R672 A Lost Opportunity

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton. Have you ever had a lost opportunity?

I think we can all identify with lost opportunities. And Hebrews chapter 1 gives to us a smorgasbord, a meal, a feast that is incomparable. And there is a sense in which God, when He gives to us Hebrews chapter 1, He tells us all about the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, I want you to feast your eyes and your heart upon my Son the Lord Jesus Christ. And I want to tell you that what Jesus Christ can give to you because of who He is, is something that you cannot put into human perspective. And so it is that we arrive at Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 1.

And I want you to see what is said by God through His Spirit in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 1. This is what He says. We must, by the way, this whole sentence is an imperative.

It's not an option. We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard in order that or in case of. This is an interesting syntactical arrangement here. What it literally means is that you and I must take special note to the things that we have heard in this particular context in chapter 1. And for us here at First Baptist Church over the last 11 Sundays about Jesus Christ, we must pay careful attention to these things that we have heard.

And here are what He puts. He says, so that we do not drift away, lest in case these things might slip through our fingers. And by the way, that word there, drift, carries with it the connotation of God sending a lifeboat to a sinking ship, providing us with the means to be rescued.

And we look at it and we recognize it. We say there's a lifeboat. We know that our ship is sinking, but we don't do anything about it. We say, well, I'll just stick with the ship a little bit longer. Until it becomes too late and that boat sinks and the suction suctions us away and we drown. And even though a lifeboat has been sent our way and we recognize the lifeboat, we didn't take use of that opportunity. And He says here, pay careful attention to the things that you are hearing, lest at any time these things about which you have heard concerning Jesus Christ just pass through your fingers.

You never appropriate them. By the way, did you know that there are basically three groups of people in the world? And I think we could say that of ourselves today as we worship the Lord. Number one, there are vast numbers of people who have heard. There are vast numbers of people who have heard the message of the gospel. Perhaps no truer statement made than today, because in today's day and age with television and modern telecommunications, the gospel has been preached to more people than at any other time in the history of the world.

God has seen fit to pass His message to vast numbers of people and there are vast numbers of people who have heard. That's what the writer here is talking about. He's saying to those who have heard, pay attention. You know what the two operative words are here?

You ready? Sit up, pay attention. Did you see some people sit up here? Teachers love those two words, sit up, pay attention. I remember one man coming to tell me that his wife was a teacher and when she came home she always told him to sit up and pay attention.

I think it has merit, don't you? Sit up, pay attention. And here God by His Spirit is speaking particularly to people like you and me who fall into this first category and to people all over the world who have heard the message. Number two, there's vast numbers of people who have heard the message and have received the message.

I can account for literally thousands even here at First Baptist Church in Spartanburg. I'm grateful to tell you that not because of anything that would pertain to my own merit that I'm numbered amongst the second category here. I'm one of those people that have heard the message and I have received it. Now how did I receive it? I heard about Jesus and I received it by doing three things. Number one, I repented of my sin. Cannot receive it unless you're willing to say you're sorry for your sin, to repent of your sin. Number two, I have heard it and I have received it by confessing my sin to the Lord Jesus Christ. See, that's what chapter one is all about, the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ, the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people today say, well, you know, you can get to God by some other means. Nope, the Bible says Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No man can come unto the Father but through Him.

How have I heard and received the message? I have repented of my sin. Number two, I have confessed my sin to Jesus Christ because He's the one who died upon the cross for me. Number three, I have trusted in Him by faith.

Now I'm jolly glad about that, aren't you? Especially after having gone through chapter one of the book of Hebrews. A lot of deep things about God. We're never going to understand everything about God and God tells me that I can not only hear the Word but I can receive the Word not based upon my understanding but upon the expression of my faith, that I'm willing to accept what God says about Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ and that I'm willing to receive Him into my heart. That is my faith. So there are vast numbers who have heard, there are vast numbers who have heard and received, but number three, there are vast numbers who have heard and rejected the message.

Now friends, God here is speaking to all three groups. I've heard some people say, well, this is just for those who don't believe. I believe this is for people who have heard and have done nothing.

I believe this is for people who have heard and done something and I believe this is for those who have heard and rejected. That royal we there, remember the Jewish context in which this was placed. Remember that God here is speaking to a people who have heard the things concerning the Messiah, some of whom had received Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as the Lord of their lives and their Savior and some of whom continued in their unbelief and some who actually literally rejected Him. So it's no wonder that when you come here into verse two, chapter two and verse one, that we can sense the urgency with which the writer to the Hebrews writes under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. I beg you to pay attention to the things that you've heard concerning Jesus Christ, lest you lose your opportunity.

I want to speak to you this morning about a lost opportunity. As I began to pray and as I began to prepare this message some weeks ago, I asked the Lord to give to me a fresh understanding of the significance of that phrase, lest at any time we should drift away. I ask God to write upon my heart the deep spiritual significance of what it means to have salvation in the palm of your hand and yet for it to slip through your fingers. You know that there are some people in America who have got just, just enough religion to prevent them from getting the real thing. I've had people say to me sometime, oh, I'm religious. Question I want to ask you is this, are you a Christian? Are you a Jesus follower? Folks, I'm not religious. I'm not interested in religion.

