Why Is There Death In This World?

       One of the hardest questions to answer for people at a funeral is why did this individual have to die? Death, no matter your age, is tough to deal with. We often ask where was God when this person died. Sometimes death is expected. There are answers such as the person just got older, there was a terrible disease, or an individual did something to hurt himself/herself. Other times death is not expected. There are times when an unexpected accident happened or an individual did evil and killed people.

         The entire book of Job is about suffering. Job lost all of his wealth and his children. Job suffered some serious health issues. Why did Job suffer? Satan believed that Job would deny God and would stop following Him if Job suffered enough pain. Satan was wrong. Job remained faithful to God. Yet, Job still questioned God as to why all this happened to him. In the book of Job, God did not tell Job about His battle with Satan. All God did was tell Job about how mighty God is and how little about life Job really knew. After this conversation, Job praised God. It was trusting in God that helped Job find comfort.

         The Bible tells us plainly why there is death in this world.  Romans 6:²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Death is in this world because of sin. In Genesis 2, God warns Adam that if he sinned, death would be the punishment. When Adam and Eve sinned, death was part of the punishment they received (Genesis 3). Before Adam and Eve sinned, there was no death, no disease, and no destruction on this earth. God said that this world was very good (Genesis 1). It was a good world until it was infected with sin.

         Today, the world is infected with sin and death and destruction are a part of our every day life. This is sad and tragic. If sin were not in this world, there would not be any death. I am not saying that the person's personal sin necessarily caused their death. Babies die and they do not sin. No, I am saying that we live in a world where sin exists. Where sin exists, death exists. We die because we live in a world infected with sin. Since we deal with sin, we have to deal with death.

         This does not bring us much comfort. But that is why we have to learn the lesson of Job. Job wrestled with the issues of suffering and death before he simply surrendered and put all of his trust in God. We have questions about suffering and tragedy that we cannot always answer. God does know the answer. Better than that, God has the solution. We have to learn to trust in Him.

         One day God will put an end to all sin, all death, and all suffering. He will do this when Satan and everything that causes sin will be thrown into hell. He will recreate paradise.

         Revelation 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

         God will rescue us from death. If you want to escape death, believe that Jesus is the Christ, confess Him as Lord and Savior, repent of our sins, and be baptized. You can then receive a paradise without sin, without suffering, and without death. If you refuse, then the other reality is that you will have an eternity of suffering and the second death. We may have to deal with death on this earth, but we do not have to live with death forever.

What Christians Can Learn From Bruce Jenner?

        Over the past few months, our country has been obsessed with the decision Bruce Jenner made to have a sex change. People have taken sides and gave strong opinions. What can the church learn from this?

            First, we must remember that regardless of how we think or feel about Jenner's decision, we must remember that this individual still has a soul. Jenner is still a human being made in the image of God. The church should be concerned with where Jenner's eternal home will be. We are not Jenner's judges, but we are the agents in this world sent to evangelize all people wherever they are in life.  This is no exception.

            Second, I think the church needs to look at this moment to understand the world that we now live in. Too many Christians still view our nation as a country that is guided by Christian principles. While there is a healthy debate as to whether we (USA) were founded on Christian principles, we must agree that our society is becoming more post-Christian every day.  Jenner's decision reflects where our country now stands. This is also one of the reasons this decision has been held up high as a great moment. Let us take a moment to examine the attitudes behind this decision and how it is impacting our decision-making.

1. Our society has, either knowingly or unknowingly, accepted the ideas and principles of humanism, relativism, postmodernism, etc. At the heart of these philosophies is the idea that man determines truth (if truth can be determined at all). When you combine these ideas with evolution, you begin to think that whatever society is now accepting is not only good but is morally superior to what was old. This means that we no longer look to the past for timeless truths for they no longer exist. It also means that we no longer look to a God to guide us, for man does not need Him. Romans 1 discusses what happens to man when they neglect God, and it describes where our society. In Romans 1, Paul describes how people become more wicked when they neglect, ignore, or deny God. Many ignore the Bible today because they view the Bible as out of date since it was written 2,000 years ago. Our ignorance and arrogance has blinded us to the fact that the Bible deals with everything we deal with today. Solomon was right when he wrote there is nothing new under the sun. We are repeating the same mistakes that others made before us. Our problem is that we are not willing to see what the results of past mistakes were. The calendar may change but God's Word does not. He has not changed His mind in the last 2,000 years.

