My family and friends know that I like to joke around. (In fact my friends and family members tell me that I’m not funny, but that doesn’t keep me from trying.) So many times over the years I’ve heard the expression “get real.” Sometimes people say it to me when they think that I’m joking but they really aren’t sure. Those are some of the funniest times when I really am being serious, but they think that I’m joking.
Most of the time when we tell someone to get real, we are really saying “I don’t believe you” or what you are saying is so outlandish that there is no way that it can be true. We are saying “come on” or “snap back to reality.” In other words, we are saying that person needs a reality check.
Tonight, I want you to come on. I want you to snap back to reality. I want you to get real! I want you to get real with yourself and real with God. The sad truth is that most of us think too highly of ourselves. Most of us think that we are good. The Bible even backs this up. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? (Proverbs 20:6).
We do what we do because we think that our actions are right. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts (Proverbs 21:2). The Old Testament is speaking about the Israelites when it says: In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6). By the way, this sounds like America – doesn’t it? Everyone does what is right in their own eyes? Anything goes.
But I’m asking you tonight to get real. I’m asking you to see yourself the way God sees you (as much as possible). Isaiah 5:21 states: Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Jeremiah 17:9 says: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Maybe you see yourself as a good person tonight. Maybe you try to follow the golden rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Some of you probably believe in live and let live.
But God knows your heart. God knows your thoughts and God sees your actions and He hears every word that you utter. The problem is that you are not good. None of us are. Part of Psalm 14:1-3 states: They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
We are not good. We are born with a sinful nature. A little baby cries when the baby is hungry or needs a diaper change. But it doesn’t take very long for a little baby to realize that when they cry, someone comes running. Before long they figure out that they like the attention, so they cry – not because they are hungry or have a wet diaper, but because they want someone to pay attention to them. The focus is on them.
This causes us to be self-centered. We live in a fallen world. We have a desire to please ourselves and before long we want to be in charge (just look at a spoiled kid whose parents don’t make them mind. They very much think that they are in charge and they live their lives that way). So it’s not uncommon to think that we are in charge of our lives. We want to be in control. We want to be the boss.
But you need to get real tonight. You are not in charge of your life. You owe your very existence to God. He created you, He gives you every breath that you take and you are sustained by this earth that He made. You and I are not in charge, no matter how much we think we are or how badly we want it to be true. We are not in charge. Please get real tonight and understand this truth.
You also need to get real about your idea that you are good. We are not good. We have all sinned against our Holy and righteous God. We have all rebelled against God, even though we couldn’t live one second without His mercy, grace and provision. Yet in an unrepentant state, we still rebel against Him. We’ve all broken the 10 Commandments. None of us have perfectly loved God with all of our heart, soul and mind.
You need to get real because the punishment for your sin is real. Unrepentant sinners die in their sins (yes they die thinking that they are still in charge), and they die doing it their way. Like Fran Sinatra made famous “I did it my way.” But living your life your way leads to the path of destruction. Sin is punished because God is Holy, righteous and just. Unrepentant sinners spend eternity in Hell after they die. You should really think about this – Hell is everlasting punishment.
You may argue that this isn’t fair, but you are not God. You are not Holy. You are not righteous. You did not create the angels, humans and the universe. God is fair and because He is fair, He does and must punish us for our sins. If He didn’t, that would make Him unfair. That would make Him unjust. It would make Him a corrupt Judge and God is not corrupt.
But please don’t miss this tonight. In addition to being fair, God is also loving. God is love. Even though each and every one of us have rebelled and sinned against God, He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to suffer and die for guilty sinners like you and me. God made a way of escape from eternal damnation and everlasting torment. He did this by placing our sins upon Jesus. By pouring His anger over our sins upon His sinless Son as Jesus hung on the cross. Jesus took our sins and He offers us His righteousness, if we repent and surrender our lives to Him.
Jesus paid the price for our sins, but that doesn’t mean that you are automatically saved. If you are an unrepentant sinner, you are still guilty and your sins are upon your own head. The soul that sins, it shall die. For the wages of sin is death. Don’t die in your sins. Don’t die as an unrepentant, rebellious person foolishly thinking that you are still in control.
Until you get real about yourself and get real about what Jesus did, you cannot be saved. You can’t just believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world, it has to be personal. It has to be real. You need to understand and acknowledge that Jesus suffered, bled and died for your sins. He died on that old rugged cross to save you. Unless and until this becomes real to you, you cannot be saved. Are you grasping the magnitude of this tonight? Jesus loves you. Jesus suffered and died for you. He paid the penalty for your sins. Will you come to Jesus tonight?
I’m asking you to get real tonight. Admit that you are a sinner. Recognize that you – yes I’m talking to YOU; that you personally have sinned against God. You deserve to suffer the flames of Hell for all of eternity. You need to get real with God and ask God to save you. You need to cry out to God for forgiveness and surrender your life to Jesus Christ – to the One who paid your sin debt. Get real tonight!. Repent and put your faith in Jesus. Get real. Be broken over your sins. Confess and forsake your sins. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ.
Please listen to the Scriptures about a man who was broken. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Did you hear it? Did you catch how the jailer got real about himself and real about God? The man was trembling. Have you ever trembled before God over your sins? The Bible says that the demons believe that there is one God and they tremble. Do you tremble? Have you ever gotten real over your true spiritual state? Have you ever trembled before our Holy God?
Then the jailer cried out “what must I do to be saved?” Oh, not only did he tremble over his sinfulness, but he recognized that he needed to be saved. Have you ever done that? Through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, have you ever cried out to God “what must I do to be saved?”
If you have never trembled and cried out to our Holy God, then you are still lost. You are still spiritually dead. You have never gotten real with God. You need to get real tonight. Oh, repent and believe the Gospel. Turn from your sins and put your trust in Jesus. Get real tonight. Be saved. Be saved tonight.
Maybe you’re out here tonight and you say I did that a long time ago. Maybe you say I’ve said the sinner’s prayer and I have my fireproof insurance. Do not be deceived tonight. If you cried out to God and asked Jesus to save you, but you’ve continuously lived your life for yourself (thereby living it for the devil), you are still lost.
What did the jailer do after he put his faith in Jesus? Why he took Paul and Silas to his own home. He cleaned up their wounds where they had been beaten. He fed them a real meal and then he praised God with them. If your life hasn’t be radically changed after you claim salvation, you need to get real. You need to really examine yourself and see if you are in the faith. A saved life is a changed life. Get real and get saved. Do this tonight. Don’t put off salvation. Repent and surrender your life to our Lord and Savior.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on August 14, 2015)