“The Spiritual Condition of the Lost”

1. “The Spiritual Condition of the Lost”

2. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount... • Matthew 5:22  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a causeshall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. • Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

3. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount... • Matthew 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.14Becausenarrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. • Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.22Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'23And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

4. In His Parables... • Matthew 13:41  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.43Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

5. In His Parables... • Matthew 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

6. In His Great Commission... • Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. • Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to risefrom the dead the third day,47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

7. Jesus is the ONLY way to God and salvation… • John 14:6  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

8. As Proclaimed By Peter… • Acts 3:19  Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord • Acts 4:10 “ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

9. As Proclaimed By Peter… • 1Peter 4:17   For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved,Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?“ • 2Peter 3:7-12, READ • Peter described the fiery judgment of the ungodly, thus the need for repentance.

10. As Proclaimed By Paul… • Acts 17:30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead • Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness • READ Romans 2:4-11…

11. As Proclaimed By Paul… • Romans 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, • Romans 4:10  But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord,Every knee shall bow to Me,And every tongue shall confess to God."12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. • 2Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

12. Paul warned of the end of those who do not obey the gospel… • 2Thessalonians 1:7 …”and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

13. Proclaimed by the apostle John… • 1John 5:11  And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. • 2John 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

14. John foresaw the judgment… • Revelation 20:11  Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

15. John foresaw the terrible end of the wicked… • Revelation 21:8  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

16. Disciples of Christ take their own salvation seriously… • 1Corinthians 9:24  Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

17. Disciples of Christ take their own salvation seriously… • Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

18. Disciples are to grow in grace and knowledge… • 2Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. • 2Peter 1:5-11, READ“brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure”

19. Disciples are concerned for the salvation of others… • Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. • Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

20. Disciples are concerned for the salvation of others… • Matthew 9:37  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.38Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." • Matthew 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. • Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.‘

21. Disciples are concerned for the salvation of others… • 2Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

22. Disciples are concerned for the salvation of others… • Romans 10:14  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,Who bring glad tidings of good things!"

23. The Gospel of Christ is not all “fire and brimstone”… • 1Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time • 2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

24. But neither is the gospel of Christ a doctrine of universal salvation… • In which a neutral or harmless God accepts everyone as they are with no need to repent! • In which there is no compelling need to share the gospel of salvation with others!