Greg Laurie - What about the Person Who Has Never Heard the Gospel? (03/18/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie tackles the tough question: "What about the person who has never heard the gospel?" Using Romans 1 and Revelation 14, he explains God reveals Himself through creation and conscience so no one has an excuse, but true seekers find more light—even to Jesus. In the Tribulation, God ensures the whole world hears via an angel's message, showing His heart to save while warning of judgment for rejecting Christ, the only way.
The Common Objection to the Gospel
Well, the title of the message today is, "What About the Person Who Has Never Heard the Gospel?" Why don't we start with a word of prayer.
Father, we ask now for Your blessing on this time as we open Your word. There's a big, dark world out there that needs to hear the gospel message. And sometimes we're a bit overwhelmed by it all, wondering how could we ever reach them. But as we're going to discover in a few moments, You will reach everyone, but that doesn't relieve us of our responsibility to go into all the world and preach the gospel. So we commit this time of Bible study to You now, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, we've all heard it. Usually when we're sharing the gospel with someone, they'll interrupt us. "Hold on," they'll say. "What about the person who has never heard the gospel before? Out in the middle of a jungle." I don't know whether they're always in the middle of a jungle. Or in the desert somewhere. They've never heard the gospel. Will God send them to hell? How could a God of love send someone to hell who has never heard the gospel before?
Now let me just say, generally what I've found is people don't want an answer to that question. It's a diversionary tactic. And I'll use it as a springboard to extend the conversation. I'll say, well that's interesting. You have such a concern about those who have not heard the gospel. Does that mean you believe in the message of the gospel? And to the point, do you know what the gospel message is? And you mentioned hell. Does that mean you think that some people will go to hell? Who do you think will go to hell? And why? So I will use it to maybe go a little bit deeper.
But let's just go ahead and tackle that question. What happens to the person who has never heard the gospel? Here's the real issue. It's a violent reaction to the exclusivity of Christ. In this age of moral relativism, it rubs a lot of people the wrong way when we have the audacity to say, Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Right? How dare you say that? All religions teach the same thing. He never said that. Or, you know, well look, we are only saying what Jesus said.
Jesus' Clear Claim – The Only Way
And by the way, this is one of those non-negotiables. We can't fudge on this one even a little bit. Jesus was as clear as He could be. In John 14:6, when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by Me." 1 Timothy 2:5 says, "There is one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus." Acts 4:12 says, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we can be saved."
All Roads Lead to God – But Only One to Heaven
Now, let me say something that might sound surprising. I believe in a broad sense all roads lead to God. I think whatever you believe or don't believe, you might be fervent in your faith. You might be an outright atheist. You might believe in sort of a self-made religion. Whatever you believe, that road will get you to God. There is no question everyone will stand before God one day. And then they will have to give an account of their life.
But there is only one road that will get you right into heaven. And that is Jesus Christ. Because He opened that road up for us.
Okay, you might say, I accept that in premise, but what about the person who has never heard it? How could a God of love send them to hell? Well, wait a second. Why are you assuming that a person who has not heard the gospel would automatically go to hell? See, I believe that God will judge us according to the light we have received. You will not be held accountable for what you do not know.
Now that does not excuse us from responsibility to preach the gospel. Otherwise, the greatest evangelism program would be none. We'll just leave people in ignorance. And if they don't know, they won't be held accountable. No, that's not it at all. Because actually, God has revealed Himself in many ways to every person all around the world.
God's Revelation Through Creation
For starters, God has given us the witness or the testimony of His own creation. Romans 1 says, "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and the sky and all that God made. They've seen His invisible qualities, so they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God."
I think to say that all of the beauties of God's creation came about randomly is ridiculous. I don't think you would come to that conclusion logically. I think intuitively we know there is a master designer behind it all. The person who believes in the theory of evolution makes a choice to believe that. And often I think they make that choice because of a lifestyle they want to live. It has no place for God. Because if there's a creator, then there is a God. And if there's a God, there's a judge. And if there's a judgment, they'll have to stand there one day so they want to try to find a way to write God out of the script.
But to look at this world and say it all just came about randomly really borders on the absurd. That would be like saying the 747 aircraft was not the result of the engineering efforts of countless engineers, designers, and workmen at Boeing. No, you would say the 747 came into being because a tornado swept through a junkyard. And after it was done, there it sat in all of its glory.
