TEXT: JOHN 12:32/ "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33) This He said, signifying what death He should die."
Introduction: We should all know the real meaning of Easter, and the real reason for the season...and that is JESUS CHRIST, His death, burial, and ressurection, which, in turn, gives us the promise of the ressurection to live eternally with our God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when we commit our lives to Him.
PROPOSITION: My proposition today is to remind us all that..."it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the judgement"; (Hebrews 9:27); but that we also have the reassurance of eternal life with God after the ressurection.
I. Now my text passage is a passage of scripture where that Jesus Himself predicts that if He is lifted up before men, that He will draw all men to Himself, as He said, "I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME".
I am aware that many in the world today, as well as you yourself, may agree that all men will not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their perasonal Savior, as we see all manner of sin and wickedness in our society, therefore causing some to doubt that Jesus will indeed "draw all men to Himself", as He said.
I would like to draw your attention to the obvious truths that 1)All men will not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, but 2) All men WILL BE DRAWN TO JESUS, as He said.
I would like to speak to you today on the subject I’ve entitled "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN; ON THE EDGE OF HELL".
II.So then, how will Jesus "draw all men?".....
I believe the scene at the crucifiction of Jesus tells us the story and gives us a clue to this evident truth. Picture if you will, Jesus on the cross....there are two thieves there being crucified, one on either side of Jesus...The facts of the story reveal that one of the thieves ultimately rejects and mocks Jesus as the Messiah, and Savior, and the other chooses to accept his own punishment for the wrongs he had done that put him there on the cross...receiving the just dues of his crimes, yet he chooses to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and repents of his sins....and Jesus gave His ultimate blessing..."THIS DAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE!"
Here is the irrefutible truth, BOTH OF THE THIEVES WERE DRAWN TO JESUS! Whether by God’s divine plan, or through chance of circumstance as some may argue....
BOTH OF THESE MEN WERE IN THE PRESENCE AND DRAWN TO JESUS! Though we read that one accepts Him, and the other rejects Him, both were in the presence of the Son of God, and were drawn to make the most important decision of their lives, for in it held the outcome of their eternal future! The only choices are to Accept Jesus and eternal life, or to refuse Him and face eternal death!
You might say then that one thief was "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN," and the other was "ON THE EDGE OF HELL!", but I submit to you today that BOTH men were "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN, AND ON THE EDGE OF HELL!"
LUKE 16:19-31 tells us the story of a rich man who fared sumptuously every day, and a beggar nemed Lazarus who only asked for the crumbs of the rich man’s table to eat so that he might live......
The story tells us that Lazarus died and entered into Abraham’s bosom, or paradise....and the rich man died and "lifted up his eyes in hell"...and crying out to Abraham the rich man begged for just "ONE DROP of water to cool his parching tongue", yet Abraham answered him and said he could not, even if he wanted to, he could not because of the great "gulf" that God had placed preventing the access from one place to the other. The rich man then begged for Abraham to send one from the dead to warn his living brothers of the awful place of torment that he was in, yet Abraham could not, and even reminded him God had provided the prophets and preachers to preach the promises and warnings, and that they wouldn’t listen, even if one came from the dead and warned them...
You might say that Lazarus was "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN", and that the rich man was on
"THE EDGE OF HELL", but again I submit to you that BOTH were ’AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN; and ON THE EDGE OF HELL!" BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATED THEM WAS THE GULF THAT GOD HAD AFFIXED TO SEPARATE THEM! The rich man was able to LOOK UPON Lazarus as he now was allowed to live in peace, and the joys of our Lord and Savior! HALLELUJAH!
III. GENESIS chapters 18 and 19 record the story of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah...and how Lot was spared....having received the promise from God that if He could find righteous ones in the cities, that He would spare them! But none save Lot were found and God offered to spare Lot and his household!...but with the commandment to "flee the city and not look back!"....but Lot’s wife turned about and looked behind her to see the fire and brimstone raining down from God in judgement on the cities, and was turned into a pillar of salt!
