“STAYING LOST IS HARD WORK!”2 PETER 3:9

INTRO: LOST, what a tragedy! LOST, under the frown and condemnation of God! Jesus said in John 3:18—“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” And John 3:36 tells us, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Charles Spurgeon said, “If you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you set aside the witness of the apostles, saints, and martyrs. You also impute foolishness or deceit to your dearest friends, some of whom died in faith, exhorting you to believe in Jesus Christ. Indeed, you make all of us who preach the gospel to be liars, and we are not so. Neither do you think so badly of us when we speak in everyday life” (1). Staying lost is hard work! It requires many things of a person to remain in a lost condition. Our Lord Jesus said in John 5:38-40 to the lost, “And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Notice v40—“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” From this we may learn: That the reason why sinners are not saved lies in the will. “The only reason why sinners die is because ‘they will not come’ to Christ for life and happiness: it is not because they ‘cannot,’ but because they ‘will not’” (Henry) (Albert Barnes’ Notes on The Bible). Our text says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Warren Wiersbe said, “…God will not be tardy (slack); when the right time arrives, He will act and fulfill His Word. Why is He delaying His judgment and the awful Day of the Lord? Because He wants sinners to come to Christ and be saved from the coming wrath” (2). Lost friend, the only reason Christ has not returned for us who believe is because He desires that

you will receive Him as your Savior. But if you will not, staying lost will require some work on your part. Please note with me this morning 5 things a person must do to remain lost and what a hard work it is!STAYING LOST IS HARD WORK THAT REQUIRES THAT A PERSON MUST:(1) RESIST THE EFFORTS OF THE CHURCH *Christ established His Church for one purpose and one purpose alone: to spread the Gospel to a world lost in sin! Our Lord Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18—“…Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The Rock Jesus was referring to was HIMSELF. Jesus is the Rock. And it is HIM upon whom the Church is built! Notice with me the efforts of the Church: A. THE CHURCH MUST FULFILL ITS COMMISSION. The Lord gave this Commission to His Church: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” These words of Jesus are what we call The Great Commission. What does the word Commission really mean? It means “The act of committing to the charge of another; an entrusting. The matter or trust so committed; a charge. Authorization or command to act as specified” (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary, Volume 1. A-M. p. 127). The Lord has entrusted His Church with a charge and an authorization to act as specified. What are we to do? “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” The word teach here means “to instruct with the purpose of making a disciple.” Thus the Church’s sole responsibility is to call sinners to salvation and instruct them in the Word of God. ILLUS: It was said of Christ that after His resurrection, when He went to heaven in victory and power, the whole angelic host came out to welcome Him. The Archangel, the head of the parade, was the spokesman. He said, "Lord, You have finished the redemptive work on the cross. Is it enough to save the world?" The Lord answered with a note of victory, the same loud cry which came from the cross, "It is finished." And He concluded by saying, "I came not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved. I shed my blood for the ransom of many." That is the plan of salvation. He gave His life that sinners might be saved. The Archangel seemed to be satisfied

with the answer, but another question came up as to how the world might know of this Gospel, to which the Lord answered, "I have told My disciples, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."' But the Archangel queried again, "The world does not know. Suppose your disciples become busy with their own work and Peter goes back to fishing or Levi goes back to the customs office and they forget to preach the Gospel. What will you do?" There was a pause. The Lord looked straight into the face of the Archangel and said with determination, "They must, for I have no other plan."--Selected In a world that “lieth in wickedness,” (1 John 5:19b) the CHURCH MUST FULFILL ITS COMMISSION, but also… B. THE CHURCH MUST FOCUS ITS COMPASSION. Lost sinners are to be the target of the Church’s action. We should have a love for lost souls that causes a desire in us to win them to Christ. Jesus said in John 4:35—“Say not ye, There are four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” And in Matthew 9:37-38 the Lord said, “…The harvest is truly plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” There are multitudes, some we meet each day, who are lost and on the way to a devil’s hell. May the Lord give us a heart of compassion for those who are living under the sentence of death. May we see their distress! May we reach out to win them! ILLUS: Two men fell overboard from a boat. One of them sank very quickly, and was gone. Two men in another boat saw the other one as he threw up his hands in the water and cried for help. They made for him with all their might. By and by they came up to him, just as he was apparently sinking for the last time. They grasped him and drew him into the boat, laid him on the bottom, and pulled for the shore. They came to the shore, laid him on the beach, and rolled him back and forth, not knowing whether he would live or die. By and by his eye opened and rolled with anxiousness, and his lip began to quiver. They thought he wanted to speak, and they waited a moment to hear what he was going to say; and this is what he said: "Another man,"--the first utterance of his anxious lips, "Another man," meaning by that, "You have saved me, but there is another man overboard; go and get him." "That," I

