Words From The Word Of God
A topical, and expositional study from the Word of God, in order to Glorify and Exalt our Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; that we may reach the world with the Gospel, and grow in the Grace and knowledge of Him.. Grace and Peace to all, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(Isaiah 52:7) "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"(Isaiah 55 10-11) 10) "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:"11) "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."(John 3:16)“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.”(John 14:1-7) 1)"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."2)"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."3)"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."4)And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."5)"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"6)"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."7)"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."(Romans 10 :9-10;13) 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."10)"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."13)"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
All Done For The Glory Of God and To Exalt Jesus Christ The Lord!!!
Words From The Word Of God
Bold Truth in a Compromising World: The Enduring Message of John the Baptist
Bold truth in a world of compromise - this is the legacy of John the Baptist that speaks profoundly to our spiritual journey today. From the wilderness of Judea comes a voice crying not for acceptance or acclaim, but for authentic repentance and spiritual preparation.
Matthew chapter 3 presents John not merely as a historical figure but as a spiritual archetype whose uncompromising message challenges our modern tendency to soften the Gospel. His proclamation "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" wasn't tailored for cultural sensitivity or designed to accommodate comfortable religiosity. When confronting the Pharisees and Sadducees, his biting words - "O generation of vipers!" - revealed a man more concerned with truth than popularity.
The significance of John's ministry lies not just in what he said, but in who he pointed toward. "He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear," John declared, establishing himself not as the main character but as the signpost directing all attention to Jesus Christ. This humility culminates in his profound statement, "He must increase, but I must decrease" - words that challenge our self-promoting tendencies and remind us of our true purpose as believers.
What makes John's example particularly relevant today is the contrast between his bold proclamation and our often-diluted gospel presentations. In many contemporary settings, uncomfortable truths about sin, repentance, and judgment are minimized to avoid offense, yet John's ministry reminds us that genuine love speaks truth, even when that truth challenges and confronts. His example calls us to examine whether we prioritize being liked over being faithful, comfort over conviction, popularity over proclamation.
The time is short and the message remains urgent. Like John, we're called to prepare hearts for Christ's return through bold, Spirit-empowered witness. Will you reclaim this boldness to speak truth in love, no matter the cost? The choice we make reflects whether we, like John, are willing to be voices crying in today's wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
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Hello, welcome to this another edition of Words from the Word of God. So excited to be back with you this evening as we join together again in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 3, again looking at John the Baptist, how he has been presented to us here in Scripture and I know some of this may seem repetitive and somewhat monotonous, but we must grasp a hold of the true purpose for these, his message and his mission. And his message of repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, preparing the way of the hearts of the people, making the path straight, bringing the mountains low, filling the valleys, you know, making that way for the Lord himself. And then his mission, as we began to look at in the last broadcast. When we began to look at his mission, we read several scriptures, but I want to read just a few tonight to kind of review where we were at in the word of God as we use it for our foundation for any message, because that is the authority that the message is based upon. The word of God is based upon anything else. Any other foundation, it is just words, and not only that, but our words, faith, our words, my words will probably not be remembered past tonight or even at the most of next week. But the Word of God, the Word of God is alive, it's powerful and it's active. It's always moving our hearts in a direction. If we especially pray for the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts and minds to be receptive unto what the Word of God is teaching us, what he's teaching us through His Word, by His Spirit, by the presence and power of Christ in our hearts, you know it can take root and help us to grow and help us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Grow and help us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
Speaker 1:But I want us to focus not only on John's mission tonight in conclusion of the mission message, but I want us to bring it all together, and bring it all together with what purpose and how he presented his message and his mission to the world. You will read with me here in chapter 3, verse 3 and verse 11. Well, I tell you what. Let's go back to verse 1 and down through verse 3, and then we'll read verse 11 and 12. In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of judea and saying repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, for this is he that was spoken of by the prophet isaiah, saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight. And this same John speaking and identifying him, this same John had his raiment of camel's hair and leather garb by his loins and his meat was locust and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around about Jordan, and were baptized with him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. That's verse 1, down through verse 6, as the Lord leading here. But let's look at verses 11 and 12. He says well, I tell you what, let's pick it up right here in. Well, I tell you what, let's pick it up right here. I tell you what. Let's just go ahead and read down through verse 12.
