They Have Moses and The Prophets

 

James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2   Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3   Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4   Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Today we live in a “Christian nation.”

Founded on Christian values and the understanding of faith.

People have come to America because of the promise of peace that this understanding gives.

But today we begin to see the result of an America that is spoiled and fooled.

We have a society today that looks at Christianity as a money supply.

When things are going good in the world, they don’t need us.

But when disaster strikes, the cry goes out.

When financial hardship hits America the call goes to the “faith based organizations” to help. Set up soup kitchens, give us programs to make us feel better about ourselves.

But know this. America is missing the point.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9   Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

But lest you think that the world behaving this way is anything new…

Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 

38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 

39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 

Ge 6:5   And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Jd 1:14      And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

Another world disaster, another empty cry out for God.

Tonight, on your way here, has God spoke to you about something in your life?

  • Salvation.
  • Getting something straightened out.
  • God does not promise tomorrow.

For years Christians have fought for the salvation of friends, family or co-workers.

We sing songs like “wait a little longer, please Jesus.”

Father Abraham in the Old Testament fought for the souls of Sodom and Gomorra.

Ge 18:22     And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.

23  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

He bargained down to 10 righteous, but not even 10 could be found.

We as Christians today are confounded as to why; the simple Gospel has been rejected in America.

We are frustrated that God doesn’t save souls like He used too. But, when is the last time we shed tears over the lost? Have we bargained for the life of a friend? A stranger?

Have we placed ourselves on a christian higharchy?

Have we forgotten that we are just sinners saved by grace?

2 Pet 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

That same Abraham later in the New Testament looks at things differently now.

Lu 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:

28  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Lu 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

They have Moses and the Prophets.

YOU HAVE A BIBLE! IT CONTAINS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET SAVED.

Philippians 2: 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We that are members here have all been shown how to take this wonderful Bible and show someone how to get saved..

But through all of this.

  • The Perfect Bible
  • Our willingness to get someone saved
  • Our Prayer and tears
  • This World Still Expects that we will still be there tomorrow doing the same, so that when they are ready… they’ll get saved on their time…

God says:

Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Ro 10:13    For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Salvation is so simple!

Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Salvation is not a country club membership, or a way to get out of your troubles.

And we should not present it this way…

Many have thought to get saved only to find themselves empty as before.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss

• In Acts Philip takes the Eunuch to a pool of water.

Ac 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37   And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

• You must believe.

• Not an empty promise.

• There is no more excuse today.

• You have Moses and the Prophets!

• The rich man lived thinking tomorrow will be as good as it was today.

• He knew the truth. 

• He knew where he was and why he was there!

• He knew enough to not want others to come to his torment.

• But he did not ask for that simple Gift.

Ps 14:1    The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.

There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

yet ye have not, because ye ask not.