You Can’t Reach Home Until You Leave First Base
By Pastor Jim May
Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. For 5 literal days He undertook the creation of something out of nothing, turning darkness into light, separating land from the water of the seas, hanging the stars in the vast expanse of empty darkness, giving pinpoints of light and placing them in a very specific order so that they would accomplish two great missions in His intricate plan for his greatest creation yet to come.
First, they were to divide darkness from light and bring into existence a little thing called time. At that moment, out of the infinity of eternity, God carved out a little space and called it time, giving it a set beginning and a pre-determined end, when time would be no more and would be swallowed up into eternity once again.
Secondly, those little pinpoints of light, so many millions and billions of miles out in space are placed at precisely the right spot in relation to the other stars and planets around them, so that when they would be seen from the surface of the earth, they would be a never-ending witness of God’s grace and mercy.
Just a little side note here: Science has proven through many years of research that the sun is the center of our universe and that there are untold numbers of universes, just like ours and even bigger, that are out there in space. We are told that the earth is just one very tiny planet among innumerable giants throughout the Milky Way alone. But I want you to understand based upon God’s creation of the universe, that the earth may not be the center of the physical universe, but it is the very center of God’s creation. Isn’t it a wondrous thing to think of all of the planets in all of the universes that God spoke into existence and remember that they are all moving but still staying in the same relationship to the earth so that God’s story has been, and always will be seen in the stars until the end of time.
In Genesis, we see the King of the Universe, the Omnipotent Creator, and the Almighty Eternal God as he steps foot onto the earth that He has created, bends down to the ground that He caused to be separate from the waters of the sea, scooped up a handful of dust that He had just spoken into existence, and from that handful of dust begins to lovingly create a being that would reflect God’s own image and character. Everything else of creation was created simply by speaking forth command that brought it into existence, but this creation was different.
God just didn’t speak man into existence like everything else, He formed man with His own hand. This creature called ‘man’, was to be the crowning touch of God’s creation, because man was to have a very special purpose in God’s plan. He already had servants, called angels. He already had a throne and a glorious land called Heaven. What more could He want?
God wanted a creature that would not just honor Him as God, or serve Him as their King, because that was what they were created to do. He wanted a creature that would have the power to choose to serve Him, choose to honor Him and most of all, have the ability and the will to choose to serve and honor God simply because they loved Him.
And so we read beginning in verse 26 how God brought man into existence.
Genesis 1:26-31, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
The Perfect God, created a perfect world, and placed in it a perfect creature called man. It was all good. It was all going according to God’s plan, but there was yet one thing that remained and God knew that this would be the ultimate test of all that He had created. Even though God knew already that His greatest creation would be flawed, there was no other way to have what He really wanted out of man than to put him to the test and see what he would choose.
The ultimate test was called temptation and it would come as the result of only one simple law that God would give to Adam. On this one law would hang the end result of all that God desired of His creation. That one law is presented in Genesis 2:16-17, "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
As we all know, Adam failed the test. He ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and at that instant, he knew the difference between sin and righteousness for the very first time, and he knew that something dreadful had happened. Adam had lost forever that perfect state of innocence and His perfect relationship with His creator. Though he still felt God’s love as God spoke to Him, there was something between them now. It was called sin, and it had brought forth death, and Adam began to sense that one day, he would die.
Adam knew that His position in God’s heart was forever gone. Never again would he be able speak to God as his Father. Now, he could only face God’s judgment for his disobedience in breaking that one little law. Just one bite – that’s all it took. I don’t know for sure but I doubt that Adam even took another bite because he felt the change when it came and it was a dreadful feeling. But even if he did eat some more, the sweet taste of that first bite was no longer there. Everything suddenly tasted different, looked different, felt different and he felt empty, even when he was full. That’s the feeling that remained when His spirit died. From that moment forth, Adam was a “dead man walking”. That’s the term used today in our penitentiaries when a man who is condemned to die for his crimes begins that last long walk down the corridor to the execution room, knowing that there is no turning back. Adam began that long journey to the grave at that very moment.
