Come to Jesus for Eternal Life

The following messages were preached to audiences where a good number of the people
were non-Christians, and they brought many forward to receive Christ as their Savior. I am
making them available for people to use to communicate the Gospel to those they know
and love who have not gotten the message of this good news. May God bless you as you
seek to touch somone with these messages.
A. YOU CAN COME IF YOU WILL Based on John 5:25-46
By Pastor Glenn Pease
A little boy quietly opened the door to the dentist's office and spoke to the receptionist
at her desk. "My mother told me to see the dentist about my bad teeth." "Sorry," the
receptionist responded, "But the dentist is out just now." The boy sighed in relief and
asked hopefully, "When will he be out again?" Sometimes we just don't want the help we
most need, because we fear the cure is worst than the disease. Our fear is usually based
on ignorance. It is like the child who will not try something new because they don't like it.
But how can they know they don't like it if they never try it? You can argue with them,
and present all kinds of evidence that it is good, but they stubbornly refuse.
It is not just children who practice this kind of stubbornness. Our text reveals Jesus
dealing with the adults of His day on this same level. Jesus came to give them life, and
they wouldn't even take it. The evidence that they could give them life was enormous.
John the Baptist had come before Him, and witnessed of His coming, but they rejected
John's testimony. Jesus came with a powerful display of love and grace. He healed the
lepers, and the blind were made to see. The lame walked, the deaf were made to hear,
and the dregs of society were changed and began to follow Him and get their lives
together. Yet, with all of this evidence, they were not jumping on the bandwagon at all.
In fact, they were trying to stop the wagon from rolling.
Jesus said to them that they have all the evidence needed, and that even Moses
referred to Him, but still they would not come and receive life. In this text we see the
amazing folly of man. There is no question about it, man is his own worst enemy. The
problem of history is not God, but man. God has made provision for life. No matter how
rotten life can get, God has a solution, and that is why He sent His Son into the world. God
is determined that sin and death will not have the last word. Life is God's goal, even
though many will not take this gift. It would be understandable if God had made His plan
so complicated that it would take a lawyer to figure it out. But the message of Jesus was
so simple, even a child could grasp it easily. Come to me is the message of Jesus. The
children understood it and came. That is all Jesus required, that people come to Him.
If you want what Wards has to offer, you have to come to Wards to get it. If you want
what the Diary Queen has to offer, you have to come to the Dairy Queen. The point is,
Jesus has something to offer also, and the only way you can get what He offers is to come
to Him and get it. You can't just come to church and get it. You can't just come to a
service and get it. You can't just come to a preacher and get it. All of these can bring you
to where you hear the offer of Christ, but only by coming to Him can you get life, and life
eternal.
You can even read the Bible and pray, two of the best things you can do, but that will
not give you life. If you come to my church, or come to my house, or come to my office,
and you do not see me, you have not come to me. Christ is a person, and only when you
come to Him as a person can you receive life. The good news is, you can come to Jesus
and receive life because He died for you, and wants you to have what He purchased by His
death on the cross, which is the right to eternal life. If you don't come and receive His gift
of eternal life, there is only one reason for it, you will not come.

I can eat liver if I want to, but I don't want to, so I don't. There are all kinds of people
who hear the Gospel and can come to Christ if they want to, but they don't want to, so they
don't. Jesus hates it when people will not come to Him. He wept over Jerusalem, for He
said, "I would, but you would not." They had to suffer the judgment and wrath of God
because they just would not come to Jesus. Jesus wept over the rich young ruler, for He
could have come to Jesus, but He would not. It is one of the saddest facts of life that men
can choose to reject God's best, but God will not rob man of this highest freedom.
Jesus did not say, you cannot come, but, you will not come. The reason you do not
receive life is because you refuse to receive it. You could if you would, but you don't
because you won't. The problem is man's will. Anyone who hears the offer of the Gospel
can come, for God gives everyone the power to say yes to Christ. No man can say I am to
bad, or I have sinned away my hope, or I have blown it too often, so I cannot come. The
problem is not that you can't, but that you won't, said Jesus. No man will ever be able to
raise his fist in hell, and cry out to God, you didn't give me a fair chance. I couldn't get in
on life, and it is your fault I am here. Not so, for if a man is lost it is his own choice, for
Jesus died for all sin, and if a man refuses to come to Christ for forgiveness, that is not
God's choice, but his choice.
Where there is a will there is a way, and anyone who wills to come to Jesus can come.
God will not force you to come. He opens the door and invites you to come, but He will
not push you against your will. You must choose to come. If I ran a restaurant and was
trying to get more people to come and try my food by giving out coupons, I don't force
them on people. Imagine me handing a coupon to a man on the street, and he says no
thanks, and refuses it. I may ask why, and he may tell me he never eats out, and he hates
to eat out. Wouldn't I be foolish to try and force him to take my coupon? What if I ran after
him and slipped one in his back pocket? That would be nonsense. A gift is only of value
to one who wants it. God has the greatest gift for man, but He does not force it on us. We
must choose to take it. We must choose to come.
The offer is free, and you don't even need a coupon. The rich have no advantage over
the poor in getting what Christ has to offer. He offers life, and meets the craving for
meaning, and it is free to all who will come. All you need to come to God is your sense of
need for what He offers. Are you thirsty? Come to the Water of life. Are you hungry?
Come to the Bread of life.
Delay not, delay not, O sinner draw near,
The waters of life are now flowing for thee.
No price is demanded, the Savior is here,
Redemption is purchased, salvation is free.
A minister and a atheistic barber were once walking through the city slums. Said the
barber to the preacher: "This is why I cannot believe in a God of love. If God was as kind
as you say, He would not permit all this poverty, disease and squalor. He would not allow
these poor bums to be addicted to dope and other character-destroying habits. No, I
cannot believe in a God who permits these things." The minister was silent until they met
a man who was especially unkempt and filthy. His hair was hanging down his neck, and
he had a half-inch of stubble on his face. Said the minister: "You can't be a very good
barber or you wouldn't permit a man like that to continue living in this neighborhood
without a haircut or a shave."
Indignantly the barber answered: "Why blame me for that man's condition? I can't help
it that he is like that. He has never given me a chance to help him. If he would only come
to my shop, I could fix him up and make him look like a gentleman!" Giving the barber a
penetrating look, the minister said: "Then don't blame God for allowing these people to

continue in their evil ways, when He is constantly inviting them to come and be saved.
The reason these people are slaves to sin and evil habits is that they refuse the One who
died to save and deliver them." The barber saw the point. The invitation to come
can be rejected, and so man can choose not to come. But he can also choose to come,
and when he does he will receive God's greatest gift in Christ. The greatest choice any
man can make in relationship to Christ is to come.
B. ISA. 1:18-20 COME NOW LET US REASON TOGETHER
God spoke in our text through Isaiah to a very weak and wicked people. They have
rebelled against God, and treated him like dirt. They have disobeyed His commandments;
they have spurned His love, and have rejected His leading. They deserve nothing but
God's wrath, but instead, God says, "Come now let's reason together." He is saying, there
is still a way out of this mess. You do not have to remain in the rut of your sin. You can be
forgiven and cleansed, and have a new start in life that will lead to success.
In verse 19 God says, if you are willing and obedient, you will be blessed, and eat the
good of the land, but in verse 20 He says, if you refuse and rebel you will be destroyed.
God is always the same in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and also,
today. He is a God of grace who gives man a choice. He always deals fairly with man,
even when they are not fair with Him. He always gives them a chance to determine their
destiny. God says to every man in every situation, "Come now, let's work out this
problem, and get on the right track."
God is not willing that any shall perish. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
If any man dies lost, it is not because God willed it, but because that man refused to listen
to God's invitation, "Come now." The call of God to all men is, "Come." It does not make
any difference if you are the worse rebel that ever walked on this planet. It does not make
any difference if you have broken every commandment God ever gave. It does not make
any difference if you are so rotten to the core that you even hate yourself. God says come,
let's get together and work this out so you can be forgiven and cleansed.
No matter how bad your sin, or how black it is, it can be made white as snow. You can
be so clearly guilty that its like blood all over your hands and face, but if you will come,
God can make you clean, and give you a fresh start. Thank God there is a way for the
worst to be saved. The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. It is not just for the moderate
sinner that this invitation is given, but for the worst and most radical. Nobody is left out.
God's invitation goes to all men, come now.
What a marvelous opportunity. You could not receive a greater invitation than this,
even if you were invited to the White House, or to a royal wedding in England. Here is life's
greatest invitation, and its not given just to some exclusive set, like the rich, the noble, the
upper class. The best invitation, and most valuable in history, is offered to the least and
the lowest, as well as the highest. Everyone has the invitation to come to God,
and get a fresh clean start in life. You can receive it or reject it; you can respond or ignore
it, but you cannot escape it. You are involved whether you like it or not. Even if you do
nothing you are making a choice. You are choosing to miss God's best.
A man was telling his two buddies why he was so fed up. He said, "These three guys
jumped out of an alley and knocked me to the sidewalk. One took my billfold, and another
pounded me in the stomach while the other one kicked my ribs." "What did you do?"
asked one of his friends. "Nothing," he responded, "I didn't want to get involved." It is

