“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.” 2 Thess. 1:3-10
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Cor. 5:10
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Cor. 3:11-15
Know what I tell people pretty regularly? That we’re running out of time. Know what I’m compelled to tell you right now? That we’re running out of time. How so? Please hear me out. Please don’t stop until you come to the end of this message. Please don’t just read it. Please don’t just listen. Please hear. And please act. Because this message is the most important message in the universe.
We’re running out of time before God almighty unleashes His wrath at all of humanity for all of our sins for all of time the sins of which result in His judgment, condemnation, death, hell, and the lake of fire of everlasting indescribable never-ending torment and destruction apart from God with no turning back not ever for every single person who does not repent and turn away from a lifestyle of sin and place his or her life at the mercy of and in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross to pay our sin penalty and was raised from the dead.
For all who turn away from their sins and turn to God and His ways forever through faith in Christ, truly surrendering their lives to God almighty, truly devoting themselves to Him and no longer to self and this world, truly committing themselves to live to love and obey and worship and serve God forever in Christ, we are forgiven and given an everlasting relationship with the Lord more beautiful and wonderful and marvelous and splendorous than we can possibly fathom.
For all who remain in rebellion against God and remain in their sins and continue to live for self, this world, and the devil, enjoying the pleasures of this life and living for nothing more nor less than to fulfill one’s own lusts, parading around relishing in wickedness, with one’s back turned against God and one’s face turned to evil and enjoying it to no end, the wrath and punishment coming from God is literally indescribable. And the punishment will be forevermore.
We are running out of time. This world is drawing to a close. There will one day be a new heavens and a new earth with Jesus Christ as King and Lord forever, to be enjoyed by Christ’s faithful followers for eternity. And there will also be a lake of fire with which no fire nor torment on this earth can possibly compare where the burning and suffering will never end and that will contain the devil and whose companions will include those on this earth who continued in their rebellion against God and never surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ forevermore.
God loves us so much He sent His own Son Jesus to the cross in our place to bear our punishment on Himself so all who turn from a life of wickedness and devote themselves utterly and forever to Christ are God’s forever. And there are rewards for those who live on this earth for Jesus dependent on how devoted to Him we truly are, on how each and every day we live and breathe for the Lord, on the works of our lives that are borne as the fruit of our faith in Jesus. Our rewards are contingent on just how on fire for and sold out for and committed to Christ we genuinely are for those of us who really believe in Him as Lord.
Which way are you headed, friend? Which direction are you going? We’re running out of time. The Bible clearly depicts the details of the end times, of where the world is headed, of where we will go dependent on what we did in this life, and what we believed in this life, and on the fruit we bore in this life, whether good for Christ’s sake or evil, and what our eternity will look like once we arrive at our final destination.
How are you living, friend? Not just where are you going, but what does your everyday life look like? Are you on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ, devoted utterly and wholly to Him? Are you filled with God’s Spirit and living led by His Spirit? Do you study God’s Word and live by it? Are you connected to Christ’s followers to learn together, grow together, encourage and pray for and love one another and serve Him alongside one another and as one whole Body of Christ helping to build God’s Kingdom of forever followers?
Or are you headed for the lake of fire? Turn, turn, turn to the Lord with ALL your heart, with ALL your life, with ALL your obedience, with ALL your faithfulness, with ALL your devotion, with ALL your service, with ALL your joy, with ALL your commitment, with ALL that you are, with ALL that you have, for now and ALL of eternity, belong to Jesus, live for Jesus, worship God forever, and ever, and ever, AMEN!