Speaker 1:But when he saw many of the Pharisees this is verse 7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come, bring forth, therefore, fruits, meet for repentance and think, not to say within yourselves we have abraham to our father, for I say unto you that god is able, of these stones, to raise up children unto abraham. And now the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is honed down and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he, he that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his listen closely. Now. His wheat, those that have a relationship with him, those who are not depending upon religiosity and their works to get them there, those who have received, repented and received him, his wheat, his wheat, those that have that relationship, those that are known of him and know him personally, into the garner. But he will burn up the chaff with the unquenchable fire, no doubt, the biblical representation of the wheat being the true born again believer and the chaff being those that are lost who will be burned up one day with with unquenchable fire. That's why he said he will baptize you with the holy ghost and with fire. That, or with fire, that is. We are between those two things. We are either born again of the spirit born from above through repentance and faith in christ and his finished work on calvary's cross, or we are lost and undone and on our way to hell, on our way to an eternal lake of fire. The second death, eternally separated from god.
Speaker 1:John the baptist comes out of the wilderness and he comes with a message and a mission. The last time we were together speaking on his mission, we saw the first thing about the voice foretold, the prophe, prophecies of John the Baptist there, in Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 3 and 4, where it says the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness this is Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 3 and 4, the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted. And Then we go on and look as we talk about the prophecies and how, a little over somewhat 700 years before John's birth, the prophet Isaiah and if you also read in Malachi, chapter 3, verse 1, you see that prophecy as well. But all four gospels point us to Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 3. And I think it's Luke that pointed us to verse 3 and 4.
Speaker 1:But there was a purpose for his coming and he came in this mission as it was foretold to his father. Remember, zechariah was told of the angel Gabriel. And how Zechariah prophesied of his own, of John. He said and thou child, speaking of his child, shall be called the prophet of the highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to pair the way. John's purpose was clear from his before he was born. He was to prepare the hearts of the people the arrival of the, and that is not only by the message but by his mission of pointing everyone to him. That brought us to the gateway repentance, the gateway to the King.
Speaker 1:How we come into faith with Christ, how repentance is more than just regret and sorrow. It is a complete turning away of sin and turning toward God, by placing our faith in the finished work of Christ. But how it is significant in salvation. How it is significant because if you just make a profession without repentance, you just make the profession without confession and you claim to be a Christian and you go on living the way you were before you began to claim you were a Christian, you're still living in the world, you're still committing fornication, you're still drinking or addicted. I'm not saying you know, let's just don't even get into that. But let's just look at it this way, because it's not based upon work, it's not. It's not about what we do or don't do. It's about what Jesus did on the cross, but it's about turning from those sins. That's what repentance is about. It is not just an emotional experience, it's not just, oh well, a simple prayer and I can go on living like I want to and claiming that I belong to Christ.
Speaker 1:That is not biblical salvation, it is not biblical spiritual birth. Spiritual birth, jesus said you must be born again to see and to enter into the kingdom of heaven, born from above, born of the Spirit. And if you are truly born again, you have truly found the gateway to the true King from glory which John came to point everyone to. Jesus Christ, you are born from above, you're born of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes inside and dwells inside of you, and that transformation takes place. All the old has passed away, all things become new. I'm not saying you become perfect overnight, because walking and being sanctified is a lifelong journey. We are continually being sanctified and one day, when we're face to face with him, we'll be glorified and completely, just completely glorified in his presence.
