SAINTS ON VACATION AND SINNERS GOING TO HELL
jmichaelwalls
I read Brother Irby's message from Proverbs 4 and thought of this message.
SAINTS ON VACATION AND SINNERS GOING TO HELL
text- Mark 6:31
Introduction: The background to this passage is found in the verses before this passage which is the account of the beheading of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a hell fire preacher whose preaching majored the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man and the repentance from sin or hell hot, heaven beautiful and sin as ugly as it can be.
One day, King Herod showed up with his shack up wife to hear Bro. John preach. Old Bro. John pointed his long bony finger in the face of Herod and reminded him of the Word of God's clear command of adultery by saying that it was unlawful to have his brother's wife. Boy did the feathers fly from that wicked woman Herodias. Hell has no fury like a woman's scorn. She plotted and schemed to kill John but was unable to get her revenge until Herod's birthday when she had her daughter to a sensual dance that aroused Herod that was willing to do anything short of giving away half of the kingdom. Herodias' daughter was versed into what to ask for by her mother. All she wanted was the head of John the Baptist which was granted by Herod because his pride won't allow him to do what is right.
After this incident, Jesus encouraged his disciples to take a short vacation. Vance Havner said it this way "Come apart or you will come apart." Some vacations are helpful. They help release some of the tension of the pressures of life. But others are harmful. They are take at wrong time or at the wrong places or you are doing the wrong times or you forget to do the right thing such as being in the house of God. Some people take their tithes on vacation and wonder why they don't have the blessings of God when they return and forgot to give their tithes.
There are some men in the Bible who took a vacation and it caused sinners to go to Hell. We will be only looking at four of them.
I. VACATIONING UNDER A TREE (ELIJAH)
1 Kings 19:4
A. Elijah's Record
1. Rain not for 3 1/2 years.
1 Kings 17:1
2. Regularly fed by God by the ravens
1 Kings 17:2-6
3. Righteously fed by the widow
1 Kings 17:9-16
4. Resurrects the widow's son
1 Kings 17:17-24
5. Report at Mt. Carmel 1 Kings 18:20-39
6. Rain came after his prayer
1 Kings 18:41-46
B. Elijah's Ruin
1. He exhausted himself physically.
1 Kings 18:46
2. He exhausted himself emotionally.
1 Kings 19:1.2
3. He exhausted himself spiritually.
1 Kings 19:4
4. He exalted himself unduly.
1 Kings 19:14
C. Elijah's Return 1 Kings 19:19
1. He named his successor.
2. He numbered Ahab's and Jezebel's sin.
3. He nullified his supposed end. He was taken to Heaven without dying.
II. VACATIONING ON A TRIP AT THE SEA. (JONAH)
A. Jonah was dispatched by the Lord.
Jon. 1:1,2
B. Jonah was disobedient. vs. 3
C. Jonah was disillusioned- thought he could run
from the Lord. vs. 3
D. Jonah was downcast into the sea.
vs. 4-16
E. Jonah was delivered into the Fish.
vs. 17
F. Jonah was determined to do God's will
Jonah 3:1-6
III. VACATION AND TIME OFF AT HOME. (DAVID) 2 Sam. 11:1-5
A. He was lazy. vs. 1
B. He looked. vs. 2
C. He lusted after. vs. 2,3
D. He laid hold on. vs. 4
E. He lost. vs. 5
F. He lived. Gal. 6:7
1. Even though he should have died.
2. He started gathering materials for the temple
IV. VACATION IN THE MIDST OF A TRIAL. (PETER) Luke 22:55-62
A. He followed afar off.
B. He forgot his promise to Christ.
Mark 14:29
C. He failed his Lord.
1. by Prayerlessness
2. by playing around with the world and its fire
D. He faced his sin. vs. 62
E. He fulfilled the Lord's will.
Acts 2:14,41
Conclusion: Each of these men took a vacation. But while they were gone- men went to Hell. Are you on vacation or are you doing God's will. When we vacation when we should be working for Christ, we let people go to hell. So be careful when and where you go on vacation.
Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
http://freedombaptistchurchnc.wordpress.com/
http://iglesiabautistalibertad.wordpress.com/
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