There’s nothing wrong with Black Friday. There’s nothing wrong with looking for good deals. Black Friday should still be on the Friday after Thanksgiving instead of Thanksgiving evening. But there’s nothing wrong with getting a good deal. A few years ago when Black Friday was still on Friday, I went out witnessing with a bunch of people at 4 am and then around 7 or 8 am that morning I ran by a store and bought a bicycle for my daughter that was really cheap and it was the last one that the store had in her size. That was very exciting.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with being thrifty. There’s nothing wrong with saving money. Just like I bought the bike for my daughter for Christmas a few years ago, several of you are probably standing in line tonight to buy presents for your loved ones for Christmas. It’s fun getting something good that’s marked way down.
But in all of our excitement to get a bargain, it’s really important to remember the reason for the season. We need to remember why we celebrate Christmas to begin with and the best way to do this is to read about the birth of Jesus in Matthew chapter 1 starting at verse 18 (read verses 18-25):
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. Jesus walked this earth a little over 2,000 years ago. He lived a sinless life. He was fully God and fully man and He never sinned. Not even one time. Do you understand the magnitude of this? Many of us have sinned just while standing in line. Maybe you have been aggravated or frustrated with someone. Maybe you have lusted after someone. Maybe you have lied to the person standing next to you. Maybe you have coveted what somebody else is standing in line to get. Most of us sin multiple times a day. But Jesus never sinned; not one time. He always did the will of God the Father.
Then Jesus willingly laid down His life as a ransom for many. He was bruised for our iniquities. By His stripes we are healed. He took the punishment for us – the very punishment that we deserve. We have all sinned. We have all violated God’s Ten Commandments. None of us have loved God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. We deserve God’s punishment over our sins. But Jesus did not deserve it. Yet, He willingly endured 39 lashes of the cruel whip across His back. He allowed the Roman soldiers to beat Him with the reed. He allowed them to spit upon Him and mock Him. Isaiah tells us that He was beat beyond recognition. Please think about this for a moment.
Jesus was severely beaten for your sins and for my sins. He was beaten so badly that you couldn’t even recognize Him! But the torment didn’t stop there. No, Jesus was led up the hill to Golgotha, the place of the skull. There the soldiers nailed His hands and His feet to the cross. He suffered excruciating pain for six long grueling hours on the cross. Then He said “it is finished” and He breathed His last breath.
They took Jesus’ dead body down from the cross and they put Him in a new tomb. Jesus was buried for three days and then He rose victoriously from the grave. Jesus defeated sin, death and Hell and He now is in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus paid the price. He paid the horribly high price that you owe for your own sins. Nobody else owes your sin debt except for you. Nobody else is responsible for your sins. You and you alone are responsible and be sure that your debt will be paid in full. If you die in your sins, then you will pay for that debt forever. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior when you die, then you will suffer in Hell for all of eternity. There is nothing more serious than where you will spend eternity.
Sure there’s nothing wrong with saving money. There’s nothing wrong with getting a great bargain. I hope you get whatever item you are here waiting for tonight. But please remember and please think about why we really celebrate Christmas. Think about your sinfulness and God’s righteousness – His Holiness. He is so Holy that He cannot tolerate sin. He demands 100% perfection and you and I cannot meet that extremely high standard. Most people have probably sinned just while standing in line.
Don’t foolishly suffer God’s wrath over your sins foreve. Hell is a horrible place. It is a place of endless torment. It is a place where there is no relief day or night. It is a place where the worm dies not and the fire is never quenched. It is a place where the pain is unbearable and never ending. Please don’t die in your sins.
Please don’t reject salvation. You can be saved tonight. Remember in the verses I read earlier in Matthew chapter 1 about the birth of Jesus where it says in verse 21: And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Jesus can save you tonight. He came to seek and save the lost. He came to save His people. Are you one of His people? If He is not your Lord and Savior, then you are not one of His people.
Don’t continue living in your sins. Don’t continue walking around with the wrath of God abiding against you. Everyone loves the verse John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Most people like this verse. Many people even like the next verse: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. This is still a warm and fuzzy verse.
But let’s keep going on with John 3:18, He that believes on him is not condemned; but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Did you hear this? If you have not put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, then you are already condemned. You don’t have to stand here and wonder tonight if you are going to Heaven or Hell. If you have not believed, really believed by putting your faith in Jesus, then you are already condemned! You have already missed the mark. You are lost and on the broad road to Hell.
John 3:19 tells us why we are condemned if Jesus is not our Lord and Savior. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Verse 20 continues: For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. Oh don’t continue walking around in spiritual darkness. Don’t continue walking around with the wrath of God against you because of your sins. Don’t continue walking around hanging on to your guilt, shame and unforgiveness.
John chapter 3 ends with verse 36: He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him. Please don’t continue living your life for the pleasures of the flesh. Don’t continue living with God being angry with you over your sins. Remember God loves you and He loves you so much that He sent His Son, His only begotten Son to pay your sin debt for you. Jesus bled and died on the cross for the sins of the world. But we are not automatically saved just because Jesus paid the price. No, you have to receive salvation. It is freely offered to you by God. You can be saved tonight. You can receive everlasting life. You can avoid the torments of Hell. You can avoid eternal separation from God after you die.
Come to the Light of the world. Come to Jesus tonight. Be saved. Believe in Him and be saved. I’m not asking you to say that you believe that Jesus lived and died. I’m not asking you to intellectually believe that He suffered and died for your sins. I’m not asking you to just believe that God raised Him from the dead. No mere intellectual belief will not save you. Even the demons believe that Jesus is the sinless Son of God. They believe who He is.
No belief, saving belief is more than intellectual knowledge. True saving faith is where you truly see your sinfulness and God’s righteousness. Saving belief is when you stop trusting in your own goodness and you really cry out for Jesus to save you because the Holy Spirit is convicting you of your sins. Saving faith is where you repent from your sins and put your faith in Jesus and in Him alone to save you. We are to have repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ our Lord.
Maybe you are out here tonight and you have had some type of religious experience in the past. Maybe you walked an aisle and asked Jesus into your heart when you were a child. Maybe you are counting on that to get you to Heaven. If this describes you tonight, let me ask you a few questions. When is the last time that you read your Bible? Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself? When is the last time you shared your faith with someone? I’m asking you these questions because Jesus said that we will know His disciples by their fruits. If you profess Christ tonight, does your life show it? Are you truly saved? There’s nothing more important than your eternal salvation. Make sure that you know that you know that you are saved.
Romans 10:9-10 says: That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. Be saved tonight. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Come to the Light. Come to Jesus. He came to save His people from their sins. Be cleansed and forgiven.
There’s nothing wrong with getting good deals. There’s nothing wrong with Black Friday. But there’s also nothing more important than where you will spend eternity. Will you go to Heaven or Hell when you die? If you say Heaven, what are you counting on to get you there? Jesus is the only Savior. He is the only way of salvation. The times of the ignorance God winked at, but now commands all men everywhere to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Jesus died to save His people. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Do this tonight. Submit to Jesus. Believe in Jesus. Really believe in Jesus. Repent and believe the Gospel. Turn away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. Do this tonight and be saved.
(This message was proclaimed on Black Friday November 27, 2014)