The Day of Reckoning

I remember reading about the old Newgate prison in London. Prison that actually was built by one of the kings back in 1188 was torn down in 1777 to make way for a new Newgate prison. And then finally was demolished in 1902. The story, however, I read about it. It was not where it appears in several Charles Dickens novels, although it does. The story I read about the Newgate prison was the story of the last execution at the Newgate prison before it was demolished. A woman was to be executed at seven o'clock in the morning. At six o'clock, the guards walked in to get her and amazingly found her sound asleep. And even more amazingly with a beautiful smile on her face. They didn't have the heart to wake her. And they knew they had a little time so they left and came back at 630. She was still sound asleep with a smile on her face. And so this time they roused her and when she awoke to reality and remembering where she was and what was happening, she uttered a heart-stopping piercing cry of horror. She would tell them on her way to execution that she had been dreaming about her childhood. I think there are a lot of people living life, walking through life in a dream world without any realization of the time when they will stand before God. A lot of people are just living life, just building homes and buying cars and working jobs and raising families and preparing for retirement and doing all the stuff of life without any recognition that all of that will come to an end someday and we will stand before Almighty God. And in particular, those who have given no thought to their spiritual life or to Jesus Christ as their Savior will stand before God at what the old timers used to call a day of reckoning. Do you remember your parents or grandparents talking about that? There will come a day of reckoning. Well that's the day we're going to talk about today. A day of reckoning. A day when all of those who are unsaved will give an account of their lives before the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible calls that the great white throne judgment. Now we've been talking about several prophetic themes. Let's look once again at the chart we've been using as kind of a guide map for progressing through these themes. The first one we looked at was the rapture, that time that Judd and Jordan just sang about when Jesus will come and take home his bride, his church. All of those who know Christ as Savior, home to be with him. We will then be judged at the judgment seat of Christ. We have seen in the scriptures, the judgment that is mentioned specifically three times and of course referenced other times as well. After the rapture on earth will occur the seven year tribulation time, the time where Satan has his hand that at seeing how things will go and running this world through the antichrist and it will be an abysmal failure as we have seen. God pours out his wrath upon this earth. That seven year tribulation time will end with Christ's return. The second coming to this earth where he sets up his kingdom, the millennium. What we looked at last week, the millennial reign of Christ for a thousand years. Following the millennial reign of Christ, the next event on this prophetic timetable is the great white throne judgment. That is the day of reckoning that we are looking at today. The description of it is found in Revelation chapter 20. Please open your Bibles to Revelation 20. We will be looking at this passage which describes for us the great white throne judgment, that day of reckoning. Revelation chapter 20, if you have your place there, follow along as I read beginning in verse 11. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small standing before the throne and books were opened. Another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. This chilling description of the day of reckoning, the great white throne judgment is here to remind us and to warn us. The Bible says several things in this passage about the great white throne judgment. I want us to note first of all the people who are at this judgment. Who will be here at the great white throne judgment? If you look at verse 12, you find them referenced. Verse 12 says, and I saw the dead, great and small. It just says the dead doesn't go to describe any further who they are. And for that reason many have surmised that this judgment is some kind of general judgment of all dead people from all times, both believers and unbelievers. And that is quite clearly not the case because we have already seen that believers have already been resurrected and judged. That's already taken place. Let's look once again at the chart just to remind you the Bible talks about the rapture, all the dead in Christ, those who know Jesus is Savior during this church age, the dead in Christ will be raised. That resurrection will have already taken place and we will have already experienced judgment at the judgment seat of Christ. So it's not church age believers that are being talked about here and it is also not Old Testament believers. They're off the charts. They're way over here. Old Testament believers before the Christ, before the cross, it's not talking about them either because Daniel chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 make it clear that they will be resurrected at the end of the tribulation time, at the second coming they will be resurrected and judged then. So it's not it's not believers from the Old Testament time. It's not believers from the church age. It's also not believers from the tribulation time that are judged here because Revelation chapter 20 verses 4 through 6 have already told us they have been resurrected. They came to life here and go into the millennium to rule and reign with Christ. So it is not believers from the Old Testament time. It is not believers from the church age. It is not believers from the tribulation time. Who's left? Some believers. That's who's left. It is only unbelievers that will be at the great white throne judgment of God. Please don't see this as some kind of general judgment that will determine whether or not you go to heaven. That's already been decided. You decide that here on earth by whether or not you trust Christ as your Savior. The people of this judgment will be the dead by virtue of elimination. All the unsaved dead from the Old Testament times, from church age, tribulation time, all the unsaved dead. Even those who went through the millennium and were a part of Satan's rebellion at the end of that, all the unsaved dead will appear before this judgment. Now the Bible also calls them the great and small here in verse 12. The great and small. That's just an expression which indicates the people of this judgment unsaved people will run the gamut of human experience. There will be notorious