obvious that he could not escape being involved when something so radical was
happening to him. So it is with the Gospel and God's plan to save all people in Jesus
Christ. You cannot not be involved. Jesus died for your sins, and paid the ultimate price,
and bore the pain of your judgment, because He loved you. He now stands ready to
receive you and save you from sin, death, and hell. All that He did directly involves you.
There is no escape, for you are involved, like it or not. You have to do something about
this invitation to come. You can't do nothing, for doing nothing is a major decision. It is
doing that which loses you the best gift ever offered.
This is like being in a building they are going to blow up. They call out and ask if
anyone is in the building, and announce that they must come out now for in 5 minutes the
dynamite goes off. You can say, I'm not going to make a decision on this matter, and sit
in your closet. But you cannot avoid making a decision, for that is a decision. You have
decided to be blown up. Doing nothing is not nothing, it is a decision.
Spurgeon said, "The cry of the Christian religion is the simple word, come." Jesus was
always saying come unto me and I will give you rest. The Bible is loaded with invitations
to all men, and whosoever will may come. It is not a matter of how you feel. You may feel
helpless and hopeless, with a heart that will not respond.
My heart, how dreadful hard it is,
How heavy here it lies,
Heavy and cold within my breast,
Just like a rock of ice.
It makes no difference if you will come. Coming is what counts, and all can come.
When God says you can come, there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can stop the
man who wants to come. Satan will fill the mind with fears and doubts. He will tell you it
is hopeless, and that you are not worthy. It is true, but you can come nevertheless. If you
come with all of your fears and doubts, God will receive you. God never says depart to
anyone, until He first says come. All have a chance to come and be forgiven, and only
when they don't come will they stand judged. God is never to blame for anyone being lost.
He has done everything possible to prevent it.
When you come to God, you do not come with excuses, or with false views of your sin.
You do not try to justify your sin. It doesn't make any difference how scarlet your sin is,
for God promises to make it white as snow. You sin is probably far worse than you can
imagine to a holy God. You cannot exaggerate your sin. Those who pretend they are too
awful to be saved are being foolish. God's invitation is to come as you are, even if you are
scarlet and blood red with sin. God delights in cleansing the worst, and making them new
creatures in Christ.
Zaccheaus, that little scoundrel so hated and despised as a tax collector, came to
Jesus. He was rejected by his own people as a traitor. He became all the corrupt for being
hated, and so he over taxed people and became a criminal. He messed up his life with God
and man. But then he came to Jesus, and his life was changed. He got back into favor
with God and man. He became such a hero of the faith that children everywhere sing
about him, because he responded to God's invitation to come and be cleansed. One of the
saddest verses in the Bible is John 5:40 where Jesus said, "You will not come to me, that
you might have life." The sadness is not that people can't come, but that they won't come.
People are only lost for one reason, they will not come. People are saved for one reason,
they come. Come to Jesus, and be a child of God forever.

C. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO GO HOME Based Luke 15:11-24
Did you ever run away from home? I did once, and sat out in a field, and nobody came
after me. Life gets boring fast alone in a field of weeds, and I was getting hungry so I
decided to go home, and that is how most people get home. How did the Prodigal son
ever get back home? The father did not send a wagon to pick him up. The elder brother
did not ride a horse to the farm, and offer him a lift. The neighbors did not send him a
ticket for the camel caravan to bring him back. Nobody did anything to get him home. He
simply said, "I will arise and go home." He got home by choosing to go home.
That is the way you get anywhere. It is by choice. He did not get home by hoping he
would some day get there. He didn't wish himself home. He may have wised he was, and
in fact, we know he did wish he was home, and not feeding those foul pigs. He longed for
home, but his longing, wishing, and hoping did not get him home. He could have died an
old man in the pigs slop, and never gotten home if all he had going for him was hoping,
longing, and wishing.
There are so many things that just won't get you home, but there is one thing that will
always get you home, and that is choosing to go home. He chose to get up, and he chose
to start walking, and he chose to continue walking, and he chose to walk all the way home.
There was no other way. He was the one who chose to leave home. Nobody booted him
out, or locked the door after he left. It was his choice that took him to the far country,
and when he got there, it was his choice to blow his inheritance on wine women and song.
People are pretty much what they choose to be, and they do pretty much what they chose
to do.
Not everything is a matter of choice, of course. Many things are beyond the control of
our choices. I read of a young man who sold books from house to house one summer. He
was lame and walked with great difficulty. It was not his choice to be a crippled, but this
affliction was thrust upon him. At one home the woman of the house said to him, "Doesn't
being lame color your life?" "Yes," he said, "It does, but thank God I can choose the
color." He was right, for he did not choose the lameness, but he could still choose how to
react to it, and he did. He chose the bright color, and not the gloomy dark color. He chose
to get up and out, and use his body rather than sit and gripe and moan that it was not
perfect. His choice made him optimistic, rather than pessimistic. We are all pretty much
what we choose to be.
The Prodigal chose to be a fast living high spending swinger, who attracted all of the
people who enjoy seeing a fool and his money part company. You can only choose to be
foolish like this for so long, however, for it takes money to be a fool with money. When he
squandered it, he was no longer fun to be with, nor free to be a fool. He suddenly became
very conservative, and instead of eating at the swankiest place in town, he started eating
at the stinkiest place in town, or rather, outside of town at the pig ranch. He did not like
this choice, but without resources you do not have the options available to the man with
money. The freedom to chose becomes more and more limited by the loss of resources,
and so he was finally reduced to the level of the swine.
People who make bad choices in life always lose their freedom. The more bad choices
they make, the fewer choices of any kind they can make. Their bad choices rob them of
their options. When the Prodigal left home he had a vast world of choices. He could have
gone any one of dozens of different directions. But he chose to go the way of eat drink
and be merry, for tomorrow we die. The problem is we don't die tomorrow, but instead we
live with the consequences of our eating, drinking, and being merry. He was reduced to
one choice-eat pig food or become worm food. Not quit the wide open field of choices he
had at the start.

Why was his life such a mess? Was it because of his poor family life? Was it because
he was not potty trained right? Was it his environment, or the things he read as a boy?
Was it friends who influenced him? All of these things may have played some role in his
life, but the facts are clear, he was there because of his own choices. Sure, he was used,
and people took advantage of him, and he got some rotten breaks, but the real culprit
behind it all was his wrong choices. Many have made wrong choices, and they have been
costly, and many have ended up like the Prodigal. But the good news is, even if this has
happened to you, you still have a choice.
A famous painting shows the devil playing chess with a young man. The devil has
checkmated the man's queen. On his face is a look of defeat and despair. He has made
too many bad choices, and now he is trapped without hope. Paul Murphy, the chess
genius, once stood looking at that painting. He studied it carefully, and suddenly his face
lit up. He shouted out at the man in the painting, "Don't give up, you still have a move!"
He had spotted a way out, and that is the good news of the Gospel. God has provided one
more move for those in the most hopeless situations. He gives us a choice. We can chose
to surrender to Christ and have our paths blotted out, and start life anew as a child of God.
The choice is there. The choice is yours. You can choose to go home.
D. GETTING IN Based on Rev. 3:20 and 21:23-27
Everybody wants to get in on the action. Back in 1982 a crowd began to form one
Monday afternoon in December at the River Front Coliseum in Cincinnati. By the time the
police arrived at 3:00 P.M., hundreds of fans had gathered at the doors, even though they
would not open until 7:00 P.M. The rock group called The Who was to play a concert, and
masses of people wanted in. By early evening 8 thousand people were pressing against
the doors. The crowd became restless, and somebody broke out a glass and opened a
door. The mob surged forward. The police could not stop it, and those who lost their
footing were as helpless as if they were in a cattle stampede. After the crowd had passed
in, 11 people were left dead, and 8 severely injured. That is just how badly people want to
get in some places. It is as if their life depended upon getting in.
It is important to people to get in. They wait in lines all the time to get into a favorite
restaurant, or into a movie, or some sporting event. They wait to get into a store, a doctor,
or into a line of traffic that is moving. Nobody wants to be left out, and everybody wants to
get in somewhere. It can be very embarrassing to be shut out, or to even get just half way
in. A young man in Philadelphia was attempting to get into a store at night to rob it. He
removed two bolts from the security bars of a window, and began to crawl in. One of the
bars came crashing down, and he was trapped. Half of his body was inside the store, and
half was dangling outside. It was a real dilemma. He could hang there, or call for help.
After a long struggle, he decided to call the emergency 911 number on a phone he could
just barely reach. He was terribly embarrassed when the police arrived. He confessed it
was his first burglary, and he just couldn't make it in.
It is hard not to be in the in-crowd. That is what the American dream is all about-get in
with the best crowd. Get in on the real estate bonanza. Get in on the life style of the rich
and famous. We are bombarded by all the media with the message-come with us, follow
us, and we will lead the way to get you in. The theme of politics is, getting in. After all,
what good are the best candidates in the world if they can't get into office. You have to get

