ARE YOU TELLING ME MY MOMMA’S LOST?

Matt. 19:16-25, “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?”

We have a hard time submitting to the fact that good people can be lost! In this story from the Bible, you have a good man, living a good life, and yet LOST!

I. LET’S DEAL WITH DEFINITES AND NOT DILEMMAS!

Things We Know (1) Jesus is the Savior! Jn. 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Acts 4:12, “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

(2) The Bible is God’s Book of Divine Justice. Jn. 12:48, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

(3) God Demands Obedience: Deut. 4:2 Whatever He commands must be done (3) God Demands Obedience: Deut. 4:2 Whatever He commands must be done. There can be no additions or subtractions.

Deut. 5:32 Whatever He commands must be done Deut. 5:32 Whatever He commands must be done. No one can turn to the left or the right. Psa. 119:128 All His rules about all things are right, and every false way should be hated.

1 Sam. 15:22, “ And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

II. LET’S DEAL WITH WHAT IS AND NOT WHAT IF!

1) The World Is Lost! Eph. 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God Romans 3:10, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.”

2) I Need To Work Out My Own Salvation Phil. 2:12, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

3) Beliefs Accommodate Feelings, Commitments, and Actions Do you think the Muslim is saved? Do you think the Hindu is saved? Yet, that young Muslim boy is willing to strap on dynamite and blow himself up believing he is going to go to paradise!

Why is the Muslim religion the fastest growing religion in America? The western mentality has made Christianity so confusing that people have no clue what to believe! Jn. 17:20-21, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

III. LET’S DEAL WITH THE LIVING AND NOT THE DEAD

Matt. 8:21, 22, “And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.  But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”

1) We Have No Control Over Their Destiny Psa. 115:17, “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” Heb. 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

2) We Have Choices Now and Not Later! Eccl. 9:4, “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Eccl. 9:5, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”

Heb. 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

IV. LET’S DEAL WITH SAVING PEOPLE AND NOT DEBATING PEOPLE!

1) Let the Word Speak I don’t want to beat people up with the gospel, I want to bring them to Christ through it!

You begin by telling a man his mother is burning in hell; you will never pierce the wall you created.

The Samaritan Woman Jn. 4:9, “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”

Jn. 4:19, “The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.” Jn. 4:29, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” In the mind of this woman, Jesus went from being just another Jew, to a prophet, to the Messiah!

Facts About Those Who Have Died (1) There are no unbelievers in the afterlife! The rich man cried in Luke 16:24, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me!”

(2) Some of the best Supporters You Have Are Those Loved Ones That Have Passed On! Concerning Those Who Are Lost: Luke 16:27, 28, “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”

Concerning Those Who Are Saved, Rev Concerning Those Who Are Saved, Rev. 3:21, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

3) They Want You To Profit In Life Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

4) They Know There Are No Second Chances! Heb. 9:27, “It is appointed to a man ONCE TO DIE, and then the judgment.”

5) They Want You To Obey the Gospel Rom. 10:1, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Paul is in the bosom of Abraham, and still praying for the salvation of Israel!