2. Many claim that our bodies belong to us and therefore we have the right to do what we want as long as it does not hurt others. First, our actions do hurt others. I see this every day as a minister. For example, people who abuse alcohol and drugs affect the lives of their spouse, parents, and children. Second, we do not have the right to do what we want with our bodies because they do not "belong" to us. 1 Corinthians 6 makes it clear that Jesus purchased the body of the Christian and that body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. If you are a Christian, your body belongs to the one who paid for it, Jesus Christ. Treat it like it is Christ's possession when making moral, ethical, and spiritual decisions. What about the non-Christian? Your body is a gift from God. You live because of Him. You need oxygen, gravity, food, and water to live. He provides that for you everyday. You live in His world and everything in it is His possession. You may not want to admit it but you are still under His rules. It may be your body, but it is His rules that you must live under.

3. Our desires do not give us permission. This world is full of temptation and sin. We are commanded to over come it. James 1:¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Increasingly, our society believes that if you desire something strong enough you should give into it. This includes (but is not limited to) sexual desires. What does that make human beings? God tells us that we will be tempted but that we have the free will ability to resist. He provides us a way out of temptation. Just because you desire something, does not mean you have the right to do it. Your desires do not equal permission.

4. Rebellion is not good. We live in an age that loves rebellion. In fact we make rebels our heroes. Even the church has bought into this line of thinking. Christians are not called to be rebels but to be submissive. We are submissive to God. Then we are submissive to parents, the elders of the church, governments, etc. The attitude of rebellion, if it is encouraged, will lead people to be rebellious to God. We are only called to be rebellious when authority figures are trying to lead us to disobey God. That is it. This rebellious attitude in the world makes us question God's commandment. In the Garden of Eden, Satan asked Eve the question "Did God really say...". This is the same question he asks us today. The church is actually helping to promote this rebellion by asking the same question: Did God really say? How can we expect the world to follow the commandments of God when the church is debating if He really meant it? God gave us His Word and it is clear, we just don't want to obey it.

            I believe that the church should spend some time examining Bruce Jenner's decision. How Bruce Jenner came to this decision is the same attitude and thinking that our generation is using to make decisions today. We cannot minister to a society that we do not understand. The church has failed because we have not been honest about where our society has been and is going for a long time. Will we see what is plain to see or continue to be blind?

Christianity is Not A Hobby

        Several years ago I had a magazine salesman call me. He wanted to sell me a magazine subscription but I had no interest in any magazine. In the process of our conversation he asked what my hobbies were. I had none. He asked what I did for a living. I answered that I was a minister. His response, "Oh Christianity. That is a hobby." Needless to say, we had a completely different view of Christianity.

         In fairness to the salesman, many Christians treat their faith as a hobby. It is something they do (when they choose too). When they are bored, they may read the Bible. When it is convenient, they pray. When there is nothing else to do on Sunday, they might go to church. In other words, their faith is on their time when they want to do it. They can put Christianity on like a coat and take it off like a coat. Years after my conversation with this nameless salesman, I truly understand why he thought Christianity was a hobby.

         Those who treat Christianity as a hobby have failed to understand the Christian faith. Christianity is far from a hobby.

1. It is a change of life. 1 Corinthians 6:⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. The Corinthian church was located in one of the most immoral cities in Rome at that time. Apparently, these Corinthian Christians had a sinful past. The list above is a list of activities that are clearly forbidden in the Bible. However, Paul tells them that is what they were, which implies that a change has occurred. The Bible tells us that in order to be a Christian we have to repent. This word means that we acknowledge that we have done wrong, that we are sorry for our mistake, and that we will change. Christianity means that we quit doing evil and start doing good.

2. It is a lifestyle. Christianity is not something you do on Sunday. Instead it is something that is continuous. An example is prayer. We are told never to quit praying. Ephesians 6:¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. The point of this passage is that we do not just pray one day a week but every day. We do not just praise God on Sunday but every day. We do not help people on one day a week but every day. A hypocrite is a person who pretends to be one thing but is actually someone totally different. When an individual is a Christian around the church on Sunday but acts like a heathen 6 days a week, he or she is a hypocrite. And a hypocrite does not fool God.

