Will The Excitement Last?
You are here at Churchill Downs and you are all excited. Maybe, you are convinced going in that “your horse will win.” But my question to you is: will the excitement last? Even if you are right and your horse wins, will the excitement last? Let’s even say you are picking a longshot and the payout is huge, will the excitement last? If so, for how long?
Will it last all the way to next year? What about the people who bet and won last year, are they still excited this year, over last year’s win? I doubt that it lasts that long. Maybe a couple of weeks or possibly even a few months, but happiness over a horse race won’t last. Why not? Because it’s just happiness and not real joy. It’s finding pleasure in something temporary. It’s not long lasting and the excitement at some point will wear off.
Life Goes On
Life goes on. You go back to the same old routine and this one horse race is just a blip in time. Oh, I’m sure many of you think this is the most important thing in the world today, but it is not. It is just a race. Just a horse race. Even if the horse you bet on crosses the line first, the excitement will not last. It will only produce temporary happiness.
When you place your happiness in people or horses or things, your happiness will go away. Yes some of you will win today, but the majority of you will probably lose. We see it year after year. People come out of the Derby mad and upset because their horse didn’t win. They waited around all day for the big event and the horse they put their money on – loses. So their happiness really didn’t last long.
But even if you win, your happiness won’t last. If you are basing your happiness on a horse race, then it won’t take much to take your happiness away. A driver cutting you off as you leave here could take away your happiness. A fight with your spouse or boss next week could take it away.
Money Doesn’t Make You Happy
If you are looking for money to make you happy, it won’t. Enough is never enough. No matter how much money you have, if you love money, it will never make you happy. You will always want more. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This is also vanity (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Silver never satisfies. Money never satisfies long term. Enough is never enough.
Does this describe you today? Are you always searching for more? More money? One more gamble? A higher high? One more drink? One more immoral sexual encounter – whether that’s fornication or adultery? Are you always looking for happiness in all the wrong places? If so, then you already know that the excitement doesn’t last. You already know what I’m talking about. You know that silver never satisfies. You already know that your pet sin isn’t fulfilling. It merely gives you temporary pleasure. Sin is only pleasurable for a season.
Only Jesus Provides Lasting Joy
Only Jesus Christ provides lasting joy and contentment. Only Jesus saves. Jesus is the only one who can take away your sins. Only in Jesus can you find excitement that will last forever. Jesus is the only Savior of mankind.
But I need to back up here because most of you probably don’t even think that you need saving. Most of you think it that it’s all right to get drunk at The Derby. Most of you think it’s ok to lust today. But God is Holy, righteous and just and He cannot tolerate sin. That’s why the soul that sins, it shall die.
We’ve all sinned and guess what? We are all going to die. 10 out of 10 people die. You cannot cheat death today. Some of these owners and or trainers may think that they can cheat during the horse race, but no matter how rich or powerful you are, you are going to die just like the rest of us. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
Is Getting Drunk A Big Deal?
You may think getting drunk is no big deal, but it is. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). I repeat, no drunkard shall enter into the kingdom of God. You cannot go to Heaven as an unrepentant drunkard.
Again, you may think lusting is no big deal, but it is. Listen to the words of Jesus: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28).
Maybe you still aren’t convinced. Then you need to also hear what Jesus says in Revelation 21:8: 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.
Hell Awaits All Unbelievers
Folks, all unbelievers will split Hell wide open after they die. All idolaters. Anything in your life that you love more than God…is your idol! You may have even made an idol out of horse racing. Jesus also said that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. All liars. That’s each and every unrepentant sinner because we’ve all lied.
None of us are innocent. The Bible says that there is none righteous, no not one. There isn’t one that doeth good, no not one. We are all guilty sinners. If you are an unrepentant sinner, then your guilt remains upon your head. You are guilty before our Holy God and there’s nothing that you can do to change that. You can’t make yourself “good enough” for God to save you. You can’t do more good than bad to earn God’s grace. You can’t undo one little white lie, let alone get rid of all your sins.
Imagine how many sins that you have committed in your life time. You have a mountain of sin debt that just keeps getting higher and higher. There’s nothing that you can do to change that. You can’t heal yourself. You cannot make yourself righteous. But that’s the problem. God demands total perfection, full righteousness and none of us can meet His perfect standard.
That’s why He sent Jesus to this earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus did what you and I cannot do. Jesus never sinned one time. He was fully God and fully man. He was tempted in every way that we are tempted, yet He never sinned. He always did the will of God the Father. He was obedient unto death, even death on the cross. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, yet He laid down His life as a ransom for many.
Jesus Suffered And Rose From The Grave
He suffered God’s wrath as He was beaten beyond recognition. Jesus endured God’s anger over sinful people as He hung on the cruel cross. Jesus suffered, bled and died on the cross. Then He rose from the grave three days later. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan. He is the victor! Don’t trust in some horse that may win a few races this year and that’s it. Trust Jesus Christ and trust Him alone.
God offers eternal life to each and every person who repents and puts their faith in Jesus. Don’t trust a jockey or a horse. No, trust Jesus. Only Jesus saves. Trust the only Savior of mankind. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). You must be saved through the shed blood of Jesus Christ or you will perish. Don’t foolishly die in your sins and go to Hell. Repent. Repent and surrender your life to Jesus. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus and be ye saved. Be saved today. Forget about the horse race. Forget about the temporary pleasures of the flesh. Come to Jesus and be saved and receive everlasting life.
Something To Get Excited About
Now that’s something to get excited about. That’s something to shout about and this excitement will last. It not only will last a lifetime, it will last for all eternity. Submit your life to the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. When you come to Jesus you have joy unspeakable and full of glory. Your life will never be the same. When your joy is truly in the Lord, nothing or no one can take that from you.
Jesus tells us that we are not to be afraid of those who can kill us. And fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). Yes, a crazy person or a terrorist could kill me today, but they can’t harm my soul. They can’t take away my joy in the Lord. The apostle Paul says To be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). I’m looking forward to Heaven. I’m glory bound.
Warn Sinners
Oh folks, as long as I have breath in me on this earth, I will warn sinners to flee from the wrath to come. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men (2 Corinthians 5:11a). My friends and I understand the terror of the Lord. We were once condemned under His righteous wrath.
At one time we had made ourselves enemies to God. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4). 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 (John 3:36). That’s why we are out here pleading with you to get right with God. His anger over your sins abides upon right now, if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior.
God Is Mighty To Save
Oh, but the Lord saved us. Salvation is of the Lord (Psalm 3:8). God is mighty to save. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Today, right here at Churchill Downs, can you hear the Savior calling? Is God convicting you over your sins? Is God revealing His righteousness and His Holiness to you? Don’t run from God. Admit that you are sinner. Confess and forsake yours sins. Cry out for God to forgive you.
Don’t trust money, horses, your job or material goods. Don’t put your trust in anything that doesn’t last. Trust Christ alone. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever (1 John 2:15-17).
Repent and put your trust in Jesus. Oh, trust Him with all your heart. Repent and believe the Gospel. Do this today and be saved. Today is the day of salvation. Not tomorrow or the next day. Not next week or next month. Not next year or 30 years from now. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Call upon the precious name of Jesus and be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
(This message was proclaimed outside Churchill Downs on May 5, 2017)