A Sense Of Urgency
Ray Comfort has preached a message and written a book by the title, "Hell's Best Kept Secret". You have to admit, that it is something that would pique your curiosity.
What do you think "Hell's Best Kept Secret" is?
Would it be that people are actually dead in their trespasses and sins instead of good by their own merits?
Would it be that we are born in sin?
Would it be perhaps the Gospel itself?
No, Hell's Best Kept Secret is the Law--the Ten Commandments. But what do you think is perhaps Hell's second best kept secret?
It is perhaps something that I see people fall for all of the time, and maybe you've even fallen for it too. It's not surprising that long term Christians make this same mistake.
What is Hell's Second Best Kept Secret? We'll find out in a few minutes.
I) Hell's Second Best Kept Secret
Hell's Best Kept Secret just may be this--you can delay in accepting the Lord as your Saviour. For those of us that have a relationship with Jesus Christ, our particular version may well be "Witness to them later--you may offend them now".
Folks, I am under the greatest conviction of this fact now more than ever: Don't wait. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, accept Him now. I know that it may seem odd to hear the Gospel call now, at the beginning of the message, but here it is.
For those of you that are saved and know someone that is not saved, don't delay--tell them today. You've heard it said by me before, you've heard it said by countless scores of other preachers-- tomorrow may not come.
Why am I starting out with the gospel in the beginning of this message? Because I've seen death up close and personal this past week, and in the past month or so.
Friday morning Kay woke me up with the news of the passing of an insurance client, Joy. This woman was only 41 years old.
I remember vistiting with her and her family a couple years back at their home. I spoke with her a dozen times or so in the past two months. I also talked to her directly about a month ago when she visited our office, and she was in the office to drop off some papers only but a week or so ago.
I have good reason to believe that she had a relationship with Jesus Christ by the conversations that we had, and that's a source of comfort. As my mom always tells me "Life is too short".
Life, it is indeed too short. We talked over a month ago about the young woman that lived less than a mile from our home that was shot dead by her husband. That haunts me, that I didn't present the gospel to her.
How may people have we seen pass away, only to wonder if they heard the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Not only did I get the news of the passing of Joy, but after Kay and Turtle left for work I was reading the Observer-Reporter and found this headline "Homeless Man From New York Found Dead Near Church".
Folks, I met that man. Not only did I meet that man, but I picked him up in Rogersville and bring him to Waynesburg. He told me that He was on his way to the Catholic Church in Greensboro, and that was where he was going to stay the night. I'll tell you more about this in a few moments.
II) He Who Hesitates Is Lost...
Turn to Hebrews 3 in your Bibles
I'm sure that you've heard that phrase before, but have you ever had that apply to your life so directly? Should you hesitate and not accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour you may be lost forever.
If you don't witness to that unsaved friend, relative or acquaintance, you may have lost your opportunity forever and that soul may be lost forever. That is a burden that we cannot take lightly. That is a burden that should drive us to our knees.
Last Sunday, I spoke about unbelief. The scripture that I used was from Hebrews, and let's look at a key word found in Hebrews 3 and 4:
Heb 3:7-8
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness,
(NKJ)
Heb 3:12-13
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (NKJ)
Heb 3:14-15
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." (NKJ)
Heb 4:6-7
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."
What one word continually stands out in the text? Today.
Today, if you will hear His voice!
How often to we "wait until tomorrow?"
How often do we procrastinate and put off talking to someone about Jesus Christ?
How often have you told Jesus Christ no?
I Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour (time, KJV); and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (NKJ)
J. Vernon McGee states in his commentary on 1 John concerning this verse:
"It is the last time." We are living in the last day here upon the earth. It has been the last time for a long time. This is the age when God is calling out a people for His name. You can say at any time during this period, "Now is the acceptable time. Today if you will hear His voice." Why the urgency about salvation? Because, my friend, you might not be here tomorrow. Tomorrow I might no longer be heard preaching on the radio. It just might be that we will not be around, so it is important that I give out the Word, and it is important that you hear the Word.1
III) Life In A Fog
There are many different references to how short time is here on earth, and how foolish we are if we don't
1) ask Jesus Christ to save us and
2) share the Gospel with those that do not know Him:
Isa 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (NKJ)
Eccl 9:12 For man also does not know his time: like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them. (NKJ)
Prov 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
Folks, you and I don't know if we will even be here tomorrow. A woman from our church, Beth, was in church on Sunday and passed away one day later, at the age of 33. One truly does not know what each day holds.
James writes in his epistle:
James 4:13-16
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (NKJ)
What does God's Word say to us about our life? It is a vapor--a fog. The fog is present in the morning, but the sun comes and burns off the fog and it's gone. James tells us how arrogant we are when we don't live as though the end may come near.
IV) Four Reasons That We Should Share The Gospel With Others Today
A) Today will quickly be yesterday, and gone "like a vapor". One thing that you won't be able to do in heaven is to witness to the lost.
B) What about illness? (Aunt Ann)
C) If they get saved today instead of next year, you and they both gain more reward at the Bema Seat Judgment. Also, since these people will sin more in an unsaved state, Jesus also bears more punishment on the cross for our sins for those that get saved later.
D) We don't want to leave anyone behind when the rapture happens.
Rev 22:12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (NKJ)
The Rapture
1 Cor 15:51-57
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(NKJ)
That man that I spoke of earlier, the homeless man? Where did he stand with God?
I don't know for sure, but let me tell you the story. It was reported a few days later that when this man was found, he had the Bible open and had been reading it. Perhaps, in those last moments of his life, he came to faith. One can only hope.
2 Cor 6:2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you."Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (NKJ)
