I’m really excited to have the opportunity to preach a message about something different than my personal testimony for a change at Honey Lake Church this upcoming Sunday. Associate pastor Kenny Munds has relinquished his pulpit to me this Sunday and I’m going to preach about a topic that is vitally important and interesting, (at least to me).
I can’t reveal my topic aside from telling you that it is one that you will enjoy hearing. I recently spoke at all three services at First Baptist Orlando in their huge and beautiful auditorium and they probably had more people on the front row than at our entire service last Sunday.
Nonetheless, (and not to be discouraged), though we may be small in number we are mighty in the Lord. I hope you will join us and bring a friend. Know that without question you will be a huge frog in the small Honey Lake Church pond and thus much more appreciated than in a stadium.
Hmmm . . . I hope that adage doesn’t dissuade anyone from coming.
I’ve had several folks who were considering attending Honey Lake Church write and ask what denomination that we are, and the only name I can come up with is that we are of the Jesus Christ-Bible denomination. Not surprisingly no one has ever heard of it; I suppose that’s because I coined that name myself. We are Jesus Christ centered and Bible believing and that about sums it up.
I receive literally hundreds and hundreds of e-mails, letters, texts, and phone messages each and every week and occasionally folks share their denomination with me and also how they became a part of that particular faith. Most often I’m told that they belong to that denomination because of their family. Somewhere way back in their lineage someone decided to become a Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Anglican, Presbyterian, or whatever.
Hmmm . . . Seems like a lousy way to me to choose one’s faith. What if old Grandpaw got it wrong and was full of bull?
When I speak I often emphasize that God created us in such a manner whereby we shall live forever and we will spend that time either in heaven with God, or eternally separated from God in hell. After we die we will face God alone at the judgment, whereby we will be held accountable for what we’ve done in this life. (For the record this comes straight out of the Bible and has not been handed down to me for centuries through my relatives.)
The Bible gives us enough of a description of the judgment to know that the great and small, young and old, low and high, poor and rich among us will each face God and give an accounting for our lives. No relatives will attend, nor will friends, or enemies. We will stand naked and devoid of anything that we gained while living our short lives on this earth in front of God.
It will be quite the sight; check this out: Rev. 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds . . .
Yikes! It is also called the “great and dreadful day of the Lord”.
The “Book of Life” is a book of remembrance both for good and bad: and all things, (including those secret things) will then be opened. Everyone will see all their past actions, even those long forgotten. Another book shall be opened, (the Holy Bible), which contain God’s laws and declares repentance, faith, and good works; showing the blessings of the new covenant. Those justified and acquitted by the Gospel and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. But unfortunately those who have not had their sins forgiven through Christ’s blood sacrifice will be eternally separated and will reside in hell for eternity.
With so much at stake one would think that folks would not hazard their eternal existence on decisions made by another family member often from the distant past. I don’t give a whit if my old Grandpaw was a Catholic or Orthodox Jew; I will make up my own mind when it comes to deciding whether or not I spend eternity in bliss or have flames licking my butt every day – Thank you very much . . .
We have to put our faith in something. We can base it upon our own human intuition, guesswork, logic, research or whatever, or we can rely on someone else’s.
I’ve read the Bible numerous times word for word and studied it for over forty years and I’m convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is the holy inspired, inerrant, living word of God. It has served mankind since the dawn of our existence and is still alive and convicting us today when we are sending rockets to Mars. Still I wouldn’t suggest that you just take my word for it or Billy Graham’s for that matter. We are talking about what happens to you FOREVER! Take time out of your busy schedule and think this through. How long is forever compared to this life on earth?
Please understand that what happens to you after you die depends upon your relationship with God. What happens if you die today? At 5:00 P.M. straight up?
Are you going to hope for the best? Are you gonna say that a good God would never send me to hell; I haven’t done much wrong in life; I’m a good egg; or are you going to hope that God is like a maître d’ and will give you a wink and a nod after you slip Him a fifty and move you to the front of the line and welcome you in?
Or will you know that you know that you will instantly be standing in God’s presence with Jesus smiling at you His son or daughter?
Purchase a Living Translation Bible today and begin reading in Romans. When finished read the New Testament. Read it slowly and not like a text book or novel. The Bible says of itself it is “living”. This means God is talking to us through it. Read a poignant verse and then sit back and think about its meaning for a few. What is God telling you? Try it:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23
What does that mean?
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Now what does that mean?
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Hmmm . . . What is God telling me with this verse?
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
What does this tell you?
Just take your time and think about what you read in the context of God explaining things to you and you’ll be fine. The Bible states that God will open our understanding if we will simply read it and listen!
Have a great day today and make plans now to come to church this Sunday, and don’t come just for the meal at Honey Lake after the service; come to hear my message . . .
Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
November 19, 2013 – Click here to listen