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If you have your bibles turn to Hebrews 9:27 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Today I want to talk about The way I would preach if I knew that I would die tomorrow
A. Richard Baxter who was an early English church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and preacher he Had a Goal in His Preaching
1. He said that he wanted to preach every sermon as if he’d never preach again and as a dying man to a dying people
Well church this morning
2. I want to try and preach to you with the urgency of Baxter’s goal
B. The Psalmist Calls Us to Number Our Days
Psalms 90:12 says
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
And I say that
1. That is some pretty good advice for all of us to listen to
And you know
2. Preachers die too
So therefore all people including myself should be aware of just how short this life is
Which lead me to wonder
if I knew that this was my last day on earth
My last time to stand behind a pulpit
The last opportunity that I would have to share Christ
How would I preach
And what would I say
Well I believe that I know exactly what I would say if I knew that this was it
C. So What Would I Say If This Was My Last Sermon
Well I believe
I. That The First Part of My Sermon Would Be to Those that I Love
Because You know
a. We all have responsibilities to those that are closest to us
So
- I would assure my family of my faith in Christ, and I would let them know that the faith I have in Christ is what gives me eternal life
You know a lot of people leave their loved ones behind wondering whether or not they will ever see them again
Well I would tell them that this goodbye did not have to be forever
That on the other side of eternity we could have a family reunion like no other a reunion that never had to end
And then
b. I would tell them of the time I first trusted Christ as my Savior
I would tell them how good it felt to know that all of my sins had all been forgiven
And that I had been set free
And given eternal life
- I would then describe the times that God spoke to my heart about His love
(Expound on lonely nights in jail cells and in prison and the many nights of heartbreak where God told me he loved me and let me no that he was still there when I was ready to come back but how I was to stubborn to come back to him and ask his forgiveness and as a result I just wasted all those years for nothing)
I would share all of my mistakes
I would Tell them about the things I have done
The things that I regret
(Expound as lead)
And then I would tell them of how Jesus saved my soul
And how he totally changed my life for the better
(Expound as lead)
- I would then give thanks for those who lived the Christian life before me
Like my grandma Barker who always told me to trust in Jesus because he would get me there (share story of grandmas passing)
Or my dad who always displayed great faith and maintained an excellent witness and let his light shine in a dark dark world
Always prayed and always believed
How he even promised to give up food on Mondays for the rest of his life if God would keep me from going back to prison
And how God did his part and my dad kept his promise
I would talk about my mom who read those bible stories from the little red bible that was simply called the book
About how she taught me about Jesus and how to pray
I would mention the ones who never stopped praying for like a man by the name of Charlie Ferguson
(Expound as lead)
- I would then describe the church service where I opened my heart to Jesus
Rev. 3:20
20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me
(I would Give my testimony from the dining room table to a bike ride up to the BOOKWALTER church and finally three weeks later to that old fashioned altar where Jesus saved my soul)
(1) I would recall the words of Rev. Gray at the invitation
As he said now is the time and Shelly took me by the hand and we walked down that aisle and how my life was forever changed for the better by the grace of God
(2) I would try my best to take my loved ones into the miracle of that moment
(3) I would share Bible verses that gave assurance of my salvation
Like
John 6:37
37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out
And
1 John 5:11-13
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Then
II. The Second Part of My Sermon Would Be to Show Where I was going to be Living
I would let everyone know that
a. When I die I would be moving to a new address
A new location in heaven
(Expound as lead)
I would let everyone know that
b. At death, Christians depart from this old world of pain and heartache
John 13:1
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
John 16:7
7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you
2 Tim.4: 6-8
6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Then I would let everyone know that when this life is over that the best truly is yet to come
That
c. We get to move to a better place
Phil. 1:21-23
21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
I would then share how no one needed to cry for me because the body that they would be looking at was just an empty shell
Because the moment we die
d.. We immediately leave our bodies and move to heaven with Jesus forever
2 Cor. 5:8
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
I would share the great news of the promise that I have been given
And how
Jesus has been preparing a place for me there in heaven
John 14:1-3
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And then I would say
Let me tell you about this place that I’m moving to
About how
a. Heaven is a place of music
Rev. 5:9
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
That
b. Heaven is a place of rest
Rev. 14: 13
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
That
c. Heaven is a place of rejoicing
Rev. 19:7
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And that
d. Heaven is a place of beauty
Rev. 21:10-23
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
I would then with that crooked little smile that Shelly says I get from time to time
Tell everyone that
4. Tomorrow I’ll be living in that wonderful beautiful better place called heaven
And Then
III. The Third Part of My Sermon Would Be an Appeal to the Lost
I would probably begin by letting everyone know that it didn't matter the mistake that they had made
Or the things that they had done
Because
1. Jesus came to seek and save the lost
Just like
Luke 19:10 tells us
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
2. My last sermon would be an urgent appeal to all of those listening to be saved
I would tell everyone how time is running out
That Life is short
And That from the moment you are born you start to die
So they better get prepared because no one has one more minute of guarantee left
Then
a. I would preach sin as a deadly and damning disease
I would tell everyone that God is a holy and pure God
And that he hates sin and that he will punish it
And then
I would preach harder than ever before on hell and all the torture and pain and suffering that will never end
I would preach with everything I had HELL HOT AND ETERNITY LONG
And then
b. I would preach the love of Christ as warm and wonderful
I would tell everyone listening that even though they had sinned
And Even though God hates their sins
And even though Their sins has separated them from God
That
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And
That God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Then
c. I would preach the cruel Cross of Calvary as full payment for our sins
And I would tell everyone listening that Jesus suffered an awful punishment and eventually death for the sins of all mankind
(Expound on how much he suffered)
And that the price he paid was sufficient payment for each and every one of our sins
And that the blood of Christ can make the vilest sinner clean
And then
3. My last invitation well it would be long, tearful, and pleading-with my final calls
I would beg my family, friends, neighbors, and anyone who was listening to come to Christ before it was to late
And Then as I closed I would let everyone know that
A. We Are Not Guaranteed that this Life Will Last Until Tomorrow
That this could very well be it
That this might be All we get so we better make sure that it is well with our soul
I would say that
B. Today Is the Day of Salvation
Just as
2 Cor. 6:2 tells us
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Then I would plead with everyone to
C. Come to Jesus for Salvation Today!
That's the way that I would preach if I knew that this would be my last sermon to preach
That is what I would do if I knew that this was my last day on earth
And you know what it could be
I might leave here this morning and head home to eat Sunday lunch with my family just like I do every Sunday and well I might not ever make it to BOOKWALTER
This could possibly be the last sermon that I will ever get the privilege to preach
But more important than that this could be the last sermon that any of you will ever get the opportunity to hear
You'd better think about that
And as this song plays
I want you to know that this altar is open
And that Jesus is waiting
and that time is running out
Won't you come and pray!
