NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION

NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION
It has been said that there are pastors in churches today that are not born-a-gain Christians in our denominational churches. Some are in it as a profession. Others under deceptions like many who sit in pews and feel because they have gone to church all their lives that they are Christians, or that they are because they feel they are a good person. Some even think doing good works gets them into heaven and they therefore must be a Christian. None of which causes a person to become born-a-gain. Some churches you could walk into are simply dead because the pastor and the people have not pursued the word of God and walked in the light of that word. Others are dead because lost people are running the church. SOUNDS HARD TO BELIEVE. I was listening to a minister that once taught in a Bible School. Over the years he taught many people of various ages and backgrounds. One group that came was made up of pastors that had been pastors for 20, 30, 40 years in denominational churches and decided to go to Bible school to learn more about the Word of God. Within that group over the years several were shocked to realize that they had never confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord of their lives and gave their lives to Christ at Bible School. SO NEVER ASSUME THAT ALL WHO ATTEND CHURCH REGULARLY ,OR EVEN MINISTER, OR SAY THEY ARE CHRISTIANS REALLY ARE BORN-A-GAIN. THEY MAY THINK THEY ARE, THEY MAY BELIEVE THEY ARE, BUT UPON WHAT HAVE THEY BASED THAT BELIEF.

I do not know who is or is not Saved. I do not know if any here tonight believe they are saved and are not. Whether any have based salvation on being a good person, church attendance, good works, or the simple fact that their parents were Christians. I do not know all the reasons that sidetrack people into following an idea that takes them down a wrong path, for there are many. I do not know who is over hearing this message, or the state of their lives, or upon what that state is based.
THIS IS WHAT I DO KNOW. THE REAL QUESTION IS, "WHAT HAVE WE DONE WITH JESUS?"
JOHN 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
WE MUST BE SO WATCHFUL ABOUT HOW WE LOOK AT THINGS. JESUS IS THE WAY, NOT A WAY. WE HEAR SO MANY SAY WE ARE ALL TRYING TO GET TO THE SAME PLACE, ONLY WE ARE ALL TAKING DIFFERENT PATHS TO GET THERE. NO THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY. I WAS IN A CHURCH AND A MAN WAS TEACHING, WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A GREAT REVELATION ABOUT THE SONG, " AWAY IN A MANGER." THE WORD AWAY IS USED AS AN ADVERB OR AND ADJECTIVE. IT MODIFIES A VERB OR A NOUN. THIS MAN SPENT THE HOUR CHANGING THE WORD AWAY INTO A WAY. A WAY IS A NOUN. HE SAID THERE WAS A WAY LYING IN THAT MANGER AND MADE IT SOUND SO GOOD, HOWEVER WHAT HE WAS TEACHING WAS WRONG. FOR IF JESUS WAS A WAY, THEN THAT MEANS THERE ARE OTHER WAYS. WHAT YOU MUST SETTLE IN YOUR HEART AND MINDS IS THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY, OR YOU CAN BE LEAD ASTRAY, AND LEAD OTHERS DOWN A WRONG PATH.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY TO CONFESS YOUR SINS. SOME EVEN SAY GET THEM ALL OUT EVERY ONE OF THEM. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE SINS YOU HAVE COMMITTED BEFORE YOU COME TO CHRIST, IT’S ABOUT YOUR SIN NATURE, AND BEING A LOST SINNER. IT’S ABOUT BECOMING A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST. WHEN JOHN SAID THAT IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE OUR SINS HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE CHURCH. HE WAS SPEAKING TO BORN-A-GAIN PEOPLE NOT LOST PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO BECOME A NEW CREATION. HE WAS SPEAKING TO ONE’S THAT NEEDED TO BE KEPT IN RIGHT STANDING AND FELLOWSHIP. WHOLE DENOMINATIONS HAVE HARPED ON LOST PEOPLE TO COME TO THE ALTER AND CONFESS YOUR SINS, YES GET THEM ALL OUT, HOWEVER IT IS NOT ABOUT GETTING THE SINS OUT. IT IS ABOUT GETTING THE SIN NATURE OUT. IT IS ABOUT BECOMING A NEW CREATION IN GOD. IT IS ABOUT THE OLD MAN PASSING AWAY , AND A NEW MAN BEING BORN.
1 John 1:1-10 KJV.
1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 KJV.
1. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT NOW IS THE TIME.