said when I read it, "shall be my life text, "I am saved, but there is another man overboard; go and get him." I have been trying to live by that for more than score of years. If you are a Christian, you will never feel easy, but will feel that there is another man overboard, and you must go for the "other man." May God help you all to go for the "other man" while you live, and then meet on the right hills of glory multitudes that you have brought to Christ. --Albert P. Graves For a person to remain lost, he MUST RESIST THE EFFORTS OF THE CHURCH as it Fulfills Its Commission and Focuses Its Compassion but also note STAYING LOST IS HARD WORK, for a person must…(2) RENOUNCE THE WORD OF GOD

ROMANS 10:17—“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by

the word of God.” *Warren Wiersbe wrote: The argument here is simply that sinners cannot be saved apart from the Word of God, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (1). To remain lost a person must renounce the Word of God. He must trample under foot the Son of God, count the blood of Jesus an unholy thing, and consider God’s Word a fable and God Himself a liar! To remain lost, what does a person renounce? He renounces that: A. THE BIBLE SAYS ALL NEED TO BE SAVED (ROMANS 3:10, 23). He may trust in his own righteousness, his own works, or his religious upbringing but He will not give his heart and life to Christ so he can be pardoned and forgiven of his sins. ILLUS: The ground is level at the foot of the cross. This is an old saying, but still, when it comes mankind's universal need for salvation, it is true: At an evangelistic service conducted in London by Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, a hardened criminal came forward to the altar seeking salvation. Dr. Morgan knelt beside him and pointed him to Jesus the Lamb of God who could cleanse him from all his sins, and he who had been a great sinner believed and was converted. Then Dr. Morgan saw the Mayor of the city, a man of high morals and greatly respected, kneeling at the same altar, and to him, as to the criminal, he pointed out the Lamb of God who alone could take away sins. In humble self-surrender, the Mayor, too, accepted Jesus as his Saviour. A short time before this, the Mayor had sentenced the criminal to imprisonment; and

there at the altar the two shook hands while tears of joy ran down their cheeks. For the worst of sinners and the best of moralists there is the same Saviour. In none other is there salvation, for "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." B. THE BIBLE SAYS JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY (JOHN 14:6). The Bible does not say that Jesus is a way to God, but that He is the ONLY WAY! Without him there would be no Way revealed; no divine and saving truth, no immortal life. Not only can no one enter the Father's house without him, but no man can come to the Father on earth so as to enjoy his favor. "There is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved." (The People’s New Testament Commentary).

ILLUS: Charles Spurgeon said, “Christ is ‘the way,’ but if you will not tread it, you shall not reach the end. Christ is ‘the truth,’ but if you will not believe him, you shall not rejoice. Christ is ‘the life,’ but if you will not receive him, you shall abide among the dead (4). ILLUS: It was a dark, stormy night, and a little child, lost in the streets of the city, was crying in distress. A policeman, gathering from the child's statement enough to locate the home, gave directions after this manner: "Just go down this street half a mile, turn and cross the big iron bridge, then turn to your right and follow the river down a little way, and you'll see then where you are." The poor child only half comprehending, chilled by the wind, and bewildered by the storm, was turning about blindly, when another voice spoke, and said in a kindly tone, "Just come with me." The little hand was clasped in a stronger one, and the corner of a warm cloak was thrown over the shoulders of the shivering child. The way home was made easy. The first one had told the way; this one condescends to be the way. --The Expositor Jesus came to show us the way to God. He is the Way to salvation, security, and surety of Heaven. 1 Peter 3:18 says of Him, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” Without Him, we are helpless, hopeless and hellbound! The Way of man leads only to destruction. As Proverbs 14:12 tells us,

