"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."
We’re running around telling people how much Jesus loves them and while that is true, we’ve missed the mark in true soul winning because we’ve not clearly explained to them WHY.
· Romans 2:15
· John 8:9
· If I discovered the cure for "legionaires disease" and went door to door…
If on the other hand you were afflicted with the disease, you would receive the cure with great anticipation expecting it to cure your affliction. (Spiritual application)
There are some crazy ideas that have revealed themselves over the years with the greatest of them being that humanity has transformed the law of God as given to Moses from the 10 Commandments into the 10 Suggestions. Can you name the 10 Commandments without looking at your Bible?
Bet every child in here can name 10 music groups of NFL football teams or MLB baseball teams.
(1) Thou shalt not lie!
Can we start with that one? Have you ever told a lie? No matter how small, even a little white lie? ( It’s alright you can go ahead and raise your hand ) What does that make you? A LIAR.
(2) Thou shalt not steal!
Have you ever taken so much as a paper clip or a stick of gum that didn’t belong to you. Oh come on now Brother Mike, that item was so insignificant that it doesn’t even matter. That’s exactly the problem, we mistakenly believe that God’s word is outdated but Jesus said in Mattew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law until all be fulfilled."
(3) Thou shalt not commit adultery!
Now you think I’m meddling but Jesus said that if we look on another person to lust after them in our heart, we have committed adultery! Now how many have committed adultery?
Come on now, you’ve already told me that you’re a liar! What about the others?
· Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy
· You shall have no other gods before me
· Thou shalt not kill
· Don’t take the Lord your God’s name in vain
· Thou shalt not covet
· Honor thy father and mother
· Make no idol images
(WHERE WILL YOU GO BELOVED IF YOU’RE TO BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD FOR BREAKING GOD’S LAW?) We will face God in judgment and we’ll be in a bad position because of breaking the Word of God.
Revelation 21:8 " but the fearful and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death."
GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and God won’t overlook your sins my friend. In the natural if we stood accused of a crime, the stupidest defense strategy we could have would be to call on the goodness and love of the judge)
Uh, your honor because you’re a good man and a loving father to your children, I know you could never send me to prison for the things that I’ve done. HA! The judge would probably tell you that because I am a good man and because I love my children I AM GOING TO SEND YOU TO PRISON FOR THE CRIMES THAT YOU HAVE DONE!
This may be why the average "new convert" is only in the church for 8 weeks. The Harvest movement experienced 294,000 supposed conversions from more than 11,000 churches but a year later only 14,000 of those converts can be accounted for. What happened to the other 280,000?
May be why we get "saved" at 7,9,11,32 and so on.
WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR THE DISEASE IN YOUR SOUL?
· Airplane is about to crash and you’re given a parachute
· John 3:16,17
· Hebrews 9:12,14,22,27-28
· You’ve been diagnosed! JESUS IS THE CURE!
