Dear family,
I hope you are well, I know and understand that the holiday season is often unpredictable, and I hope that you are able to look through all the noise and distractions of the world and focus on God’s word, and what He’s called us to do walking forward.
This past week two of my good friends were talking at our weekly young adult bible study, and I was totally eavesdropping, but I couldn’t hear very well. I moved closer and just started to listen to what they were talking about.
They had mentioned a sermon they had both heard/seen, and how impactful it was in reforming how they looked at their relationship with Christ. I asked who it was so I could fully understand the conversation better, and they said it was Paul Washer, and the title was “Shocking Message”.
I was intrigued. So I asked my friend to send me the link to the video.
Yesterday I watched the sermon, I can honestly say there have not been many sermons I’ve watched in my short time here on earth that has hit as hard as that sermon did.
I’m a huge believer in brutal honesty. Whenever something needs to be said for edification or rebuking it needs to be said out of love, but it needs to be said sooner than later.
I don’t want to spoil the sermon for you, I will put the link down at the bottom if you’d like to watch it yourself, but, here is what I got out of it and I’d implore you to really mull over it.
Many who profess Jesus is Lord will actually be in Hell.
How’s that for an opening line?
You might not believe me, please allow me to show you something.
In Matthew 7:13-14 it says “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Let’s jump down to verse 21. “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? and then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.”
Let’s pick this apart a bit.
How many of you have prayed a prayer that you were led to believe meant you were saved and you’re on your way to Heaven because of it?
These passages make it so very clear that there are so many who say they are saved because of a prayer they prayed one time, where does it say in the Bible that that’s how it works?!?!
The scariest line in the whole Bible to me personally is “I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.”
Could you imagine living your whole life just to hear that after you breathed your last breath?
It should make you shiver, this is a heavy subject.
Stop whatever you’re doing and take this seriously.
The answer is in The Bible, come and join me in the next letter.
-Mitchell