in to have power, and so the name of the game is getting in. Every student has to be
concerned about getting into college, and then getting into the right program, and then
doing well enough to get into the profession he is aiming for. Life is just one struggle after
another to get in.
The refugees of the world are struggling to get in on the affluence of the West. So many
cross the borders from Mexico and Central America to get into the U. S. Masses are
planning, plotting, and carrying out those plans to get into this country, legally or illegally,
because the goal of their life revolves around getting in. God understand this quest of
man to get in, for that is God's goal for man also. God wants to get him into that which
fulfills all of his dreams, hopes, and desires. The goal of God is to get men into the
kingdom of God. The goal of Jesus is to get into the lives of men. He said, "Behold, I
stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come
in." Jesus wants in, because He wants to bring people into His Father's kingdom. This is
the highest goal that man can achieve, the letting of Jesus in so they can get in where the
whole purpose of life is fulfilled. Getting into God's family, and getting into heaven is
where it is at. It is getting in where God wants us to get in.
So often we hear stories about dying and coming to the golden gate and dickering with
Peter whether we should be allowed in or not. This would be a tragic mistake to wait until
you die to find out if you can get in. The Bible says it is too late then, and if you die before
you know the way in, you are out forever. That is the hell of missing heaven. It is to be out
with no hope of getting in, and that is our destiny to get in. To get in anywhere you have
to go through the door. There is only one door to God, heaven, and into the family of God,
and that door is Jesus. He said, "I am the Door." He also said, "I am the Way the Truth
and the Life, no man comes to the Father but by Me." There is only one way in.
There is no possible way to break in by some other door, for there is no other door. The
revelation of God is clear, Jesus is the Way, and the only Way.
Some people wait until they have a crisis in their life to come to Christ. We see it even
in the Bible. The thief on the cross was near death when he turned to Christ, and asked to
be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. Jesus said He would be with him in
paradise, and so he got in just at the last moment. The Philippian jailer thought his
prisoners had escaped and he would be killed for allowing it, and so he was about to kill
himself. Paul intervened and showed that the prisoners were all there. The jailer said,
"What must I do to be saved?" In other words, how can I get in on what you men have?
And Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." He was so
near suicide, and being shut out of God's kingdom forever, but in the crisis he believed in
Jesus, and he made it in.
Richard Hillary was one of those spit fire pilots in World War II that Churchill was
talking about when he said, "Never was so much owed to so few." He was shot down, and
parachuted into the English Channel, and was so badly burned he wanted to die. He
thought about the stupidity of war, and wondered what the purpose of life was all about.
His mind was forced to think of God as the only reality that could make sense of life, and
he found peace as he surrendered to God. He was miraculously found and rescued. He
made it back into life, but more important for him, he made it into the kingdom of God. His
name was written down in God's book as a child of the King, a member of the family of the
redeemed. We all need to ask ourselves-
Is my name written there,
On the page bright and fair?
In the book of God's kingdom,
Is my name written there?
Will you make it in? That is the question of all areas of life, and most important, it is the

question of eternal life. Will you make it into that kingdom where sin, sorrow, death, and
folly will be no more? You don't have to wait for a crisis. In fact, that is very risky,
for people do not get in automatically just because they have a crisis. The best time to get
into the kingdom is always right now, for now is always the day of salvation. The greatest
question of life is, how do we get into heaven, and into the family of God? Jesus says you
get in by giving in. You open your life to Him, and let Him in. You listen for that knock He
makes on the door of your heart when the good news of the Gospel is preached. You stop
trying to be your own saviour and surrender to Him. He wants in because only as He gets
in, can He get you in. You let Him in, and He lets you in.
To be born is to get into this world. To be born again is to get into the world to come,
which has already begun. To be saved is to taste of the world to come. The greatest
mistake of life is to miss the chance to get in on God's best. The greatest wisdom of life is
to grab at the chance to get in on God's best. Jesus holds the pen that can write your
name in the book of life, and He holds the key that can let you in to the house of God.
Even people who think they want out, really want in. Albert Camus wrote The Plague.
It is about the town of Oran where the rats began to come out of dark places to die in the
streets, and then people began to die the same way. People were dying so fast they were
hauling them to the dumps. The town was quarantined, and nobody could get in or out.
Dr. Bernard Rieux was the town doctor, and it never occurred to him to get out. He was so
busy caring for people. A journalist, named Raymond Rambert, was caught in Oran, but he
wanted out desperately. But there was no escape, and so he went on the daily rounds with
Dr. Rieux. He was trying to save some of the people, and especially children, so Raymond
pitched in and did what he could.
One day a person smuggler offered Rambert a chance to get out for a price, but he
decided to stay. Why stay asked the doctor? You have a right to get out and be happy.
Rambert explained that he was happy there, for he no longer felt like a stranger, but he felt
like he belonged. The point of the story is, you can be happy even in a plague infested
world if you know you belong, for that feeling of being in on the family is what life is all
about. Life can be hell, but if you know you are in the family of God, and you belong to the
only family that will live together forever, you can have peace and be happy even in this
plague infested life. All people are in two classes: The whosoever wills, and the
whosoever won'ts. The whosoever wills receive Christ as their Savior, and they get the
greatest gift man can receive. They receive the gift of getting in, and getting in forever.
E. WILL YOUR NAME LAST FOREVER Based on Luke 10:17-20
It took many years of hard labor for Gutzon Borglum to blast and crave away the rock to
produce the faces of the four presidents on Mt. Rushmore. He died a short time after the
work was completed in 1941. He was interviewed before he died, and was asked why it
took so long. He said the monument would be there for all time, and he wanted to be
exact. Geologist figure it will erode and inch in one hundred thousand years. He said,
"You see my name is on that monument just as surely as the face of the four presidents."
His name is written in rock, and will likely last for all time. We like our names to last,
and that is why we like to get them written in unusual places. Climb almost any mountain
or high hill, and you will discover rocks where you have names written or carved by those
who were there before you. On the edge of trestles and bridges, where there is danger to
do so, people climb to inscribe their name. Some prefer to carve them in desks at school,

or other public property. Others prefer nature, and carve their names into trees and stubs.
Others try to find soft cement, and get their name locked in before it hardens.
One way or another, almost everyone gets their name written somewhere, because they
feel there name is important, and it is. Your name is a very important part of your identity.
Businesses know that, and so they have designed computers to send you letters with
your name, and not just general letters to everyone as dear customer, or occupant. We
like to see our name in print, and so they use this to appeal to our love for our own name.
From birth to death our name is important. Our name goes on to our birth certificate
before we leave the hospital, and it goes on our death certificate before we are buried, and
in between our name is a basic part of our life. It is on our school records, doctor records,
employment records, bank records, and tax records.
All of us have experienced the power of signing our name. You have put your name on
a little piece of paper, and the bank gives you money for it. You name gives you rights and
ownership. I read of an old veteran who got his check from the government, and said to a
friend, "See, there is the name of the treasurer of the United States, big man, but this thing
is no good till I put my name on it." Every persons name is important, and where it is
written is important. Jesus even told His disciples that the real key to happiness is in
knowing that your name is written in heaven. They were excited about miracles, and the
power they had to cast out demons, but Jesus said they should not make this the
foundation of their joy, for true and lasting joy is to be in fact that your name is written in
heaven.
In a very real sense Jesus is saying, the greatest goal of life is to get your name in the
proper place, and that place is in the book where God records the names of all His
children. It might be enjoyable to see your name in the paper, but the next day it is
garbage. It may be a blast to see your name up in lights, but those lights soon dim and
your name is forgotten. Even if you get your name in rock, and it lasts till the end of time,
it will be wiped out, for the Bible says the very elements will melt with fervent heat when
the world ends. All the names on rocks, steel, and even the pyramids will gone for good.
Only those written in the Lamb's Book Of Life will have names that endure forever.
Jesus knew that in the battle with the forces of evil His disciples would not always
escape injury and death, as they did this time. Many of them would be killed, and evil men
like Herod and Nero would take their lives, and eliminate their names from the records of
history. They would pay a heavy price to follow the name of Jesus, but He is saying to
them, that which is permanent, and which will never be taken away from you is your name
in heaven. Evil men cannot reach the records of heaven, and no weapon of time has the
power to erase your name in heaven. Once you put your name there, by putting your trust
in Christ as your Savior, and following Him as Lord, you have arrived at the peak of human
exaltation, for no matter who you are in time, you will be somebody in eternity. You will be
somebody special to God forever, and your name will be known in the family of God
throughout endless ages.
Nothing is more important than having your name written in heaven. It is worth any
price to get it there, but because of Christ, it is free to those who trust Him. Men have paid
a heavy price to have their name written on the record of history. Those 56 American
leaders who signed the Declaration of Independence paid a price to put their names on
that document. We say, put our John Hancock on this when we ask people to sign
something, because John Hancock wrote his name larger than anyone else who signed the
Declaration. He wanted the king of England to be able to see his name even without his
glasses. The king saw it, and all of the others as well, and they became prime targets.
Five of them were captured by the British and tortured before they died. 12 others had
their homes looted or burned. 9 of them died fighting the war. They were all rich men who