I'm interested in a personal one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ because that's what he gives to me and that's what he gives to you. And so I asked myself the question, what possibly can be the cause of a lost opportunity? And God put on my heart eight things that can cause you to lose an opportunity for Christ to give your heart and life to him. Now there are many more, but for the sake of this morning and for this message in our Bible study today, I'm going to share with you what I consider to be the eight top reasons or causes as to why people can lose the opportunity to have their sins forgiven, their names written in God's book in heaven, and why God forbid that there are literally hundreds of thousands of people today who have died and have gone to a Christless eternity and have lost the opportunity to be born again, to be saved forever. There are eight potential reasons.

Here they are. Number one, disease. Disease can present to you a lost opportunity. I don't necessarily take any joy in talking about disease, but beloved friends today, you and I know very well that disease is all around us.

It's everywhere. Not just because I'm pastor of a local congregation, but every week you and I are confronted by disease. No matter what our modern conveniences, no matter the brilliance of medical personnel, no matter the invention of all kinds of drugs, no matter the abilities of people, no matter the books that have been written, disease is rampant among our people. It seems to me that hardly a day goes by in Spartanburg that you and I don't hear of somebody else being diagnosed with heart disease and with cancer, with terminal diseases, with diseases that affect us in body, in heart, and in mind. And I believe that when the writer to the Hebrews under the inspiration of the Spirit of God turns to us and says, I beg of you that you would pay attention to the things that you are hearing concerning Jesus Christ, lest at any time these things should slip through your fingers.

I believe he was speaking within the reality of the context of the world in which we live. I pray, beloved friends, that none of us would be ravaged by disease. I pray that God's grace would be upon our people. Please forgive the interruption, but Dr. Don wants me to remind you we're here for you connecting 24 hours a day on this phone number, 866-899-WORD. Jot it down, store it in your cell, 866-899-9673. We'll connect you with one of us, happy to talk or listen or pray, and connect you with wonderful resources like the book from Dr. Don Wilton about his time with Dr. Billy Graham.

You'll find those details online as well at TEWonline.org. Now more great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. I pray that not one of us would wake up tomorrow morning and hear those dreaded words that would alter our day and would set us on a different course and a different direction. I never believed that we ought to give up hope, and I believe that sometimes disease is introduced into people's lives to get their attention as far as God is concerned. There are many questions that I know not the answer when it comes to the matter of disease and Almighty God, but I'm going to tell you today, my friends, that disease can rob you of your opportunity to give your heart to Jesus. Number two, number two, disaster.

Disaster can cause a lost opportunity. You might say to me, Pastor, what do you mean? I've shared this illustration with you. When I share it with you, some of those of you that have heard it, you're going to say, Pastor, why? I'm going to tell you why, because this was one of those things in my life that affected me very, very deeply. It involved my friend Brody Green. You've heard me talk about him. If you haven't, you need to hear about Brody. Brody was a dear man. Twenty years ago when I was just 30, he turned 50. I thought he was an old man.

Little did I know. Brody lived in New Orleans, member of Calvary Baptist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. Brody was a very fine man. I'd gotten to know him. He was involved in my ministry.

At the age of 50, Brody Green retired. God had blessed him so much. He was a very well-to-do man, had a beautiful home, lovely family, had grandchildren. He had a lovely home down at Gulfshores, Alabama. Not only that, he had one of the sweetest spirits that you'd ever met or been around in your entire life. And on Friday morning, I went to Brody Green's retirement party.

He was 50 years old. Saturday morning, Brody woke up on the West Bank of New Orleans, got out a stepladder and climbed a stepladder to work on the gutters in his home. We still don't know what happened to Brody, but evidently the stepladder slipped and Brody fell off that ladder, landed on his back, hit his head on the concrete, and three hours later, Brody Green died. Now folks, one day when I get to heaven, I'm going to ask the Lord a lot of questions.

I don't understand it. One of the things I'm very grateful for is that Brody Green loved the Lord Jesus and I have not a doubt in my mind that he went straight to heaven to be with the Lord. You know folks, every week in Spartanburg, I open the pages of the Spartanburg Herald Journal. One of the things that I do is I always look closely at the obits because it involves a lot of my people. Every time I see pictures and write-ups of people, my heart goes out to families. I pray for them, but none like when I open up the obits and I see a picture of a young schoolboy from Dorman High or Burns or Broome or Spartanburg High or Gaffney High. When I see a young kid who's been killed on our highways and folks, my heart breaks for those families and I love them and I pray for them, those moms and dads, but the one question I always ask in my own heart, I wonder if that young man was in church on Sunday and I wonder what he did with that which he heard. You see friends, disaster can rob us of the greatest opportunity. You'd say to me, Pastor, don't be melodramatic.