Oh yeah, you know that painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? That wasn't done by some master artist named Michelangelo. No, actually what happened is some guy pulled a paint wagon into the chapel and threw a stick of dynamite in it. Dynamite didn't exist then, but it's just an illustration. You get the point. And it blew up and the Sistine Chapel painting was done as a result. Well, you'd be taken away in a straitjacket.
And yet people will look at something as intricate and amazing as the human body, the creation we live in, and say it all came about randomly. You'd have to be a fool to believe that. And that's why the Bible says only the fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
The Testimony of Conscience
So you do have the testimony of creation. Then you have the testimony of your own conscience. We are born with a sense of what right and wrong are. And we push it away. Romans 1:18 says, "God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts."
They know what right and wrong are before a child can even speak. They have a sense of it. They are not oblivious to it. You can tell just by watching them. They go to do something naughty and they check to see if they can get away with it. And then you tell them no and they do it anyway. And you know it's just in our human nature. There is human conscience.
Some will say, well I live by my own standards. And my response would be, no you don't. You'll probably violate even those. You know what is right. You know what is wrong. But you've broken human standards.
And we are told in Romans 2:12, "God will punish sin wherever it is found. He will punish the non-believer when they sin even though they never had God's written laws. Listen, for down in their hearts they know right from wrong. God's laws are written within them. Their own conscience accuses them or excuses them."
So God will judge you according to the light you have received.
True Seekers Always Find God
But let me add something else. If you are a true seeker you will find God. Let me take it a step further. If you are a true seeker you will find your way to Jesus Christ. So how do you know that? Because God says in His word those that seek Me will find Me. Proverbs 8:17.
The Example of Cornelius
Here is a great example. A guy in the New Testament with the name of Cornelius. He was a Roman centurion. He would be steeped in the idol worship of the day. And as a military man he would swear allegiance to Caesar not only as his leader but even as a deity which was required in this day.
But Cornelius did not go the way of other Romans. He was governing over the Jewish people so he was exposed to their faith and he was drawn to it and he began to call not on the gods of Rome but he called on the God singular of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He wanted to know this God.
And God heard the prayers of the pagan man Cornelius and sent an angel to him and told him he needed to talk with a man named Simon Peter. And then Simon Peter was directed by the Lord to go to the house of Cornelius and bring him the gospel which he did and the result was Cornelius believed.
You see Cornelius responded to the light he received and more light was given. But a lot of times people won't even respond to the light they have. Sometimes people will say well I'm seeking truth. I want to know God. I'm open to knowing God. Well let me read the Bible to you. "I don't want to hear the Bible." Would you come to church with me? "Absolutely not." But you're seeking God? "Yes I am." No they aren't.
If they're really seeking God why wouldn't they check out everything? Why wouldn't they at least give a fair hearing to the gospel? Because deep down inside I think they know it's true and they don't really want to hear it.
But know this God wants to save us even more than they want to be saved. Because Luke 19 Jesus says the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.
What About Deathbed Conversions?
I have a friend whose father died when he was still a young man. My friend was a young man and my friend wasn't a believer at the time but he does recall vividly going into his father's hospital room when his dad was on his death bed and he saw a Bible on the little nightstand next to his father's bed and he knew his father never was much of a Bible reader or a church goer but yet here was this Bible.
And then the father passed on. And my friend was bothered by this because he came to Christ later and he asked me, it really concerns me. And I wondered, do you think my father's in hell right now? I said, well, look, we don't know the answer to that question. I said, consider the fact that your dad asked for a Bible to be brought to him. Maybe he was seeking God. And maybe he believed in Jesus in the last moments of his life.
But unless you were with a non-believer as they took their last breath, you don't know what transpired in those final moments. Now, I'm not trying to give false assurance and say that those non-believers you know who have died are in heaven. But nor do I want to give false condemnation because we don't know.
And I believe if a person really cried out to God, even in the last nanoseconds of their life, their prayer would be heard in heaven and they would be forgiven of their sin. Just like the thief on the cross.
As I've said before, there will be surprises when we get to heaven. And one of those surprises is some of the people we never thought would be there will be there. That's in God's hands. But I know this much. God wants to save people. It's as hard to bring people to faith. And he will more than reach out to them. He will more than meet them halfway.
