What shall the end of them be that obey not the gospel?

Sermon notes from 30 March 2017

1 Peter 4 verses 16 - 19

"What shall the end of them be that obey not the gospel of God?"

There are many texts that ask questions in scriptures.  Some are answered in the same verse, some in the same passage and others have to be delved deeper.  Some questions are asked in scripture - "what is your life?", "how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"  What a message of the word of God because it is about God from God from heaven itself.  The night Jesus was born the angels declared "unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2 verse 11) The gospel message is all about a Saviour - the regalness about the message.  "Worship his majesty, the king of all kings."  In Matthew chapter 1 we read of his inherrant right to be king.  He was from the lineage of David and scripture comes right through to Christ himself.  In chapter 2 when they asked the question "where is he that is born king of the Jews" that was his prophetic right to be king.  Turns us back to Micah 5 verse 2 "out of Bethlehem shall he come forth"  In Matthew 3 we read of John the Baptist baptising at the side of the River Jordan when the sky suddenly opens and a dove comes down declaring "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."  His divine right to be king.  In every chapter of Matthew you can read of his right to be king.  Matthew 4 speaks of his moral right - he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and after 40 days the devil came and told him to turn stones into bread.  He was not going to bow to the devil.  In chapter 27 he is declared to be the king - when they put him on the cross Pilate wrote that sign "this is Jesus King of the Jews."  He is my king, my Saviour, my Lord.  Thank God this message of the gospel is all about the person of the Lord.  Without Christ there is no salvation.  He is the sovereign king.  It is also a very simple message that even a child can understand it yet the greatest mind in the world could never explain it.  Why the Son of God could ever love us - John 3 verse 16.  Simply believe and be saved.  There is nothing complicated about that simple message.  Salvation is not in a place but in a person, not in a message but in a man.  "Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name give among men whereby you must be saved." (Acts 4 verse 12) God has made it simple for you to be saved.  Doesn`t say you have to work for it, that only the able bodied could only be saved, that only educators could be saved.  I cannot make it any simpler.  There is a way God has made for us - John 14 verse 6.  "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6 verse 37)  Jesus said "come".  He knows your name, every problem you have, the trials you will facc.  He simply says come - "come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden." (Matthew 11 verse 28)  The promise is  "I will give you rest".  "Come and let us reason together." (Isaiah 1 verse 18)  "Come for all things are now ready". (Luke 14 verse 17)  Come not to the preacher, not to the church but unto Christ.  That is where salvation is.  John 6 verse 37 "him that cometh unto me I will in on wise cast out."  If you come he will not cast you out.  He will take you in, receive you the way you are.  The message is simple - come or call.  Romans 10 vese 13 "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  He is listening and he calls.  Blind Bartimaeus was sitting at the side of the street in Jericho when Jesus of Nazareth passed by.  He begins to shout and cry out "Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me."  The people  try to make him be quiet but he is not interested in people.  He has a need in his heart and life.  He shouts even louder "Thou Son of David have mercy on me." (Mark 10 verse 48  He was crying from the depths of his heart.  His faith had made him whole,  It means his sins were all gone simply because he called on the name of the Lord.  You can be in this meeting and Christ asks you to come.  Christ asks you to call.  You can also collect tonight.  When it comes to salvation we read "the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life." (Romans 3 verse 23)  It is a free gift.  God is reaching out from Calvary, accept his free gift.  "To as many as receive him them gave he the right to become sons of God." (John 1 verse 12)  

This is a simple gospel messge.  It is also a sufficient gospel.  It is able to meet every need of man`s heart.  "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation." (Romans 1 verse 16)  "The vilest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives."  It could not be more sufficient.  Enough in Christ to save every man, woman, boy and girl in this world.  It is only sufficient to those who believe.  "There is no other argument, there is no other plea, it is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me."  A sovereign gospel, a sufficient gospel.  It is also a sure gospel.  Before the foundation of the world there was provision made.  Even before Adam sinned the sacrifice was made.  You could have peace with God through the sacrifice of the lamb.  The gospel is for all who believe, all are justified from all things.  Just as if never sinned.  It is a sure gospel, able to set men and woman free from the penalty of sin.  Imagine a prisoner breaking out of prison thinking to himself `I am free`.  He is not because every day for the rest of his life he is looking over his shoulder.  The bible says "him who the son sets free is free indeed." (John 8 verse 36)  Free from the penalty and punishment of sin.  "Cursed by the law, grace has redeemed us once and for all."  It was planned by the God of heaven, purchased by his own son at Calvary and presented to us as the message of the gospel.  

What a message but what a mistake to not obey the gospel.  The greatest mistake a man could ever make is to reject the gospel.  In Acts 24 we read of Felix who Paul takes time to reason with concerning faith and righteousness and judgment of Christ.  Felix trembled.  He told Paul "when I have a more convenient season I will call on thee again."  What a mistake to reject the one who paid that tremendous price at Calvary.  To end up in a lost eternity simply because you rejected Christ.  Sometimes we make mistakes but are not able to rectifiy it.  God is a God of mercy.  He is pleading with you to trust him.  He is willing to forgive you your mistake.  There is a line that cannot be crossed.  "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." (Genesis 6 verse 3)  The mistake you make if God takes that as your final decision.  A mistake not of God`s making.  God has provided the way, paid the price on Calvary.  He ever pleads with you.  "Come let us reason together." (Isaiah 1 verse 18)  The invitation goes out night after night.  He wants to forgive the mistakes of the past.  Don`t make the mistake of disobeying the gospel of God.  Hebrews 4  "For unto us was the gospel is preached as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4 verse 2)  It didn`t profit them because it was not mixed with faith.  You might never have believed the gospel, the biggest mistake you or anyone could ever make.  What a mistake to obey not the gospel.  What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  What a multitude of men and woman rejecting the gospel.  They have heard the gospel and have been challenged with the gospel.  Matthew 7 verses 13 and 14 "broad is the way that leadeth to destruction".  There are 7.5 to 8 billion people in this world.  There are a vast number saved, redeemed but there is a multitude out there who are without God and without hope, heading to a lost eternity.  Maybe you are on that broad road that leads to destruction.  You can get up a good speed on the broad road.  There is a slow lane and a fast lane on it.  We think of the broad road as the dirty side and the clean side.  There are people living on the clean side of the broad road.  They never do anyone any harm, they go to church most Sundays, paying their 100 pence in the pound, but still on the broad road because have never repented of their sin.  They are still headed for destruction.  The other side of the broad road has a bit more speed, enthusiastic, busy road.  Temptations of all kinds on it.  You could be sailing down that road, enjoying all the pleasures of sin.  The devil will also throw you bites of encouragement to come down that road but further down that broad road he would love to get you off to the end, to drop out over the precipice.  Tempt you with all kinds.  It is a broad road.  it is a banished way.  There is pleasure in sin but there is a penalty to be paid at the end of life`s journey.  As you stand before a holy God - "what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"  What a message, what a mistake, what a multitude, what a motivation.  Something to think about - what will your end by?  Deuteronomy 32 verse 29 "consider your latter end."  You have got to consider it - to be wise.  When you consider you are going out into a lost eternity - why  will you not think about it? 2 Thessalonians 1 verses 8 and 9 shows what the end will be - "punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord."  Mark 1 verse 15 "repent and believe the gospel." All who believe are justified from all things.  Saved or lost?  There is a column in heaven tonight, those who are saved and those who are not - "whosoever was not found in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."  Which column are you in tonight?  Very simply trust the Lord.  The end of those who obey not the gospel will be under the vengeance of God when he comes with his angels.