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.” But Christ the Way leads to life everlasting! Jesus said in John 10:28—“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” C. THE BIBLE SAYS ALL MAY COME (REVELATION 22:17). The last invitation in the Word of God says, “And the Spirit, and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Notice the last part of that sweet verse: “AND WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take the water of life freely.” Thank God for WHOSOEVER! That means YOU, that means ME, that means EVERYONE! Notice two important things this verse teaches us: 1. Christ died to redeem ALL. The lost sinner must work hard to escape. Christ has done all the work. Salvation is free for all! He shed His blood on Calvary so that all men might be saved! As 1 John 2:2 tells us, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” The word propitiation here means “atonement”. So we could read the verse this way: “And he is the atonement for sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Oliver B. Greene in his commentary on the Epistles of John wrote: Thank God for the last part of that verse! Jesus paid the penalty for all sins of all sinners of all times. There are those who teach limited atonement, hyper- Calvinism. They teach that the “elect” can be saved, and all others must be damned—but such a doctrine is not found in the Word of God. The Scripture tells us that “God so loved THE WORLD.” Therefore Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world: “The Lord is…not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9) (5). ILLUS: “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) The term “lost” subtly describes how much God loves us. ‘Our value is communicated by the word lost. When you can’t find your car keys you’ve misplaced them. When you can’t find the diamond on your ring you’ve lost it.’ When someone dear to you dies they aren’t misplaced, you’ve lost them. Things of value are lost, not misplaced. Jesus came to save that which was lost, those whom He loves! (6).

Revelation 22:17 teaches us that CHRIST DIED TO REDEEM ALL—“Whosoever…” but also this verse teaches us… 2. Christ Must be received by Faith. Notice what it says, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely”. To will to come is the essential thing in order to coming to Christ (The People’s New Testament Commentary). Every one that is disposed to come, that has any sincere wish to be saved, is assured that he may live. No matter how unworthy he is; no matter what his past life has been; no matter how old or how young, how rich or how poor; no matter whether sick or well, a freeman or a slave; no matter whether educated or ignorant; no matter whether clothed in purple or in rags - riding in state or laid at the gate of a rich man full of sores, the invitation is freely made to all to come and be saved (Albert Barnes Notes On The Bible). If a person will believe in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, he may be saved (Romans 10:9-10), but if a person reject the invitation of grace, he will be forever lost, and the Bible will accuse him in the last day. ILLUS: A beggar stopped a lawyer on the street in a large southern city and asked him for a quarter. Taking a long, hard look into the man's unshaven face, the attorney asked, "Don't I know you from somewhere?" "You should," came the reply. "I'm your former classmate. Remember, second floor, old Main Hall?" "Why Sam, of course I know you!" Without further question the lawyer wrote a check for $100. "Here, take this and get a new start. I don't care what's happened in the past, it's the future that counts." And with that he hurried on. Tears welled up in the man's eyes as he walked to a bank nearby. Stopping at the door, he saw through the glass well-dressed tellers and the spotlessly clean interior. Then he looked at his filthy rags. "They won't take this from me. They'll swear that I forged it," he muttered as he turned away. The next day the two men met again. "Why Sam, what did you do with my check? Gamble it away? Drink it up?" "No," said the beggar as he pulled it out of his dirty shirt pocket and told why he hadn't cashed it. "Listen, friend," said the

lawyer. "What makes that check good is not your clothes or appearance, but my signature. Go on, cash it!" The Bible says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." That promise is a "negotiable note" of infinite value. And as sinners, all we need to do is "exchange" it by faith for eternal life. Don't let the "tattered clothes" of your past keep you from cashing God's "check" of salvation. STAYING LOST IS HARD WORK, a person must RESIST THE EFFORTS OF THE CHURCH and RENOUNCE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE and thirdly…(3) REPRESS THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE

ROMANS 1:18-19—“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness: Because that which may

beknown of God is manifest in them: for God hath shown it

unto them.”

A. THE CONSCIENCE WAS GIVEN TO WARN. V19 says, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shown it unto them.” He had endowed them with reason and conscience Rom_2:14-15; he had made them capable of seeing and investigating his works; he had spread before them the proofs of his wisdom, and goodness, and power, and had thus given them the means of learning his perfections and will. (Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible). ILLUS: Many electronic fire alarms have an internal switch triggered by a beam of light. As long as light is received unbroken by the photo-sensitive receiver, the detector is quiet. But if smoke or moisture or an insect obstructs the beam for even a split second, the alarm sounds. Our conscience resembles such an alarm. When sin obstructs our connection with the light of God's Spirit, the conscience signals us that there's life- threatening danger. -- A.D. Sterner, Akron, Colorado. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 4. God has placed within all men a conscience by which He may be known and trusted in. Spurgeon said, “The conscience of man, when he is really quickened and awakened by the Holy Spirit, speaks the truth. It rings the great alarm bell. And if he turns over in his bed, that great alarm bell rings out again and again, “The wrath to come!