Revelation 14 – God's Final Global Call
And a great illustration of that is in the text before us here in Revelation 14. You are probably wondering if I was ever getting to Revelation 14. Chronologically, we are looking at the tribulation period. The Antichrist, the beast is in power. But God is still calling people. And we see God engaging in what can be described as an angelic mop-up operation. This shows how the whole world will hear the gospel before the end.
Revelation 14, verse 6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those that dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
The First Angel – The Everlasting Gospel
And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Then a third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them." We'll stop there.
This clearly shows God's heart toward lost people. He longs for fellowship with them.
The Sequence of End-Time Witnesses
Now, let's think of some of the things that have happened at this point. The rapture has already transpired. The tribulation period cannot begin until the rapture takes place. The rapture is that event when all true believers are caught up to meet the Lord in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye in the air. It's also the time of the bodily resurrection.
So that's taking place. Now, let's just, for the sake of an illustration, say the rapture happened tomorrow. And you have people you've talked to about your faith. Maybe you've even told them that you believe Christ could come for you at any moment. And they laughed it off and thought you were an idiot for believing such a thing. And they call you and you don't answer. And you don't show up at work. And you're not in your home any longer. And it dawns on them that what you believe was true. And that you're in heaven.
I am sure some of those people will come to faith after the rapture takes place. But even in the tribulation period, with the Antichrist revealed, God will still have His witness on earth.
The Two Witnesses and 144,000 Evangelists
We know He's going to raise up two mighty witnesses. Many believe they may be Moses and Elijah. We already looked at them in Revelation chapter 11. They'll have miracle working power. And they'll proclaim the gospel. They'll be killed by the Antichrist. And they'll rise again from the dead and ascend to heaven.
So now we have the testimony of the witnesses. Then God is going to raise up 144,000 Jewish evangelists. Jews who have found Jesus as their Messiah. And they are going to travel through the earth sharing the gospel. They'll be protected by God because we've read of 144,000 on earth. And then later, here in Revelation 14, earlier on, 144,000 in heaven. They complete their mission.
The Flying Angel – No One Left Out
And now in case there's anyone left that hasn't heard the gospel, an angel is sent flying through the heavens to proclaim the everlasting gospel. So don't worry about the person in the jungle. They're going to get it. And in the desert. And in the high rise. And in the gutter. And in the penthouse. Everywhere people will hear.
By the way, this is not God's normal way of reaching people through angels. Going back to the story of Cornelius. An angel could have given him the gospel. But instead an angel directed him to Simon Peter who gave him the gospel. Generally, God doesn't use angels to preach the gospel. He uses people to do that. That's our job.
But desperate times call for desperate measures. And people still want to give one last chance for people to believe. So here we see the Lord throwing out the net as wide as possible. No one will have any excuse for taking the Mark of the beast. God is warning.
And by the way, this fulfills the statement of Jesus given in Matthew 24:14. When He says, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will come."
I bring this up because I've heard it said. We've got to go out and preach the gospel. Because Christ can't come until everyone hears. So let's get busy. Well, I think we all need to get busy. But you know what? Christ can come at any time. Contextually, that statement of our Lord is concerning the tribulation period. And it's speaking of the second coming, not the rapture of the church.
God will get that message out through His 144,000, through His two witnesses, and through His angel flying through the heavens. So everyone will ultimately hear it. And everyone is reached.
Look at verse 6 again. He's preaching to those that dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. Listen, the gospel is universal in scope. It isn't for one group, or one race, or one nation. It's for everyone. That's why Jesus tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
The Second Angel – Judgment on Babylon
So that's angel number one. There's two more to follow. Angel number two has a more ominous message. Unlike the first angel, the second angel does not preach the good news of the gospel, but rather pronounces the bad news of judgment. Look here at verse 8. And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
The fact that the word fallen is used twice emphasizes the certainty of this judgment. Fallen, fallen.
Babylon's Revival – Symbol of Evil
What does it mean that Babylon is fallen? Well, here in Revelation, we're going to read about Babylon. And according to Revelation, Babylon will be rebuilt. Babylon once was in Iraq. And it's going to come back again. It was once the most powerful kingdom on the face of the earth.
In fact, it's interesting to note that the two most often mentioned cities in Scripture are Babylon and what? No, not Petali. I heard someone say Petali. No, it's Jerusalem. You're right. So what does that tell us? That Babylon and Jerusalem are mentioned more than any other city.
