Crossing God's Deadline | Part 1

Listen closely to Adrian Rogers' warning about crossing God's binding, featuring the profound truth of the gospel stated in the practical messages of beloved pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers. In front of every unsaved person, there is a deadline. God deals with sinners over and over again, convicting us in loving patience. But if we cross God's deadline, it is too late. If you have your Bible, turn to Proverbs chapter 29 as Adrian Rogers shares three thoughts on crossing God's deadline. Crossing God's deadline, listen to the verse.

Proverbs 29 and verse 1, He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible teaches that in front of every unsaved man there is a deadline. And if he crosses that deadline, he is just as lost, just as certainly doomed, just as destined for hell as though he were already there and as though the iron gates of hell had already clanged shut behind him. It is possible for a man to commit a sin in this life. It is possible for a person to come in this life to a point which if he commits that sin and transgresses and goes beyond that point, he can never, no never, no never be saved. He will cross God's deadline. There is a line by us not seen which crosses every path. It is the hidden boundary between God's mercy and God's wrath.

So I want you to pay attention today because it may be that some who are listening to me may be in danger of crossing the deadline and so you need to hear the message. And then there are others of us today who need a heart of love and compassion and pray, Oh God, make me a sole winner. Now as I look at this passage of scripture, there are four things that jump out at me almost immediately. The first is what I want to call spiritual direction. God gives us all spiritual direction. That is seen in the fact that he says that we are often reproved, often reproved. Do you know that it would be more than justice demands if God only spoke to us one time? If God only spoke one time, because we're all sinners, God doesn't owe us anything. But God has spoken one time, two times, three times, over and over and over again. The Bible says we are often reproved. God does strive. God does not. God does reprove. God does call over and over again.

How does he do it? One way that God may speak to you and God may speak to me is through his Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a still small voice that God has given to reprove us, to bring us to him, that longing to know God, that sensitivity to the things of God, that urge to get right with God.

That's God's dear Holy Spirit bringing you, drawing you, wooing you to Jesus Christ. But not only does God speak through his spirit, God speaks through his servants. God speaks through his soul winners. God speaks through his preachers. God is speaking in this message right now. I'd be a fool to stand up here and preach if I did not believe that God speaks through me.

I believe that he does. I prayed and I try never to preach a sermon until I've soaked that sermon in prayer and studied to find out that the message is coming from the Word of God. God speaks through his servants. God speaks through situations.

Sometimes sorrow is God knocking at your heart's door when you buried your momma, when you laid that little child away. Sometimes God speaks through sickness when you were in the hospital. So many ways that God speaks. We know that God speaks through his scriptures. This scripture that I'm reading to you and sharing with you today is the Word of God as surely and as plainly as though God were standing here in bodily form speaking. This is God's Word. God often reproves. There's not a man, not a woman, not a boy, not a girl, not a mother's child in this place who's not had God speak to them. Nobody goes to hell without having a word from God. All people everywhere have a word from God. God speaks. He often reproves. That's the very first thing we want to notice in our text.

What I want to call today spiritual direction. But I want you to see something else, stubborn disobedience. Listen to what the text says. He that being often reproved and hardenedeth his neck. Now what does it mean to harden your neck? Have you ever heard about somebody being stiff necked?

I'm not talking about having a crick in your neck. I'm just talking about what we say, bowing your neck up. It speaks here of stubbornness. It speaks here of rebellion that God speaks and man says, God, I'm not going to hear what you say to me. Now sometimes it's open defiance.

Sometimes the sinner boldly, braggingly, brazenly shakes his puny fist in the face of God and says, God, if there be a God, you're not big enough to make me serve you. I don't think there's any like that here today. If there is, may God pity your poor soul.

I don't think there's anybody like that here today. But still we harden our hearts and stiffen our necks in ways that we may not realize. For example, some by procrastination harden their heart against the Lord.

Procrastination is a terrible sin, a horrible sin. If I were to ask many of you, do you intend to be saved? You'd say yes. Do you want to be saved? Yes. Do you need to be saved? Yes. Are you going to be saved? Yes. Do you want to be saved right now?