No, sir. We know that this is what life is all about and that is why I'm so glad that we worship the Lord together and that is why I'm so glad that in all three services today we've been full like this and packed out and there's been such an incredible spirit. That's why I'm so glad that we have the Word of God. That's why I'm so grateful to the Lord that I can read that we must pay more careful attention to what we are hearing in order that we don't face the possibility of losing the lifeboat that God has given to us in Christ Jesus. What possibly can be the cause of a lost opportunity, disease and disaster?

Number three, divorce. Some of you are going to look at me and say, Pastor, what in the world are you talking about? How can divorce rob me of the opportunity to give my heart to Jesus Christ?

Well, what I'm about to tell you has nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with your divorce, but it has everything to do with God. Did you know that God is divorced?

Now that may come as a surprise to some of you. Did you know that God is divorced? I'm going to show you, turn with me very quickly to Jeremiah chapter three. If you're wondering about that or perplexed about that, you need to read it for yourself. Jeremiah in the Old Testament and chapter three, I want to read to you one of the most staggering of all statements that God made concerning his relationship with the children of Israel. Jeremiah chapter three and verse six, during the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there.

I thought that after she had done all of this, she would return to me, but she did not. And her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. Look at verse eight. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries.

I want you to listen carefully this morning. Divorce will rob you of your opportunity to give your heart to Jesus Christ. The good news is that in chapter one of the book of Hebrews, God tells us how he has illuminated or erased that certificate of divorcement. Did you know that because of your sin, as was with the sin of Israel, that God wrote a certificate of divorce? He put them away.

He turned his back on them. He severed any kind of tie with the children of Israel as he does with all people who have sinned against God. And he said, if you want me to erase, to burn up, to tear up, to cast away that certificate of divorcement, the way in which you can do that is by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ who has made what? Purification for sin.

That's what we read about in chapter one. So what can cause a lost opportunity? Disease, disaster, divorce. Number four, distinction. Distinction.

I'm going to just come over here for a moment. Distinction will cause you to lose your opportunity. That is why folks in America today, we got to pray for revival. You can stand in the average American church today and tell people about Jesus and nobody will respond. But you can come with me and go to Brazil or to Ecuador or to India or to China or Japan or to some remote place in this world and stand where people have nothing and they will literally be falling over themselves to try to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now why in America is it so hard to introduce people to Jesus, whereas in a third world country they are coming by their thousands. Distinction.

Who needs God? Now I want you to hear what the writer to the Hebrews is saying. Pay attention to the things that you are hearing, lest at any time these things should slip through your fingers. What can cause that lost opportunity? Disease, disaster, divorce, distinction. How about degeneration? I looked up the meaning of degeneration. It literally means physical and or mental deterioration. Degeneration, mental and physical deterioration will cause you to lose an opportunity. You see folks, it's not just about the dramatic, it's the fact that you and I can readily just simply lose our mental capacity to consider the things that we have heard concerning Jesus Christ.

What possibly could cause a lost opportunity? Number six, defiance. Defiance. I guess all of us have had opportunities to be impacted and there are some things folks, you'll hear me talk about until the Lord calls me home.

I made that decision a long time ago. I've been among pastors who write down, do you know that I never write down any illustrations? Because I know God's got somebody out there who needs to hear something. We must pay more careful attention therefore to what we are hearing, lest at any time we should let them slip. What possibly could cause us to lose an opportunity?

Disease, disaster, divorce, distinction, degeneration, defiance. How about delay? Delay. I've had people say to me, well pastor, why do you bother with invitations all the time? Don't get so carried away. Tell people to go home and think about it. Folks, we've got people joining churches all over the place based upon the fact that there's no pressure.

Have you ever heard that word? They don't put any pressure on you. I like that. We don't want to have any pressure. I don't want to go to church and have any pressure. People say to me, pastor, I wish you wouldn't put pressure. Listen, if I could put pressure on you to give your heart to Jesus, I'd do it. People have said to me over the years, I've never heard it in our congregation, but I've had people say to me in crusades, pastor, don't give all these stories and things because you shouldn't scare people in.

If I could scare you into the kingdom of God, I'd do it. Don't delay. One more. Death. Death. Death is all around us. It's the obvious one. Folks, here's the issue. This is what the writer says. Pay attention.

Do something because you might lose your opportunity. As you've heard Dr. Wilton preach about this opportunity, now as he steps into the studio, open your heart to what he wants to share next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart in Jesus' name. My friend, I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If you just responded or prayed along with Dr. Wilton, we want to put some free resources in your hands. If you'll call us at 866-899-WORD, that's 866-899-9673 or meet us online at www.tewonline.org. As a matter of fact, you can sign up for the daily encouraging word.

Here's Dr. Don with the details. I'd love to be a part of your daily devotional. I'd love to be able to send you the encouraging word daily devotional and be a part of what God says to each one of us through His word every day. You can become part of that and receive one yourself from me. Just go online to www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org and get your copy of the encouraging word Bible devotion today. Next time on The Encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton, his topic is this great salvation. I hope you'll join us. Between now and then, let's stay connected on our website at www.tewonline.org.