Speaker 1:We're not perfect, the apostle Paul would tell us in Romans, 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That's why John comes for in his mission and his message, to show the need, in pointing everyone to the one that every person, every heart in this world would need, and his name is Jesus. Name is Jesus. So we look at the true king. Remember John there, in John, the gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 29.
Speaker 1:John speaking of John the Baptist, ultimate purpose came into short focus when he saw Jesus approaching and declared behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The bold proclamation revealed Jesus as the sacrificial lamb, the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies and the law, the Levitical priesthood, the sacrificial system. Jesus would fulfill all of that in himself through his perfect life and his sacrificial death and shedding of his precious blood on Calvary's cross. John's declaration shifted the focus from him, from himself, to Christ, fulfilling his role as the forerunner. He fully understood that his ministry was not about building his own following, but about directing everyone to Jesus, the true king from glory. Think about a signpost on a journey it does not draw attention to itself but it points travelers, especially wayward travelers, that don't know where they're going in the right direction. John was that signpost and still is that signpost for many souls today, pointing everyone to Jesus.
Speaker 1:Now, as we know, the true king confirmed and we'll get into this in our next few broadcasts, lord willing speaking about Jesus' baptism. So I don't want to get into that too much tonight. But what's the purpose? What is the purpose of these messages? Why such focus on this man, john the Baptist, this divinely anointed and appointed man who would come out of the wilderness preaching repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, appointing everyone to Christ? What is the significance behind? Why have we placed such significance upon these first 12 verses in the revelation of this forerunner before Christ? Why, and this is the exact reason why, as we conclude this series of messages on John the Baptist, john the Baptist stands as a powerful now I want you to listen to this closely as we conclude this message. He stands as a powerful example of unwavering boldness and truth in his message and his mission to point and to prepare the way for Christ and to point everyone to him. His message wasn't tailored to please the crowds or to accommodate cultural sensitivities. He preached repentance with fearless conviction, fully aware of the cost of speaking truth in a fallen world.
Speaker 1:Let's break this down a little further. John's uncompromising boldness Read with me there again, in verse 7 of Matthew, chapter 3. Matthew, chapter 3, what did he say? But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said O generation or brood of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come, bring forth, therefore, fruits, meet for repentance. He is speaking boldly unto the religious leaders of that day, that religious crowd that was up on the Temple Mount, going through their Jewish traditions and pretending, and having just a pretense of religiosity. A dead orthodoxy is what they had. They had a dead orthodoxy. They had a dead religion because there was no spiritualness behind it, empty religious ceremonies because of the 400 silent years between Malachi and John the Baptist coming out of the wilderness. But he came. He called the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers here in verse 7, exposing their hypocrisy and spiritual pride. This wasn't a seeker-friendly approach. It was a call to genuine repentance, stripping away any and I'm talking about years of any illusions of self-righteousness. His proclamation to repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand leaves no room and left no room for complacency or superficial faith. It left no room for any of that.
Speaker 1:John's message would undoubtedly I want you to listen to this because I kind of get fired up when I think about this His message. You know, john's not a messenger that we would typically send today, a church would typically send out today. No, it's all about dressing everything up in the church and let's bring in the worldly things to draw the world in and let's make them feel comfortable and don't use the s word and don't you know the cn word. And and don't use hell for sure, because we don't really want to hurt their feelings or we don't want to offend them. So john's message and him as the messenger would undoubtedly have clashed with today's politically correct climate. In an era where even gentle critique from the word of God is often labeled as judgmental or intolerant and sometimes bigotry, john's raw and convicting call for repentance would likely be met with fierce opposition in today's society and, sadly, in many of our churches.