lived in luxury, but they risk it all by putting their names on that piece of paper. Thank God
for men who will put their names down for such values as freedom. We are all blessed
because of them. But there is still a higher place to put your name, and that is in the
Lamb's Book of Life. The armed forces entice you to put your name on the dotted line for
your country. Sign up and see the world. Give them your name and they will give you
training and adventure. All of this is fine, and can change your life, but no matter how
many places you get your name written, you cannot be truly happy until your name is
written in heaven.
Mary Kidder wrote the hymn, Is My Name Written There? The last stanza goes like this-
Oh that beautiful city with its mansions of light,
With its glorified beings in pure garments of white,
Where no evil thing cometh to despoil what is fair,
Where the angels are watching-yes my name's written there.
Yes, my name's written there on the page white and fair,
In the book of thy kingdom, yes my name's written there.
The good news is, you don't have to be a duke, a prince or princess, or a person of
fame and fortune, to get your name in that book of life. All you have to be is a sinner who
knows he needs a Savior. All you have to be is a hungry man who knows he needs the
bread of life. All you need to be is a thirsty man who knows he needs to drink of the water
of life. All you have to be is whoever you are saying, I want to be a part of the family of
God, and I want to yield my life to Christ, and to trust and follow Him. Whosoever will may
come. And the Bible says they will come, for people from every tribe, tongue, and nation,
will come, and they will sing praises to the name of Jesus forever. They were nobodies,
and without earthly fame, but they were redeemed by the blood of the lamb, and their
names were written in heaven. Where your name is, there you will be forever. So the
greatest question in life is, is my name written in heaven?
It all depends on what you do with the greatest name of all time. God has given His Son
a name above every name. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that
He is Lord. His name is a name of power and glory. Christianity is named after Christ.
There are all kinds of isms in the world, communism, fascism, materialism, naturalism,
and humanism, but long after all these isms will be wasims, the name of Christ will live on,
and Christians will also, because they bear His eternal name. The rulers of this present
age have time and time again sought to put out the light of this name, and plunged it into
oblivion, but they have failed to put out the light, and have themselves plunged into the pit
of darkness.
The name of Jesus shines, and all over this world people sing, Jesus Loves Me,
There's No Other Name Like That Of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus There's Just Something About
That Name, Take the Name Of Jesus With You, and Jesus Is The Sweetest Name I Know.
You might just as well try to erase the sun as to try blotting out the name of Jesus. It is
engraved in history, and in the hearts of millions to stay forever. Every time persecutors
have tried to destroy the name of Jesus, they have magnified it. When they killed
Christians by the thousands, the masses asked, who enables these people to die with
such peace, and the answer was always Jesus, and so the name of Jesus spread like
wildfire. The martyrs sang of Jesus as they died, and the very fires that burned them at the
stake wrote the name of Jesus in the sky, and others bowed to that marvelous name.
Communism in Russia and China used brutal methods to stamp out the name of Jesus,
but after decades of forcing Christians underground, we now know that more people love
and honor the name of Jesus in those lands than they did before communism came. There
is no way you can eliminate that name. When you have quenched the sun, and dried up
the oceans, you have not yet tackled the hardest task, for the sun can be blotted out, and
the seas will be no more says the Bible, but the name of Jesus endures forever.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of Jesus will also live forever. Your name can be
added to the Book Of Life today if you by faith will receive Christ as your Savior.
Whosoever will may come. Will you?
F. THE REBEL RETURNS Based on Luke 15:11-32
The main social event of the year in many Sunday Schools is the summer picnic.
William Porkess was in an English Sunday School that was granted permission by an
Earl to have a picnic on his large estate. How excited they all were as they were being
carried to the estate by horse and carriage. The woods on this estate contained a million
trees, and many were hundreds of years old. In the course of time walks had been planned
by marking certain trees. All you had to do was follow the marks and you could walk for
miles under a continuous canopy of leaves, and come back to where you started. It was
pointed out very strongly the danger in not following the marks. Bill and some others
boys were not going to bother with such warnings. They determined to do as they
pleased, and they wandered off the path. After a time they began to sense that they did not
know where they were.
Their smart-alick enthusiasm cooled rapidly, and they began to feel desperation. They
went on and on with no sense of direction most of the day. At last they came to a clearing
and found a cottage where they got direction back to the camp. It ended happily, but as
Bill reflected back on the experience, he saw the foolishness of his rebellion against rules.
He lost two meals and all of the fun that had been planned, and on top of that, he never
really came to appreciate the woods, for in their wandering they were gripped with fear,
and could not enjoy the beauty of it. He learned a lesson he never forgot. If you wander
anywhere in your life according to your own will, and rebel against the path established by
those who know the way, you are bound to get lost.
We want to look at the story Jesus told about another youth who learned this lesson the
hard way. It is often called the parable of the Prodigal Son, but it could just as rightly be
called the parable of the Faithful Father. Whatever you call it, it is the pearl of the
parables. It is the most widely known short story in the world. It's message is so simple
that it needs no comment to make it clear. We want to look at each of the three main
characters of the story to see if we can get some insight into our own personalities, and
that of God. Both sons made major mistakes, and so the father is the only hero in the
story, but we want to look first at-
I. THE PRODIGAL SON. The first thing to see about him is-
A. His Rebellion in verses 12 and 13.
Here is a typical young man in any age. He is not necessarily disrespectful of his
father, but he had desires he wanted to gratify, and to do so he had to get away from dad.
Dad is all right, but he has lived his life, and now all he wants to do is hand out rules. I'm
old enough to make my own rules, and I'm getting out of here. So he gets this things
together and goes to a far country. It is no good just going into town, for that is too near
father to be free. He wanted real freedom, and so he went far. There he wasted his
substance in riotous living.
He soon learned how deceptive liberty is without law. He lived high off the hog for a
while, but ended up eating with the hog. What he thought to be freedom became slavery.

All he wanted was to be free. He did not want to destroy his life and disgrace his family.
No one sets out to wreck his life. No train leaves the station with a plan to derail; no plane
takes off with the design to crash; no young man goes off to a far country to fling himself
into famine and filth, but that is what happens when he goes with a misconception of
freedom. He thinks freedom is having his own way, and doing just as he pleases. He has
to learn the hard way that true freedom comes by being obedient to law.
I can walk over to the piano and do just as I please. I am not bound by any rules. There
are no limitations to the way in which I can bang on the keys. Yet, with all my so-called
freedom I am a slave to discord. I can not make pleasant sound because my complete
freedom is based on complete ignorance of the laws of music. My freedom is really a
form of slavery to my ignorance. I can only be really free to produce music by learning to
obey the laws of music. Liberty without law is folly, and that is what the Prodigal
experienced.
On the other hand, the one who has his freedom limited by rules, and cannot just hit
anywhere, in any order, is the one who is free to produce harmony. The secret of freedom
is in obedience to law, and not in rebellion against law. One of the responsibilities of
parenthood is to teach this to their children, so they don't have to learn it the hard way
As I said before, no one wants to wreck their life and hurt others, but in order to have
their own way, they are willing to do so. The youth who drinks and then drives like a wild
man, does not want to kill himself for others, but he is willing to take that chance so he can
do what he pleases, and he thinks that is freedom. Freedom is only real when it means
living according to the laws of God. So many young people think the far country is the
goal of life. They have a space-age mentality, but a stone-age morality. Their desire for
pleasure soars across the sky like a rocket, while the desire to please God, or anyone else
for that matter, drags across the ground like a wounded turtle. The result is, they pay any
price for pleasure, and if they live they often end up in a asylums and prisons. Sometimes,
however, they reach the bottom, like the Prodigal, and they do what he did, which we want
to now consider.
B. His Repentance in verses 17-20.
The text says he came to himself. He saw the folly of his way, and was ready to admit
he had been foolish. He saw that his foolish desire for freedom was like a fish desiring to
be free from the water. His pleasure had to turned to poison. Sin had weakened, withered,
and wasted him. As he sat looking at pigs he no doubt thought, these pigs are happier
than I am. Pigs are happier than people at times, for they live according to nature,
but man has the freedom to rebel and live contrary to the laws God made for His nature.
The fortunate thing for this young man was that he was alone with himself and the pigs.
Most people cannot stand to be alone with themselves, so they never come to themselves.
Men trying to live without God need something to keep them company. They often cannot
even enjoy nature without a transistor radio blaring. Silence is a pain, and so they must
have sound constantly to occupy their minds. I read of a judge who sentenced a youth to
48 hours alone in a room. He was to set there and reflect on his life. Hopefully, it brought
him to himself, for when a man comes to himself he wants to come to God next, or at least,
this was the experience of the Prodigal.
Afflictions though they seem severe,
In mercy oft are sent.
They stop they prodigal's career,
And cause him to repent.
He not only was resolved to return home, but he actually arose and went. If a sinner

truly repents, he does not just turn over a new leaf, he goes to God and starts with a new
book altogether. A man out of fellowship with God is homeless, but he does not feel his
home sickness until he comes to himself. The Prodigal never thought of home while
having a fun time, and spending his money. The biggest blessing he had was his poverty.
Those who can continue indefinitely to please the flesh, and live for pleasure, often never
get homesick, and never return. That is why Jesus said it is so hard for the rich to enter
the kingdom. Many feel sorry for their sin, but they are too stubborn to return to the Father
and confess. So they remain in the pig pen the rest of their lives. The proof of true
repentance is when the feeling is followed up with action, and the sinner arises and goes
home.
II. THE FATHER.
It is agreed that he represents God, even though we cannot press every detail. We note,
however, that there is no charge against the father. Some might say, if he was a good
father he would not have bad boys, but that theory does not fit reality, for God is certainly
a good Father, yet he has bad boys in his family.
It is important to note that the rebellion is not due to the father's short comings. Some
leave home and live in sin because they chance of winding up with the pigs is better than
staying home. The case here is that of lack of understanding in the son. He rebels, just as
men rebel against God, even though he is the source of all they need. Free will is a fact,
and combined with a fallen nature, it leads to perpetual folly. The fault is in the son and
not the father. A child raised in a home with a good father can grow up and despise all the
father stands for. Men can do the same with God. God respects the free will He has given
man, and will not compel them to do His will. He convicts and convinces, and when the
sinner returns we see Him respond with compassion.
The father is not a stubborn old man who says I will make my son crawl before I accept
him back. The father is waiting for his son, and when he sees him afar off, he runs to him,
and maybe out of breath, but not out of love, he kisses the son even though he must have
looked and smelled terrible. He reveals God's attitude to the fallen sinner who wants to
come home. The son had it all planned, and knew just what he was going to say, but the
fact of his coming was all the father needed. We don't have to worry about the form we
use, or what to say when we return to God. Just come as you are, and He will receive you,
and kiss you with His saving grace.
One of the most outstanding illustrations of how God stoops to kiss us with
forgiveness is when the Prince of Wales was asked to visit a hospital where 36 men were
so wounded and maimed in fighting for England they would never leave the hospital. He
went and talked with them, but there were only 29, and he asked about the other 7. They
explained how they were so tragically disfigured they were omitted on purpose. He
insisted on seeing them so he could thank them for their sacrifice. Again, only 6 of the 7
were there, for the seventh could not see. He was blind, deaf, maimed beyond the likeness
of a man, but the Prince insisted he be taken to this man. He turned white at the sight of
this one who could not see or hear him, but he did not move away, but slowly stooped and
kissed his face.
Compassion for the unlovely, the hopeless, and the lost, is what the Gospel is all about.
It is the good news of God's love for anyone who comes to him through Jesus Christ. If
the rebel will return, he will be received. This is love in its most sacred significance, for it
means complete forgiveness and restoration to sonship. The Prodigal suffered the loss of
wealth and health, and not all of his problems were solved, but he was home, and in
fellowship with his father, who would help him overcome the results of his folly. The
sinner returning to God is forgiven, but all of his problems are not solved. However, he
now has a resource to meet those problems that he did not have when he was feeding the