No. I want to be saved, but I want to be saved tomorrow. Go back and look, if you will, in Proverbs chapter 27 and verse one, boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Now the only time that you have where you can be saved is now. It's an interesting thing. In the old Testament, God brought judgment upon the Egyptians and one of the judgments that he brought upon them was almost humorous. They worshiped a frog goddess and so God said, well, if you like frogs so much, I'm going to give you some. And so God sent a plague of frogs in the land. I want to tell you there were frogs everywhere. I mean big frogs and little frogs and slimy frogs and slick frogs and green frogs and brown frogs. There were frogs in the bedroom and frogs in the closet and frogs in the slippers and frogs between the sheets and frogs in the kitchen and frogs in the oven and frogs in the oatmeal and when little boys went to school they squished frogs between their toes and there were mountains of frogs, big frogs, little frogs, smelly frogs piled up in mountains.

The din, the roar must have been deafening. Now God was having his way of ridiculing the so-called frog goddess of Egypt and Pharaoh had had it up to here with frogs. I mean he'd had enough frogs and so he wanted Moses to take away the frogs and in Exodus chapter 8 we read that Moses said to Pharaoh, when do you want me to intercede for you and your servants and for your people to destroy the frogs from you and your houses that they may remain in the river only? Pharaoh, when are you ready to have me put these frogs back in the river and get them out of the land? And he said, tomorrow. Now can you imagine that? Pharaoh has it up to here with the frogs and Moses says alright Pharaoh, if you want to get rid of the frogs we'll do it. When do you want it done?

Tomorrow. Give me one more night with the frogs. Isn't that an amazing thing?

An amazing thing. He wants to get rid of them but yet somehow he just wants one more night with those smelly frogs. Now you talk to an unsaved man. He has the same problem with his sins that old Pharaoh had with the frogs.

I mean he's plagued by doubt, by disappointment, by sickness, by sorrow, by fear, by anguish, by disillusionment, a lack of purpose and unhappiness and misery and all of the things that his sins bring with them and you say do you need to be saved? Yes. You want to get rid of these things? Yes.

Are you sick of them? Yes. When you want to do it? Tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Why is it? Why is it that people postpone salvation? It is the classic trick of the devil. It is a way of hardening your neck. Now the Bible puts it in another way today if you'll hear God's voice, harden not your heart.

It's another way of saying the same thing, to harden the neck, to harden the heart. Both of them speak of a stubborn will against God and procrastination will stiffen your neck and harden your heart against God. Now listen, it's foolish to boast of tomorrow. Proverbs 27 verse 1, boast not thyself of tomorrow. It is foolish. Why?

Well number one, number one you will lose today. Now you know we often hear people say well get right with God you may die. Let me change that folks and say get right with God you may live and if you live you can live with Jesus. Don't get the idea that being a Christian is paying some penalty in order to get to heaven. It's like taking bad medicine in order to get well.

You don't like the way it tastes but you choke it down. Why I'd be a Christian if there were no heaven, if there were no hell, just to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in this life. Now there is a heaven and there is a hell and I don't want you to think that I'm putting any doubts there. But I'm just saying that being a Christian is wonderful. Jesus said I've come that you might have life and have it abundantly. Oh their sorrows, yes, their troubles that Christians have, persecutions, certainly.

Unsafe people have them too. But I tell you the Christian has someone to bring his sorrows to. And the Christian has a hope and a strength and the Christian looks forward to a day when there'll be no more sorrows, no more suffering. And Jesus takes every tear and turns it to a pearl and every hurt and turns it to a hallelujah because dear friend we have a dear loving Savior.

How wonderful to know the Lord Jesus Christ in this life and every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. Get right with God now because you may live. I'll tell you another reason that you ought to get right with God. Something worse is going to come tomorrow if you don't. Now if you'll study this passage you're going to find out that after the frogs came the lice and after the lice came the flies and after the flies came the locusts and after the locusts came the boils and after the boils came the fire and after the fire came the darkness and after the darkness came the death.

Now you see God loves you too much to let you just go on in your sin. And if the frogs won't do it God will send some lice. And if the lice won't do it God will send some boils. And if the boils won't do it God will send some hail. I don't know what He's going to send in your life. It won't be literal frogs and lice and hail and fire.

But I'll tell you what. I believe God loves you so much that He may if it is necessary bring a tragedy in your life to open your eyes. Why wait till tragedy strikes? God loves you precious friend.

He loves you so much He'd rather see you suffer in this life than suffer eternity in hell in that He might open your eyes. Sometimes we never see so clearly as through eyes that are washed with tears. I'll tell you another reason you ought not to procrastinate. Number one you'll lose today. Number two something worse may come tomorrow. Number three tomorrow may not come. Tomorrow may not come. The Bible says what is your life but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. For that you ought to say if the Lord will we'll live and do this or that. Did you know some four to five hundred people are blasted into eternity every year in America by bolts of lightning?

