We Are Not Used Car Salesmen
We are not used car salesmen. My friends and I are not used car salesmen. We are not running around trying to strong arm you into signing on the dotted line. There are no sales quotas associated with our witnessing. Our goal is not to see how many people we can get to repeat a prayer and ask Jesus into their heart. We are not ringing a bell every time someone says a prayer.
My friends and I are out here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We hand out tracts, talk to people one to one, hand out Bibles, sing hymns and do open-air preaching because we don’t know which method God is going to use on a particular night to reach someone. So we employ various methods. But we are under no illusion. We can’t save anyone. None of us could save ourselves, just like you can’t save yourself. We can’t save you tonight. Salvation is of the Lord, so we come out here to lift up the precious name of our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ.
We lift Him up because He is the only way of salvation. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world (John 11:25-27). Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is the only Savior of mankind.
Only Jesus Saves
Only Jesus saves and He saves because we need to be saved. We have all rebelled against God, each and every one of us. There is none righteous. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:9-12).
We have all sinned against God; each and every one of us. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. What does our sin, our rebellion earn us? Death. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). But not just physical death, eternal death. Jesus described the eternal death as the second death. But it is not like death in this life. Here, we are born and we die. When you are dead, you are physically dead.
The Second Death Lasts Forever
But the second death goes on forever; it is not immediate death and it is not annihilation. It is everlasting torments and destruction. This is what each and every one of us deserve for our rebellion against God. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 1:5-7).
Vengeance Of Eternal Fire
Please note Jude talks about vengeance of eternal fire. The second death is eternal punishment. Jesus also talked about the second death. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).
We Are Not Like Used Car Salesmen
That’s why we are not like used car salesmen. We are not trying to get you to sign a form, say a prayer, try to pacify you with a get out of Hell free card. We are out here sharing the wonderful words of life because the alternative is eternal damnation. Everlasting punishment.
What do you have to do to suffer this fate? Absolutely nothing. Just continue living on God’s green earth, breathing His air, eating His food, drinking His water. Keep going on doing what you are doing, shaking your fist at God, continuing in your sins, rebelling against God and rejecting Jesus Christ the Lord.
Folks, this describes the majority of people on earth, including the majority of people right here in the Bible Belt – yes, right here in Springfield, MO. Jesus said: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. That’s right, Jesus Himself said the majority of people are lost and on the broad road to destruction. In other words, they are headed for Hell. Few, only a few are on the narrow way which leads to life.
Headed For Hell Or Headed For Heaven?
Oh tonight, you are either spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins and headed for Hell or you are alive in Christ Jesus and on the narrow path headed for Heaven. Which is it? Are you lost or are you saved? Have you received eternal life or are you still a guilty sinner with the guilt of your sins upon on your own head? It’s one or the other. John 3:36 says: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Are you saved? Have you repented and put your faith in Jesus Christ the Lord? Are you a born again follower of Jesus? There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:1-16).
Have You Repented And Believeth In The Lord Jesus?
Have you repented and believeth in the Lord Jesus? Those who do so, who truly repent and surrender to Christ receive eternal life. But those who believeth not, do not have everlasting, they shall perish. Again, perishing isn’t annihilation. Perishing is everlasting damnation.
Revelation 21:8 states: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Folks, Jesus said these words. People envision a weak and mild manner Jesus because Jesus came the first time as a lamb. He was the Lamb of God. He was the atonement for the sins of those who repent and trust Him. But the risen Lord is coming back as a lion, the Lion of Judah.
Remember the apostle John ministered with Jesus for three and a half years. John described himself as the one whom Jesus loved (John 13:23). This man knew Jesus Christ as well as anyone. Jesus had 12 apostles, but three were the main ones Jesus revealed more to than the rest and John was one of the three.
Scared Half To Death
Listen to how John reacts when he saw the risen Savior: I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:10-18).
When John saw our resurrected Lord and Savior, in all of Jesus’ glory, John fell down as a dead man. He was literally scared half to death. Oh folks, too many people have a picture of Jesus in their mind of Him sitting on the ground with a little lamb in His lap. He’s not coming back as a lamb, but as a lion. He’s coming back with a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth.
Two-Edged Sword
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords (Revelation 19:11-16).
Oh folks, you need to understand who you are tonight – a sinner who has the wrath of God abiding upon you. You need to realize that God is angry with you over your sins (Psalm 7:11). Please understand that we have all sinned and none of us are good. We are all dirty rotten sinners who need a savior and Jesus Christ is the only Savior. There is no other (Acts 4:12). Are you still a guilty sinner or have your sins been forgiven?
Don’t Continue Living In Your Sins
Don’t continue living in your sins, die as an unrepentant sinner and face Jesus on Judgment Day in His fierce wrath over your sins. This same Jesus who will judge you (Acts 17:30-31) and who will have you cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, made a way of escape for you. Through being born again. It’s through repentance and faith in Jesus. It’s either Jesus as Lord and Savior or it will be Jesus the great and terrible Judge on Judgment Day.
Please don’t die in your sins and suffer God’s righteous wrath against you for all eternity. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Stop trying to hide and cover your sins. Confess and forsake your sins. Submit your life to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Repent and surrender your life to Jesus.
Then deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him – daily. My friends and I are not used car salesmen. We are not looking for a quick one and done – move on to the next victim. We are pleading with you over your eternal soul. We are begging you to get right with God. We implore you to repent and trust Jesus. Trust Him tonight. Oh surrender your life to Jesus. Do this tonight and be saved. Be ye saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).
(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on March 17, 2017)