There is a statewide EMERGENCY in Virginia. There is a nationwide DISASTER happening in the United States. There is a worldwide EPIDEMIC occurring right now on planet Earth. We need relief immediately! What is this global CATASTROPHE you ask? More importantly, where is the rescue squad to fix this problem? The problem is this: Every single day 152, 000 people die. Less than one percent of those people are Christians. That's 6340 per hour, 106 per minute, and 1.76 per second. Approximately 55 million people per year die in their sins and lose the opportunity to go to Heaven. I want to suggest three of the top reasons why this epidemic continues and three top solutions on how to avoid being one of the victims.
The Gospel is not being preached enough! - Paul in Romans 10:14 says "And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Paul is telling us that people will not know about the Bible, God, or Jesus if we do not start telling them. Non-believers are brought to a knowledge of Salvation through preaching. The solution is simple: "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" 2 Tim 3:16.
Obedience is not stressed! - "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him," Heb 5:9 "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men" Acts 5:29. Webster's Dictionary says "To carry out the instructions of" is to obey. People who desire to obtain salvation must carry out the instructions of God. God has put His instructions in the Bible 2 Tim 3:16.
There is no hurry to obey! - People are not in a hurry to make sure they are one of the saved. They think there is plenty of time to figure out what God wants. Even those that know they need the plan of salvation won't obey because they still have things they want to do before commiting to God. The Bible heeds two great warnings to remind us we should never wait in obeying God.
Matt 24:42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is
coming."
We do not know when the Lord will come. This means he could come the very next
breath you take. If the Lord comes today what kind of life are you living?
James 4:14 "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."
I have lost two special friends to car accidents. Neither one of them woke
up on those days and knew they were going to lose their life. One of them was
a dedicated Christian, and the other sadly was not. We do not know when our
life will be over which means we should do everything we can to correct our
relationship with God. The Gospel message is an urgent message!
Today the rescue squad is made up of Christians. Christians who will preach
the word, continue to stress obedience to God, and who are urgently trying to
save lives.