August 3 “Good News and Bad News” Hebrews 9:27
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27)
We all like to hear “Good News!” On the other hand, none of us like to hear “Bad News!” A man was not sure how he stood with God, came to his Pastor, one day and said, “Preacher, I am worried!” The good preacher said, “What are you worried about?” The man said, “I am worried because I do not know how I stand with God. Will you please talk to Him and find out?” The preacher agreed to do this. Later, the man came to the preacher, after he had prayed, and said, “Preacher, how do I stand with the Lord?” The preacher said, “Well, I have some Good News and some Bad News. The Good News is that you are in good standing with Him.” The man was very relieved and happy; then he remembered the rest of what the preacher had said and asked, “What is the Bad News?” The preacher then said, “The Bad News is that the Lord is coming to get you tomorrow!” Friends, I also have some Good News and some Bad News for you. I would like to share the Bad News first… The Bad News is that you are going to die! Hebrews 9:27 states it clearly that we are going to die. I have always heard people say that you will die when God is ready for you. I believe this! Regardless of the best medical minds and the miracle drugs available, when it is your time, you are gone! Oh yeah, more Bad News, it does not stop with death. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…” What is Judgment” This is the time when God will have people appear before Jesus Christ and give an account of their deeds whether they were good or whether they were bad. Today, Jesus Christ stands before lost mankind to be their Savior, but if people reject Christ as their Savior, they can rest assured that Christ will, one day, be their judge! God has been merciful to us. He has offered us the opportunity to make Heaven our home. The question is, are you taking advantage of the offer of God? Listen, every person will get justice! The scriptures tell us that God keeps a diary, or record, of all of our deeds and on Judgment Day, He will open the record and we will be judged accordingly! NO ONE WILL ESCAPE THIS JUDGMENT!! Ok, ready for the Good News? Here it is…GOD HAS PROVIDED ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN FOR YOU! All you have to do is: BELIEVE in Him; CALL on His Name; and HE has promised that He will SAVE you! What could be any better news than that Jesus Christ wants to save you and give you eternal life, in Heaven, with Him? Again, the Bad News is that you ARE going to Die and that you WILL face judgment! The Good News is; that Christ wants to SAVE you if you will COME to Him and when you do that, you will NEVER die because “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!” As I look around this EVIL and Depraved and Sin-Filled world, I am moved to share the Good News with this “LOST and SAD GENERATION!” Folks, it is our responsibility to share the Good News with every one that we encounter, so that they can have eternal life with the Savior, just like us! I know that it appears as if people have “Lost Their Minds,” and are participating in acts of EVIL and DESTRUCTION that simple defy “Common Sense!” So, what can we do to help? Listen, WE CAN SHARE THE FACTS OF THE ”GOOD NEWS” AND THE “BAD NEWS,” AND COUNT ON THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MOVE IN THEIR LIVES! We cannot “fix” hatred, anger, ignorance, prejudice, rejection, stupidity, arrogance, stubbornness, or any other destructive thought or behavior, however, the BLESSED HOLY SPIRIT can! So, our calling, our responsibility, our duty is to live in obedience, walk uprightly, to be that “light” in the “Darkness” of this EVIL directed world, and to offer hope to those who will hear His Word! Last month, I shared Jesus with two men, in the parking lot of Walgreens, in Zebulon, and one of the men said, “I don’t want to hear your lies,” but the other man asked me to finish my witnessing. I told him the Bad News and the Good News and how to claim, for himself, the Good News. He did not make a profession of faith, that day; however, I know that the HOLY SPIRIT is actively working on him and I accomplished what God has called me to do. Let us commit, right now, this moment, to pray more, study the Word more, to share the Good News more and to be the person that God requires! Evil abounds, yet, we can confront this “Pandemic of Evil” one soul at a time!!! What God does with you, depends upon what you do! It Always has; It Always will!! Be sure, be productive and continue to share the Love of God with others! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!