Pr Royston Smith - How to face eternity

Adventist Radio London inspiration for the song. One of the biggest challenges we have

in life. One of big questions that we often raise is the concept of

eternity. How do I face eternity? Are there steps that one needs to

take? Are there decisions that one needs to make that is applicable on a

lower level, but it's also applicable on a spiritual level. And this was

a question that a gentleman called Perez asks, is past many many years ago,

and it's past to open the Word of God to share with him the

necessary steps that one needs to take as one realizes that one has to deal

with eternity. Here in the Book of Acts, Chapter two, Acts Chapter

two, thirty seven and thirty eight says, Now when they heard this,

they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the

apostles men and brethren, what shall we do? Then, Peter says,

repent, and let everyone ifee be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ of

Nazareth verse thirty eight for their mission of sin, and you shall receive the

gift of the Holy Spirit forty one forty two. Then those who gladly received

his words were baptized, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles, doctrines,

and fellowship, raising God and having favor with all the people, Verse forty

seven. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

He raises the question Pees, and the past appointed him to the word

of God showed him that for one to face eternity, that one needs to

make four steps. First, we must repent to receive God's forgiveness. Second,

having repented, and we need to be baptized to receive the gift of

the Holy Spirit and all its fullness. Third, one becomes a member of

the Family of God or the Church of God. And fourth one persevere in

Christ through communion with the fellowship of the brothers and sisters of that church.

Pastor Perees share those texts, those ideas, those steps with Pees, and

he recognized that as he faced these eternal questions for his eternal destination, that

he had to make a great decision. Preparation for eternal life requires decisions that

are not possible to make without the faith that God gives to us. My

friends, not only has God provided the necessity for us to face eternity,

but he also provides us the means by which we can gain eternal life and

face eternity, Hebrews eleven six says, but without faith it is impossible to

please him. For he who comes to God must believe that He's a reward

of them that diligently seek him. Or, as James says it in James

Chapter two and verse twenty six. Thus also faith, by itself, if

it does not have works, is dead. Yes, God has given us

faith as a gift to empower us to exercise it so that we can have

eternal life. We can face eternity without any question. But also he expects

of us to work. Jez Us use an example when he talks about the

good news of salvation. When he talks about facing eternity, he shares the

story of the sore and the seed. He says, a sore went out

to sow good seed. This seed, Jesus says, represents true faith.

And we are the We are the earth that must be worked on so that

it produces life. Thanks to God care, we can continually grow and bear

good fruit because everything God has prepared makes it possible, even when it appears

impossible. The rest, my friends, depends upon you and your will.

You know, there's a text that I love to read, and it makes

sense, he says in Matthew eleven twenty. Come to me, all who

are labor and are heavyliden, and I will give your rest, for my

yoke is easy and my burden is light. Come, he says. Come.

He's calling you. He's saying, come to me and lay down your

burden. Come to me, and you shall find rest. I understand,

my friends, that this is a big decision that one has to make.

But when one makes a big decision, there are two dangers that one needs

to avoid. One is hurrying. Surrendering your life to God is a serious

matter and should not be taken lightly. However, the other is postponing your

response to God's call. It's important that we recognize that we don't hurry,

but at the same time, it is important that we recognize that we do

not delay. Think about Paul, who was freed from his danger thanks to

Hannah's intervention. He Paul the apostle who was Saul was was a pious believer

from the city of the Mascus. Paul indicated to him through a dream that

he should accept the Savior, but he was weak and needed comfort. When

Paul arrived to his house, Hannah says, using Acts twenty two, verse

fifteen, for you'll be his weakness to all men, of what you have

seen and heard. And now, why are you waiting? Arise and be

baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Once we acknowledge the truth, we must not delay. Once we have embraced

Jesus Christ as our personal savior from sin, he Brews three seven says,

today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart as in

rebellion he Brew three seven and fifteen and verse thirteen added. But exhort one

another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through

the deceitfulness of sin. The greatest danger, my friends, in Radioland is

the hardly of the heart. This has led many to commit the unpardonable sin.

