Facing Death: The Choice Between Sin and Salvation

The most important question I say for us any of us to consider in this world is just this question of uh how are we going to die oh but there someone that's that's to be morid fancy on a fine Sunday night like this no wonder they say the people are in the Parks and in the cinemas and everywhere else if few preachers are just going to talk to us about how we're going to die. [00:07:28]

Well now wait a minute my friend what I'm saying is that this is the most important and the most urgent problem that any human being can ever face it ought to be priority number one on our thinking list why well let me tell you one good reason for it is this that we know that it's going to happen to every one of us you can't say that about everything there are many things that are possibilities but this is an AB abolute certainty. [00:07:55]

Some people are going to do well in life others are not going to do so well some are going to be ill some are going to be wonderfully healthy right through their lives some are going on their holidays some unfortunately can't go some are going to make a lot of money others are going to just manage to e out in existence somehow anyhow some are going to get married some are not all these differences we know all about them don't we but you know here's something that's true of everybody we've all got to die every one of us. [00:08:21]

And it can't be evaded it cannot be avoided do what you will you can't get away from this then you see another thing we all know is this that uh everything that happens to us in this world is bound to come to an end that's another way of saying that we've all got to die but it's important to put it like that because think of all these things for which people are living tonight these people I mean who don't like being told to think about death. [00:08:56]

Oh they said but I'm tremendously interested and fascinated in this subject or in that interest all right all I'm saying is that whatever you're interested in it's bound to come to an end and again you can do nothing at all about that another very good reason for putting this as the first question we consider is this one here is something you know that we only do once there's no second chance here. [00:09:26]

You may be sitting in examination at the present time or you may have just done so the results will soon be out and you may be told that you failed it's all right you can try again you may have gone a little bit astray in your business well it's all right you need to be filled with despair have another attempt at it organize your business in a different way has your married life been going a little bit astray well it's all right you can even start again there it doesn't matter what it is you can always try again but you know my friend you only die once never again. [00:09:56]

Now this is common sense isn't it if I've got many opportunities and chances to do a thing well I needn't be so careful if I'm a wise man I'll do my best the first time of course but I always know that if it goes wrong I can try again but when I'm told that here is something that I'm only going to do once in this life and never again never another opportunity I only die once well I say I ought to give unusual and exceptional attent attention to such a subject and that is the truth about death. [00:10:56]

And then a final reason for considering it is this what lies Beyond it you go out of this world where' you go well now there it is there is a possibility I say that and that alone or to make us start with this very well but you see the trouble is that instead of looking at this as the first and the most urgent problem the world doesn't do that yet our Lord says this is the important thing the first consequence he says of rejecting me is well that it's going to affect the way in which you die. [00:11:56]

Now then let me ask a question have you ever considered how you're going to die well let's look at ourselves let's look at the world what is the position we know perfectly well the position is this there are large numbers of people in this world this evening who never consider this question at all they refuse to consider consider it they've never sat down and faced it they have never stood face to face with this certain fact of death they've never looked at it never examined it. [00:12:56]

I don't want to take any time this evening enjoying how utterly irrational that is putting it at its lowest it must be sheer Folly because I say of its inevitability it's in ability and the fact that I only do it once and yet people never give it a thought not a moment's attention but I'm concerned about it tonight from a different angle and that different angle is this you see what our Lord is saying is he says you know your attitude to me is due to the fact that you are not considering it in the light of the fact that you're going to die. [00:13:56]

Now that's the thing I want to emphasize this evening how do people approach this question of Christianity here I am telling you that a person has been in this world who has said I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life how are people facing that well the majority of course are facing it like this aren't they they're facing it in an utterly theoretical and academic and detached manner their attitude towards it all is well oh well all right yes I'm prepared to have a debate about religion I'm always ready for that that doesn't you'll never find me backwards there and so of course they give their opinions about God and about men about heaven and hell and life and death and all these great matters and they do it with an attitude of supreme Detachment as if they'd got an endless lease on life. [00:14:56]

And as as if it was just a matter that you look at casually as you give your expression on many other things in this world quite attached so you can give your view on these great and fundamental questions now that is the serious thing because my dear friend you and I are not detached we are not in a theoretical position we are not just onlookers at the game we are not just sitting there in a gallery and looking at people playing there in the arena and we express our opinions and Jud that was a mistake that he shouldn't have done that he should have done this of course it doesn't matter doesn't affect us at all it was pure enjoyment it makes no difference to us whether the man wins or loses does it right or wrong it's a matter of interest but we're not involved it's not going to affect our lives well you know people look on exactly like that and treat in exactly the same way God Jesus Christ of Nazareth themselves their souls everything that's the view well why do they do that well there's only one answer you see they don't look at it all in the light of the fact of death they don't realize that we're all involved in this and that these are the things that are going to determine our Eternal Destiny. [00:15:56]