Speaker 1:Yet his mission and might I say it was greatly unpopular in that day but millions it is estimated by scholars that millions came out, so it wasn't just the religious leaders. You would have to consider if all of Jerusalem and Judea and the surrounding areas came out. It was probably Roman soldiers, sick and afflicted, those that were afflicted with demons, and so on. Afflicted with demons and so on. You know ladies of the night, you know prostitutes, and so on and so forth. It was a mixed bag of people that came out to hear this message and his message was the same to all. He didn't water it down for one and preach boldly to the other. He preached the same message and his mission was the same. No matter who came to him, it was the same. Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and there is one coming after me that's mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He's going to baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, so you better prepare your hearts. And as we go through that we went through this we see how bold he was and how he made no bones about his passion. And his passion was what he was showing was that it takes one man filled with the Holy Spirit. He did not have a college education. He did not have a degree from a seminary, the paperwork that would qualify him to be a pastor, as many churches require today, for their pastors to have some type of degree. No, it takes one man, one woman, one boy, one girl, one person filled with the Holy Ghost and ready to be obedient unto the purposes of God in their life and to bring forth the message that is needful for hearts and that is the uncompromised gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Speaker 1:In many contemporary churches, it is sad to say, the gospel message has been softened to avoid discomfort or offense. Words like sin and hell are often avoided, although greatly taught about in Scripture. And God's intolerance of sin, the sin of mankind, god's intolerance of sin, the sin of mankind. Although it is greatly protested against by God, he can have nothing to do with sin, and he makes this very clear in his word. Even the apostle Paul, as we said, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, none, not one. Even though that message is clear and the emphasis is placed upon it greatly in scripture, as well as hell, jesus talked more about hell than he talked about many other things. He talked more about hell. Do you realize that? But sin and hell are often avoided in favor of messages that emphasize positivity, self-improvement or vague notions of love and grace, without the foundation of repentance and, might I add this, without the foundation of God's word.
Speaker 1:Sadly, in many cases, I don't know how many pastors, I don't know how many evangelists. There is one that has the biggest church in the United States and he will get up there and he'll do his strutting and he will do his, will have them lift up their Bibles. This is our Bible, and he will say I'm going to preach from such and such today. He will never read the scripture. Then he goes forth and gives a 45 minute motivational speech on how you should feel better and one time, when he was asking an interview, why don't you preach on health? Well, I just don't think that's significant and I don't really want to hurt people's feelings.
Speaker 1:I'm not mentioning any names, but this is sadly how much the gospel has been watered down today and we wonder why we have focused so much upon John the Baptist's message and his submission, because we should know his boldness, that no matter who came, no matter where they were from, no matter their social status, their religious status, the message was the same Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to buy poop to bear. But I, I testify and I bear witness that this is the son of god, the one in whom I saw the spirit descending as a dove. And he who sent me to preach repentance told me when I saw that I would know that that was the son of God. I would know who he was at that time and I testify and I do testify that this is the Son of God.
Speaker 1:No watering it down, but this watering down of the gospel in our churches today risks leaving people unprepared for the gravity of the eternal consequences of their sin, and it greatly diminishes in their hearts their desperate need for a Savior. John's ministry serves as a stark reminder that the true gospel cannot be separated from the call to repentance. Without confronting the reality of sin, the grace of Christ is greatly diminished. John's example urges us born-again believers to reclaim the boldness needed to preach the even when it's uncomfortable or unpopular. You want to know the purpose of John. His ultimate mission was, of course, to direct everyone's attention to Jesus. He declares in John, chapter 3, verse 30, that he must. Talking of Christ, he says he must increase, but I must decrease, demonstrating the forerunner, leading others to the true king from glory, the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, god, the Son, the second person of the triune, godhead. This remains a vital example for believers today.
Speaker 1:You know we are commanded, if you will turn with me to matthew, chapter 28. Matthew chapter 28, and we're going to read verse 18 down through verse 20, you know we are given a commission. Born again believers are given a commission. Born-again believers are given a commission. Jesus says here, starting in verse 8, and Jesus came and spake unto them saying you have to understand, this is after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. These are the last words recorded by Matthew in his gospel of Jesus Christ. He says All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore. This is talking to disciples, in which we are part of his disciples Because we follow his teachings. He is our master, our teacher, our instructor, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer. But he tells us to go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I have commanded you and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Speaker 1:John's example is to set this stage for us today. You want to know why we place such significance on it. You want to know why we place such significance on it? Because John remains a vital example to believers today about sharing the gospel boldly and how that means pointing others to Jesus Christ without compromise, proclaiming the need of repentance and faith in Christ as the only way of salvation. You say, well, I don't know much scripture.