In God’s infinite knowledge and wisdom, He already knew the outcome of the test before it began and so He had already formulated a plan to redeem Adam’s race. Though Satan had won for the moment, God would have what He wanted in the end, and every man, would ever be born, would have the same choice as Adam. We all have to choose whether we will take a bite of that which God has forbidden, or reject God’s Law and obey the voice of evil that whispers in our ear.
And so we have seen multiplied millions of people through the course of man’s history as they came to the place where they made their choice. Most, like Adam, have chosen to yield to the temptation, and reject God’s Law. Adam brought the curse of sin upon every one of us and not one of us had a chance to know God as Adam did in the Garden. That one-on-one, walking hand-in-hand with God in a physical and spiritual sense, through a place of absolute perfection has been lost to this day.
God’s plan was in motion and He has a timetable set. The end of time is coming when time shall be no more. Only God knows the day and the hour when times will stop and we will step back into eternity, but it is already set and will not change.
Galatians 4:4-6, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
God’s Plan was revealed through His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came down, took on the form of a man, but not born of a man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, not by the seed of sinful man, therefore He was born without the sin of Adam to His account. He is very God, and in the body of flesh of a man, come for one purpose. He came to be the perfect blood sacrifice, giving his life, to redeem the life of any man who would accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
I can hear the voice of the Lord ringing out once more with only one single command to Man. Once more He is giving us all one chance to prove whether we will choose to Love God and Honor Him, or listen to the voice of evil whispering in our ear to take another bite.
It’s as though God is saying, “Of everything in the garden of this world you have the choice to freely eat if that’s what you want: But there is only one tree that you can eat of that will result in life eternal, that’s the tree where Jesus died for your sins, the Old Rugged Cross of Calvary. If you eat of that tree, you shall surely live.”
I pray that all of you have eaten of that tree. I hope that you have not listened to the voice of evil and eaten of every other tree in the world. Sadly, I know that most of mankind will fail this test too. By-in-large, mankind will continue to reject God’s Law, even if it’s a simple, single law, that anyone and everyone could easily obey.
Why do men reject Christ? Is it because they don’t want eternal life? NO, every body I talk to wants to live forever. Not one has ever truly wanted to die. Those who take their own lives, don’t really want to die. They just want to escape the troubles of this life and that’s the only way they know how because they reject God’s way just one time too many.
Do they reject Jesus because they don’t want to go to Heaven? NO, every body wants to spend eternity there. Even the Militant Islamic people who die as martyrs to their faith only do so because they are promised a harem in Heaven. We all want to be in Heaven; that wonderful place of glory, peace and eternal joy.
Do they reject Jesus because they don’t want to live the kind of life that Jesus lived? NO, that’s not the reason either. True, many will claim that they just can’t live a sanctified life and that’s why they either don’t get saved or they turn back to the world. But that’s not the real reason.
The real reason that people reject Jesus Christ is because they choose not to Love the Lord and not to obey God. We all have to make that choice for ourselves. If we choose to Love God and to serve Him, then every other choice will be easier to make to keep on living for Him. If we choose to listen to the devil, then every choice we make after that will be easier to make because we have chosen what we want to do. God doesn’t want robots, or angels. He wants men and women, youth people and children who will choose to obey Him and Love Him for who He is and nothing else.
The message that I have for you is simply this:
Laid before you right now is a choice. It’s a choice on whether you will take a bite out of sin, or accept the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross for your sin and then obey the voice of God in serving Him. That’s as simple as it gets.
If you haven’t chosen Jesus, then do it now. Don’t wait. We don’t know God’s timetable. I can’t tell you when the end will come. But I can tell you that you have no promise of tomorrow. Time may go on for a while before God stops it completely, but your time may end today so don’t play around with God or procrastinate. Do it now while you still have time!
Isaiah 49:8, "Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee…”
2 Corinthians 6:2, "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation…"
If you have already chosen Christ, then I have a message for you too. Don’t let your guard down! In 1 Peter 5:8 speaking to the church, Peter says,, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
This means that even though you might be saved, you are still in time, and still subject to temptation. The voice of evil can still whisper in your ear to “take another bite”. The devil never gives up trying to draw you back into the ways of sin and death.
