DATES OF DESTINY
Appointments Every Man Must Keep
INTRODUCTION:
1. It has become quite popular to keep some sort of schedule keeper today
a. Some have them in their pockets at all times
b. Mine is a great big desk mat with a calendar on it
c. Some are on personal computers
d. Some are even on pocket computers with alarms and beeps when certain appointments come up
2. We are possessed by schedules and awareness of time
3. God has a certain schedule for our lives that we follow even if we do not like it and are not ready. (And there is not always an alarm or buzzer warning us when we are going to meet an appointment)
4. But we have five definite appointments that each person who lives will meet during their life.
5. Now the schedule may vary and we can change dates according to our life choices from time to time, but each of these dates will be met by each one who walks the earth.
6. We need to know about them so that we can handle them when we face them and so that we can prepare others who do not realize these lessons to have a better understanding.
7. In other words, they present us with the importance of evangelism.
TRANSITION: The first appointment everyone faces is:
I. Birth
A. Everyone who lives on the earth is born here.
1. We are not animals who hatch from eggs.
2. God placed a man, Adam, and a woman, Eve, in the garden and through them set in motion the means of procreation.
a. A man and woman come together as a couple
b. A child is produced
3. There is no way other then the way God made
a. I know what you are thinking, "What about artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilization?"
b. These are scientific means of doing what God set forth.
c. Regardless of the means of uniting the male and female components, unless that uniting occurs new life does not yet spring forth.
B. At birth the new person receives a spirit
1. That spirit is given by God
2. Ecclesiastes 12:7, "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."
3. See, it is the spirit that truly gives life to man
a. Without it we would be like useless lumps of dust
b. No different than our animal friends who have no moral drive or ability to love truly
c. God gave us a spirit and that is the greatest blessing because we can now receive and give love.
C. But the first event on God’s calendar for man is to be born.
TRANSITION: Next man has an appointment with
II. The gospel
A. Some may say that we skipped talking, crawling, and walking and all these steps
1. But we did not skip them
2. We are dealing with all men
3. And some never enjoy these blessings as most others do
B. The appointment with the gospel is the only step in which there is an option
1. We can accept it
a. Hebrews 5:9, "And having been made perfect, he became to all those who obey him the source of eternal salvation."
b. Through that option we receive eternal salvation
2. Or we can reject it
a. According to 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Jesus will return to deal out retribution to those who do not know God and do not obey his gospel
b. Rejection brings retribution
c. Not an appealing option
d. Accept and be accepted, reject and bring retribution
e. Those are the options involved in the appointment with the gospel
C. According to Paul we must preach that gospel
1. Just as he was under compulsion to preach the gospel so are we (1 Cor. 9:16)
2. Compulsion means that there is an overwhelming drive or an irresistible drive to perform the act
3. As Christians who receive the gift of a spirit from God that gives them the ability to love we are irresistibly driven to share the love of that gift with others
4. Because without the gospel our brother humans receive retribution and not salvation
5. And the love that accompanies that spirit will not allow that
TRANSITION: The third appointment is:
III. Death
A. This is a requirement even if you do not believe it
1. Some people deny their mortality
Marla Drieling does not believe that she will soon die even though the doctors say that there is nothing more they can do for her.
2. No matter how much we deny it, we will all die
B. Even the apostles died
1. None of them are here with us are they?
2. Some thought John the apostle would not die
a. Jesus made the statement, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me."
b. Some thought Jesus said that John would live forever
c. But John corrects them and points out that Jesus said, "If I want him to…."
d. John died, maybe last of the apostles to die, but he is dead and his body is now dust.
C. No, in reality we will all die
1. Teenagers, you are going to die
2. Old folks, you are going to die one day
3. No matter who you are, you will meet with the great equalizer one day and he will win
4. Hebrews 9:27 clarifies that it is appointed for men to die
5. Romans 5:12 clearly shows that death will come to all men
Doctors often list the most critical patients as terminal. They speak of terminal cancer. Well plainly put, when we are born we are terminal.
D. But only the physical body dies
1. Remember the passage from Ecclesiastes that state that when the body returns to dust the spirit goes back to God
2. There is a separation of the spiritual and physical
TRANSITION: So death leads to the next appointment:
IV. The resurrection
A. One mark of the Saducees was that they did not believe in the resurrection
1. Acts 23:1-8 Paul pleads his case
2. He argues that he is on trial because of his belief in the resurrection
3. The Saducees get mad because they do not believe in it
4. That is why they are so sad you see.
B. What is the resurrection?
1. 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff
2. The Lord will descend
3. The dead will rise from their graves
4. They will join with those who are living
5. All the spirits will rise to meet Christ in the air
6. It will all happen at once and in an instant
C. Who will be resurrected?
1. Acts 24:15 says it will involve both the righteous and the wicked
2. The wicked to a resurrection of judgment
3. And the righteous to a resurrection of life
4. The tribes of the earth will mourn over him and every eye will see him, even those who pierced his side (Revelation 1:7)
5. But those who obeyed him will be resurrected to eternal life (John 6:54)
D. When will the resurrection happen?
1. Matthew 24:36 shows that no man, not even the Son of Man knows the time but only the father
2. It will happen on his time table not yours
3. Jesus himself operates on the father’s timetable
a. In John 7 he waited to go to the feast until his time was right and not when he might be able to draw just a big crowd or when his brothers thought the time to be right
b. In John 11 he waited for the right time to go to Bethany and see his dying friend Lazarus to glorify God
c. He was here to work the works of the father while there was time because a time was, and is coming when all the work will be over (John 9:4)
d. And he does not know when the father will send him down to collect the saints and judge the world
e. But when the father says that the time has come he will be ready and will successfully and perfectly execute his job and we will be resurrected with him
4. We cannot say when it will happen
a. But Paul knew that it had not happened yet
b. Some were saying that the resurrection had already taken place
c. But Paul says that is not true in 2 Timothy 2:18 and says this upsets the faith and compares such teachers to gangrene
d. There is no indication that anything has changed in this respect since Paul
e. So we are still waiting
f. And since we are still waiting that spirit that God gave us is still loving, so we must still be working
TRANSITION: Because Resurrection will lead to the final appointment which is:
V. Judgment
A. The second part of Hebrews 9:27, "…and after this the judgment."
1. Just as assuredly as all men will die
2. All men will face the judgment
3. All nations will be gathered before Jesus who will be our judge and he will pronounce sentence upon us.
B. That day is appointed and assured
1. Acts 17:31, "Because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness through a man whom he has appointed, having furnished proof by raising him from the dead."
2. The day has been fixed
a. It is not just floating around there
b. Not a question of may or may not happen
c. To the father it is not even a question of when, he has fixed the day some where in the future
d. That day in which we will be judged is coming
3. The judge is appointed
a. Jesus’ mission the first time around was to complete the old law and set up his new way by which all men were to be saved
b. His mission the next time he comes will be to judge the world and take his people home to the father
c. Those not going with him will meet the alternate fate where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48)
C. This judgment will happen at Jesus’ word
1. John 12:48, "He who rejects me and does not receive my saying, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."
2. Jesus is not going to make up criteria for judgment when he comes
a. It is already here
b. We can know the means by which we will be judged
3. Those are given in his gospel
a. He gave his word to us, words by which we are saved
b. If we reject those words we are given retribution
i. Where the worm does not die
ii. Resurrection of judgment
c. If we accept those words we are awarded eternal life.
4. The option you choose when you meet your appointment with the gospel will determine the outcome of each of your following appointments
a. We do not know when they will come
b. But we must be ready for each appointment when it comes
5. Do that by studying God’s word and obeying it
