Every year around 60 million people die in the world. That is approximately 2 people per second.
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"Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” — Luke 12:51 ESV
Jesus is a divider. He came to divide the whole world.
Judgement is coming.
- "For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” — John 5:22-24 ESV
- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” — John 3:16-21 ESV
- "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.” — Luke 12:57-59 ESV
1. You are Headed for Judgement
The first lesson is you are going before the judge. You should settle before you get there.
Jesus says, Fear the eternal Judge. Fear the eternal God. You have violated His law and His holiness. You’re headed for the Judge.
- "Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” — Luke 12:2-5 ESV
- "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" — Hebrews 9:27 ESV
Human history is not going to end in some kind of pandemic. Covid 19 is not going to bring it down.
But you can settle now, and you settle by embracing the provision He has made for forgiveness, the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, or else you will end up paying forever for your own sins.
2. Don’t think because you’ve survived in life that you’ve earned favor with God.
- "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” — Luke 13:2-3 ESV
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"Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”" — Luke 13:4-5 ESV
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"Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers.— Job 8:20 ESV
When a blind man from his birth was passed by Jesus and his disciples, they asked him who sinned — him or his parents
- "And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”— John 9:2-3 ESV
We typically think that if I haven't had a major calamity I'm doing fine. I'm a good person.
- "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” — Luke 13:3 ESV
3. Time is Short. Life is Short
- "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree [fn]without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”.” — Luke 13:6-9 ESV
God is patient. You’re living in the time of His patience.
I remember 9/11 happened on a Tuesday, and a few days later I was on CNN with Larry King, and he said to me, “What is the lesson of 9/11?” I said, “The lesson of 9/11 is you don’t know when you’re going to die. It’s the lesson.” That’s the lesson. You’d better settle the account before you face the Judge. You will die, and you’re not in charge of your death.
John MacArthur - Pastor of Grace Community Church
The World Needs The Gospel Now More Than Ever
So many people are talking about death on such a superficial level with this pandemic. When you talk about death, you’re talking about eternity. You’re talking about eternal Hell or eternal Heaven.
The church is necessary in a time like this.
The gospel is necessary in a time like this.
We who are the church in the world need to stand up and declare the truth of the gospel that rescues men from final and eternal judgment.
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