pigs.
All heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents, just as the father rejoiced over the
rebels return. He called for the best robe. God is no advocate of plainness or drabness.
He who made the beauty of the universe does not delight in ragged clothes and drab
colors. It is the best robe for His own. Jesus, you recall, wore such a beautiful robe that
the soldiers gambled for it. All will have beautiful robes in glory, and the beauty will be
dazzling. How can what is right in heaven be wrong on earth? God is a God of joy and
beauty. I stress this lest we think there is piety in what is dull. It is not so, but just as
Joseph had a coat of many colors, so all God's people will have garments of beauty.
The setting is filled with joy and merry making. There is the ring, the robe, the shoes,
and the fatted calf. This is a kind of a hint of what heaven will be like. Verse 25 says there
will be music and dancing. No religion is as joyful as Christianity, for it alone celebrates
the Prodigal's return. It has spread hymn books around the world, for it is a religion of joy.
The church has always been a singing church. When the Mayflower sets sail the Pilgrim's
were singing the Psalms of David. Many of the martyrs died with songs of praise on their
lips. Nothing can kill the song at the heart of the Gospel. As long as sinners repent and
come home to God there will be singing in this world.
Why is the father so joyful over his son's return? This is the question we must ask?
For it made the elder brother angry. He was not happy over his brother's return. The
elder brother could not see that the lost recovered brings even greater joy than what was
never lost. We do not rejoice over all the children who return safely every day, as we do
over one who is almost killed, but is spared. The child who is lost and searched for, and
then found, gets in the papers, and the story warms many hearts. This does not mean that
those who never get lost are not as precious. When a thing is lost you know the sorrow of
its absence, and so greater is your joy when that sorrow is removed. The 20 dollar bill you
lost and then found causes you more joy than the 20 you never lost. Both are worth the
very same, but one you always had, and so it never caused you any sorrow, and, therefore,
no occasion to rejoice. The elder brother did not see this, and he was angry.
III. THE ELDER BROTHER.
Many feel that the purpose of the parable was to show the Pharisees that they were like
this elder brother, for they felt the same way about sinners who were coming home to
Christ. In verse 30 we see his envy. He put the worst interpretation on his brother's
actions. He had a cold and calculated view of works and reward. He felt if he did what was
right he should get what was coming to him. He was the Pharisee who did not like to see
Jesus fellowshiping with the publicans and sinners. They were not good and did not
deserve to be treated like friends. His brother was bad, and so did not deserve to be
treated with compassion.
None of us are above this level when the flood waters of envy overflow, and cause us to
be soaked with self-centeredness. Envy is that which makes us our own destroyer, like
the Greek runner who envied the statue put up in honor of a rival. So at night he pulled it
over, and it fell on him and crushed him. We need to rearrange our list of cardinal sins
according to the standard of Christ. We often consider jealousy, anger, pride, and harsh
judgments as false of human nature, only minor defects which we cannot help. But Jesus
puts them on the top of the black list. Often it is in the church where there is the greatest
deception as to what sin really is. We pick out 6 or 7 things that are outward signs of
character, and we eliminate this acts, and then suppose we have conquered sin. Satan
delights to have us think so for then we all the easier fall into the less obvious sins. The
world sometimes sees what we are blind to and laughs. Some Christians give the
impression they are righteous because they never have any fun. This was the elder
brother who felt that he was so wonderful because he never did anything negative. This is

like a farmer who keeps all the weeds out of the fields, but never plants any seed.
This brother refused to go in to the party. He is like the Pharisee saying, if God does
not act like me, I'm not joining in. Either he accepts only those I feel are worthy, or I'm not
in on any celebration. He is like a mummy, all wrapped up in himself. The story does not
end happy altogether. The elder brother threw a wet blanket on the whole thing with his
pride and stubbornness, and he was left out of the banquet.
God loves all sinners and desires that all come to Him. He is a waiting Father ready to
accept all who come in humility and brokenness. If you cannot accept those whom God
accepts, you will not enjoy heaven anyway, and must remain outside with the elder
brother. Thank God He is such a Father who welcomes all prodigals home. Hawthorn's
story "Rappocini's Daughter" tells of a chemist who studied poisons. He had a garden full
of lovely but poisonous flowers. In a fiendish experiment he exposed his beautiful
daughter to them for years. She was so filled with poison that her own breath was deadly
to all life. This is what happens when we are like the elder brother. We poison the
atmosphere of even the most joyous occasions. May God help us to avoid that role and
join the party of those who celebrate the rebel's return.
G. THANK GOD Based on Rom. 1:18-21
Ed Spencer was a hero of one of the worst shipwrecks ever on Lake Michigan. He was
studying for the ministry at the Methodist Seminary in Evanston, Ill. On the night of Sept.
8, 1860 he was awakened by the shouts of other students in the dormitory. A shipwreck
had taken place not far away. And excursion ship had collided with a lumber freighter,
and 400 people were out in the cold water struggling for survival. Ed jumped up, dressed,
and ran the 3 miles to the lake. A strong undertow discouraged many who would have
become rescuers. But Ed was a strong swimmer, so he plunged into the chilly waters.
The waves were high, and debris hit an cut him, but he was able to make 15 trips and save
15 lives.
He was resting by a fire drinking a cup of coffee when the shout came, "There are two
more!" In spite of his exhaustion, he plunged into the surf again, and made it to a peace of
wreckage where a man and a woman were clinging for life. He brought them in, and then
he collapsed. 287 people drowned, and 98 survived, 17 of them because of Ed Spencer.
He never became a minister. His body had been so severely weakened, and he became a
invalid who lived out his days in California. As an old man he was interviewed in Los
Angeles, and he was asked what he most remembered about the great rescue. "Only
this," he replied, "Of the 17 people I saved, not one of them even thanked me. You would
think people would be forever grateful, and write him notes of thanks, and even send gifts.
Not everyone has a thankful heart. Only one out of 10 that Jesus cured of leprosy
bothered to come back and thank Him. People can even take a miracle for granted, and
not be thankful. Not being thankful is one of mankind's greatest sins. It shows that man is
blind to the grace of God. To go through life and never say thank you to God is to live the
ultimate in the cursed life. Paul says this was one of the main causes for the wrath of God
to fall on mankind. Why have so many nations been plunged into darkness? Why do
many people live like animals and wild beasts? Why must human creatures live like
savages? Because they were not thankful. They took all of God's gifts, and enjoyed the
wonders of life, and never once said thank you to God. The result is, they lost God's best,
and, instead, had to endure His worst.

It is one of the most stupid things you can do, to go through life and never thank God.
But you might say, what have I got to be thankful for? I'm not exactly living in the lap of
luxury, just killing time waiting for my Rolys Royce to be fixed. I am aware life is not easy
for many, but the fact is, there is much to be thankful for, even with all of life's trials. Even
on the physical level there is food, shelter, and clothing available, because there are
people who care, and why do they care? Because they are aware that Jesus cares about
all people and all needs, and that He met the deepest needs of all men.
Thank God for the forgiveness of sin. All are equally guilty before God, but all are
equally free to receive pardon, and be cleansed from all sin. Dr. Cook represented
Christianity in the worlds fair many years ago. All of the religions of the world gathered to
share their virtues. Dr. Cook came to the platform when it was his turn, and he told the
story of Lady MacBeth. She plotted the murder of Duncan, and was filled with guilt. She
walked the floor looking at her hand she felt was blotted with blood. She would cry out,
"Damed spot! Out, I say," and then in despair moan that all the perfume of Arabia will not
sweeten this little hand. Dr. Cook turned to the representatives of the world's religion and
said, "Ladies and gentlemen is there anything in your religion that will take the stains from
her hands, and the guilt from her heart?" None responded, and then he said, "I present to
you a Savior who can, for the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses from all sin."
There is a lot of good in the religions of the world, just as there is a lot of good in soap,
and the chemical products of men, but nothing can cleanse from sin but the blood of
Christ. Thank God there is such a Savior, and thank God you live in a land where the
knowledge of this good news is known. What does this mean for you? It means hope, no
matter how foolish or sinful you have been.
There is a psychiatrist in New York City named John Rosen who works with catatonics.
He moves right into the ward with them. He sleeps in a bed next to them. He lives with
them and shares their daily life. If they don't talk, neither does he. He is just there. He
puts his arms around them and hugs them. This M.D. and PHD is a highly skilled and
highly paid physician, but he gives up his life of freedom to be limited by their needs. He
loves them back into life and reality, and often when they begin again to speak their first
words are thank you. If people could understand what Jesus has done for them, they too
would say, thank God for Jesus.
We need to thank God that there is no such thing as a hopeless person. If there was
such a person, it would have been Mel Trotter. He staggered home drunk one night, and
found his wife crying and wringing her hands. She said, "Mel, the baby is dying. The
doctor just left and he gave me this prescription." She said, "Here is 60 cents. Take it to a
drug store and get it filled. Be careful Mel, it is all we have." Mel Trotter took the money
and headed for the drug store, but one the way he passed a saloon and went in, and he
spent the money for drink.
That night when he staggered back home his wife was clutching in her arms the lifeless
form of a dead baby. The next day when the baby was buried, Mel was in the saloon. He
sold some of the babies things, and got money for more drink. This was so low it even hit
him, and he realized he was not fit to live. He decided to jump off a bridge in South
Chicago. On his way he came to the old Pacific Garden Mission. Some of the guys he
knew were standing around the door, and they said, "You seem nervous Mel, come on
inside." They pushed him through the door, and Harry Monroe, the man who led Billy
Sunday to Christ, went to work on Mel. He shared with him the good news that he could
be forgiven, and set free from sin, and become a child of God. Mel Trotter accepted God's
offer that night, and came out of darkness into God's marvelous light. He went on to found
63 Gospel Missions across America, and he led thousands of others to Christ.

