How would you finish this sentence, that moment when. . .? Would you talk about some Little League moment of glory? Or the moment when you first laid your eyes on your future spouse? That moment when you got the big promotion, graduated from high school or college? What about your most embarrassing moment? There are a lot of ways to finish that sentence. One I’m thinking of, mainly because it is fresh in my mind, is that moment when I closed a door behind me only to discover I had locked myself out. For those of you who have ever done it you know the feeling, that sinking feeling in your stomach, that moment of panic. What am I going to do now? Fortunately we have people who get paid pretty well by people like me, because of the unintelligent things I do. You call them up, they come out, and they fix the problem in a way that looks effortless. So effortless in fact you think, I could have done that, but we both know we couldn’t do that if we tried. Have you ever noticed those types of moments happen at less than ideal times or under less than ideal conditions? I wouldn’t mind if I locked myself out of the house, office, or car if it was sunny in the low 70’s, it was my day off, and my golf clubs were readily accessible. To me, that would not be a problem, I would take that as a sign from God that I should go enjoy a little round of golf (completely kidding by the way). But that never happens! It is always very cold, raining or snowing, and I need to be somewhere. Although I can say it has happened one time that wasn’t that bad. Diana and I were getting ready to go out somewhere, and I locked my keys in the car, but fortunately it was in the garage. I took that has God giving me a break probably while thinking, “really, again?” But one to a more serious topic.
Have you had that moment when you received Jesus as your Savior? Or is it that moment when you almost received Jesus as Savior? You see there is a world of difference in those two statements. If the first statement is true for you then by the grace of God you have been saved and have a spot secured for you in heaven by the blood of Christ. However, if the second statement is true you are playing a game of chicken or a game of roulette with your eternity. The problem is, one day you will lose the game and you will lose much more. Paul wrote in Romans 13:11, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Regardless of whether or not Jesus comes back in your lifetime, the truth is from the moment you are born you begin to die. Death is inevitable according to Hebrews 9:27 and James 4:14. Unlike being able to call a locksmith to fix the problem of locking yourself out, when time on this earth expires, you are either ready or you’re not. As I stated earlier, there is only one way into heaven, and that is faith in what Jesus did on the cross. The Bible says that to receive salvation, you must confess that you are a sinner (Rom. 3:23), believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins (1 cor. 15:3-4), and confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord (Rom. 10:9-10). To confess means to agree with God. So you are agreeing that you are a sinner, and you are agreeing that Jesus is the only One who can save you. The Bible promises that anyone who confesses that from their heart will be saved (Rom. 10:13). I want to encourage you if you have never made this decision to make it today. If you would like more information or if we as a church can help you in any way, please contact us at 540-721-8784 or you can e-mail us at westlakebc@gmail.com. Don’t get locked out of heaven, because you forget the key (accepting Christ).
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him