If you were hit by a lightning bolt today would you go to heaven or hell? Did you know that this year some fifty thousand Americans will get in their automobiles little dreaming it's the last ride that they'll ever take because their lives will be snuffed out in an automobile accident? Did you know that? Friend listen tomorrow may not come and some harden their necks by procrastination. I'll tell you another way that some harden their necks.

They harden their necks through pride. I've seen it happen to many a time. A man will hear the word of God the finger of God will touch his heart. He will feel under conviction the pastor will stand in the pulpit and say give your heart to Christ and pride sits in the seat with that man that woman and pride says look around you.

You see all of those people you're just as good as they are. Don't you go down to the front in that church service while you make a spectacle of yourself. People will be watching you and besides that you can just do it privately right here in your heart. After all no one needs to know that you've given your heart to Jesus. I want to tell you something friend Jesus said if you're ashamed of me and my word before the sinful and adulterous generation I'll be ashamed of you when I come in the glory of the Father with the holy angel. The Bible says whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed but pride pride pride rotten dirty pride keeps many people from coming to Jesus they harden their heart and when the invitation is given they stiffen their neck they lift up their head they lock their knees they stalk out of the church to their doom bound in the chains the cold steely chains of pride that have been forged on the anvil of a hard heart and they harden their neck some harden their neck through pleasures and possessions. When I give an invitation there will be some who will say now look if I go down there and give my heart to Jesus Christ if I say yes to God that'll mean that I'll have to cease from this thing and no longer do that thing and perhaps they'll call upon me to give up something and so they say well I just have a choice to make and I have a certain lifestyle and I want to live that lifestyle and so when God often reproves they harden their neck because the Bible describes them as lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. That's such a foolish thing to do. Such a foolish thing to do and I'll tell you why.

Three reasons. Number one dear friend the only thing God will ever ask you to give up are the things that'll hurt you. You understand that? The Lord thy God is a son and a shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Isn't that beautiful? If it'll make you healthy happy holy wholesome God says help yourself. I'll tell you another reason why it's foolish to talk about there's too much to give up. What you give up is nothing compared to what you get. I mean who wouldn't give up dirt for diamonds? You see listen he wants to load you with his love his benefits.

I'll tell you a third reason why it's foolish to talk that way. What you give up for him is nothing compared to what he gave up for you. He suffered bled and died for you upon the cross but many times people harden their hearts through pleasures and possessions and they say no to the Lord Jesus Christ.

So notice what we're saying. First of all there is spiritual direction. We are often reproved many ways and in many days God speaks to us and then there is that stubborn disobedience. The heart is hardened. The will rejects the Lord Jesus.

The person says no I will not come to Jesus. Now I want you to notice the third thing that happens. The third thing is sudden destruction.

Listen to the verse again. He that being often reproved and hardened at his neck shall suddenly be destroyed. Suddenly be destroyed. That's the third step in this drama of damnation.

He is suddenly destroyed. Destruction generally takes three forms. First of all there is the destruction of the mind through strong delusion.

The destruction of the mind through strong delusion. Look if you will please in 2 Thessalonians the second chapter and verses 11 and 12. Now here's what God's word says.

Listen. One of the most amazing verses in all of the Bible. For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Now wait a minute Pastor. Read that again. You must have misread it. God doesn't send anybody delusion does he?

Yes he does. Well you say I thought it was the devil that deceived people. I thought it was the devil that deluded people. But this verse says for this reason God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Why would God send anybody strong delusion? Well he tells us that they should believe a lie. Well why would God want them to believe a lie? That they all might be damned. Or as another translation that they all might be condemned.

Well it seems to get worse doesn't it? God sends delusion so that people will believe a lie so that they'll be condemned. Well why would God want them to be condemned? Well continue to read. Who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now pay attention. When a person is presented with the truth and when a person on the other hand has his unrighteousness and his sin then he has a choice and the opposite of truth is not error but it is sin. Over here is truth and over here is unrighteousness and the man must make a choice.