People hardening their hearts hearing the word of God, knowing what is right,

but continue to push God away. Pastor Smith, you asks what is

the unpardonable sin? The Lord says, Therefore, I say to you in

Math twelve thirty one, every sin and blasphemably forgiven Verse thirty one. But

the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Men. When the believers

accept the saviort keep his commandment, the Holy Spirit becomes his guide. The

voice is conscience and his spiritual power. Jesus says in John fourteen fifteen,

if you love me, keep my commandments, and verse sixteen says, and

I'll pray the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he

may abide with you forever. And when he has come, he'll convict the

world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. I'm talking about the Holy

Spirit. He's the one who speaks to you. He's the one who guide

you. Some people say he's your conscience. Without his word, no one

would know how to differentiate sin from divine justice. No one would see God,

and therefore no one would be forgiven. So, my friends, Dan

pardnerle sin is not a particular sinful act, but the result of continuous rejection

of the voice of the Holy Spirit until the conscience is extinguished in a definitive

way. The parting of the Spirit of God is the saddess of all.

Can you imagine no conscience, people not listening, no voice, There's nobody

telling you what is right from what is wrong. You have walked away.

You have stopped listening to the Holy Spirit. Proverbs one twenty eight to thirty

seve. Then they'll call on me, but I will not answer. They'll

seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would have none of

my counsel and despise my every rebuke. Are you pushing away the Holy Spirit?

Paul puts it this way, says do not quench the Holy Spirit in

one Tessalonians five and verse nineteen. So, my friends, another great danger

of postponing your decision to surrender your life to God is that it may never

happen. History presents us with several cases in which death came before a decision

could be made. One of the greatest story is in the Book of Daniel,

man called King Beldi Shazzar. On the night of BC five three nine,

he had a grand banquet luxurius. All he called together the beautiful women,

and he provided all the delicacies and all the men in delicate wine.

Suddenly a hand appear began to write on one of the walls of the royal

hall. The voices, the dancing, the laughter seized immediately, and everyone

stood in fear and trembling. The king aks that they bring Daniel to interpret

the message, and the prophet responded with these deadly biblical words, Daniel five

twenty six. Mine, God has number your kingdom, and it is finish

Daniel five twenty seven. Tike, you have been weighed in the balance and

found wanting Daniel five twenty eight. Paris, your kingdom has been divided and

given to the Meads and the Persian. That very night, the prophetic utterance

was fulfilled. Thousands of Babylogians face eternity, and many of them were killed

without having prepared for it. My friends, it is important that when you

hear the voice of God, that you heard not your heart. When the

apostle Paul was taken to Rome as a prisoner, he didn't miss the opportunity

to announce the gospel in the city. He went through believers who accepted his

message in Naples, then announced it to Pompilli and in the cities near around

where the volcano happened. But the inhabitants of Pompilli, the recreation city of

Rome, where the Aristocratics were indifferent to the call of the Lord. Riches

and pledges had taken away the desires of God. They were too comfortable.

They were too comfortable. They were too comfortable. They believed they did not

need the help of God. They believed that they could make the world a

better place. My friends, I'm also reminded of Sodom and Gomorro and Sodom

and gomor had the same challenges as the people in Pompili, the sensibility of

the Goddess. They were on bride passion. They believed in Venus as a

god and Bacchus as a god. They were looking to earth the human creation

as they face eternity. Their houses of pleasure were counted among the most famous

of the Empire. But on August twenty ninth, seventy nine eighty a strongward

quake came and all the buildings were destroyed. Many souls were lost that very

night. Explosions every rocks and stones and ashes. Those who had returned to

their homes for their belongings. They lost their lives and their homes became their

graves. When archaeologists dug the city, they managed to reprit used through plasters

and impressive scenes, and some of those villas tories that come in search of

immoral pleasures offered by that place, they lost their lives and lost eternity.

It is told of a father returned to rescue a chess containing valuable jewelry.