The wrath to come! The wrath to come!” (7). THE CONSCIENCE WAS GIVEN TO WARN, and also… B. THE CONSCIENCE CAN GROW SEARED. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy: having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” The word seared in v2 speaks of the conscience becoming beyond feeling. John Wesley said of those in v2 “as having their own consciences as senseless and unfeeling as flesh that is seared with an hot iron” (John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes). ILLUS: An English writer points out that the conscience has something in common with a sundial. During the hours of daylight when Old Sol is brightly shining, a sundial gives a reasonably accurate reading of the time. But when light from the moon or any other source falls on it, the reading is not at all reliable. The same is true of man's conscience. Because it has been darkened by sin, it must be exposed to the light of God's Word before it can tell us what is right and what is wrong. Without the standard of objective truth in the Bible, our conscience may make us feel comfortable when we do wrong. STAYING LOST IS HARD WORK, for a person must RESIST THE EFFORTS OF THE CHURCH, RENOUNCE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, REPRESS THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE and…(4) RETREAT FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS *The lost person should be aware that: A. CHRISTIAN LOVED ONES ARE PRAYING FOR THEIR SALVATION. In 1 Timothy 2:1-6, Paul encourages us, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” ILLUS: J. K. McClure tells about a woman at Springfield, Illinois who had been bedridden for seventeen years and was almost helpless. For many years she had been praying to God in a general way to save souls. One day, she asked for pen and paper, and she wrote down the names of fifty-seven acquaintances. She prayed for each of these by name three times a day. She wrote them letters telling them of her interest in them. She also wrote to Christian friends in whom she knew these persons had confidence, and urged them to speak to these persons about their souls welfare and to do their best to persuade them to repent and believe. She had unquestioning faith in God. In her humble, earnest dependence upon Him, she thus interceded for the unsaved. In time, every one of those fifty-seven persons avowed faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. B. CHRISTIAN LOVED ONES ARE PURPOSELY TRYING TO SHARE CHRIST WITH YOU. When you love someone you are going to do all you can to see that they receive Christ. ILLUS: What do Heinz ketchup and steak sauce have to do with winning souls to Christ? What most people do not know is that Mr. Heinz was a great soul winner. One day a visiting preacher cornered him in church. "You are a Christian, but with all your energy, why aren't you up and at it for the Lord?" Mr. Heinz went home angry. The preacher's question had made him mad. But that night, Mr. Heinz could not sleep. Finally, at four o'clock in the morning, he asked God to make him a faithful and zealous soul winner. Later, at a meeting of bank presidents, Mr. Heinz turned to the man next to him – one who had been his friend for years - and told him the way to heaven. His friend looked at him in amazement and said, "I wondered many times why you never spoke to me about this if you really believed in Christ." That man became the first of 267 people that Mr. Heinz won to Christ. He became a faithful and zealous witness, personally sharing the Gospel with people from all walks of life. 267 people is a lot of souls. Perhaps you or I will never win so many. But before Mr. Heinz could win 267, he had to WIN

ONE. And before he could win that first soul to Christ, he had to make up his mind that he wanted to be a faithful and zealous soul winner. Then he had to take the opportunities presented to him and speak out for Jesus Christ. You may not be able to imagine yourself winning dozens of people to Christ. But would you be willing to ask God to use you to WIN ONE soul to Christ? Will you ask God to help you learn to give the Gospel clearly and faithfully until you are able to lead at least one other person to believe in Jesus as their Savior? --"Soul Winning Faith" by Robert Rohm, Answer Publications, 1974The lost sinner must retreat from concerned Christians who are praying for their salvation and purposely trying to share Christ with them to remain lost! STAYING LOST IS HARD WORK, for a person must RESIST THE EFFORTS OF THE CHURCH, RENOUNCE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, REPRESS THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE, RETREAT FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS, and finally…(5) RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT *Our Lord speaking of the Spirit in John 16:8-11 said, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” Notice the first part of v8 says of the Spirit, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin…” Warren Wiersbe said, “And this is the sin of unbelief. The sin that condemns the soul is unbelief, the rejection of Christ…The Spirit uses witnessing Christians and the Word to convince the unbeliever of his sin of unbelief; Of his need for righteousness; and of the fact that, since he belongs to Satan (Eph. 2:1-3), he is on the losing side. There is no salvation without Spirit-led conviction, for the Spirit uses the Word to convict lost souls” (8). *Notice two things: A. THE SPIRIT STANDS BETWEEN THE SINNER AND HELL. Recall Balaam’s vision (Numbers 22:21-35). The Pharisees resisted the preaching of Stephen. It says of them in Acts 7:51—“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” It is the Spirit who shows us we are sinners and convicts of our need of the Savior, Jesus Christ. ILLUS: Charles Spurgeon said, “It is absolutely necessary that men should be convinced of sin. The fashionable theology is, ‘Convince men of the goodness of God. Show them the universal fatherhood, and assure them of unlimited mercy. Win