Jesus spoke these words in John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
But Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost in Hebrews 10:38-39, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."
Jesus gives us life when we choose to accept Him and obey God’s Law through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, but there are many who have “drawn back” into perdition. They have once again, listened to the voice of evil and taken of the forbidden fruit of the world, and have rejected the Love of God, only to be bound again for perdition.
What does Perdition mean? There are several definitions and none are good when it describes the condition of a man’s soul and relationship with God.
1)a state of final spiritual ruin; loss of the soul; damnation
2)the future state of the wicked
3)Hell
4)Utter destruction or ruin
5)Absolute loss
If we are not careful we can take that bait once again and then we will have to face God’s judgment just like Adam did. I know a lot of people who chose to follow Jesus and today they are following the devil because they listened to the devil and took just one little bite of the fruits of sin.
Some of those who are trapped by alcohol really didn’t think it would happen to them. But one swallow of sin led to another, and to another until they were consumed by the alcohol and its power to kill their soul and body.
Some of those who are addicted to drugs today once knew the Lord, but they have “drawn back” into perdition one more time. Just once more, it wasn’t all that bad, was it? Those are the words they hear from the voice of evil in their ears. Satan deceives them once more and now they are trapped in the same trap as Adam.
Satan has all kinds of temptations out there. The only way to overcome them is through the Blood of Jesus Christ. You don’t have to fall into Satan’s traps if you just stay close enough to Jesus to hear His voice.
Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
Are you His sheep? Are you staying close enough to hear His voice and follow Him? Or are you drawing back, listening to the voice of evil and getting ready to take another bite?
If you have already taken that bite again and failed God, or if you have never known the feeling of being free from sin and shame, there is “Good News” for you.
For those who have begun to draw back, Jesus said in 1 John 2:1, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
Then Paul says in Hebrews 4:14-16 how we can take advantage of our great Defense Lawyer in the courtroom of Heaven, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
There is no need to turn away your face from God in guilt and shame if you have been born again and failed God. Just turn to Jesus and let Him cleanse you once again. You will find God’s grace to be unlimited and His mercy everlasting. He will wash that sin away and make you a new creature, a new man, one more time.
For those who have never known freedom from guilt and shame, Jesus is calling to you to come to Him this morning in repentance. God’s plan for your life is still in effect, but His plan can’t be fulfilled until you obey one simple law. You have to believe in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, and invite Him to be the Lord of your life.
God’s Law and His plan for all who are trapped in sin is given is one short passage of scripture that we all have heard so many times. It’s found in John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Have you begun to draw back? Have you never known the joy of salvation and deliverance from sin? Jesus is calling you to come to Him this day.
What will your choice be? Will you choose to fulfill God’s plan and choose to Love Him because He is God?
You may be asking yourself, is it true? Can I truly be free? Can I truly feel happy again? Will God really forgive me, accept me and adopt me into His family? And if He does, can I really live for Him and love Him? THE ANSWER IS YES, YES, YES!
Let me tell you that you won’t know until you take the first step and come to Jesus. You have to get your foot off of first base and run on. You’ll eventually get to second base and there you will learn more and understand more. Then the challenge will be to get off of second base and run for third. But don’t fear. The power of the Holy Ghost will lead you on.
Psalms 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Then, after you reach third, it’s only a short, fast run to home base where you really score big. When you hit home, eternal life and joy everlasting waits there for you. God will cheer you on. The church will be running with you and doing all we can to hold your hand every step of the way. Jesus will stick by you, closer than a brother, and He will be with you to the end, never leaving you. You will be ushered into Heaven and into the very presence of God to experience the final fulfillment of God’s plan and your greatest dreams, and what a day that will be!
But you will never reach second base, never round third and never reach home until you get off of first base and run with the Lord by your side.
You’ve already gotten a hit and made it to first because you are here right now, hearing this message. Don’t stop now – go all the way with God. The devil has already thrown his best pitch, and Jesus has said “RUN” so give it all you’ve got.
And there’s a wonderful secret that you have to know: You can’t fail if you just keep running because Jesus has the game already rigged in your favor and the devil can’t put you out. You’re destined to make it home.
