FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
LUKE 13:23-28
I. INTRODUCTION
DEPARTMENT STORES OFTEN HAVE SALES AND SPECIALS THAT THEY OFFER TO THE CONSUMER. OCASSIONALY, THEY WILL SEND ADVERTISEMENST IN THE MAIL. COUPON AFTER COUPON ARRIVES TO NOTIFY US OF SUCH SALES. FOR SOME, THESE COUPONS ARE LIKE GOLD, WHILE FOR OTHERS THEY ARE JUST JUNK MAIL THAT FINDS IT WAY TO FILE 13.
IF YOU CHECK THESE OFFERS CLOSELY, SOME OF THEM ARE PRETTY GOOD DEALS, WHILE OTHERS DO NOTHING FOR OUR SPENDING APETITE. IF I’M READING YOUR FACES CORRECTLY, SOME OF YOU LOVE TO GO ON THESE SHOPPING SPREES TO GET ALL YOU CAN BEFORE THE OFFER RUNS OUT. WHY? BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.
HAVE YOU EVER PLANNED TO GO AND BUY THAT SPECIAL ITEM ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE? OFTEN IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE DUE TO OTHERS BEATING YOU TO THE PUNCH, AND SOMETIMES IT’S NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO YOUR PROCRASTINATION. SOMETIMES WHEN THE PRODUCT IS NOT AVAILABLE, THEY WILL OFFER WHAT THEY CALL A RAINCHECK, MEANING THAT YOU CAN COME BACK LATER AND GET THE ITEM THAT YOU DESIRED.
BUT MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, THERE IS ANOTHER OFFER THAT IS AVAILABLE MORE PRECIOUS AND MORE VALUABLE THAN ANY ITEM THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE, AND THAT’S THE ITEM OF SALVATION, AND IT IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. THERE ARE NO RAINCHECKS TO BE GIVEN. IF YOU MISS THIS SPECIAL OFFER DUE TO PROCRASTINATION, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE AT IT. WHY BECAUSE SALVATION IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.
II. THE TEXT
JESUS HAD BEEN TEACHING IN THE SYNAGOGUES AS WAS HIS CUSTOM WHEN SOMEONE ASKED HIM ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL BE SAVED. WE SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL BE SAVED, BUT WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT WE WILL BE IN THE KINGDOM. THAT’S NOT TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT OTHERS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SALVATION, WE MUST BE SURE, AND VERY SURE THAT WE ARE SAVED FIRST.
JESUS PROCEEDED TO TELL THEM THAT THOSE WHO WOULD BE SAVED MUST STRIVE TO ENTER IN AT THE STRAIGHT GATE. THE WORD STRIVE IN THIS TEXT, COMES FROM A GREEK WORD THAT MEANS LABOR FERVENTLY. CHANGING ONES WAYS IS A STRUGGLE AND JESUS KNOWS THAT SOMETIMES IT CAN BE AGONIZING TO GIVE UP THE OLD FOR THE NEW.
THE PHRASE STRAIGHT GATE COMES FROM THE ILLUSTRATION OF A CASTLE ON A HILL HAVING A NARROW PATH AND A NARROW DOOR. MANY WILL SEEK TO ENTER BUT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER BECAUSE THEIR LIVES WERE A TOTAL CONTRADICTION TO THE WAY, THE WORD, AND THE WILL OF GOD. IF A PERSON DIES WITHOUT ACCEPTING CHRIST AS SAVIOR, THEY WILL NEVER BE SAVED. WHY? BECAUSE SALVATION IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. ONCE THE DOOR TO SALVATION HAS BEEN CLOSED, IT IS CLOSED FOR ALL ETERNITY.
HAVING THE GOOD INTENTION TO BE SAVED AND ACTUALLY BEING SAVED ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, AND WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ETERNAL DESTINATION, INTENTIONS DON’T AMOUNT TO A HILL OF BEANS. CHURCHES ARE FILLED WITH FOLK WHO WILL TRY TO GET INTO HEAVEN BUT CAN’T.