Thank God there is a rock for every man to stand on, and Jesus is that Rock. There is a
foundation for everyone, and nobody needs to go through life without security. Many do,
but not because it is necessary, or because God wills it. God wills just the opposite, for it
is His will that every man have a solid foundation on which to stand, walk, and to build.
There are many who feel like the poet who wrote-
I wish that my room had a floor.
I don't much care for a door.
But this floating around,
Without touching the ground,
Is getting to be quite a bore.
It is boring and disturbing to have to float through life and never touch base with what
really matters. It is this lack of foundation that leads to all of the unhappiness of life. The
fall of man is really more like the suspension of man. What fell away was the solid
foundation of his relationship to God. That fell away and he was left hanging like an
astronaut in weightless space. Now you can get used to this in a space ship, and adjust to
it, but man can never get used to living without a foundation. The man who floats and
does not have a solid foundation, never builds a life. He just drifts through life. He is like
a balloon loose in the air. If the air blows West, he goes West. If it blows East, he goes
East. Up and down and all around, tossed about by every wind of circumstance, and never
really in control of his own life.
I think there is a lot of truth to the idea that people have their hell right here on earth.
It think the man who is lost, and who is on his way to hell, certainly gets a taste of its
symptoms here. Hell is always pictured as a place with no meaningful activity. It is a lake
of fire, and what can you do in a lake of fire but float in meaningless misery. It is a place of
utter darkness, and like floating in dark space with nothing visible or meaningful. The man
who has no foundation in this life is getting a taste of hell, just as the man who builds on
the Rock of Christ, and is established on this foundation, gets a taste of heaven-a place
which is always pictured just the opposite of hell. It is solid, with mansions and glorious
walls; with gold streets, and full of meaningful activity.
Every life on this planet falls into one of these two categories: The floating life, or the
foundational life. The reason all of us can be thankful is because God offers to us all a
solid rock on which to stand. He has provided a Savior who will forgive our sin, and who
will help us start over with a foundation on which to build. You can choose to float, or
choose to stand on the solid Rock of Christ. The Bible says the wise man will build on the
Solid Rock.
H. DELIVERER OR DESTROYER Based on Heb. 9:24-28
Paul Aurandt records this fascinating paradox of history. In September of 1776
Alexander Hamilton was a captain in the army. The British has his division trapped in
lower Manhattan. They had only two choices it seemed: To fight and die, or to surrender
and be hanged. With those options, it was no surprise that the order was to fight to the
death. They awaited the British attack. Suddenly there was the sound of horses hoofs,
but of a lone rider. It was a Revolutionary soldier. He was a young major who had
discovered and escape route. Hamilton and his men followed him immediately, and after
an 8 mile march in a driving rain they were exhausted, but they were alive, thanks to the
young major.

Alexander Hamilton survived the Revolutionary War, and became a great leader of our
nation. He became the first Secretary of the Treasury, and devised a federal fiscal system
that paid off the war debt. He established a National Bank, and set the stage for our
nation's westward expansion. He determined that the Capital of the U.S. would be in
Washington D. C., and he helped prevent two wars with France and England. There is no
telling how much more he may have accomplished had he not been gunned down in a duel
at age 49. Aaron Burr was the man who cut his life short, but the paradox is, Aaron Burr
was also the man who made it possible for him to become famous, for Burr, who took his
life, was also that young army major who saved him earlier. He was both his savior and
executioner.
This amazing paradox of being both a deliverer and destroyer fits perfectly the role of
Jesus in each of our lives. Jesus died for all men, and, therefore, he is the Savior of all
men. No person needs to die for their own sin, for Jesus paid it all. Every person can
claim him as Savior, and be free from condemnation and judgment. Yet, on the other
hand, every man is free to ignore and reject what Jesus has done for them. In this case,
they will have to pay for their own sin, and face judgment, and Jesus is the judge. He will
judge all who do not accept Him as Savior. So, even though He died for a man, and is his
Savior, if the man does not accept that role of Jesus, then he must face Him as judge.
Jesus is already your Savior, for He has already made it possible for you to be forgiven
and accepted into the family of God. But if you do not take that gift, He will be your judge
and destroyer.
The dividing line that determines which He will be to you for eternity is death. It is
appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment. It is not death that
determines your destiny, but it is death that ends your choices as to your destiny. You
determine if Jesus will be your Savior or you judge, but which choice you have made is
locked in at death. This means that one of the most important aspects of our lives is
death. It is hard to think of anything that will have a greater impact on us than our dying.
It is more important than taxes. We say there are two things that are inevitable, death and
taxes, but some people escape taxes, but nobody escapes death. Death is so popular
everybody's is doing it. That is what the Bible is saying-
I. DEATH IS CERTAIN.
It is appointed onto man once to die, and that is one appointment everybody keeps.
There are about 37 thousand cemeteries in the U. S. alone, but there is no point of moving
to a country with less, for in most countries in the world you will meet death even sooner
than here. Edgar Allen Poe told some gruesome stories. One is called the Masque Of Red
Death. A terrible plague was devastating the country. The victims of this strange disease
would bleed from all their pours and then quickly die.
Prince Prospera is determined to outwit this Red Death, and so, with a thousand of his
friends, he retired to his secluded castle, and when the gates were shut they were welded
fast so none could enter or leave. There were provisions for a lengthy stay, and so the
people lived in luxury for many days trying to forget the suffering world outside. But one
night, during a masquerade ball, a figure appeared with a mask like the Red Death. The
guest were terrified. Orders were given to seize the intruder, and when the mask was torn
from his face there was no face. It was the Red Death, and one by one they guests began
to drop and die.
Poe was portraying the truth that there is no escape. Men have tried everything to
escape death, and all they have done is develop a few delaying tactics that hold back
death for a few years, but never has man been able to stop the march of this inevitable
conqueror. Life is like a game of chess. The king and queen and bishops and knights, and

the lowly pawns are all there, but one by one each goes off the board back into the box.
High and low alike are equal in death, for death removes all from the board of life. It is not
a pleasant thought, and that is why we seldom think of it. You may escape an accident or
a disease, but you cannot escape death, and that is why we fear it. Shakespeare said,
"The weariest and most loathed worldly life that age, ache, poverty, and imprisonment can
lay on nature, is a paradise to what we fear of death."
There are two things you can do about death. You can flee it, or you can face it. Those
who flee never get away, but the feel better trying. They called a graveyard a memorial
garden, and they beautify the funeral with flowers, music, and shiny brass and velvet, but
all the camouflage does not fool anyone for very long. Tons of poetry and acres of flowers
cannot stop the stench of death, and all men know they are confronted by a foe against
which they have no defense. The second way of dealing with it is to face it. That is the
Easter way. Face it, not with the flimsy weapon of your own flesh, but with the weapon of
faith in Jesus Christ, the only man who ever fought with death face to face and came out a
winner. Because Jesus gained victory over death, there is a second point we need to look
at. Yes it is true that death is certain, but the good news is-
II. DEATH IS CONQUERABLE.
There is a way to outwit death, and that is by following the only one who ever entered
the kingdom of death, and stole the keys. Jesus said that He has the keys of death and
hell. A lot of people have died and come back to tell of it. I have read a number of them,
but not one ever said just trust in me and follow me, and when you die I will get you
through. Nobody in all of history has ever said what Jesus said, "I am the Resurrection
and the Life, he who lives and believes in Me shall never die." That is, they will never be
held by death, and be kept separated from God. In Christ you do not die when you leave
the body, for you go to heaven into His presence, and that is not death, but life at its best.
Now you may not believe what Jesus said, but you have to face these facts. He is the
only one in all of history who conquered death, and claimed to be able to do it for all who
trust in Him. You have the choice: You either trust Jesus to be your deliverer, or you try it
on your own. If you choose to face death in your own power, I cannot wish you good luck,
for the Bible and history say you are sunk and lost, for no man can face this final foe and
win on his own. It is like trying to put out a forest fire with a tooth pick. But if you choose
to face death with faith in Jesus Christ, I can say, "God bless you," and I can rejoice with
you, for you have chosen the Easter way. This is the way of life, the only way known to
overcome death and live forever.
A student once asked a professor, "When is the best time to repent?" The professor
said, "The day before you die." The student replied, "But how can you know when you will
die?" The professor said, "You can't, and so the best time to repent is always now."
Today is the day of salvation. The only way to be absolutely sure you will outwit death is
to trust Christ as your Savior now. If you wait, you take a chance, and you may end up
knowing Him as your judge.
People spend a lifetime preparing to live and retire, but they don't spend a minute
preparing to die, so they can face the judgment with a Savior who can gain eternal life for
them. How can men be so foolish? This is like putting your hand into a pot of molten
metal to save your stick of chewing gum. This is like diving into a hot furnace to retrieve a
napkin. Nobody is that foolish, to lose their hand or their life for a mere triviality. Yet men
will cling to that which will soon pass away, and let their eternal soul be lost forever
because they will not receive Jesus as their Savior.
Living is uncertain, and nobody knows how long they will live, but dying is certain. All
of us can be sure of that, but we don't know when. It is appointed unto men once to die