Well, it tells us that world civilization as we know it is going to end in that part of the world. So, where's Babylon? It's where present-day Iraq is. Where's Jerusalem? Where it's always been. The final battles of mankind are going to happen in that part of the world and specifically around Jerusalem.
But according to Revelation, Babylon's going to be revived. And when we talk about Babylon being revived, we're talking about a mentality. In effect, Babylon is a point of reference for evil. It refers to the entire worldwide political, economic, and religious kingdom of the Antichrist.
Nimrod, Tower of Babel, and Occult Roots
Maybe a little background on ancient Babylon would be helpful. Ancient Babylon began on the plains of Shinar, where the world's first dictator established the world's first religious center. His name was Nimrod. And it's in the book of Genesis. His name means, we will revolt.
By the way, when thinking of a name for a boy that's been born, Nimrod's out. Don't name your boy Nimrod. How many of you have named your boy Nimrod? Good. Yeah, excellent. We don't want to go there.
So, Nimrod was described in Genesis as a hunter of men's souls in defiance of the Lord. He was a wicked man. And Nimrod was behind the Tower of Babel. And it was said there in Genesis, whose top would reach into the heavens. Now, that doesn't mean that it would be all that high. But it was talking about how they were trying to make a connection to eternity.
Now, there's a lot of tall buildings around today. There's a new one going up in New York City that's almost completed in the place of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. But this building may not have been that high. But it was trying to reach to the heavens. Really, in effect, it was man's attempt to reach God.
In fact, a lot of the archaeological digs around this area have revealed, in looking at these towers that were built, that they had astrological signs in them. So the idea is they were trying to connect to the stars. In fact, many centuries later, when God pronounced judgment on Babylon, He said in Isaiah 47:12, she labored with sorceries and astrology from her youth.
So this indicates that astrology and occultism was practiced in Babylon in the very beginning of her history. When Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a troubling dream, what did he do? He called in astrologers and soothsayers and magicians and such.
In fact, one of the groups he called them were described as the conjurers. These would be people who would conduct seances and supposedly speak with the dead. Today, we don't call them conjurers. We call them channelers. And it's a part of New Age mysticism. Or people will claim that people who've gone to the other side are speaking through them. They're channeling that person they will say.
And sometimes in desperation, people wanting to talk with loved ones that have passed on will go to a psychic or attend a seance. And the problem with this is demon spirits can give information out, effectively impersonating the deceased person that will cause the other person hearing this to think they're actually communicating with their loved one.
But you need to know there is no communication with the other side. I think Harry Houdini wanted to be buried with a telephone in his coffin. And he said he would call. He never called. Because you can't.
My little granddaughter, Allie, who's about two years old now, a little more than two, she'll come into my office sometimes. And I have a little handset in there that I bought in some store. You plug it into an iPhone. Okay, so when I've been using my phone, it gets kind of hot holding it up to my ear. So I bought this handset that you plug in. It's a full-size handset. I used it a couple times and felt like an idiot. You know, because you have this giant handset connected to this little phone.
So I just unplugged it and set it on a table. And she walked in and picked it up and started talking to it. So I picked up my other phone and I talked with her. And we're having this conversation through these phones. But it's not really happening. I mean, in real time it's happening. But not through those phones.
And it's the same when we try to talk with people on the other side. I do understand this. You know, when you've lost someone unexpectedly, it's so hard to not communicate with them. Our son, Christopher, was called to heaven. And one of the hardest things has been not being able to talk with him. Because I would communicate with him every single day. And suddenly all communication is cut off. And you just wish you could hear something. There are things you wanted to say.
And so I understand this, but we must not go down this road. It's a dangerous road. You'll talk to them again one day. They can't talk to you, but one day you'll see them again. Because they're present with the Lord.
I do believe they may be aware of things that are happening on earth. I believe they may be in some sense watching us, possibly. But don't think that they're talking to you. I've had people say, well, you know, my loved one who has died, they talk to me every day. I sense their presence. Can I be really blunt with you? No, you don't. They're not with you. Well, sometimes they guide me. No, they really don't. Okay? They can't do that. God will guide you.
But don't go down this road. But this is what these astrologers and these soothsayers and conjurers and such would do. And so the idea of Babylon is it's being revived, this religious system. And God is going to ultimately judge it and bring it down so it will no longer be in existence. And it's going to happen rapidly. In fact, Revelation 16 says Babylon will be destroyed in one hour. We'll look at that more when we get to Revelation 17 and 18.