3. Christianity is my hope. Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hope is not something unsure, such as I hope that it rains or I hope we make to work on time. The author of this passage uses hope as a confident assurance. We know that there is a God. We know that there is a heaven. We know that we have been forgiven. Since we know these things, we live with a confidence that we have a better future in our eternal life. Life is hard and difficult. We face many challenges. The reason I can move forward in life during these tragedies with hope is because of my faith.

4. Christianity is my commitment. Revelation 2: ¹⁰ Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. There are two vows of faithfulness until death that I have taken in my life. One was my marriage to my wife. I promised that I would not forsake her or betray her until death do us part. The other was my first vow, my commitment to God. When I was baptized I made a vow that I would follow Christ the rest of my life. A hobby can be laid down at any time; a vow is to always be kept sacred.

5. Christianity is my worldview. Romans 12:² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. How do I view the world? What determines my morality and ethics? What guides me in the decisions that I make? What influences me on what to spend my time, money, and energy on? How do I vote? My faith answers these questions and more. Our parents, teachers, entertainment, and friends influence us. They can shape our worldview. However, when we  become a Christian our greatest influence must be the Bible. We are claiming to be disciples of Jesus Christ but the only way to do that is to allow Christ to influence every aspect of our lives. This includes your marriage, parenting, work, and entertainment.

         We must never get to a place in our lives where our faith becomes a hobby. For if our faith becomes a hobby then we have lost our faith.

Sunday: Christ's Memorial Day

         Memorial Day is an American holiday meant to honor those who gave their lives for their country. We enjoy our freedoms because of their great sacrifice. It is a day to say thank you, not only to the soldier, but the family and friends who lost a loved one. Sadly, we do not even know the names of the vast majority of those that died for us.

         However, the meaning of Memorial Day is often lost because of our selfishness. It becomes about our cookouts, camping, family gatherings, shopping for deals, or whatever else we want to do. We forget about those who died for us. That is perhaps one of the most tragic statements we can make about our society.

         In Christianity, we also have a memorial day. It is a memorial for Jesus Christ. It is not Easter or Christmas; instead it is every Sunday. You see Sunday is the day that Jesus resurrected from the dead.

Matthew 28 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

         During the first century, the church met together on the first day of the week. One of the reasons they gathered was to take of the Lord's Supper. This act is often referred to in the Bible as the breaking of bread.

Acts 20: ⁷ On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

         The purpose of the Lord's Supper is to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He died for our sins. He paid our price of lawlessness. He paid for our home in heaven. He asked us to remember Him during His meal.

Luke 22:¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

         Jesus' sacrifice is worthy of remembrance and it is deserving to remember it as often as the church gets together every Sunday. We often forget the real purpose of the Sunday morning service. This is not a time to put on a show to attract a crowd. It is not a time to feed the ego's of people. It is not a time to tell people what they want to hear to make them feel better. No, it is a time for Christ. It is a time to say thank you for the cross. It is a time to celebrate the fact that we have eternal life. It is a time to celebrate the victory over death and sin. It is a time to gather as a church family to say thank you to the Father for sending His Son to die for us. It is all about Christ. It is not about the preacher, it is not about the church, it is not about how many people come to a building or about how much money is in the offering. If it is anything else but Jesus Christ, then it is idolatry.

         Sadly, for too many Christians, Sunday has been taken for granted. I hear the excuses from Christians all the time. They say, "It is the only day I can sleep in." I am glad Christ did not want to sleep in when it was time to go to the cross. Other says, "There are ball games my kids or my favorite team is playing." I am glad that Christ did not let sports come ahead of our salvation. Still some say, "People at the church made me mad and I do not want to be around other Christians." I am glad that Jesus did not let others stop Him from His act of service.

         Every Sunday is the Lord's Day. It is a memorial for Him. We need to set aside our selfish desires and remember Him as He asked to: around His table, for His Supper, with His church, and to honor His sacrifice. This coming Sunday is not about you but it is about your Savior. Please remember Christ's memorial day next Sunday.

What is Grace?

Ephesians 2:⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV).