GRACE AND MERCY ARE KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN GRACE AND MERCY WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO MEN. JESUS PATIENTLY WAITS FOR ANYONE WISHING TO BE SAVED TO COME UNTO HIM. MATT. 11:28, “COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOUR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.” THE INVITATION TO COME TO JESUS IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. JESUS DESIRES THAT ALL MEN WOULD BE SAVED. 2 PETER 3:9, “ THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME MEN COUNT SLACKNESS; BUT IS LONGSUFFERING TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.”
III. OUR RESPONSIBILITY
YOU MIGHT BE SAYING, “PASTOR, I’M ALREADY SAVED.” BUT THERE IS MORE TO BEING A CHRISTIAN THAN JUST BEING SAVED. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO HELP GET OTHERS SAVED TO PREVENT THEM FROM GOING TO A BURNING HELL. JESUS SAYS THAT THERE SHALL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. IT IS OUR JOB TO LET FOLK KNOW THAT HELL IS A REALITY, AND THAT HEAVEN IS A REALITY. IN OTHER WORDS, WE ARE GOD’S REALITORS. ALL OF US HAVE BEEN GRANTED A LICENSE TO OFFER HEAVEN TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN. JUST AS A REALITOR GETS A COMMISSION FOR WHAT THEY DO, SO WILL WE.
NOT ONLY IS IT IMPERATIVE THAT WE STRIVE TO GET PEOPLE SAVED TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING TO HELL, BUT THAT THEY MAY ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE ABUNDANT LIFE THAT JESUS HAS TO OFFER WHILE THEY ARE STILL IN THIS WORLD. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE PROSPEROUS, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE ABUNDANT LIFE. THERE ARE MANY WHO ARE RICH, BUT THEY DON’T POSSESS THE RICHNESS OF GOD’S GRACE. THERE ARE MANY WHO HAVE EXPENSIVE BEDS, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP. THERE ARE MANY WHO HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY OF FOOD, BUT THEIR SPIRITS ARE EMPTY. THERE ARE MANY WHO HAVE BIG DREAMS, BUT WITHOUT JESUS, THEIR DREAMS WILL BECOME NIGHTMARES.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE ARE BUSY TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THIS SPECIAL OFFER THAT JESUS HAS TO OFFER. WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR FAMILIES THAT NEED THIS OFFER. THERE ARE PEOPLE ON OUR JOBS THAT NEED THIS OFFER. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIAL CIRCLES THAT NEED THIS OFFER, AND WOE UNTO US IF WE FAIL TO SHARE JESUS WITH THEM. THAT’S WHY I PREACH AND TEACH, AND CARRYOUT THE WORK OF EVANGELISM. WHY? BECAUSE SALVATION IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.
I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SAYING, REV., “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS.” THAT’S WHY WE HAVE THE EFFECTIVE WITNESSING CLASS, AND BIBLE STUDY, AND BAPTIST TRAINING UNION, SO THAT ALL OF US CAN BE PREPARED TO DO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY THAT CHRIST HAS CALLED US TO DO. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT SHARING THE GOOD NEWS.
AS I EXAMINE THE TEXT, THERE ARE THREE POINTS THAT CAPTURED MY COGNIZANCE. ONE, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. BECAUSE THE OFFER IS LIMITED, SO IS TIME. WE MUST SAY LIKE JOSHUA, CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE. HEBREWS 4:7 TEACHES, ‘TODAY IF YE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS.” TWO, EVERYONE THAT THINKS THEY ARE GOING WILL NOT BE GOING BECAUSE THEY HAVE TRIED TO BE SAVED BY THEIR STANDARDS BUT NOT ACCORDING TO GOD’S STANDARDS. PROVERBS 16:25, “THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN, BUT THE END THEREOF ARE THE WAYS OF DEATH.” THREE, WE MUST HERALD THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS!
WE MUST TELL THE WORLD, EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT, THERE IS A STRANGER IN THE CITY WHO’S GIVING SIGHT TO THE BLIND. EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT, JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT, JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
