Statements
- We are worthy of judgment. Christ is worthy of praise. So worship Jesus alone!
Mercy
Scripture
- Luke 18:13 – “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”
- Ephesians 2:4-7 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Atheism
Scripture
- Psalm 14:1 – “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”
- Psalm 53:1 – “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.”
- Romans 1:18-21 – “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Statements
- Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 are about total rejection of God, not intellectual blindness. These individuals want nothing to do with God.
- God doesn’t believe in atheists.
- Stardust vs. God’s image and value and worth
- I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.
Quotes
- Richard Dawkins wrote, “In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”
Questions
- Are we merely fish turned philosophers? Bi-pedal protoplasm? Stardust? No.
Repent
Scripture
- Luke 13:3 – “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
- Acts 3:19 – “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,”
- 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
- Matthew 4:17 – “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'”
- Acts 17:30-31 – “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
- Romans 2:4 – “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
- Luke 5:32 – “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
- Matthew 1:15 – “And saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.'”
- Matthew 3:2 – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
- Luke 15:7 – “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
- Luke 15:10 – “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
- 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 – “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
- Acts 8:22 – “Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.”
- Ezekiel 18:32 – “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
Count the Cost
Scripture
- Luke 14:25-33 – “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
Believe the Gospel
Scripture
- John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
- John 20:31 – “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
- Acts 16:31 – “And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'”
- Romans 10:9-10 – “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
- Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
- John 6:35 – “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
- John 20:29 – “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
- Genesis 15:6 – “And he (Abraham) believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”
- Romans 4:2-3 – “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.'”
- John 8:24 – “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
- John 11:25-26 – “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'”
Act Now – Today is the Day of Salvation
Scripture
- 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 – “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Statements
- Just as you are – go to Christ!
- Don’t wait! Don’t delay!
Quotes
- Steve Lawson said, “The devil owns tomorrow. The devil owns the fence.”
Salvation For All Who Believe
Questions
- What did God do for guilty sinners? Do you have any idea?
- Has God done such a work in your life that the sin you once loved, you now hate and love the righteousness you once ignored?
Scripture
- Romans 1:16-17 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Rejecting Christ
Statements
- If you reject Christ, you reject the Father. If you mock Jesus, you have the not only him to deal with on judgment day but the father also.
- If you make light of Christ and reject him or mock him, you do this to the only one who can save you from hell!
- If you reject Jesus, one day He will reject you.
- For Christians, this life, with all its exposure to sin and unrighteousness, is the closest thing to hell that we will ever experience. For non-Christians this is the closest thing to heaven that they will experience. It will not be a party in hell. All goodness and grace and mercy will be gone.
Quotes
- Matthew Henry said, “To the wicked man, death is the end of all joys; to a godly man, it is the end of all griefs.”
Sin
Statements
- Sir/ma’am do you know that you’ve sinned against God?
- We are sinners living in a sin-cursed world – but a new day is coming!
- Come to God – this coming implies a leaving of something else – sin and self righteousness and idols; but come the right way – through Jesus Christ alone – and no other way
- Mankind is separated from God because of sin
- One sin cast the devil out of heaven. One sin cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. One sin will cast you from the presence of God, too.
Quotes
- Jonty Rhodes – “Men (and women too) are pulled away to sin through three main areas: ‘Guns, Gold and Girls.'” – playing off of the 1 John 2:16 (see scripture below).
Scripture
- 1 John 2:16 – “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”