Speaker 1:John 14, 6,. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. John 3, 16,. 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. With those two verses you can bring anyone, you can share the gospel everlasting life. With those two verses you can take, bring anyone. You can share the gospel message with just those two verses.
Speaker 1:But we have a whole word of god that we can use. That's at our fingertips, it's in our hearts, it is in our hearts by the holy spirit. And jesus said when the comforter has come, he will teach us all things and he will bring all things to our remembrance that we've been taught by him and of him. Those things can be brought to us, but it is not by our power. John, it says in Luke, would be filled with the Holy Spirit and he would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. He would have the anointing of God upon him and he would come with boldness. It wasn't of his own strength, it wasn't of his own purpose, it wasn't of his own doing, it was all the purposes of God in and through and working in and through him, to do this and have this boldness.
Speaker 1:So what does that tell you? And I, you know the message of the gospel may offend, as truth often does, but it is also the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Do you understand that power of God for salvation to everyone who believes? Do you understand that the apostle Paul tells us and the apostle Paul is another great example of one of boldness, one man of boldness filled with the Holy Spirit, peter, another one at the day of Pentecost. If you follow the apostles through the book of Acts, how many times do you read and filled with the Holy Ghost. They spoke this or filled with the Holy Ghost, they did this and did that. The apostolic miracles and all that was done in the foundation of the church, the souls, thousands at a time, that were saved, all because the boldness of the men that were anointed with the Holy Spirit and not afraid to go forth speaking the truth of God's word, john the Baptist set the stage for every one of us. He is an example for every one of us in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Jesus is soon to return so we can say repent, ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and it is closer than it's ever been, because the return for Christ to rapture out his church, I believe, is very, very, very soon.
Speaker 1:Read the headlines in the news today. Read the headlines and then read Revelation. Read the Old Testament prophecies of the end time. You see God's prophetic timeline being full. So you see the importance of having the courage to go forth and boldly proclaim the gospel, boldly proclaim repentance, boldly proclaim the sin.
Speaker 1:Now I'm not saying go out and judge everyone. You're a sinner, you're going to die and go to hell. No, there is a way to share the gospel in love. Look, I've been there. I know what it is to be a sinner and I can sympathize with someone who is in addiction or someone who is lost and undone without Christ. And I'm not going to go and drop the hammer on them and hit them over the head like a sledge with a sledgehammer and drag them in to the cross. That does no good Sharing the love of Christ, telling them Christ loves you where you are, it doesn't matter what you've done, it doesn't matter where you're at right now, it doesn't matter what you're doing at this moment, it doesn't matter how far you think you are away. He is one prayer away. He is one repentance away from being your Lord, your Savior and your Redeemer. All you have to do is call out upon his name because he loves you. It was not the nails that held him to that cross, it was the great love for humanity, because in all his endearing on the cross he said Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. They know not what they do.
Speaker 1:Folks, we have something very remarkable inside of us. We have something remarkable given to us, and that is the grace of God and the love of God and the mercy of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts and our lives. Why in the world would we compromise the message that saved our soul, compromise the message that saved our soul? Why in the world would we compromise that and fear that we're going to hurt someone's feelings or hurt their feelings or, you know, cause them to hate us or cause us to be uncomfortable? How dare us be that way, be uncomfortable? How dare us be that way?