and after that the judgment. Living is so much more fun and enjoyable when you know
you are ready for the day of judgment, because you have one who is your Savior, and who
died for your sins and took your judgment. This story is told of the terrible days of the
blitz in London. A father holding his small son's hand ran from a building that had been hit
by a bomb. There was a shell hole, and the father jumped in and held up his arm for the
boy to follow. The boy looked into the dark hole and said, "I can't see you." The father
could see his son, however, for he was outlined against the night sky. He said to his
anxious boy, "But I can see you, so jump." By faith he did just that. Faith is not seeing,
but believing you are seen. It is a jump, but a jump into the hands of one who loves you,
and gave His life to save you.
Douglas Kenny was a funny guy all his life. In high school he was the guy who would
raise his hand in math class and ask the teacher, "Would you explain that again for those
of me who don't understand?" He graduated from high school, and joined the staff of the
satire magazine The Harvard Lampoon. He graduated from Harvard, and went on to found
the popular National Lampoon Magazine. He sold his interest in that for one million
dollars, and got into movies. He wrote the script for the box office sensation, Animal
House. This spun off into TV series, and another film, Caddyshack. He was rich and
famous, and successful in Hollywood at 34.
But as we well know, money and success does not lead to happiness in the lives of
those who have no eternal hope. One day Doug's body was found at the bottom of a cliff
in Hawaii. No one knows if he jumped and committed suicide, or if he was pushed. At 34
he was dead, because death pursues all, the rich and famous, as well as the poor and
unknown. There is no escape from death in riches, fame, or success. If you want to be an
overcomer and conquer this final foe, it is possible for those who know they cannot do it
in their own power, and so they turn to the only one who can, and put their trust in Jesus
as their Savior.
I. GREATEST MISTAKE Based on Luke 14:15-24
The janitor of the First Security State Bank of Boise, Idaho, accidentally put a box of
checks worth $840,000 on the wrong table. The next morning the paper shredder operator
dumped the contents of the box into his machine, and cut the checks into shreds. When
the mistake was discovered the bank supervisor could hardly keep from crying. The loss
was a bookkeeping nightmare. Fifty employees worked in two shifts for 6 hours daily in 6
rooms plucking, matching, and pasting all those thousands of little pieces of paper back
together. It was a colossal and costly mistake, but at least it was a mistake that could be
corrected.
Many mistakes are far more tragic because there is no way to go back and undo them.
Two men and a young person were found dead in Death Valley. They had abandoned their
car. They were strung out in a line. One was 7 miles from the car, another 14, and the last
made it 17 miles from the car. Obviously, they were trying to get back to a ranch they had
passed 30 miles back. Had they only known, one mile the other way there was a grove of
willows and a spring. They chose the wrong way, and it was a deadly mistake. The
tragedy of a deadly mistake is, you can't learn from it because there is no second chance.
On May 6, 1902 one of history's worst natural disasters killed 30,000 people all at one
time. Mt. Pelee on the Island of Martinique erupted sending millions of tons of rock and

boiling lava at the town of St. Piere. The authorities knew for a week it could happen, but
they did not give the warning. They made the fatal mistake of thinking, if you ignore
something bad it will go away. The tragedy is all the greater because it could have been
prevented, but men refused to deal with the dangerous reality. There are some things you
have to make decisions about, or else. Facts do not cease to exist because they are
ignored. Our text gives us an example that applies to all men. It deals with the worst
possible mistake any man can make, the mistake of saying no thanks to God. The mistake
of refusing His invitation to the banquet, which means life, joy, and abundance.
It sounds crazy and unbelievable that anybody would refuse an invitation to a free
banquet, but Jesus told this parable to describe what had already happened to the leaders
of Israel. God had sent His Son into the world to invite them into His kingdom, and to the
best banquet of life that men could ever experience, and all they did was find excuses for
not responding. Can you believe that men can be so foolish and pig headed as to reject
such an offer, and make up all kinds of weak excuses for not going. It was the biggest
mistake of their lives, for the generous host, who had all things ready for a great feast,
invited others, and in verse 24 says, "None of those men who were invited shall taste my
banquet."
If all these men missed was a feast, you could call this a minor mistake, but when you
realize Jesus was talking about missing the kingdom of God, and abundant, and eternal
life, then you realize it was truly a major mistake. It was so big that there is no other
mistake that can come close. When God invites you to a banquet, and you say I am to
busy, you go on the list of history's biggest mistake makers. The banquet, of course, is
God's invitation to spend eternity with Him in heaven enjoying all that His infinitely
creative mind can provide for His guests. To miss out on this puts a man in a class by
himself. There is no other mistake a man could make that even comes close. Playing
Russian Roulette with a bullet in every chamber is not as foolish as this, for all you lose is
time, but to reject God's invitation is to lose forever.
A skeptic once asked a Christian, "What if you die and discover heaven is not real?"
The Christian said, "It will indeed be a terrible disappointment, but at least I have enjoyed
living with the hope. But suppose when you die you discover hell is real?" The unbeliever
did not respond, for it was frightening to think he could make such a tragic mistake, and
miss heaven, and suffer hell, when the gift was offered him time and time again. Every
time you refuse God's invitation you add to the agonizing memory which will be a part of
hell, for you had your chance, but blew it. You made the mistake of holding on to your
puny pearl, and you lost your crown.
There are many mistakes in life that can be undone. That is what erasers are for. There
are many mistakes that can be overcome. Back in the 1890's the Emperor of Ethiopia was
Menelek II. He heard of the new method of executing criminals in the U. S.
called the electric chair. He decided to order three of them for Ethiopia. The only problem
was that when they arrived, he realized his country did not have electricity. It was a very
foolish mistake, but he was up to making the best of a bad situation. He used one of the
chairs for his throne for many years.
Sometimes God uses mistakes for good. A man by the name of Kline was so defeated
and discouraged. He felt no one cared for him, and so he just as well end his life. As he
walked down a street brooding, he passed a church where they were singing-
Saved by grace alone, this is all my plea
Jesus died for all mankind, and Jesus died for me.
He stopped and listened, and could not believe it when they sang again that Jesus died
for all mankind. He thought they were singing, Jesus died for ole man Kline. He slipped

into the back of the church, and listened to the good news that Jesus did die for all
mankind, and that included ole man Kline. He received Christ that night and became a
child of God. His mistake brought him to the banquet.
Felix Neff, the Swiss reformer, once saw a man he thought was an old friend. He tapped
him on the shoulder and said, "How is it with your soul?" When the man turned, he saw it
was a stranger, and he apologized for his mistake. Four years later that stranger came to
one of his meetings and said, "You asked about my soul. I got to thinking and decided to
get right with God." God can even use mistakes to bring people into the kingdom.
Some mistakes are humorous, and we have all laughed at someone else's mistakes.
Peter Joshua was a missionary from Whales. He was a lonely young man when he arrived
in Africa. He felt so alone and isolated, but a group of retired missionary ladies arranged
to dispel his gloom with an afternoon tea. At the end he was to say a few words, and he
said, "What language is there to describe my gratitude to you dear women. All I can say
is that you are the most homely women I have ever met." He learned the hard way that just
because homely back in Whales meant wholesome, gracious, kind, loving, and motherly,
does not mean that is how all women understand it.
The invitation here says, all things are ready. God does not invite you to a banquet,
and then wait for you to get there before he prepares. God is already prepared, and there
will be no last minute arrangements. When you come to Christ you are not kept waiting.
You open the door, and you are welcome to immediately set at the table and partake of His
blessings. The sinner does not have to clean up his life first to be welcome into God's
banquet hall. You come as you are, and enjoy the feast of His love right away, because He
has all things ready. Jesus died for your sin, and paid the full penalty for all your folly and
rebellion. You do not owe God anything, for Jesus paid it all. All you need to do is accept
the invitation and enjoy the banquet.
If you got an invitation to come to a party, and you came to the house, and it was dark
and no one answered, you would feel someone has made a mistake. You have the wrong
house, or the wrong night. But here the invitation says all things are ready, come right
now and enjoy the feast. Many use the excuse, I am not ready. You don't have to be
ready, for it is a come as you are party. The important thing is not that you are ready, but
that the host is ready. If He would have expected you to primp and prepare yourself, He
would have told you so. He is ready, and invites you to come now, just as you are. In
another parable Jesus told, the host provides the garments for all the guests. Don't worry
about how you are dressed. God will clothe you in the garments of Christ's righteousness
so you will feel comfortable. The law says now you are ready, you have kept the law, so
come and be welcome. Grace says, all is ready for you, so come as you are and be
welcome. Law depends on you, but grace depends on God.
It does not say some things are ready, and so please bring a salad or dessert. It says
all things are ready, and all you need to do is come. Come, that is your only requirement,
just come. "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest,"
Jesus said. "He that cometh I will in no wise cast out." All you have to do is come, and
that is your free ticket to the world's greatest banquet. The world's greatest mistake is
refusing that invitation. There is only one way to avoid life's greatest mistake, and that is
to come. Come to Jesus, come to the banquet, come to the party, and become a child of
God. All things are now ready-come.