He knows what God's truth says because that man has been often reproved. But over here is his unrighteousness and he says I choose my sin. I choose this lifestyle. I choose against God. But when he chooses this package, this package of unrighteousness is wrapped up in delusion. And when he chooses this God says when you take the package you're going to get the wrapping which is delusion and deception and God will see to it that he believes a lie. God himself, it is a part of God's righteous judgment. It is a part of God's poetic judgment. It is ironic that God sees to it that this man who does not want the truth but has pleasure in unrighteousness with that unrighteousness the man is deceived, he is deluded and God sees to it that he is. Now how does that work?

Let me illustrate what happens. Suppose I preach a message on stewardship on giving and the devil sees to it that a man who was here two years ago when I preached on that subject comes back two years later and I'm preaching this message on stewardship and that man begins to mutter and sputter and fume and fuss and he says money, money, money. That's all they ever talk about down there. That church is money, a bunch of money grabbing so and so. And he's just muttering, sitting there under his breath. He never stops to ask is it true. He never stops to ask does it come out of the word of God.

He never asks the mind of God about the matter. He goes out of church and he says to his wife out in the corner of his mouth I am never going back there anymore. And so he just begins to fume and he's just all hot under the collar about it. Now he knows what is right.

I mean he heard the truth. But he had pleasure and unrighteousness. And what is his unrighteousness? It is covetousness. His creed is greed. His God is gold. His motto is get all you can and can't all you get, poison the rest and sit on the lid.

That's the way he's wired. And it's just rotten sin. Well is he going to have that sin?

Yes, but with that sin he'll also have the delusion that comes with that sin. So he's sitting at home on Sunday morning. Whiskers grown out. He's watching the sports channel on television. He's got a six pack of embalming fluid there by his right hand.

Carton of cancer there by his left hand. And he's just sitting there enjoying his Sunday morning. And about that time somebody knocks at the door.

And it's two members from a well-known cult who have said we've come to tell you there is no hell. He says come in. And they come in and tell him a lie. And he believes a lie.

Why? Because he received not the love of the truth, but had pleasure and unrighteousness. And God has sent him strong delusion. Now he's suddenly destroyed. His mind is destroyed. His mental faculties are destroyed. You say he's sincere. He may be sincere, but he's sincerely wrong.

Now wait a minute. Not only is there the destruction of the mind through strong delusion. There is also the destruction of the spirit by spiritual desertion.

You say what do you mean spiritual desertion? I mean that the Holy Spirit will desert such a man when he crosses the deadline. Did you know that it is possible for God to give up on a man? Did you know that God will not always send his Holy Spirit to talk to a man, a woman, a boy, or a girl? The Bible says in Genesis chapter three and verse six in a solemn warning, God speaking, my spirit shall not always strive with man. My spirit shall not always strive with man. Now God's spirit does strive.

God is infinitely patient. He that being often reproved time and time and time and time again, God speaks and God woos and God warns and God pleads and God instructs and God reproves. But there comes a time when the Holy Spirit can be so insulted, so sinned against that you cross a deadline and God's gentle, precious Holy Spirit no longer speaks to your heart. Did you know that you cannot be saved unless the Holy Spirit of God draws you to Jesus Christ? Did you know that my preaching can never save anybody? Did you know that even the truth of the word of God cannot save you unless the Holy Spirit of God makes that truth real to your heart?

Did you know that? Did you know that I can preach truth but only the Holy Spirit can impart truth? And Jesus said no man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him. The Spirit of God must draw you to Jesus Christ. You must be brought by the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ. But there comes a time when the dear Holy Spirit of God may be so blasphemed that the Spirit of God will no longer speak to your heart.

Listen to these scriptures. Romans chapter 1, verse 24, Wherefore God also gave them up. Romans chapter 1, verse 26, For this reason God gave them up. Romans 1, verse 28, Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over. Twice it says God gave them up. Once it says that God gave them over. How does that work?

How does it really work? Well, number one, you see, God must have spoken to you clearly and plainly, and you must have deliberately and willfully rejected Jesus for this to happen. And with that, we'll end part one of this important lesson. But as you've listened today, maybe you have questions about who Jesus is or what he means to you, how to fully trust him for your salvation. Go to our website and find the Find God's Love page.

There are resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith. Our website is lwf.org slash radio. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, you can call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD.

Mention the title, Crossing God's Deadline. This message is also part of the insightful series, A Word to the Wives. For the complete six message collection, call 877-LOVEGOD, or you can order online at lwf.org slash radio, or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. You may not know you can also purchase our new Bible studies much like this message in our online store.

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