
But many of these same people believe that just because they walked an aisle one time, or they came forward in a church service, and were baptized, or they attended church that that makes them saved. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE BIBLE where a person’s salvation is proven by looking back to sometime in the past when you made a profession of faith. Rather you can always tell a tree by it’s fruit. Look at the fruit. What’s going on in your life today?
The Bible says in James 2:14 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? v.17 “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Here is the warning from our Lord. You may say to the Lord one day, “But God, look, I really believed in You. I went to church. I walked the aisle one Sunday. I made a profession of faith. I even sung in the choir. I taught Sunday School class. I Pastored a church. I helped to build a building for the church. I’ve done many wonderful works.
But Jesus will say, You practiced a life of wickedness. Your lips may have spoken my name on Sunday. Your feet may have carried you to the church house on Sunday, but your heart was far from me. You never really loved me. You had no desire to live for me. You only gave outward signs of being a believer. Inside you were empty. You did not have love for people. You did not have a love for the Bible. You did not have a heart that wanted to really worship me.
I saw those times when you were so happy when the church service was dismissed so you could watch a movie on TV. Your life was full of gossiping all the time. You had great pleasure in running people down. You smiled every time you heard of someone getting caught up in some sexual scandal. Your life was full of lust. You constantly looked at other women. You constantly gazed upon pornographic material. You did sing a few times in church, but your heart was really on worldly music. You would rather attend a Blue Grass festival, or a Rock Concert, or the Grand Old Opry rather than listening and singing praises to My Name.
The Bible had no place in your life. Outwardly you gave some signs of being a believer, but in your heart
you had no room for Me. We never fellowshipped. You did not have a love for Me. You only lived for yourself.
2Cor 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
When we have truly trusted Jesus, and Jesus alone, by faith alone, by grace alone to save us, there will always be evidence of obedience to God’s Word.
There will be evidence of repentance--a turning from sin and a turning to God.
The storms of judgment are coming. The warning is plain! Where will you stand on that final day? Are you trusting totally in Jesus for salvation? Is your house upon the foundation of a Rock.
Jesus is that Rock. Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:18 “...on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”
The rock is referring to Peter’s confession that He believed upon Jesus as the Son of God.
That rock is not good works, it is not personal righteousness that we have, it is not baptism, church membership, or a church affiliation, or denomination. That Rock is Jesus! Are you standing on Jesus? Is your faith totally in Him?
If so, then that means you will surrender to His Lordship.
Until a man/woman puts into practice what God says, all that they say from theirs mouth doesn’t mean a thing.
YOU really ONLY BELIEVE WHAT YOU PUT INTO PRACTICE.
Noah believed God. Noah didn’t just stand around and claim how much he believed God. Noah didn’t give all lip service to his faith in God. Noah put faith into practice.
What did Noah do? The Bible says in Hebrews 11 “he prepared an ark to the saving of his house..” Noah had a solid foundation to stand on when the floods of judgment came.
If you are here today I want to send out an invitation to surrender your life in entirety. There are TWO ways to God. Both ways will indeed get you to GOD but only one will get you into Heaven. What would it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul.
We will never be perfect, and without sin until Jesus comes. We are just not perfect..yet. But if we truly are believers in Jesus, there should be some evidence of that. If you have never trusted Jesus to save you and to make you His child, Jesus says in the Word of God...
You don’t have to carry those sins one day longer.
You don’t have to be in a cold or indifferent way any longer.
You don’t have to remain outside of God’s family any longer on the wrong road.
