Here's what I said...
Hi friends, my name is Keith, and I’d like to share a few thoughts with you. The message is good news; it will only take a few minutes of your time, but I hope the impact will be eternal. I’m going to ask your patience with me because I need to raise my voice to be heard. I’m not mad, I’m not angry, I’m not upset, but the message is so important, I have to lift my voice so I can be heard by as many as possible.
I’d like to draw your attention to that empty space directly across the street. The address there is 1814 Hewitt Ave, Everett. On the evening of Thursday, November 8, 2012, a three-alarm fire broke out there, in what used to be an historic apartment building. One person was killed in the fire. A 68 year old man perished; he lost his life in that fire and nearly 40 residents of the building were displaced. It’s very sad to think that a man lost his life right there, both for the man himself and for his family. I'm sure the residents who escaped were relieved. But, it got me thinking; how would I feel if I were caught in a burning building. I’d want a smoke detector to sound off and warn me. I’d want fire sprinklers to trigger and douse the flames. I’d want the fire department to respond as quickly as possible and put out the fire. Then I thought, what would I have done if I had been walking down this very street that fateful night. At the very least I would have pulled out my cell phone and dialed 911. But if it were in my power, I’m convinced I would have tried to do more, like maybe I would have shouted from outside the building and tried to alert people who were asleep in their apartments. Or I’d like to think I'd have even gone inside the building and pounded on people’s doors, to try to warn them to get out while they could.
With that in mind, I'm going to ask your patience with me, because although none of you are in any danger of being burned alive this very moment, the sad fact is, we will all die someday. The statistic is that the death toll on humanity is 100%. The Bible says, it is appointed unto man, once to die and then comes the judgement. None of us knows the day of our death. You may say to yourself I'm OK, I'm going to heaven when I die. I'm a pretty good person. The Bible says examine yourself to see if you be in the faith. So, I'm going to push the test button on your built-in smoke detector, your conscience. Its not my intention to push any other buttons, but that's why I do ask your patience with me. This might be a little uncomfortable, but track with me because it only gets better. The Bible says, God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness; that's the standard, 'righteousness' means God will judge the heart. He sees the secret things. The things we thought were hidden, the things done in darkness; God sees as though they were done in the light of day. I’m going to use God’s law, the Ten Commandments like a yardstick, to reach that test button. If you would, for a moment, listen to your conscience. You want it to sound off if there’s smoke, because where there’s smoke, there’s fire. So here goes... The first commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me”; My question to you is, Have you always put God first in your life? The second commandment is; “You shall not make for yourself a graven image or bow down to it”; I know most of you don’t have a little statue that you bow down and worship, but have you ever even made an idol for yourself in your mind; in other words, have you ever made a god for yourself conceptually, one to suit your own standards? If you have you'd be guilty of idolatry. The third commandment is “don’t use God’s name in vain”; Have you used God’s name in vain? Ever said OMG, or GD or used the name of my Lord Jesus Christ irreverently or disrespectfully? If so, you'd be guilty of blasphemy. The fifth commandment is “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land the the Lord gives you.” This is the first commandment with a promise. So, have you always honored and obeyed your parents? The sixth commandment is “Don’t murder”. I’m sure very few of you; hopefully none of you have intentionally, willfully, with malice of forethought murdered anyone. But Jesus equated hate with murder. Have you ever hated anyone? The seventh commandment is “Don’t commit adultery”, but Jesus equated lust with adultery in your heart. So, have you ever, even so much as looked with lust at someone who wasn’t your husband or wife? The eighth commandment is “Don’t steal” Have you ever stolen? If you have you'd be guilty as a thief. The ninth commandment is don’t lie (don’t bear false witness against your neighbor). Have you ever lied? If so, you'd be guilty as a liar. The Bible says that “God requires truth in the inward parts.” And all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. Did the alarm go off in your mind? It should have. Those were eight of the Ten Commandments. This should greatly concern you, it's so serious and it leaves us ALL in big trouble on judgement day. That was all pretty bad news, but here is the good news (the Gospel) of what God did for us so that we can avoid hell.
The Gospel
The Good News is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day. When Jesus was on the cross, he experienced the full force of God's anger, wrath and judgement in our place. Jesus was the stand-in for us. He got what we deserved so we can get what we don't deserve. The debt that you and I owed to sin was paid by Jesus, in his life's blood. That’s the Good News, Jesus took the punishment we deserved, so that we could receive forgiveness, cleansing, a pardon for our sins. You and I had been kidnapped by sin and Jesus paid our ransom. Jesus died on the cross, but three days later He rose from the dead. He walked out of that tomb alive. He died for our offenses and He rose for our justification.
RSVP (Your Response Requested)
God simply commands all men everywhere to repent and trust Him as savior. If you will repent and trust Jesus Christ today God will give you the gift of eternal life. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord and master over your life, you will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Maybe you're someone who'd say to yourself, I'd never set foot inside a church, they're full of hypocrites, self-righteous, prudes. They're nothing but money-grabbing, pompus, gossiping, haters. First I would say I understand, you're probably right to some degree. But I'd also say the church doesnt need another hypocrite added to its numbers. Thats why I implore you to repent, and be converted by God, that your sins may be blotted out and times of refreshing would come from the presence of the Lord.
Matthew 5:20 Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the most righteous person you could ever conceive of, there's no way you'll enter into the kingdom of heaven. The only way that will happen is for you to receive the gift of righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 18:3-4 Jesus said, unless you are truly converted, and become as a little child, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. [4] Whoever would humble themself as a little child, will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 13:3 Jesus said, unless you repent, you will perish.
Jesus said you must be born again. He said unless you're born again you cannot see the kingdom of God. That's good news. It's good news because Jesus didn't say unless you're a good person you can't see the kingdom of God, because if he'd have said that we would have all been disqualified.
New Life
Questions/Objections
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