Some people can remember most of what they read and see. In fact, some people even have a photographic memory. I am not one of them. I have a hard time remembering what I ate for lunch yesterday. But other people remember everything in great detail. Albert Mohler is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He doesn’t have a photographic memory, but it’s pretty close to one. He reads several different newspapers every day and then he talks about the most important issues for about 15 or 20 minutes. He does this every morning, Monday through Friday and he does The Briefing without a script. He truly has an amazing memory.
Other people remember everything in great detail. You could say that they have total recall. Can you imagine remembering every word of a book after you read it? I can’t even imagine what that would be like. You could remember faces, names, dates, places, times and things. Sometimes it sounds really cool to me to have that ability. I always wish that my memory was better, but I also wonder if sometimes it might be a blessing to not remember everything. When you’ve been through a really traumatic event, it would be a blessing if you didn’t remember every detail.
Our great Creator God is all knowing, all seeing and ever present. He sees and knows everything that you do. The Lord even knows your thought life. Nothing is hidden from Him and on Judgment Day, there will be total recall. (And it won’t be a game or entertainment). If you die in your sins, in other words if you die as an unrepentant sinner, then every single sin that you have ever committed will be brought before you. Every single one! Every white lie. Every evil thought. Every evil deed. All the things that you have done in the dark; all the things that you have done in secret (or at least what you thought were in secret) will be brought to the light, for everyone to see.
Have you ever smiled and nodded your head in agreement with someone, the whole time knowing that you were boldfaced lying to them? How many times have you smiled at someone saying something like “have a nice day” and inside you were really saying “I hope you die!” How many times have you watched porn late at night thinking that no one will ever know? How many times have you lusted after your best friend’s girlfriend? How many times have you lusted after a good looking girl walking down the street? How many times have you visually seen yourself killing someone? Planning their murder in your mind; how you would kill them and then how you would dispose of their body?
You say that you’ve never done any of these things? Of course you have. Maybe not all of them, but we have all done these types of things. Jesus said that you look at someone with lust, then you’ve already committed adultery with them in your heart. The Bible says that hate is the same thing as murder. Being angry at someone without cause is the same thing as murder. We have all lied. We’ve all told white-lies, half truths and out and out boldfaced lies. None of us have truly honored our parents all the time. None of us have truly loved and honored God above all else. In fact, many people not only dishonor God, they outright mock and scoff at Him. But no matter how good you think that you are, we are all sinners and we’ve all broken the 10 Commandments. In fact, we’ve broken them many times.
So how will you feel on Judgment Day, when your sins, all of your sins are totally recalled in front of everyone to see? Will you be embarrassed? Will be ashamed? Will you regret all the mean, nasty thoughts that you’ve had? How embarrassing do you think it will be to stand before our righteous and Holy God and every time that you have cursed Him, every time that you have mocked and made fun of Him, every time that you said that He didn’t exist flashes before you?
Do you really think that God Almighty is going to give you a free pass when you say “uh, I’m sorry that I didn’t believe in You?” There will be no excuses on that day. God will remind you that all you had to do was look around at creation to know that He is real. It won’t matter that teachers and school books have mocked and scoffed Him too. He will look right at you and say “I’m talking to you. I will deal with everyone else at a different time. Right, now I’m talking to you and you alone. You are responsible for your own words, actions and thoughts.”
Folks, this is so serious. I can’t imagine how horrible it will be for unbelievers on that terrible day of reckoning. I can’t imagine the horror that you will feel. I can only imagine how you will curl up in a fetal position and cry out for your mommy or daddy to help you out. But no one will help you on that fateful day. No one will come to your rescue. You will be without excuse and you will be found guilty. There will be no pardon. There will be no reduced sentence. You won’t be able to bribe the great Judge on that day. He will not be mocked. You will be found guilty and you will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where you will suffer like you’ve never thought was possible. The pain and torment is everlasting. It never stops. You will weep uncontrollably and you will gnash your teeth together in your agony.
There will be no rescuer on Judgment Day because you’ve already rejected help. Jesus Christ Himself offers you a way of escape – today, before you die in your sins, before it is too late on the terrible day of judgment. You can be rescued. You can be saved from eternal damnation. You can be put on the solid Rock. You can be lifted out of the filth and sinfulness that you are swimming around in right now. You can be rescued. You can be saved. Jesus is the only Savior. Only Jesus can wash you clean. Only Jesus can take away your sins. Not just cover them up, not just hide them, but truly take them away. He can cast them from you as far as the East is from the West. God will remember your sins no more, if you put your trust in the Sinless One.
Judgment Day – the day of wrath is coming. Many seek the ruler’s favor; but every man’s judgment comes from the LORD (Proverbs 29:26). In Revelation 1:18 Jesus said I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Acts 17:30-31 states And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where 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. Romans 1:18-19 says For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has shown it to them.
God is merciful and He is patient. But there is a day of reckoning that is coming. Revelation 11:15-19 states 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
And Revelation 14:6-7 says 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Judgment Day is coming. All sinners, great and small will stand before Jesus Christ on that day and they will be judged on every word, every deed and every thought and those whose names are not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. You will not meet God’s perfect standard on your own. None of us can. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God will have total recall on that fateful day. You will have no excuse and you will have no defense. You will be cast into the lake of fire; where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Where you will have no rest, day or night. Where the smoke of your torment will rise forever and ever.
So tonight, are you a God mocker and scoffer? Keep it up. Keep adding wrath against yourself for the day of wrath. Just continue running headlong on the broad road to destruction. Go ahead and live it up. Love your sins. I hope they are worth an eternity of pain and suffering. In addition to the pain, YOU will have total recall of every time someone shared the Gospel with you and YOU rejected it. While you are crying out in pain and agony, you will also beg for the constant reminders of your rejection of Jesus Christ our Lord to stop playing over and over in your mind, but they will not cease. You will suffer forever and ever with 100% perfect, total recall, every time you have mocked Jesus the Christ.
But tonight, if God in His great mercy is piercing your heart, if He is convicting you of your sins and showing you His righteousness, then there is hope for you. Do not harden your heart. Please, come over here and talk to one of us. Let us share the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord with you. Let us share with you the wonderful words of life. Today is the day of salvation. Please do not reject Jesus Christ our Lord. Come to Jesus. Be saved tonight.
Folks, tonight we are warning you to flee from the wrath to come. Nothing is more important than your eternal salvation. We came out here tonight to share with you that Judgment Day is coming and God will bring to mind everything that you have ever done in your life; whether it was good or whether it was evil and He will do so with total recall. God’s wrath, His anger over your sins, over your rebellion against Him will be paid for one way or the other. Do not foolishly suffer in the lake of fire for all of eternity. Jesus has already paid the price. He paid your sin debt for you. But you must repent and put your faith in Jesus, the One who shed His innocent blood for guilty sinner’s like you and me. You have to receive the gift or it doesn’t do you any good. Please tonight, repent and believe the Gospel.
(This message was proclaimed on the square in downtown Springfield, MO on June 20, 2014).