         Ephesians 2 explains what our situation is before God. We have violated His law and therefore we are deserving of punishment. Since God loved us, He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins. The text explains that Christians (those who submitted to Christ) have been saved by grace. What does it mean to be saved by grace?

         In the Bible, the word grace means gift. A gift, by its own definition, is something given to us that we do not deserve. If we deserved it, then that object becomes a wage. Grace is something that we do not deserve but is given because of someone's love.

         As sinners, we have earned something: punishment. The book of Romans explains that all people are sinners, whether they know it or not. Have you violated God's commandment? Have you ever lied, stole, used God's name inappropriately, lusted, coveted another person's property, or failed to worship God? Then you are a sinner. You have earned a wage. One of the key passages of Romans explains this. 

         Romans 6:²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

         The punishment of death is twofold. First, there is physical death. Physical death entered into this world when Adam and Eve sinned. Second, there is spiritual death, which is hell.

         Some will protest that this is cruel. How can one sin actually send me to hell? First, we are rebelling against the Creator, the one who gave us life and sustains our life. As the Creator, He has absolute right as owner to make the rules. Our sins are a violation against the highest authority in existence. Second, you have actually committed more than one sin. If one sins an average of once a month (which we would consider a good person) for 50 years that person has at least 600 violations against the King of the universe. If we go before an earthly judge today for 600 violations against an earthly kingdom/nation, would we expect mercy or the full force of punishment? 600 violations against any law demonstrate that we do not respect the authority and choose to rebel against it. Now imagine that those 600 violations were not just violations against the law but siding with the enemy of the state. That would be considered treason! And that is what our sin is, siding with the enemy of God, Satan! Should we expect mercy?

         Not only does God grant us mercy (not giving us the punishment, which would be hell) but He gives us a gift. The gift of God, according to Romans 6, is life. This life is heaven. You see, Jesus' sacrifice pays the price for our sin. Here is what happens. We are legally and morally in violation to a just judge, God. His holiness demands that our sins be punished. When we become a Christian, Jesus pays the price for our sins. The gift that is given is the fact that the payment of our sins has been made and we gain eternal life in heaven.

         Many believe that they can go to heaven because they are a good person. Would we be considered a good citizen before the eyes of our nation if we had over 600 acts of breaking the law? No, of course not. As a sinner, you are not considered a good person but a guilty person. You need to be rescued. Your good deeds cannot be used as a bribe to forget about your violations before God. 10 good deeds do not erase one bad deed. If you missed paying taxes for 2 years but did pay taxes for 10, the IRS will still demand payment for those 2 missed years. Your good deeds will not erase your failure before the eyes of the government. The same is true for God. We cannot earn our way into heaven; the price must be paid.

         This is true for all people. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. My sin may or may not be the same as yours but I am equally a sinner. I need to be rescued. All of the sermons I preached, all the baptisms I performed, all the money I gave to the poor, and all the prayers that I said will not rescue me. If so, that would be a wage. My salvation is a gift, I cannot boast about my salvation. I do not deserve it.

         Grace is one of the most beautiful words in our language. One of the most popular songs today is still Amazing Grace. We should celebrate this grace. After all, it is a gift and the polite thing to do is to say thank you for a gift you appreciate. And, if we truly love the gift, we would want others to receive it to. This gift can be yours if you believe Jesus is the Son of God, confess Him as Savior, repent of your sins, and be baptized starting a new life with Christ. All sin can be forgiven but not all will accept the gift given by God. Will you accept a free gift to heaven?

WHAT IS SIN?

         One of the challenges to evangelism is the fact that Christians, at times, seem to speak a foreign language to non-Christians. There are certain terms and words used in the Bible that Christians understand and assume others understand. This is not always true. When we fail to define our terms to individuals, then we fail to explain the Gospel message.

         Imagine that you had to explain the game of baseball to an individual that has never heard of the game. As you explain the rules, you tell them that if they get three strikes at bat then they are out. However, if you do not explain what a strike is, then you have failed to teach the individual about the game of baseball. If the person is familiar with bowling and believes that the term strike is the same in bowling as it is in baseball, you will have confused this individual. In order to accurately explain the game of baseball, one must define their terms properly.

         I often hear Christians (and have probably been guilty of it myself) quote Scripture to explain how we are in a lost state due to sin. Romans 6:²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. What does a Christian mean by lost and sin? If we are not defining these terms, then we are not teaching people Biblical truths. We should not think that all people know what we mean by the term sin.