OCTOBER 8TH, 1871 IS A DATE MANY PEOPLE RECOGNIZE. IT IS A DAY IN HISTORY THAT A MAJOR EVENT TOOK PLACE. I’LL TELL YOU WHAT THAT WAS, BUT FIRST I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NOT AS WELL PUBLICIZED AND VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS TEACHING THAT HAPPENED ON THAT DATE IN HISTORY. THERE WAS A YOUNG MINISTER PREACHING THERE IN CHICAGO, AND GREAT CROWDS WERE COMING. ON OCTOBER THE 8TH IT WAS THE BIGGEST CROWD HE HAD EVER SPOKEN TO IN HIS LIFE. THIS MINISTER WAS DWIGHT L. MOODY, AND HIS MESSAGE THAT NIGHT WAS " WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS?" AFTER THE ALTER SONG Mr. MOODY TOLD THE CONGREGATION, " I’LL GIVE YOU A WEEK TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH JESUS." THAT VERY NIGHT WAS THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE OF 1871 THAT DESTROYED THE CITY AND MANY WHO WERE IN THAT MEETING PERISHED THAT NIGHT NEVER TO GET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR AND LORD. Mr. MOODY SAID, " I LEARNED THAT NIGHT WHEN I PREACH, TO PRESS CHRIST UPON THE PEOPLE AND TRY TO BRING THEM TO A DECISION ON THE SPOT."
BACK IN 2003 MY FATHER-IN-LAW SPOKE TO ME OF LOST OPPORTUNITY AND HOW IT BOTHERED HIM THAT HE NEVER OBEYED THE LORD ONE NIGHT. THE LORD INSTRUCTED HIM TO WITNESS TO A MAN WORKING AT A GAS STATION AND HE PUT IT OFF SAYING I’LL DO IT LATER THIS WEEK. THAT NIGHT THE MAN WAS KILLED IN A CAR WRECK. MY FATHER-IN-LAW CARRIED THAT WITH HIM THE REST OF HIS LIFE WONDERING WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, AND WAS HE THE LAST ONE THAT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THAT MAN FOR CHRIST BEFORE HIS TIME ON EARTH WAS NO MORE. LOST OPPORTUNITIES ARE HARD REGRETS TO CARRY. IF WE CARRY REGRETS LIKE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THEM TO THE LORD AND REPENT FOR NOT DOING WHAT WE SHOULD OF , AND RECEIVE FORGIVENESS, AND THEN GRASP EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT PRESENTS ITSELF TO US, AND MAKE THE MOST OF THE SITUATION FOR CHRIST. OPPORTUNITY IS A RESTLESS THING IT DEMANDS ATTENTION RIGHT NOW, OR IT DEPARTS.
GOD LOVES YOU AND HAS PROVIDED THE WAY TO ENTER INTO HIS FAMILY.
Passage John 3:16 KJV.
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
GOD IS NOT COUNTING UP SINS
2 COR. 5:17-19 KJV.
17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation
ROMANS 10:1,8-19,13 KJV.
Romans 10
1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
8. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
ARE YOU SAVED OR ARE YOU NOT, AND DID YOU BASE THAT DECISION ON JESUS AND JESUS ALONE?
Question: "What is the Romans Road to salvation?"
Answer: The Romans Road to salvation is a way of explaining the good news of salvation using verses from the Book of Romans.
The first verse on the Romans Road to salvation is Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God. There is no one who is innocent. The second Scripture on the Romans Road to salvation, Romans 6:23, teaches us about the consequences of sin - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The punishment that we have earned for our sin is death. Not just physical death, but eternal death!
The third verse on the Romans road to salvation picks up where Romans 6:23 left off, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:8 declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ died for us!
The fourth stop on the Romans road to salvation is Romans 10:9, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Because of Jesus' death on our behalf, all we have to do is believe in Him, trusting His death as the payment for our sins - and we will be saved! Romans 10:13 says it again, "for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
YOU HEAR SOME SAY YOU HAVE TO STAY TILL YOU PRAY THROUGH, WELL THAT IS TRUE, ONLY ONCE YOU CONFESS HIM AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR YOU HAVE PRAYED THROUGH
ALL YOU NEED TO DO AFTER YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE A LOST SINNER AND NEED RECONCILED TO GOD IS TO SIMPLY SAY LORD JESUS I SEE I AM A LOST SINNER AND NEED YOU, AND I BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT YOU DIED AND GOD RAISE YOU FROM THE DEAD FOR ME, AND I CONFESS YOU AS MY LORD AND SAVIOR, AND I GIVE MYSELF OVER TO YOU. I AM NOW ONE OF GOD’S CHILDREN...I AM NOW SAVED.. AMEN