The Third Angel – Warning of Eternal Torment
So now things go from bad to worse for mankind. A third angel is sent with a message of doom. Verse 9. A third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation and will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Well, that doesn't seem fair. Hold on. This is something that is deliberate. It's willful. They've ignored an angel flying through the heavens telling them not to do this. They've ignored the testimony of the 144,000 and the two witnesses and so forth. So if a person ends up in this place, it's because they choose to.
The Reality of Eternal Hell
And I might add that hell is eternal. This torment lasts forever. You cannot have an eternal heaven and not have an eternal hell. J.I. Packer said, and I quote, "an endless hell can no more be removed from the New Testament than an endless heaven can."
Jesus made it very clear that hell is forever. He said in Matthew 25, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Jesus described hell as a place where the fire is not quenched and the worm never dies.
So we hear that and we say, well why would anybody choose to go to hell? Well actually a lot of people do. In fact, the people that end up in hell in that final day are there because they effectively chose to go there.
Don't forget, Jesus did not say that hell was prepared for bad people. He said it's prepared for the devil and his angels. Conventional wisdom is God made heaven for good people and hell for bad people. Or people that just irritate me in general. No. Hell was made for the devil and his angels.
So if you reject God and follow the devil then you will end up where he ends up. C.S. Lewis put it this way and I quote, "there are only two kinds of people in the end. Those who say to God thy will be done and those to whom God says in the end thy will be done. All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell."
Timothy Keller said and I quote, "people only get in the afterlife what they have most wanted. Either to have God as Savior and Master or to be their own Saviors and Masters. Hell is simply one's freely chosen path going on forever. We wanted to get away from God and God in his infinite justice sends us where we wanted to go."
Blessed Are Those Who Die in the Lord
That's what happens to the non-believer. What about the believer? Well look at verse 13. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."
Nobody wants to die. Nobody looks forward to death. Death is an enemy. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:26 "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus as they saw the devastating power of death.
So when someone has lost a loved one don't say well don't be sad just rejoice. I mean that's true but don't say don't be sad. Because the depth of our sorrow is an indication of the depth of our love. And there is a place for mourning but there is also a place for rejoicing because we know as a believer we will see them again.
It is true death is an enemy but it is also true that God is a friend. Listen we are all going to die but we want to die in the Lord.
What Heaven Is Like for Believers
Here are some things you need to know about people who are presently in heaven like mom Marguerite and others that we know. Number one they are rejoicing. That verse says blessed are the dead. You know it is interesting when Paul went to heaven and came back to earth and tried to put it into words he only could find one word that helped him to describe it. He said well all I can tell you is it was paradise.
It is an interesting word because it actually means the royal garden of a king. So think about the most beautiful garden you have ever seen. The most amazing sight you have ever laid your eyes on. And that was the picture that Paul gave of heaven. He said I don't really have the words but it was like a paradise in heaven. All questions are answered. All tears are dry. All pain is gone. Heaven is pure bliss.
That is why Paul said that he longed to be there because heaven was far far better than earth. Adrian Rogers a wonderful man of God and a pastor who I had the privilege of meeting some years ago who now is in heaven wrote in his book on Revelation that was called Unveiling the End Times and Our Times these words quote "Consider the artistry that God has put into heaven. The God who sculpted the wings of the butterfly blended the hues of the rainbow and painted the meadows with daffodils is the same God who made heaven" end quote.
So we know they are rejoicing. Number two we know of those that have gone unto heaven they are resting because it says they will rest from their labors now I am all for resting but I don't like to just sit around and do nothing this is why I don't understand people who want to retire.
Understand what I'm saying if you've worked hard for many years and you've saved your money and have invested it. Now you don't have to go to that job anymore. And can you live off your investments or whatever? I'd say that's fantastic. But I hope that you have not retired from serving the Lord.
I mean, go out there and golf. Go out there and have fun. And then get to work for the kingdom of God. That's what you ought to do with your retirement years and with all of your years.
You know, we should take time off. Even Jesus took breaks. He said to his disciples, come apart and rest for a while. It was Vance Havner who said, come apart and rest a while or you will just plain come apart. Isn't that a great statement?
So it's important to rest. It's important to recharge. But then you recharge to serve the Lord. Because heaven is not going to be an eternal nap. Sorry to break that to some of you who are looking forward to that.