         In the Bible, sin is breaking the will of God. God makes His will known through His Word, which is the Bible. A simple definition is that sin is breaking the commandments of God as revealed in the Bible. That is what John teaches us in his book called 1 John. 1 John 3:⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. Whenever you are disobedient to the will of God, you sin.

         What gives God the right to make commandments in this world? Why should He be able to tell us what to do? God is the creator of the universe, which includes this world. Genesis 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. As the Creator, He has the rights of ownership over this world. We understand the rights of ownership. If I enter into your house, I have to obey your rules or you have the right to throw me out. When we have ownership, we have the right to determine how that possession is used. Since God is the owner and we are living in His possession, we have to obey His rules. If you refuse to obey the rules, then you are abusing someone else's possession.

         A second reason that God has the right to determine the rules is that He gave us life and continues to give us the means to live. You are alive because of God. He created all life. He sustains life by providing the sun, oxygen, rain, and gravity. If God stops any of those functions (among others), life ceases immediately. We understand that we are to honor our parents in this world because they gave us our existence. Exodus 20:¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. We honor them by obeying their wishes and doing what pleases them. We honor God, who gives us life, by following His wishes on this earth. We owe Him our allegiance for what He does. We should be willing to follow His wishes and His commands because He gave us life.

         If we love God, then we should be willing to follow His commands. Jesus teaches us this point. John 14:¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. All sin is detestable to God. When we choose to sin, we are saying to God "I want to do what you hate." We are also saying there is something we love more than God. You cannot say that I love God while willfully and intentionally sinning.

         Earlier I stated that one who sins is "lost." The term lost means that we have been separated from God due to our sin. It is a term that Jesus used in some of His parables, such as the parable of the lost sheep. If we continue in sin, we will be excluded from God's home in heaven and find ourselves in hell. Hell is a place where we will be eternally separated from God. That is the danger of sin. We should do all that we can to avoid sin and follow God's commandments.

The Real One and Done

           

Eventually in sports, everyone loses. Kentucky won their first 38 games and lost one. Unfortunately for them, one loss means no national championship. I am sure if they could, they would trade one of their victories to replace their loss. However, that is not how it works. When it comes to the NCAA national championship, it is perfection or nothing else. It is not about how good you are, it is about being perfect for 6 games.

         We understand this when it comes to sports but fail to understand this concept when it concerns our salvation. Many believe that being good is good enough to enter into heaven. However, that is not true. In fact, when you commit one sin, you are truly one and done. Earning heaven is being perfect and without mistake. When it comes to sin, it is one and done.

         You see the price of sin is death. Romans 6:²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. All sin is equally wrong. James 2:¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. We are all sinners. Romans 3:²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. As a result, once I commit a sin I have become guilty. My punishment is forfeiting heaven. If I am not going to heaven, then my punishment is hell.

         Someone might say, "I am a good person that has done many good deeds. My good deeds should erase my mistakes." That is not true. No matter how many good deeds I commit, I will never be able to erase even one of my sins. Just like one loss in a tournament means I lose the championship, one sin means I lose heaven.

         At this point, the illustration is depressing. Yet there is one thing I get in my life that a ball team does not get in a tournament: a redeemer. Jesus Christ came to save the world. John 3:¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  Christ was willing to take the place of the sinner at the cross. He is willing to pay the price for my sin. Even though I am a failure and have forfeited my prize, I have one willing to exchange His innocence for my guilt and pay my price. I have been redeemed.

         Ephesians 2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

         Tonight, 66 teams will have to watch two teams play for a championship. Only one will win. 67 teams will forfeit a prize based on their failure. There is nothing that can or will change that. The winner is not going to trade places with the losers. That is not how sports work.

         Tonight there are people who are in their sins who have forfeited their prize of heaven. However, you do not have to remain in your state. You have a redeemer who is willing to give you a victory. You do not have to sit there with a loss; you can choose to regain what was lost. The Bible teaches that if we believe that Jesus is the Christ, confess Him as our Lord, repent of our sins, and we are baptized we will be saved. Will you choose to stay in your imperfections or will you allow yourself to taste the victory?