J. SURRENDER TO WIN Based on Mark 10:17-23
There was only one general that threw fear into the mighty warriors of the Roman Army,
and that man was Hannibal of Carthage. Carthage was in North Africa, and was the rival
of Rome. It was the only power great enough to keep Rome from ruling the world. For
over 60 years they fought a desperate struggle, and Rome was winning. Then in 218 B.C.
Hannibal took command of the armies of Carthage, and for 16 years he out-fought and
outwitted the Romans. One of his key weapons was a herd of 80 trained war elephants
that would charge the enemy lines and soften them up for defeat.
Rome could not believe the success of Hannibal. He captured a good part of Italy, and
began to plan the taking of Rome itself. All of history would have been changed had a
Roman general Scipio not gotten a good idea. When Hannibal's elephants charged in the
battle of Zama, which could decide the fate of the world, he had loud trumpets blown that
scared the elephants and sent most of them back into Hannibal's lines disrupting them and
giving the Romans a chance to attack. Hannibal lost that decisive battle, and Rome went
on to conquer the world. Hannibal never did surrender, but went on trying to fight Rome
the rest of his life, but he never regained enough power to make a difference. He is one of
the heroes of history because he never gave up.
It is legitimate to never surrender even if you cannot win, when the battle is against evil.
There are some battles that are perpetual and cannot be won. The battle with sin and
forces of evil is never over in this life, therefore, it is a perpetual battle. We are not to
surrender and give up, but like Paul, press on fighting a good fight to the end. Many a
scientist and doctor has fought against disease, and died before they found the answer,
but they did not surrender, and those who came after them built on their foundation and
won the victory. Thank God for those who never surrender.
On the other hand, it is folly not to surrender when you are fighting with God. The first
man, Adam, ran from God when he had sinned, and tried to escape from admitting his sin,
and surrendering to God. This has become the pattern ever since, and we see it so clearly
in the life of the rich young ruler. He was basically a good guy, and from his youth he had
been religious, and tried his hardest to please God. Jesus said only one thing thou lackest.
Wouldn't that be great to lack just one thing? That would be easy to solve, and you would
be in. Except, the one thing he lacked was the ability to surrender. For him his problem
was his wealth. He clung to it, and depended on it. It was his idol, and he just could not
surrender and yield to Christ as his Lord, and give his all to him. It doesn't make any
difference if you are an up-and-outer; a down-and-outer, or middle-and-outer. The real
battle of life is in deciding, can I surrender to Christ or not?
This is the kind of battle where the only winners are those who surrender. Life has two
kinds of battles. The kind where, when you surrender you lose, and the kind where, when
you surrender you win. The first step to sobriety in AA is to acknowledge your life is
unmanageable and in our own power you cannot stop drinking. In other words, the first
step to victory is surrender. You have to give up on yourself, and say I can't win, for as
long as you think you can and keep fighting in your own self-sufficient strength, you will
keep on losing. But when you surrender, and yield yourself to God's power, then you
begin the journey to victory.
Some men can stop drinking on their own, but no man can be saved on his own. The
only way to be saved in your own strength is to never have sinned, and that is not
possible, for as the Bible says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It is
always too late to save yourself, because you are always a sinner, and no one has the
power to not be what he is. To go on fighting trying to save yourself, and make a
meaningful life in your own power is to fight as foolish a battle as those Japanese soldiers

who kept fighting for an island many years after the war was over. It is doomed to failure.
The only way to win in this war is to surrender. But man is by nature stubborn, and that
is why man is his own worse enemy. If you kick the man in the seat of his pants who gives
you the most trouble, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week. Most men just can't let
go and let God. They are proud and feel they must save themselves. They are like the
man shipwrecked in the ocean. A rescue boat found him and they threw him a lifeline. But
he says, "I have been swimming from my youth, and have done exercises every day. I'll
swim to shore and save myself." But they shout at him," one thing thou lackest, the
humility to recognize that you need a Savior. You need to give up depending on your own
strength, and surrender to the power of our rescue boat." But he, in his stubbornness,
refuses the life line, and they must go on to find others, knowing he will never make it.
Jesus was sad when this young man did not respond. It is always sad when people
refuse to be saved, but even God cannot make you chose to surrender. It is sad when men
will not surrender in a war that cannot be won without surrender. Jesus felt bad when this
young ruler went away refusing to surrender. Jesus had the power to force him to stop
being stupid, and to trust him, but He does not use His power that way, for then it would
not be surrender. God does not crush us into submission. He gives us a choice, and we
can choose to fight, or we can choose to surrender, but it has to be our choice.
The rich young ruler went away sorrowful. He wanted to be saved his way, and would
not choose Christ's way, and the result was that he went away sad. You can count on it,
he remained sad as long as he refused to reverse this decision. History is full of examples
of men and nations who refused to surrender to Christ, and they always go away sad.
Many are like the preacher's son who rebelled, and later wrote home to his father saying,
"I'm trying to be an atheist, and I'm having a devil of a time of it." He was trying to get help
at a psychiatrist at 40 dollars a crack, but he would not surrender, and so he was going
his way in sorrow.
In Sweden they gave up on the moral principles of God and went their own way. The
result is they have the highest suicide rate in the world. They refuse to surrender, but go
on fighting God, and they always go away sorrowful. When you spit against the wind you
spit in your own face. History is also full of stories of surrender which has led to victory.
Sometimes surrender leads to immediate change because the folly of a person is a
matter of a rebel will, and as soon as the rebellion ceases the foolish behavior ceases.
That is why you have real stories like the one I read of a man in a sanitarium for
alcoholism. He said to the doctor concerning another patient, "He is really in a bad way
isn't he?" "Yes," said the doctor, "but in a year he will be well and you never will." The
shock of that caused him to go into the night and look up at the sky. He realized he was
just a hard hearted rebel, and he looked up and prayed, "Make me clean." He felt the
chains drop off and he was free. He never took another drink, and his body was changed
from a tavern to a temple by the simple act of surrender.
E. Stanley Jones tells of a big businessman who tried to deal with his guilt by self-punishment.
He made himself suffer to atone for his sin trying to be his own Savior.
Many do this, and they get drunk, and they make their life miserable, because they hate
themselves for the evil they have done. They try to pay for their sin by suffering and
ruining their own life. When Jones told this man he could receive forgiveness for his sin,
he said that is too cheap. "Not at all" Jones told him, "for it cost Jesus the agony of the
cross. It cost God the giving of His Son to be crucified. They were perfect and innocent
yet they paid the infinite cost beyond what all men could ever pay. It was the most costly
price ever paid for anything. But it is free to you if you will surrender to Christ and receive
His free gift of forgiveness." He did just that and won the war. No longer did he have to
punish himself and suffer. He was free to enjoy life under the Lordship of Christ.

It is happening somewhere everyday. People are hearing the good news of the Savior,
and they are saying to themselves, what folly to go on fighting and unwinable war. I will
surrender and be at peace with God and myself. These do not go away sorrowful, but they
go away rejoicing, for by surrender they gain the victory.
Jesus recognizes that people are all different. People are like a deck of cards. You
cannot have all kings and queens; you have to have a variety to have a deck, and so there
are tens, nines, eights, and so on, down to duces. Jesus knows people are all different,
and so He does not ask of all what He asked of this rich young ruler. The one thing He
asks of all, however, is that they surrender; that they take up the cross and follow Him.
Taking up the cross is dying to self and surrendering your pride and determination to do it
your way. It is letting Him be Lord of your life. There is no way to win without this kind of
surrender.
A psychiatrist in Porto Rico read E. Stanley Jones's book Victory Through Surrender,
and realized he needed to do just that. He gave His life to Christ, and it changed him
completely. He began to give many hours of free counseling to alcoholics and drug
addicts. He set up 12 rehabilitation centers in San Juan which took in 500 patients a day.
He put half a million of his own money into them. They trained these people for carpentry
and masonry etc. Five thousand are on the waiting list because 65 % of those who get in
are cured. He was a miserable rich man, but when he surrendered to Christ, and let Christ
use what he had, he became the happiest rich man in Porto Rico, and one of the most
useful and helpful in the world. He did not go away sad but happy because he
surrendered. It is the same, be you rich or poor, black of white, educated or uneducated.
It is the same for everybody. Surrender to Christ and you win life's greatest war.
HOW DO YOU SURRENDER?
1. ADMIT you are a sinner and lost without a Savior. As long as you cling to your own
self-sufficiency you will be a rebel.
2. SUBMIT. Humble yourself before Christ, and yield to His Lordship. This means you
cease to direct your own life, and seek His will and guidance.
3. COMMIT. You say to Christ, "Here am I Lord use me." You surrender your life as an
instrument to be used for His purpose. You switch armies, for you no longer fight for your
own cause, or the cause of the world, you become a soldier of the cross and fight for
Christ, which is a battle to bring others to the point of surrender.
FEARS OF SURRENDER
People fear to surrender because they are not sure they can keep surrendered. They
know they are sinners, and they have tried to stop bad habits, and just cannot do it. They
know the facts of life, in their own weakness, and so they are afraid to surrender, because
they know they will rebel again, and get drunk or sin in other deliberate ways. They just
don't want to be hypocrites so they don't surrender. It almost sounds noble to be so
honest about their own weakness, but the fact is, it is still folly not to surrender.
You can't surrender now for tomorrow, or next week, or next year. All you can do is
surrender the present moment. All God asks is what is in your present moment to chose.
There will be plenty of other moments of choice to come, but the only one that matters
now is the one you have now. Unless our rebel spirits come to that point where they will
surrender to Christ in some moment, there is never a beginning of the process of
salvation. It begins with surrender, but it must continue as we fight with the old nature to
bring it into submission.
In the Colorado River, the big danger is getting caught in the whirlpool that sucks you

Come to Jesus for Eternal Life

Come to Jesus for Eternal Life

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Come to Jesus for Eternal Life

Similar to Come to Jesus for Eternal Life (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Come to Jesus for Eternal Life