He said, but Greg, we just read they are resting from their labors. Yeah, I know that. We will rest. But in another sense, we will work. Know this. Our work is not over when we leave this earth. It continues on in heaven and on to the new earth. We have things to discover. Work to do. Service to be rendered. Revelation 22:3 says, there will be no more curse, and His servants will serve Him.
Rewards That Follow Believers
Number three, they are rewarded. Because it says their works will follow them. There is a reward waiting for every believer. Even for that small thing you did, it is duly noted. Listen, God keeps meticulous records. Jesus said in Matthew 10:42, if you give a cup of cold water to the least of My followers, you will surely be rewarded.
So this is the reward of the believer. That we will have our works follow us. What kind of works do you have to follow you? What will we say at your memorial service? What things will we note? Because I'll tell you what, when you're doing a memorial service for a person, you never talk about how much money they had in their bank account. You never talk about how hard they worked and what they did with their business. It's always personal. It's always stories about family and friends and merciful, sacrificial, loving, kind things that they did. That's what people want to hear.
That's fine. Your works follow you. And if you don't have any works following you, I have to wonder if you are a true believer. Works don't save a man, but they are good evidence that he is saved. We are not saved by works. We are saved by grace. But at the same time, a faith that does not produce works is a faith that frankly is not working.
So we want real saving faith so our works will follow us in that final day.
The Choice of Cups – Wrath or Salvation
So here is my question for you. If you died today, would you die in the Lord? Or would you be separated from Him? Are you like those people of Babel building your little tower to heaven, hoping that it will get you there? I mean really that is what the tower of Babel was. That's what religion is. It's man's attempt to reach God.
But Jesus Christ is God's attempt to reach man, to forgive us of all of our sin.
Now we come to the communion table. And in a moment we are going to hold in our hands a cup. And I want us to think about it for a moment. Because you remember Jesus had the last supper with His disciples. They didn't know it was going to be the last supper. It was just another meal.
And you know when Jesus hung out with His guys, I think they had a lot of fun. I think there was a lot of laughter. A lot of camaraderie, closeness, intimacy. These guys knew each other. They hung out all the time. But today Jesus was different. He was not Himself, so to speak. He was troubled. He was burdened. Something big was about to happen.
It was beginning to come clear to them. In Luke 22, verse 19, we read that Jesus took bread and He gave thanks. And He broke it. And He gave it to them saying, "This is My body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me." And then He took the cup after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood which is shed for you."
This cup. What was this cup? Well, it was just the cup of wine they would drink. But He was speaking of something greater than a mere cup He was holding in His hand. Because just a little bit later, after this statement, He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. And as He contemplated the horrors of the cross, He prayed, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."
What was that cup He was recoiling from? It was the cup of the wrath of God Almighty. Have you ever drank anything that churned your stomach? Maybe grabbed some milk out of the fridge. I hope you don't do this. Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug. Three gulps down, you realize, it's spoiled. Don't, you know.
Years ago, I was in the Philippines, and we were having dinner in a missionary's home. And they came to me and said, we have a delicacy here for you to eat. And they pulled out something that was called a balut. How many of you know what a balut is? Wow, a lot of balut people here. I've never seen a balut before.
It was a duck egg. I like eggs, but this was different. Because inside of this egg was a partially formed duck, complete with beak, feathers, and this brownish fluid that it was surrounded by. So someone showed me how to eat a balut. They opened it up. There was a duck head. First, they drank the fluid. Then they ate it. I threw up inside of my mouth.
Then they gave me one. They said, now, Greg, eat your balut. I said, I'm sorry. I can't eat that. Someone whispered in my ear, it would really be offensive if you don't eat this to your host. I said, it'll be more offensive when I throw up. I can't eat it. I'm sorry. You must eat it. Not gonna eat it. Never did eat it. Never did eat it. Sorry. I guess that's a delicacy to someone. But to each his own. It turned my stomach.
Imagine drinking this cup. The cup of the wrath of God. Jesus drank it. Isaiah called it the cup of his fury. You drank the dregs of the cup of trembling and drained it out. But he drank that cup.
And listen to this. Because he drank that cup, we can drink our cup. This cup that symbolizes his blood. Because he did what he did, we can do what we're going to do in a moment and drink this cup in remembrance of him.
So effectively, we have a choice of cups before us. The cup of the wrath of God or the cup of the Lord. Because remember there in verse 10 of Revelation, you'll drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation.
