Three Sure Things in A World Filled with Maybes
Hebrews 9:27-28
Illustration: A bank in Binghamton, New York, had some flowers sent to a competitor who had recently moved into a new building. There was a mix up at the flower shop, and the card sent with the arrangement read, "With our deepest sympathy." The florist, who was greatly embarrassed, apologized. But he was even more embarrassed when he realized that the card intended for the bank was attached to a floral arrangement sent to a funeral home in honor of a deceased person. That card read, "Congratulations on you new location!"
The world we live in today is filled with uncertainties. Nations rise and fall, governments come and go, stock markets crash, economies fail, spouses file for divorce, children leave home, jobs are phased out, businesses go belly up, terminal illnesses appear overnight, beauty fades, fame flies out the window, money slips through our fingers like water, and people die unexpectedly in this world. Someone once said that there are two things in life that we can be sure of: death & taxes. I believe there is some truth in that. Unfortunately, people have figured out ways to avoid taxes but no one has ever figured out a way to avoid death.
The apostle James wrote, "Come now, you who say, ’Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and that vanishes away." In a world filled with uncertainties, are there some things that we can absolutely sure of? I believe we can find three sure things in this passage and I want to share them with you.
I. DEATH IS A REALITY (v. 27 - And as it is appointed for men to die once...)
a. We live in a culture that denies death. That’s why we have wrinkle cream, Just for Men and Thigh Masters! - Illustration. Scott Goodyear quote
b. Sin brought death into this world...death is separation
i. Physical - body and soul
ii. Spiritual - soul and God
c. One day you will face death. You will either spend eternity in one of two places - Heaven or Hell
II. FINAL JUDGMENT IS A CERTAINTY (v. 27 - But after this the judgment)
a. God will one day bring every action of man into judgment - both public and private. Illustration: W. C. Fields in hospital thumbing through Bible. "Looking for loopholes"
i. Eccl. 12:14
ii. Psalm 44:21
iii. Matthew 12:36
b. Romans 6:23 - "The wages of sin is death" and payment must be made in full apart from Christ.
c. One day you will stand before Holy God and give an account of your life...but His ultimate judgment will not be based upon your works, but on how you responded to his Son Jesus Christ...
III. ETERNAL SALVATION IS A POSSIBILITY (v. 28)
a. The plan of God is clear and simple "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many"
i. 1 Cor. 15:3-4
ii. 1 Peter 3:18
b. You can be absolutely sure that you will have a place in heaven when you die! (John 20:31) Not only that, but you can have a full and meaningful live here. (John 10:10)
c. It is by grace alone through faith that we are saved from our sins. Not just faith in anything...religion, works, spirituality, God alone, but faith in Jesus Death and resurrection.
Closing: Death is one thing we can be sure of; 1 out of every 1 will eventually die. We may try to delay the inevitable through medicine and preventative measures, but sooner or later death comes. The difficult reality is this - no one ever knows when that moment may come. The fact is someone sitting in this room today will most likely not be here this same time next year. No one is ever ready to face that moment until they are right with God. God has provided His way of being made right in His sight...faith in Jesus Christ. Will you receive Christ today? How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
Scott Goodyear Quote:
"You don?t go look at where it happened," said Scott Goodyear, who starts 33rd [speaking of race-car drivers who have been killed in crashes at the Indianapolis 500]. "You don?t watch the films of it on television. You don?t deal with it. You pretend it never happened." The Speedway operation itself encourages this approach. As soon as the track closes the day of an accident, a crew heads out to paint over the spot where the car hit the wall. Through the years, a driver has never been pronounced dead at the race track. A trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Racing Museum, located inside the 2.5-mile oval, has no memorial to the 40 drivers who have lost their lives here. Nowhere is there even a mention.
W.C Fields Illustration
Just before the death of actor W.C. Fields, a friend visited Fields? hospital room and was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible. Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, "I?m looking for loopholes."
