“The Road to a Better Life: Make the Right Call!”
Hebrews 9:11-28
There was once a program on TV in which the main character always received a newspaper one day in advance. That meant that what he read had actually not yet happened - he was reading the future. This put tremendous strain on him as he tried to prevent tragedies from occurring. Sometimes he read where more than one tragedy was going to happen at the same time. He always faced a choice: How should he respond; which should he choose? He wound up making what we label a judgment call. Officials in athletic events try to enforce the rules. Sometimes what happens on the field is open to more than one interpretation - so the official makes a judgment call. School superintendents decide if the roads and temperatures are safe for students; they often make a judgment call.
But there’s another kind of judgment call that concerns me today - it’s one that affects each of us somewhere down the road of life. But knowledge of it impacts us today. I’m always struck by the words of Hebrews: “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
The author of Hebrews confronts us, first, with the REALITY OF DEATH. We are all destined to die once; we have an appointment with death. The Bible is very clear regarding life and death. It is the only Book that tells us where we come from, where we are, and where we’re going. And it says that DEATH IS INEVITABLE. Ps. 89:48 - “What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?” The wise preacher, in Eccl. 8:8, claims: “No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death.” James, in 4:14, points out - “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
And all of this is only affirmed by our experience of living. As sure as night follows day, death comes to everyone. It is no respecter of persons. As Billy Graham has pointed out, “It’s an axiom that there are just two certainties in life: death and taxes, but that is not true. With the right deductions and a good accountant, millionaires have managed to avoid paying taxes at all. But everyone, millionaires and paupers, will face the ultimate certainty: death. ...No matter what your diet, no matter how much you exercise, no matter how many vitamins or health foods you eat, no matter how low your cholesterol, you will still die - someday, some way.” How true! We cannot avoid it, buy our way out of it, or stop it.
It reminds me of a woman who became very ill. She was eventually confined to bed. Her eight year-old daughter was not yet aware of the terminal nature of her mother’s illness. One afternoon the young daughter stood outside her mother’s bedroom door. Her parents and the doctor, unaware of her presence, talked frankly. The doctor said, “The time is not too far off. Before the leaves have gone from the trees, you will die.” Sometime later the father came to the breakfast table but did not see his daughter. After some searching he looked out the window and saw her in their back yard. His heart was broken as he watched her picking up leaves that had begin to fall; she was using thread to try to tie them back onto the limbs. She was trying to stop death. But she could not.
Maybe that’s why we’re so frustrated by yet also fascinated with death - it’s one of the very few things humankind has not yet learned, nor ever will learn, to control. But we need not despair. DEATH CAN SERVE US WELL. Daniel Webster once wrote: “One may live as a conqueror, a king or a magistrate, but he must die a man. The thought of death brings every human being to his pure individuality, to the intense contemplation of the deepest and most solemn of all relations - the relation between the creature and his creator.” And it is that relationship, between you and your creator, which is at the forefront of my mind today.
Think therefore of THE RESULTS OF DEATH. After death, we face judgment. “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...” First, WE FACE THE JUDGMENT OF OTHERS. When we die people will talk about us. They will share their feelings about us, claiming how we did or did not have a positive impact upon them. They will, in truth, be judging how we lived. It is a fact of life that we determine our future judgment in the here and now.
But there is another judgment, one even more important than what people think of us - WE FACE THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. Again, the wise preacher in Ecclesiastes (12:14): “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” In John 5:28-29 Jesus says, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” Paul, in Rom. 2:16, stated, “This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” And Paul again in IICor.5:10 - “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
Get the picture? JESUS WILL ULTIMATELY JUDGE OUR LIVES. In this dreadfully long campaign season, we hear a lot about vetting certain people. It means others are trying to appraise these persons, by verifying and checking for the accuracy and authenticity of what they claim to have said or done. They want to discover the truth of how they’ve lived and acted. God has vetted my life. And He has vetted yours as well. When we face Jesus, our history will be a part of us. He doesn’t care what people think or say - all He wants to know is what we’ve done with him and whether or not we’ve lived for him. He knows even the secret and hidden things of your heart. He knows the public things of your life. He knows inside and out. It’s the ultimate final exam. Everyone will take it
HOW WILL YOU FARE ON THE EXAM? Will you be like the rich man (Lk.16) who died unprepared because He had spent time building barns? Will you be like Ananias who died unclean, in the midst of sin? Or like Judas who died unfaithful and guilt - laden? Or will you die like Stephen, eyes heavenward, expectant and unafraid? Or like Paul, delighted and unashamed? Realize that it doesn’t matter to Jesus how many points or goals we score, how many leadership positions we’ve held, how much money we’ve given, how many times we’ve attended worship, how nicely our kids have turned out, how good our grades are or business is, how physically fit or good looking we are - all that will matter to Jesus will be what we have done with him and whether or not we’ve lived for Him. We determine our future judgment in the here and now.