them by God’s love, but never mention his wrath against sin or the need of an atonement or the place of punishment. Comfort and encourage, but never accuse and threaten.’ That is the way of man, but the way of the Spirit of God is very different. He comes on purpose to convince men of sin, to make them feel that they are so guilty that they are lost and ruined and undone. He comes to remind them not only of God’s loveliness, but of their own unloveliness. The Holy Ghost does not come to make sinners comfortable in their sins, but to cause them to grieve over their sins. He does not help them to forget their sin or think little of it, but comes to convince them of the horrible enormity of their iniquity. It is no work of the Spirit to pipe to men’s dancing” (9). B. THE SINNER MUST WITHSTAND THE SPIRIT TO REMAIN LOST. He must put off the Spirit’s wooing and harden his heart to the Spirit’s conviction. He must postpone any spiritual decision until a more convenient season. It is only by the influence of the Spirit of God that the carnal mind can be subdued and destroyed; but those who wilfully resist and grieve that Spirit must be ultimately left to the hardness and blindness of their own hearts, if they do not repent and turn to God (Adam Clarke’s Commentary On the Bible). ILLUS: A gentleman had a pet dove which would light upon his shoulder, walk down his arm and eat out of his hand. One day he decided to experiment with it. As it was eating out of his hand he gripped it a little. When he relaxed his grip the dove flew away and lighted upon a tree. It looked sad. The man coaxed and called. Finally the dove, very reluctantly, came back. He repeated just what he had done before. The dove again flew away and acted as before, but this time the man had to call and coax much longer. It seemed it would never return, but finally it did. The man again repeated what he had done. When he relaxed his grip this time, the dove flew farther away and lighted upon a tree. It drooped its wings and looked perplexed and grieved. The man began to coax and call, but the dove lifted its wings and flew away. He never saw it again. The Lord says, "My

Spirit shall not always strive with man." We may resist and grieve Him and one day He will depart forever. --By William Moses Tidwell, "Effective Illustrations." CLOSING: STAYING LOST IS HARD WORK! It requires a person to RESIST THE EFFORTS OF THE CHURCH, RENOUNCE THE WORD OF GOD, REPRESS THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE, RETREAT FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS and RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT! A famous scientist tells how that in the course of his experiments in the mountains, he used to be lowered over a precipice. He would step into the basket, and the men would lower him for his work; but whenever they lowered him they would always test his weight to see if they could lift him again. One day, they let him down farther and farther than ever before, until all the rope at their command was exhausted. When his day's work was done, he would give the signal and they would draw him up. But on this night, when they took hold of the rope to lift him, they could not do so. They tugged and pulled and strained, but they could not manage it, and he had to wait until they got additional men to pull him up. The scientist says that the reason they could not lift him was because they failed to take into consideration the length and weight of the rope. I know why a man of fifty years of age has a hard time to surrender. It is because he must always lift against his past refusals. You say "No," and your heart is hardened; you say "No" again, and your will becomes stubborn, and if you are finally lost, the responsibility is not with God. --J. Wilbur Chapman Lost Friend, 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “…Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Will you come this morning and ask Christ to be your Savior? Each time you reject Him and refusing the voice of the Spirit, your heart becomes harder. Until finally, you reach a point where God’s Word or Spirit no longer moves you at all. Will you come today while the Spirit is speaking to you? NOTES: 1. Charles H. Spurgeon. 2200 Quotations From The Writings of

Charles H. Spurgeon. p. 213. 2. Warren W. Wiersbe. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines On The New

Testament. p. 763.3. Wiersbe. p. 394.4. Spurgeon. p. 302.5. Oliver B. Greene. The Epistles of John. p. 52.6. Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. pp. 205-206.7. Spurgeon. p. 41.

8. Wiersbe. pp. 254-255.9. Spurgeon. p. 304.