You might say that Lot was "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN", and Lot’s wife was "ON THE EDGE OF HELL", but my friends, they were each given the choice to be "DRAWN" to the safety of our Lord God Almighty!, or to reject His promise of blessing and eternal life!, so I say to you that all of Lot’s family and those that were given the warning were "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN, BUT ON THE EDGE OF HELL!"
2) The Book of Jonah of course tells us the familiar story of the greatest "fish" story ever told!...but if you think there’s something "fishy" about this scenario of a man running from the work of God, YOU try telling a whole city of heathen people to repent else God will destroy the whole city! But thank God the king commanded the whole city...man AND beast to fast and pray to repent!....and thank God, He spared the city! These folks were "DRAWN" to the decision of accepting the promise of blessing, or the promise of destruction from God Almighty! They were ’AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN; ON THE EDGE OF HELL!"
3) In the Book of Joshua, chapter 24 we read how that Joshua is before the people telling them......
"CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE!"... Is it going to be God or Baal....the things of this world, or is God going to be Lord of your life?
"AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN; ON THE EDGE OF HELL"...for you see, throughout the Israelites journey to the promised land, there were several occasions where God allowed many of the people to be "drawn" to Him to make the choice....choose life
in Him, or death serving the world or false gods...
MARCH 23, 2005....In Texas City, Texas.....just one day before my 50th birthday, I found myself and many others "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN; BUT ON THE EDGE OF HELL!" I am sure that most of you have witnessed the news of this great tragedy...15 people dead and many, including myself, injured because of the explosions that literally "ROCKED" our part of the world! I would love to testify to the goodness and mercy of the great God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! that spared my life along with others as we made our escape from that "would be" hell!My friends, and fellow Christians, there are not enough words to describe the horror or fear that can enter one’s mind while facing almost certain death, unless of course you have made the decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior...as you and I have been "drawn" by various means to hear about this man called Jesus, the Son of Almighty God! Have you accepted Him as your personal Savior? Have you entrusted your life body, soul, and spirit to Him?....If not, please allow me to encourage you today to do so, .... for you too may soon find yourself......
AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN; ON THE EDGE OF HELL!
(PERSONAL TESTIMONY: I was in our little office trailer with a co-worker retrieving information on our next job assignment when the first explosion hit.
My co-worker I an looked at each other in amazement at the blast...and jumped for the door to get out...My co-worker exited as the second, more powerful blast, occurred. I, and everything in the trailer was thrown about violently as I tried to get out, and something hit my left leg and threw me down to the floor on my knees! My back and neck were jolted so tramatically that I still feel the effects of the force of the blast! I tried to get up from the floor, but my left leg gave way, and I began to think...whatever hit this trailer isn’t stopping, it has hit again, and I am going to die being crushed in this trailer!...But my friends, I called out to the Lord, and said, Lord, if it is my time to go, then take me on home to be with you!...but I reached up for the door and pulled myself up and almost fell out of the trailer! I couldn’t run, and I couldn’t walk, but I began to hobble as fast as I could to the safest place I could get to, and as I looked over my left shoulder, I saw as it were, hell itself rising up in the flames which seemed to be a couple hundred feet in to the air! I WAS ON THE EDGE OF HELL!!!!
But thank God, He sent the north winds and kept the flames from me as I made my escape! GLORY TO OUR GOD!,
for you see, I was closer to the fire than several that died that day!....and I too mourn the loss with the families of those that lost their loved ones in this tragedy....but at the same time I THANK GOD I AM STILL ALIVE! "AT THE THRESHOLD OF HEAVEN" and about to enter in...but "ON THE EDGE OF HELL!").
Are YOU:"AT THE THRESHOLD HEAVEN; ON THE EDGE OF HELL?"...Are you ready to meet the Lord today?....
