On The Fence / In The Fire (Elder Mike James)

On The Fence / In The Fire
5/3/26
Elder Mike James

Recall – Pavillard Trailer Park.
45 years ago less than a mile down the street from this very church, I gave my life to the LORD Jesus Christ.

I have been on and off a fence my entire life.  There have been times when I have immersed myself in God’s Word and His goodness and times when I have acted like a complete heathen to the point of trying to disprove the absolute and unchanging Gospel of our Savior.

• I think we have all at some point thought… “Is the Word of God just a book or simply the undisputed Truth written by many men that has been proven through time because God Himself is the author.”
• People say God’s Word never changes and that’s true to a point, but it changes every time I read it and study it, because He reveals something new to me every time it’s opened.

This sermon is about being indecisive in the acceptance of the gift of salivation.  Honestly it is the most controversial in society but is the easiest decision you could ever make.  (Analogy)

Church you will live forever. 

• Where do you want to live?
• Because hell wasn’t created for us.
• We can’t handle it. In fact we couldn’t handle the Cross.

I’m telling you for the sake of your soul.  I know only Jesus Christ, God could handle the pain, both physical and spiritual torment that it was.  Jesus who walked on this earth with His Father for 33 years was beaten and stretched on a tree and every sin in the world past, present, and future was laid upon Him so you and I could be with Him in Heaven.  What an amazing gift!

I can’t even imagine a Father turning from His Son, and the Son taking our transgressions because He loved us.  What grief that must have been.

I have great news!  He rose on the third day and is seated next to the Father in heaven, and He is coming back for us!

Joshua 24:14 (CSB) “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord.

Joshua didn’t say if you want to.  He instructed what to do.  It wasn’t an invitation to Israel to choose the LORD.  He repeats the command given in

Deuteronomy 6:13 (CSB) Fear the Lord your God, worship him, and take your oaths in his name.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (CSB) “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all his ways, to love him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? ¹³ Keep the Lord’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.

There is no neutrality. 

• Delayed obedience is disobedience.
  Delayed obedience is disobedience!

Matthew 6:24 (CSB) “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

We have a tendency to chase the dollar and in my mind that is a bigger idol than anything and I personally can tie any sin to the dollar bill.
Lust, power, greed, what my neighbor has…

• Your house, car, job, habits, wife, kids… the Lord revealed that last one to me in Capitol letters because I put my family in a God place. I put the blessings and the gifts in the place of the Giver Himself, God the Father.

As a husband and father I think that could quite possibly be all of our problems as dads that when your blessing become sinful…
Abraham had the knife in his hand after he told his household we will be back. 
God provided the ram.

• You want to be a godly husband and father or mother…
  Then get your family in His Word and in church because they are the only thing that can go with you when it’s their time!

Matthew 12:30-32 (CSB) Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against^[a] the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.

Blasphemy comes from the Greek and it means to speak evil against or to slander. 

• The commands of Jesus and the demands of the world are polar opposite. You cannot be neutral or sitting on the fence.

Neutrality is a ticket to hell. 

• Choose Jesus and eternal life in His presence.

Revelation 3:15-16 (CSB) I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth.

There is that fence… (Lukewarm).

• It’s simply a choice. You either pick up your cross and follow Jesus or your eternity is in pain and turmoil that wasn’t meant for you.  I can tell you this, the Lord wants us all to be with Him!

Do you know your date of death?

• Do you know when He is coming back?
• Today is the day.
• Right now, this minute to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.
• Don’t wait because the next second isn’t promised.,

If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, get off the fence because it’s on fire!

• We can line up for a free lunch and free breakfast.
• Wait in line for a chance to win things like TV’s, a new car, or trip right next to strangers…
• But we let the fear of someone seeing us come up to the altar for eternal life stop us.

REALLY???  This gift didn’t cost you a thing but it cost my Savior His life!

CLOSING:
It cost my God His only Son. 
It cost His Son, His life.

Could you give up your son?  My God did and His Son did it willingly to show His love for us.

The mortal part of Him was stumbling, beaten, bleeding, and bruised. 

I promise you He was sprinting to the cross.  He ran a marathon 33 years long to get there for you and I. 

Take a few steps and receive the gift of Salvation.