Really Long Time
Do you remember when you were a kid and it was about a week before your birthday or a week before Christmas, how that week seemed like a really long time? Do you remember how time seemed to drag on forever? Or maybe you are walking by today and you are in your junior or senior year of college and you remember how four years, maybe five seemed like a really long time for you to get through college?
When you are young, the things that seem like a really long time, really aren’t. A week is nothing. Four years is nothing. I am around 12 years from retirement. When I was your age, I didn’t even think about being 67 years old. I didn’t think about retiring in 45 years. Now 45 years from now, that sounds like a really long time, doesn’t it? Have you thought at all about retirement?
Probably not. Most of you are thinking about graduating and getting a job. No, retirement probably isn’t even crossing your mind, since you have to graduate and get a job before you even remotely consider about retiring. Yes, you are a long way off from worrying or thinking about retiring. So again, 45 years from now probably sounds like an eternity to you.
What’s A Really Long Time?
I’m asking these questions today to get you to think about yourselves and to think about time. Even though 45 years may sound like a really long time, in reality, it isn’t even very long. Hundreds even thousands of years are not really long. So what’s really long? Eternity. Eternity is a really long time. No matter what number you come up with in years, no matter how many zeros you add to any number, it pales in comparison to eternity.
Obviously, eternity is the benchmark and nothing compares to eternity. Eternity, now that’s a really, really long time. It goes on forever. Eternity never ends. I’m not sure that we can really even comprehend it. We all have a birth date and we will all have a death date. It is the great equalizer in life. Rich or poor, tall or short, intelligent or less intelligent, it doesn’t matter. We all die. You can’t cheat death. In Ecclesiastes 3:20, King Solomon (through the power of the Holy Spirit) said: All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
To the dust we return. We are all just jars of clay. We are mortal beings. Yes, we are born to die. Whether our lives are full and long or whether they are cut short, we all die. Yes, to the dust we return. So our lives are not really long, especially not when compared to eternity.
Life Is But A Vapor
That’s why the Bible says our lives are but a vapor. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away (James 4:14). What is your life? It is but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Have you ever thought about this? I mean you are young, some of you probably still feel bullet proof, so have you ever really thought about dying? Have you thought about the fact that you are going to die one day? Why will you die? Why will I die? We all die because we are sinners. The soul that sins, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20).
We have all sinned against God. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Each and every one of us. Even your secret sins are not hidden from God. The sins that you’ve committed in the dark, are not hid from the Lord.
Judgment
For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). In addition to being judged on your thought life and your actions, Jesus said that you will give an account for every idle word that you speak. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak (Matthew 12:36). Understand today that God’s standard is so much higher than our standards.
In addition to every lie you’ve ever spoken, every time you’ve stolen something, every time you’ve looked at pornography, again, God even knows your thought life. How many times have you ever had wicked thoughts? How many times have you been nice to someone’s face while at the same time wishing them harm, even wanting them to die?
Oh, students, we are all guilty before a Holy and righteous God. Do not be deceived, be sure your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23). Your sin will find you out. Things you’ve done that you thought you got away with, things that nobody else knows about, God knows.
Not only that, but it’s appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). You are going to die one day and stand before God on Judgment Day; what will you do with your sins on that great and terrible day of the Lord?
Nowhere To Hide
You will have nowhere to hide and no one to blame. Yes, you will stand before God, before all humanity and give an account for your life. God will judge you on that day and your sins will find you out. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior in this life, then you will be found guilty on Judgment Day and sentenced to suffer eternal torments.
Now students, eternity is a really long time. Eternal damnation and everlasting suffering over your sins is what you are facing if you’ve never repented and submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. There is nothing in this life worth dying over and suffering the flames of Hell for all eternity over. Nothing. Absolutely nothing is worth that. All the money in the world isn’t worth it. Your wildest sexual fantasies are not worth it. There is no pleasure in this world, this short time on earth that is worth spending eternity in Hell over it. Absolutely nothing.
But Hell is where you are headed today, if you have never repented from your sins and surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus. There is nothing you have to do in order to go to Hell. Even in your short life, you have committed sin after sin and there’s nothing you can do to wipe those out. You can’t erase your sins and you can’t make them disappear.
Already Guilty
No, you are already a guilty sinner. There is not a righteous man on the earth. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20). If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior then you are a guilty criminal. The wages for your sin is death. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Not just physical death, but the second death which is never ending death is what you are working for today if you have never been born again. I’m talking about everlasting torments in Hell. Eternity is a really long time. Forever is a really, really long time to be wrong. Again, I plead with you to repent from your sins and trust Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. There is no other Savior. Only Jesus saves, but praise God, He does still save.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to save His people from their sins. Oh, come to the Savior today – through repentance and faith. Repent from your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ the Lord. Eternity is a really long time to suffer the eternal flames of the lake of fire. It’s a really long time to suffer God’s righteous anger over your sins.
Eternity Is A Wonderful Thought For Those Who Are Saved
Oh, but students, eternity is a wonderful thought for those of us who are saved. We will be near our Lord and Savior forever. It’s exciting to think about this and I can’t wait. I’m ready to go. But until the Lord calls me home, I will continue to share the Gospel with this lost and dying world.
For those of us who have repented and submitted our lives to King Jesus, we have the streets of gold in Heaven to look forward to. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Revelation 21:21).
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:1-6).
New Heaven And New Earth
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:1-8).
Do Not Harden Your Heart
Students, don’t continue rejecting such a great salvation. Do not harden your heart. Jesus spoke these words in Revelation 21. He tells us that He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Jesus says come all who are spiritually thirsty. He will be your God and you will be His son, if you repent and surrender your life fully and completely to Him.
Oh, but for those who don’t, for the cowardly, sexually immoral, idolaters and ALL liars, will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. Do not die in your sins and go to Hell and suffer for all eternity. That’s a really, really long time. Life is short and you are not guaranteed tomorrow. Repent and trust Jesus. Do this today and be saved. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved and receive everlasting life.
(This message was lifted up at Missouri State University on February 27, 2019)