His wife and children prefer to risk their lives to accompany him, thinking that

they would make it running down the treasures of this world. When the volcano

was coming. The decision, my friend, was their death. And in

that place, the Temple of Jupiter, the most revered temple where the god

sits were worn out after thousands of people climb up to worship him. Christian

announce the truth of the living God. But the Pompeians, fearing to be

different, prefer to continue with the religion of their parents and friends, and

they died. Here's the text for you, my friends, in Mark eight

thirty six. For what will it profit a man a woman if he or

she shall gain the whole world and loses his own soul? Look eighteen twenty

nine thirty six. Ashrudly, I say to you, therefore, is no

one who has left house or parents, or brothers, or wife or children

for the sake of the Kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times

more in this present time and in the age to come, eternal life.

My friends, many of us, we are selling our souls. We are

giving away eternity for things that are of temporal values. Pumpias once again,

come back to life. Today you can live with the comfort of this century.

A modern city has been built near its ruin. It's current citizens continue

to go up to worship in the Temple without thinking or finding out what God

did in the past. People have a way of not listening to history.

The judgment of God will fall again on Pompere and all the inhabitants of this

time planet. For those who have not prepared, they encounter what the Lord

will be frightening. I'm trying to say to you, my friends, that

Jesus is coming again. Here's what the prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah fifty five

six and seven. Seek the Lord while he may be found, Call upon

him while he's near. Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the evil

or the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him or her return to God.

And here's the good news, and he will have mercy on him. And

to our God, for he will abundantly pardoned. I don't know how you

living. I don't know what your life is like. I don't know what

your situation is like today. But I bring you good news that god judgment

is still available to all of us. Deuteronomy chapter thirty nineteen says, I've

set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life

that both you and your descendants may live. Behold now is the acceptable,

acceptable time? Behole Now is the day of salvation. Revelation twenty two seventeen

declares, and the Spirit and the bride say, come and let him move

here comes, Come, Come, come and let him who'd first come,

whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. My friend.

Someone says, it's almost time for the Lord to come. The people say,

the stars of heaven are growing dim. It must be the breaking of

the day. You know. As a pastor, I'm challenged. I'm challenged

in my own personal life. I'm challenge each day as I look around me,

and I see the changing seasons and the changing times. As I look

around me, I see people dying daily, dying without committing to the Lord.

I see people participating in activities that are destructive, not only in this

life, but destructive as they face the future. You know, some years

ago I had a friend, a rich friend. The friend came to me,

says, pastor would like to change my life past. I would like

to turn things around. Past. I've everything, but I do not have

peace. I don't know what my tomorrow will look like. I sat the

friend down, I opened the Word of God to him, and I shared

with him nuggets of truth. I shared with him one of my favorite texts,

John three sixteen. For God so loved the world that he gave his

holy begotten Son, that whosoever believed him should not perish, but have eternal

life. And then I shared verse seventeen, for God said not his son

into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might

be saved. As I share the Word of God with him, the darkness

that control his life lifted. The pleasures he once enjoyed became distasteful. The

path he wants tread. He no longer walk. The conversations he once had,

he no longer had them. He saw in his life a better life

he in his path. A better path is so in his way, a

better way, he came to understand that to face the future eternally, he

needed Jesus. And so, my friends, I repeat my last three Bible

verses, and the Spirit and the Bride say, come and let him who

hears come, come, and let him who first come, whoever desires,

let him take the waters of life freely. The grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ be with you all. Are you thinking about the future. Is your

future looking dim? Are you thinking about the future? Are you facing dark

moments? Are you thinking about the future? Then, my friends, today

I ask you to make these four steps. Step one, my friends,

is to recognize that your sinner and seek forgiveness from God. Step to having

been forgiven, seek to be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, my friends, embrace the fellowship of the believers and become a

part of the Family of God. And forth, and finally, persevere in

Christ through communion with the brothers and sisters of God's Church. Because he who

shall come will come and will not tarry. And when he comes, we'll

move from time in to return it. When he comes, my friends,

there'll be a great change, a change that will be actualized not by the

power of man, not by scientists, but by the power of the Holy

Spirit. You can face the future with certainty. So, my friends,

I hope we can end with this song. Hand in hand. We walk

each day, hand in hand along the way, walk with God I will

not stray, and in hand with Jesus Amen Adventist Radio, London. Inspiration

for the song