Too Late
Chuck Sligh
August 18, 2013
(A PowerPoint presentation for this message is available by contacting me at chucksligh@hotmail.com).
TEXT: Proverbs 27:1 – “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
INTRODUCTION
Illus. (FLESH THIS OUT) – The story was told of a dad and son who were estranged from one another.
Before they ever reconciled, the father died.
At the funeral, the grown son was heard crying, “It’s too late! It’s too late…”
Brethren, if we delay or procrastinate the important things in life, be assured that someday it will be too late to do them.
Let me share three important things you should not delay this morning:
I. FIRST, SOMEDAY IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO BE SAVED FROM YOUR SIN.
Illus. – The Bible teaches the truth of what is usually called the “Rapture.” Jesus said He would come as a thief in the night and that no one would know the day nor the hour. When the Lord comes again, all believers will be taken up to heaven to be with the Lord in the air.
For those who know they are saved, the teaching on the rapture is comforting, but for who do not have the assurance of their salvation, the rapture is often a terror.
And for good reason, because for those left behind, it will be too late, for 1 Thessalonians 2 seems to teach that all who had an opportunity to believe before the Rapture, but didn’t, will believe the lie of the Antichrist and accept the mark of the beast dooming you forever. I’m not dogmatic about this, but it’s possible that those who meant to believe in Christ, but did not, will find themselves doomed.
God has given us the opportunity to give our lives to Him in this era of human history, but if we neglect it, the Lord could come any day as a thief in the night, and it would be forever too late.
But I’ve got some good news for you––It’s NOT too late…not YET.
Illus. – Years ago, an earnest Christian doctor called to see an elderly man that he had frequently visited before. He had shared the Gospel with his patient many times, but each time his patient would reply, “Not now, Doc. Some other time.” This time the old fellow was suffering from a severe bronchial attack.
The doctor checked him over and after promising to get some medicine ready, he was about to say “Good-by” when the patient’s wife asked, “Doctor, when should John take the medicine?”
“Well, let’s see, you’re not very ill now. Suppose you begin a month from now.”
They looked at him in astonishment because this infection was quite serious. “A month from today? Surely you’re not serious!” said the man’s wife.
“Well, why not? Is that too soon?”
“Too soon! Why, I may be dead by then!” said the patient.
“Hmm…that’s true. But remember, you really aren’t very bad yet. Still, perhaps you had better begin to take it—say, in a week.”
“Doctor,” John said in great perplexity, “I don’t mean to question your advice, but I might not live even a week in the condition I’m in.”
“Well, that’s true, John, but very likely you will. And the medicine will be in the house. It’ll keep, and if you find yourself getting worse, you could take some then. If you feel worse tomorrow you might begin taking it then.”
Very seriously, John said, “Doc, this is the worst illness I’ve ever had. To be honest with you, if I don’t get some medicine soon, I may be dead tomorrow!”
“Well, when would you propose to begin, John?”
“Well, I thought you would tell me to begin today.”
“John, begin today by all means,” said the doctor. “I only wanted to show you how false your own reasoning is, when you put off taking the medicine which the Great Physician has provided for your sin-sick soul. Just think how long you’ve neglected the remedy He has provided. For years you have turned away from the Lord Jesus. You’ve said to yourself ‘next week,’ or ‘next year’ or ‘when I’m on my deathbed, I’ll seek the Lord’; any time rather than the present. And yet the present is the only time that you’re sure of.”
That day John stopped delaying and trusted in Christ as his Savior!
Oh, how wise that doctor was!
God’s offer is only guaranteed for today. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.”
You may be dead tomorrow!
Oh, listen, someday it will be too late for you to be saved if you do not avail yourself of the opportunity to come to Christ NOW!
II. SECOND, SOME DAY IT WILL BE TOO LATE FOR SERVICE BY THE SAINTS
Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
Believers, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This is the place where believers will not be judged for their sins, since they were judged in Jesus Christ on Calvary, but their works will be evaluated for rewards.
If you’re a believer, what will you have to say to Christ on that day?
There are four types of believers who will appear before Christ at the Judgment Seat:
• First is MR. PROCRASTINATOR
Let me describe for you Mr. Procrastinator. He says: “Tomorrow I’ll serve God”; “Someday I’ll be faithful”; “One of these days I’ll teach a K.I.D.S. class”; “Next week I’ll tell my next door neighbor about Christ”; “Next month I’ll start tithing”; “Next service I’ll respond to the invitation.”
Romans 13:11 speaks to this person “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” – In other words, Paul says, “WAKE UP, and get busy serving Christ NOW.”
• The second kind of Christian who will appear before Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ is MRS. EXCUSE MAKER.
Mr. Excuse Maker says: “I’d be faithful in church if it weren’t for my job”; or “I’d be a witness if knew more about the Bible”; or “I’d give to God if my financial situation improved.”
What’s the answer for Mr. Excuse Maker?—STOP your excuses and just DO RIGHT! God isn’t impressed with our excuses. He never gives us a command we cannot keep. The early Christians faced hardship, ostracism, persecution and even martyrdom, and yet they served God with unwavering commitment and devotion. No Christian today has an excuse not to go all out for Christ.
• The third kind of Christian who will appear before Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ is MISS PEOPLE BLAMER.
Here’s what he says: “I’d go to church if there weren’t so many hypocrites there;” “I’d serve God if it weren’t for my husband”; “I could get victory over anger if it wasn’t for my wife.”
Here’s the answer for Miss People Blamer – 2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” You see, you will stand before God ALONE. God will not ask you about your wife, your family, or the people in the church. You’ll answer for YOU and YOU ALONE!