Speaker 1:No, we have the Holy Spirit inside our hearts. We have God's presence within us and if we depend on him instead of depending on our own efforts and our flesh, we can't do it in the flesh. We must be led by the Holy Spirit in everything that we do. But if he lays it upon our hearts to speak to our co-worker or our next-door neighbor or our friends down the street or the people in our community about the gospel of Jesus Christ, telling them that they're going to die in their sins and go to hell, that's not being judgmental. That is just judging the fruits. Jesus said. Evil trees cannot bring forth good fruit. Nor can a good fruit bring forth good tree bring forth good, good fruit. Excuse me, a good tree bring forth evil fruit. I'll get it right in a minute. I'm only human, y'all Listen to me, but it's significant in In a society as we close, and I know I've kind of really been repetitive in a lot of this, but it's significant.
Speaker 1:Folks, time is short, the night is far spent and the time of Christ's return for his church and the tribulation period is just around the corner. In a society increasingly resistant to absolute truth, john the Baptist, in the word of God, challenges us to examine our own approach, born-again believers, in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we more concerned with being liked or accepted, or are we willing to speak the truth and love, no matter the cost? The cost? His life and his ministry. Speaking of John the Baptist, exemplifies a fearless commitment to God's calling, one that prioritizes faithfulness over comfort, truth over popularity and Jesus Christ, our Lord, over ourself. John's legacy calls us to rise above the fear of offending others and instead focus on the eternal truths that point people, everyone, to salvation in Christ Jesus, our Lord. How we respond to this challenge will reflect whether we, like John, are willing to prepare the way for Christ in the hearts of those around us.
Speaker 1:I know this message is spoken to mainly to born-again believers tonight, but, sinner friend, if you're out there and you're tangled up in the world and sin and you feel hopeless, you feel helpless, you feel like there's nowhere else to turn, there is one way to turn and that is to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the only way of salvation, he said. I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me, jesus Christ, who loved you enough. He says Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open, I will come in and sup with him and he with me. That means he's actively seeking you right now and the Holy Spirit, if you feel that calling in your heart and that drawing to come to the saving knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the Holy Spirit convicting your heart tonight. I know this message doesn't have a lot of convicting, shall I say, upon the sinful heart, but Jesus Christ loved you enough to die a painful and tragic, very gruesome death on the cross at Calvary and shed every single drop of his blood in the ground there that day to pay your sin debt in full. He is calling out to you right now, sinner friend, wherever you may be, whatever you may be involved in right now. You are not too far for him to reach you and he's extending his hand to you today. And, as the word of God says, today is the day of salvation.
Speaker 1:As I've said many times, james tells us that our life is just a vapor. It's here for a while and then it's gone. You can't grasp a hold of a vapor, you can't see a vapor, maybe a little wave in the air and then it's gone. That's how fragile our lives are. We're not guaranteed another second, much less tomorrow.
Speaker 1:If you feel the convicting call of the Holy Spirit upon your heart tonight, please don't let this time pass you by. This may be your last opportunity to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior before you die and are hurled out into eternity without him, only to face an eternity in hell and the lake of fire, eternally separated from God. Eternally separated from God. The second death, the second death.
Speaker 1:If you don't believe me, read in your Bible, revelation, chapter 20, verse 11 through 15.
Speaker 1:It explains that second death in great detail.
Speaker 1:But his love, his grace and his mercy await you tonight.
Speaker 1:His love, his grace and His mercy await you tonight If you will just repent, and that means confessing and turning from the sin that you're involved in, turning from the world that you've run with for so long, looking to God by placing all of your trust and your faith in Jesus, christ and Christ alone and His finished work on Calvary's cross, christ and Christ alone and his finished work on Calvary's cross, and you call upon his name and confess your sins and believe that he is the risen son of God, and you shall be saved, and no one that calls upon his name shall be cast away.
Speaker 1:No one. No one doesn't matter what you've done, no matter what you're in right now. Call out to him and allow the transformative power of his gospel and his grace become a reality in your heart and in your life today. Thank you so much for joining me for this edition of words from the word of God, me for this edition of words from the word of god. I look so forward to the next time that we can share in the word from the word of god. God bless you all.