You can drink that cup, or you can drink the cup of the Lord in celebration of the fact that he paid the price for all the wrongs you have ever done.
Remember the Indiana Jones films? Indiana Jones, I think it was in the last crusade, he was trying to find the cup that would give life to the person who drank of it. The cup that Jesus used in the last supper. And remember he went to that room and there were all these cups.
I remember his dad, Sean Connery, had been stabbed or shot, I can't remember. But he was dying. So Indiana Jones, his son, has to find the cup to get it over to James Bond, Sean Connery, and revive him again. And Sean Connery said, hurry, I'm shaking but not stirred. No, forget it again. That's Sean Connery imitation. He kept saying, money penny. No.
So there's Sean and here's Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones. And he's looking at all these cups. Others have tried and failed. Why? Because they went for the ornate cup. The beautiful cup. But Indiana Jones was clever. He was an archaeologist. And he thought, no, he would have a simple cup. And he picked the right one and Sean Connery was better.
So he had a choice of cups. We have a choice of cups. The cup of the wrath of God, or the cup of our Lord in celebration of the fact that he absorbed the wrath of God.
I'm so thankful I've made the right choice, and I'm sure you have too. But there might be a few here that haven't made that choice yet.
Communion – For Believers Only
You see, before we come to this communion table, a word of caution. Communion is for believers only. The Bible even says that if you receive these elements, drinking this cup, eating this bread, without believing in the one they represent, you eat and drink judgment to yourself.
In a way, it's almost like mocking God to receive communion without believing in Jesus Christ. So in all seriousness, if you are not a Christian and you don't want to be a Christian, when we distribute the elements, just let them pass by. Don't receive it. It won't get you closer to God. In fact, if anything, it might hurt you, spiritually.
But I have a better solution, of course, and that's believe in Jesus right now, and then receive communion with us. You say, right now? Don't I have to go through some long process? Actually, no. You need to admit you're a sinner, believe Jesus died on the cross for you, and ask him to come into your life to be your Savior and Lord, and he will come in.
I just spoke with a lady after the first service who had come to New York, and she's here with her husband and her daughter that they're enrolling in a Christian university. She said, I heard you on the radio, and you gave the invitation to come to Christ, and I prayed in my car, and asked Christ into my life. And now, not only is she a believer, but her husband came to faith, and then her kids came to faith. Her whole family was impacted by a decision she made that took only moments.
And that's how long it takes to believe in Jesus. Just a moment.
And we're going to pray right now. And if you have not asked him to forgive you, I'm going to give you a chance to do that right now.
Let's all bow our heads. Father, thank you for your word to us. Thank you for your love for us. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross, and to drink the cup of your wrath. And Lord Jesus, we know you stand at the door of every human heart, and you knock. And you say, if we'll hear your voice and open the door, you'll come in.
I pray for people that do not yet know you. Help them to see their need for you, and come to you now, we pray.
When our heads are bowed, and our eyes are closed, and we're praying, maybe you would like Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin. Maybe you would like to know that when you die, you will go to heaven. You don't want to drink the cup of God's wrath. You want to drink the cup of the Lord, meaning you want Jesus in your heart.
Listen, if you want Jesus to forgive you, if you want to go to heaven when you die, if you want a second chance in life, or maybe you've fallen away from the Lord, and you want to come back to Him right now, wherever you are, would you just stand to your feet and I'm going to lead you in a prayer of commitment or recommitment to Jesus Christ.
Just stand up. If you want His forgiveness today, you want Christ to come into your life, stand up. And I'm going to lead you in a prayer wherever you are. You at Harvest Orange County, you can stand as well. Outside in the amphitheater, up in the court building, just stand to your feet. You want Christ to come into your life. Let me lead you in a prayer.
God bless you. Stand up up there in the balcony. God bless you. So, guys, God bless you. Anybody else? Stand to your feet. You heard me right. Just stand up. You won't be the only one standing. You want Jesus to come into your life. Let me lead you in prayer. One final moment. Stand up now. Wherever you are. Just stand up. Anybody else? Stand up now.
All right, you that are standing, I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. And this is where you're asking for Christ to forgive you. Again, as I pray, pray this out loud. After me. Pray this if you would.
Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. But you died on the cross for my sin. And paid the price for the wrongs I've done. I turn from that sin now. And I choose to follow you from this moment forward. As Savior and Lord. As God and friend. Thank you for forgiving me. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.