Have you heard any good news lately? Today the USA moved on in the World Cup championship games! That’s god news. Tim Lincecum threw a second no-hitter in two years. That’s good news. Most of us are probably glad for these results. But, in a few years no one will care much about this good news.
A better good news can be thought about. This good news is good news in any generation. To share this good news should be a joy in our lives. To tell people that “there is a Saviour” will bring joy to some hearts. This week Josh and I have been attending the annual GARBC conference which has the Gospel as the center of preaching. We’ve heard many good messages that have pointed us back to this essential truth.
If you have heard and responded to this good news you should give thanks to the messenger that brought it to you. In fact, each of us should be so thankful that we will pass on this good news. We have been reminded that the bad news is that we are lost and dead in our sins. But, even though we are dead in sin, God comes to shine the light of the Gospel into our heart to bring it to life. We can turn to Him to receive forgiveness and a new life.
So many today are changing the message. These false preachers have changed the message to a point that it will bring salvation to know one! Good news isn’t good news if it isn’t true. We must be vigilant to keep the truth THE TRUTH.
Today, be thankful someone shared it with you and then let’s go tell someone else.
What’s in your safe? Some people keep their valuables in a safe. Some people keep their guns in a safe. I know people who have money stashed in safes all around town. In one home we lived in we had a floor safe! It was inside our walk-in closet and was covered by carpet. It was just full of valuables! Ok, it kept our important papers but no money. But, just in case we needed it it is was there.
I suppose we all know what Fort Knox is? Fort Knox is the depository of the gold reserves for the United States. Is all the gold controlled by America actually in Fort Knox? Is there really ANY gold in Fort Knox? Well, since 1937 gold has been on deposit in its vaults. The main vault lies below ground lined with granite. The door “is protected with a blast-proof door weighing 22 tons.” And, it is said that not any one person can open the vault. Outside the main building the grounds are surrounded by a maze of fencing and military personnel for protection. Sounds pretty safe to me! And, it is accessible if need be.
Do you know that each one of us has a safe? It may not be in your floor, in the wall, or at your bank. But, we have a safe. It is to hold the most valuable possessions we have. It should be consistently guarded and added to. Our safe is called our heart. The Psalmist says in Psalm 119:11, “Your Word I have treasured in my heart.” Our heart is to be the depository of God’s Word. Each day we should be making deposits. And, regularly we should be making withdrawals. But, unlike any other type of valuables we own, this possession, once used, can simply be put back into our safe.
In some safes are yellowed papers from many years ago. These papers must be handled with care so as to be preserved. For some of us, we placed a valuable verse or biblical principle into our safe long ago. And, that verse or principle has just sat in the safe and is yellowed from non-use. For some people, their safe is pretty empty due to a lack of deposits. For others, the safe is quite full, but it is never accessed for a withdrawal.
Today, think about your safe. What’s in it? What have you taken out recently? In your safe you have different “safe deposit boxes” where you can place verses. Today, go to your safe and use its contents.
What’s next in your appointment book? Is it another meeting? Is it a phone call you need to make? Is it an event you will be attending? Is it a journey you will go on? If you were to keep your plans for the next day, what would that look like? I’m sure we all have either very specific plans or maybe just a general idea of what we will be doing tomorrow.
I want you to think about an appointment not many of us like to consider. It is an appointment that won’t be delayed or canceled. It is an appointment that is on every person’s appointment calendar wether they know it or not. It is the appointment mentioned in Hebrews 9:27, “And insomuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes the judgment.” We are talking about our appointment with death.
No appointment is more certain than our appointment with death. No matter how many vitamins you take, no matter how much you exercise, and no matter how well you eat, ALL of us will eventually die. We might be able to postpone it a few years by a good diet and exercise program, but not always. I can recall a number of people who were quite physically fit, athletes who train every day, who suddenly died. Our appointment with death will come in its time frame, not ours.
Recently we have seen three sudden and unexpected deaths rock our dear folks. I’ve often heard, “They always die in threes.” But, I cannot remember a time when this was true of people in our church. In each case the person who passed into eternity had plans for the next day. Each one who died had family members who were not prepared for their loved one to die. Conversations were cut short by their sudden death. No time was given for that final good-bye. No opportunity was afforded these dear family members to say, “I love you.” Death’s appointment came and snatched three loved ones away.
Each one of us who read this are also on a path to meet our appointment with death. No one reading this can ignore the fact that the one profession which will always have business is the undertaker! Someday it will be our turn to die and to have our loved ones grieve our passing away and for them to deal with our death.
The Apostle Paul speaks much to the subject of death, dying and eternity. In fact, he dedicates an entire chapter to the subject of resurrection; 1 Corinthians 15. He speaks about the hope and joy waiting for the believer who dies. His words in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “absent from the body, present with the Lord” have comforted many believers in times of great grief.
Today, look at your appointment calendar. Today, consider what is next on your appointment schedule. Then ask yourself if you are ready for this appointment. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then you are ready. If you’ve never asked the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, that is the first step to being ready for your appointment.
Does this caption describe you? I hope not! What a terrible situation it would be if this was the motivation for working. On Sunday we looked at six words that should describe our working attitude. Let me list them and then you can ask yourself how you are doing:
1. Humanly – we have a human boss we obey. How is that going?
2. Respectfully – we should have a considerate attitude. How’s that going?
3. Sincerely – we are to have single focus, not duplicitous. How’s that going?
4. Conscientiously – we are to not just be obedient when someone is looking. How’s that going?
5. Pleasantly – we are to have an enthusiasm at work. How’s that going?
6. Futuristically – we are to look to heaven at our “real” Master. How’s that going?
As we go to work each day we are to sure that we serve our “masters” in the same way we would serve the Master of our souls. He is the One we are truly seeking to please. How we work and what we accomplish should bring Him glory.
We will continue this study as we follow up on Eph. 6:5-9. If you can’t be here you can find the recordings on our website fblosgatos.org.
The story is told that as a family drove past a group of men working on the road they spotted a sign that said “men working.” As they passed the sign the husband said to his wife, “I hope they are!”
Ok, it kept our important papers but no money. But, just in case we needed it it is was there.