But the good news of the Bible is that this judgment can be positive. Consider the REWARDS OF DEATH. Hebrews tells us “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” We can be secure during our judgment because of Jesus Christ. JESUS PUT AWAY SIN. He did not come to deny sin, to help us forget our sin, to magically cover up our sin, or to accept our sin but to put away our sin. Sacrifice, ceremonies, ritual cannot do it; self - denial, holy living, death cannot do it. Only Jesus can put sin away. This concept of “putting away” has three emphases in the Bible. One is in the Old Testament concept of divorce; the husband “put away” his wife - Just as Joseph, Jesus’ father, was thinking how to “put away” Mary. Putting away the wife meant to TREAT HER AS IF SHE DID NOT EXIST. Second, God’s people are told repeatedly to “put away” their idols - literally, to SMASH AND DESTROY them. Thirdly, to put away leaven means TO SWEEP CLEAN. So the message is that Jesus has put away sin - has swept the record clean, has smashed it, and treats it as if it never existed in our lives. He has put away every sin of every size, shape, form, and color. Through Jesus God said, “I will remember your sin no more!” We can be innocent of all charges.
It’s all possible because Jesus gave up his glory in heaven to die for us, to become sin for us, to pay the price for our sin. He did not try to cancel our sin by his example, by his teaching, or by his works, but by his death! And since He has died, nothing more can be done! That’s why, as He died, he said, “It is finished!” The job of purchasing our redemption was complete! As Peter put it, Jesus “bore our sins in his body on the tree.”
Hebrews 9:14 paints a great picture: “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences…” We’re familiar with cleansers. There are skin cleansers, floor cleansers, bathroom cleansers – the list goes on and on. The cleansers exist because we like to see things clean, free from dirt and grime and stains. When it comes to sin, God established that BLOOD WAS THE ONLY CLEANSER SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE THE DIRT, GRIME, AND STAIN OF SIN.
In 1972, a shepherd had brought his sheep into a walled-off, enclosed area for the night, and he had just gone to sleep when he heard a commotion. He quickly rushed over to where the sound was coming from and to his horror he discovered that a wolf was in the process of dragging off one of his sheep through a hole in the wall. He was mauling this sheep and blood was flying. The shepherd quickly began hitting the wolf, and the wolf turned on him and began attacking him. He bit him over and over while the shepherd was striking him with his staff, and finally with one final blow of his staff, he killed the wolf as he himself collapsed into a bloody heap. He managed to crawl over to the half-dead sheep and began to bandage its wounds. He gave it some water, and then took it in his own bloody arms, and shepherd and sheep went to sleep together. The next morning the shepherd was found dead, his body literally draped over the sheep to comfort it and keep it warm. The following day the headline in the Jerusalem paper said, “Sheep Alive, Covered in Shepherd’s Blood.”
You see, THE JUDGMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE, AT CALVARY. So now, when our case histories are opened God will not see the stains of our sins - all He will see is the face of his own Son - Jesus - who will say, “Father, I died for her. I died for him.” And we will be declared “Not guilty!” “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
So we can celebrate today - WE NEED NOT FEAR DEATH. This time of year, when there are so many sports involved in, or soon to be involved in playoffs, we often hear that tickets are all sold out. There are, in fact, waiting lists. Aren’t you glad that when it comes to the cross there are no sell-outs - there is no waiting list? There is room at the cross for you. Years ago Ira Stanphill wrote a wonderful hymn:
The cross upon which Jesus died Is a shelter in which we can hide;
And its grace so free is sufficient for me, And deep is its fountain – as wide as the sea.
Tho millions have found Him a friend And have turned from the sins they have sinned,
The savior still waits to open the gates And welcomes a sinner before it’s too late.
The hand of my Savior is strong, And the love of my Savior is long;
Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain, The blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse every stain.
There’s room at the cross for you, There’s room at the cross for you; Tho’ millions have come, There’s still room for one – Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.
But remember this: WE DETERMINE OUR FUTURE JUDGMENT IN THE HERE AND NOW. Hebrews tells us (28) that Jesus will “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” What does it mean to wait for Him? Look back at verse 14: “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ…cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” Can you say today that you are waiting for Jesus? Are you serving Him? Are you anxious to stand before Him?
Many years ago a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but could not play a note. Since he was, however, a person of great wealth and influence, he demanded to be allowed to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king. The conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra. Even though he did not read music, he was given a flute; whenever the orchestra played he would raise his flute to his lips, pucker up, and move his fingers. He went through all the motions but never made a sound. This deception went on for two years. Then a new conductor took over and announced he would be personally auditioning all the players. He could then weed out those who did not meet his standards. One by one they played for him. The phony flutist was frantic with worry. When his turn came he feigned illness. But a doctor was ordered to examine him and pronounced him fit. With shame the man had to admit he was a fake. That was the day he had to “face the music.” Are you ready to “face the music?” We will all, some day, have to “face the music” and stand before the judge for the final verdict. IF WE HAVE STOOD WITH JESUS, HE WILL STAND AND FACE THE MUSIC WITH US. God will see us only through the scars of Jesus. So what does your future hold? It all depends on what you do now. Make the right call – get into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
(1) Billy Graham, Facing Death and the Life After, Words Books, Waco, Texas, © 1987 by Billy Graham, p.10-11
(2) From a sermon by Jason Jones, More Than Fringe Benefits, 4/18/2011