• The fourth kind of Christian who will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ is MR. GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells of a wealthy landowner who was going on a journey who made three of his servants managers of his money in his absence with instructions to make a good return on his investments.
One was given five talents or literally, one was given two and one was given one talent (which was an very large unity of money). The first two men invested their money wisely and got a one-hundred percent return on the money committed to them. But the third servant took his one talent and buried it.
When the master returned, the first servant presented his master the five talents he was given, plus the five he had earned in interest. The second presented his two, plus the two he had earned. But the final man only had his one talent to show…and he faced the awful wrath of his master for not investing his money.
We too often focus on the unwise servant. But what about the good and faithful servants? – When they presented their money to their master, both times the master said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
That’s what I want Jesus to say to me at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Someday it will be too late for salvation and service by the saints.
III. THIRD, SOMEDAY IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO LEAD THE LOST TO CHRIST.
To save a soul from going to hell—what a victory, what a triumph, what a gain! But to let our neighbors, loved ones, and co-workers pass into eternity without earnest appeals to come to Christ is one of the most infamous offences we can commit.
The only time we have to tell others about Christ is right now. Tomorrow might be too late.
Illus. – I remember as an associate pastor of a church in Durham, NC being asked by our pastor to go and visit a man related to one of the members of our church. He was very obese and was having his stomach stapled to help him lose weight. I knew he was not saved and hoped I could win him to Christ that evening.
I went to visit him, but when arrived, I found a roomful of people. Visiting hours were almost over and I could have waited and talked with the man after visiting hours since minsters were allowed to stay later. But I had had a long day at the office with many pressing responsibilities and I just wanted to go home and rest.
So I politely visited with all gathered there for a few minutes and then excused myself with a promise to visit a couple of days after the surgery. I hoped that I could share the Gospel with him on that follow-up visit.
He went into surgery the next morning and never woke up this side of eternity. During the surgery something went wrong and he died on the operating table.
Oh, if only I had taken the opportunity when I had it! If only I had cared more for an eternal soul than a little time to rest!
In 2 Kings 7 you have the remarkable story of four lepers who were in such a terrible state of starvation during a famine that they decided that they would go into the camp of the Syrians and see if the Syrians would feed them. They reasoned that the Syrians would probably kill them, but they faced the choice of either a certain slow death by starvation or the possibility the Syrians would have mercy on them and feed them, and if not, at least their death would be quick.
On their way to the camp, God made the Syrians to hear the sound a mighty host of soldiers in chariots and they all ran for their lives, leaving all their supplies and food in abundance. When the four lepers arrived at the camp, there wasn’t a soul in sight! Amazed, they went into the camp and ate to their heart’s content.
But in 2 Kings 7:9 we read “Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.”
Listen to me—if we hold on to the Good News that Jesus is the Bread of Life and available in abundance to everyone who will partake of Him—we do not well. If we fail to warn the wicked—we do not well. If we’re afraid of what others will think if we share Christ—we do not well. For someday it will be too late for winning the lost in this world.
CONCLUSION
So what are you going to do with this message?
Because some day all three of these statements will be true:
• Someday it WILL be too late for service by the saints.
If you have decisions to make for Christ, or service you need to get busy doing, then do them TODAY.
It’s interesting that there are two Sauls in the Bible, and the last words of both are recorded in the Scriptures for us:
> King Saul in the Old Testament had sinned repeatedly against the Lord and fought God’s will for years and near the end of his life, he made this sad confession in 1 Samuel 26:21 – “I have sinned.…I have played the fool,…Ihave erred exceedingly.” – Don’t get to the end of your life and say, “Lord, I have sinned; I’ve played the fool; I’ve erred exceedingly.”
> Compare that to the New Testament Saul, whose name was changed to Paul: He said shortly before his execution in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 – “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Which Saul more accurately characterizes your life? – “I have sinned; I have played the fool; I have erred exceedingly;” or “I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.” If you cannot say the second, it’s not too late! Confess your sin to God and recommit your life to Him TODAY…Because someday it WILL BE too late for service by the saints.
And someday it’ll be too late for winning our lost friends and family members to Christ. There’s a song goes like this:
So little time the harvest will be over,
Our reaping done, we reapers taken home.
Report our work to Jesus, Lord of harvest,
And hope He’ll smile and that He’ll say well done.
Today we reap, or miss our golden harvest!
Today is given us last souls to win.
Oh then to save some dear ones from the burning.
Today we’ll go to bring some sinner in.
It’s not too late to start witnessing to others right now while you’re still alive.
Finally, someday it will be too late to be saved.
Every eye closed and every head bowed.
Illus. – The steamship Central America, on a voyage from New York to San Francisco, sprang a leak in mid-ocean. A vessel, seeing her signal of distress, bore down toward her. Perceiving her danger to be imminent, the captain of the rescue ship spoke to the Central America, asking “What is amiss?”
“We are in bad repair, and going down. Lie by till morning!”
“Let me take your passengers on board NOW,” and the would-be rescuer.
Being night, the captain of the Central America didn’t want to transfer his passengers then, lest some might be lost in the confusion and, thinking that they would keep afloat some hours longer, replied, “Lie by till morning!”
Once again the rescue ship called: “You had better let me take them now,”
“Lie by till morning,” was sounded back through the night.
About an hour and half later, her lights were missed! The Central America had gone down, and all on board perished, because it was thought they could be saved at another time.
While salvation is offered you now, do not delay to receive Christ!
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Additional though deleted from this sermon from a previous version: Someday it will be too late for sanctity in the home, emphasizing the individual biblical roles and responsibilities of husbands, wives, parents & children.