sinners here. There will be good moral people here. There will be criminals here. There will be good citizens here. There will be rich people there at the judgment. There will be poor people at that judgment. There will be famous people at that judgment. There will be people who are known only to their family and maybe coworkers at that judgment. There will be brilliant people there. There will be people with below average intelligence there. They run the gamut in other words, great and small. In every conceivable category, there will be people from all different walks of life who will be at this judgment. All of them unsaved, all of them not having trusted Christ the Savior at this great white throne judgment. Now here's the troubling part and the chilling part. There will be those there who did not expect to be there. There will be some at this judgment who did not expect to be there. Maybe even some sitting here this morning. Matthew chapter 7, Jesus says it this way in verse 21, look at the screen here, the verses are for you. Not everyone who says to me, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. But only the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. See, it's those who do the will of the father that indicate they've really been born again. There's been life change. They've been saved. So not everybody that claims Jesus or says, Lord will be in heaven. Notice he says, many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And in your name, drive out demons. And in your name, perform many miracles. Notice the next words, then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers. There will be religious people at the great white throne judgment. Unsaid, but religious. There will be people who belonged to churches. There will be people who sat in churches that preach the Bible. Maybe like this one. People who would say, Lord, Lord, claim to know Jesus, but never really have trusted him from their hearts. Never really have shown any indication of a life change and of a life committed to Christ. And thus, really no indication they're really belonged to him. They're really saved. But there will be people even who in Jesus' name have done miracles. The ability to do miracles proves nothing. The Bible talks about in the tribulation time the antichrist and the false profit can do miracles. Satan can do miracles. Satan deceives people by doing miracles. So don't think just because I've done this or that or the other. I've done great things for God that you'll be in heaven. The only thing that determines whether or not you'll be in heaven is whether or not you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. You can be a church member. You could have been baptized 50 times. You can be very good citizen, provider for your family, law-abiding, good moral person. But if you've never come to the place where you recognized you were a sinner, you couldn't get to heaven on your own and you embraced by faith the Lord Jesus as your Savior, then you're not saved. I don't care how good morally you are. I don't care how many churches you've been a member of. If you've not trusted Christ as your Savior, you will be at the great white throne judgment. The only issue is whether or not you know Christ as your Savior. That's it. That's all. And so the people who will be there will be all the unsaved from all of history. Great and small, even religious people, even people who've done miracles. But never trusted Christ, genuinely from their hearts, the people at this judgment. But John also describes the judge at this judgment. We know who will be sitting on that throne. Now that doesn't give us a lot of information about exactly who it is, just him who was seated on it. But we know from other scriptures exactly who that person is. Look at what Jesus said in John chapter 5 and verse 22. By the way, the judge is Christ. The judge is Christ. John 5.22, Jesus said moreover, the father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. Paul preached in Acts chapter 10 as he was preaching about Christ in Antioch of Positia. He said this. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one Christ is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. It is Jesus Christ who will be on the throne that day at that judgment. As he was in every other judgment, for Christians at the judgment seat of Christ, it's the judgment seat of Christ. It is Christ who will be there. That's what it's called. The judgment of the nations at the end of the tribulation time we saw was according to Matthew 25, when Jesus comes at his second coming and is glorious coming with his angels and sits on his glorious throne. Ready to take up the kingdom. That's when he judges the nation. It is Christ who is always seen as the judge in any of the judgments. He will also be the judge at this judgment of all unsaved people. That's entirely fitting. Is it not? It is Jesus who came and died for you. It is Jesus who gave his life to take your place and to bear your sin and to pay the penalty of God's wrath. It is Jesus who took God's punishment for you. If you are at this judgment, it is Jesus whom you have rejected and turned your back on. It is entirely fitting that it is Jesus Christ before whom you will stand at the great white throne judgment. The judge is Christ, but notice also the judge is holy and powerful as he's described here in verse 11. Actually, it's the throne that's described, but a picture of our Lord Jesus and the one who is on the throne. Verse 11 says, then I saw a great white throne. We call it the great white throne judgment, but that phrase is not designed to be a proper name or a title. It's designed to describe the throne and its occupant. It is a great throne. The word literally means large, not great in reputation, but large. That's what the Greek word means, a large throne, indicating the power of the one sitting on that throne. It is also a white throne. The word literally meaning shining. It is a shining throne, again symbolic of the glory of God, his essence, his nature, his holiness. Who he is, the one sitting on that throne. It is a powerful shining throne. And he is a powerful and holy Christ who is sitting on that throne. And notice if you will, what else is said in verse 11? The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, again emphasizing the all-consuming, awesome presence of the holy, powerful Christ on that throne. The heavens, the earth fled from his presence and there was no place for them. We know according to 2 Peter 3 that the heavens and earth will be dissolved with fire and according to chapter 21, a new heaven and new earth will take their place for the first heaven and first earth had passed away. Evidently that happens at this time. At this judgment the heavens and the earth vanish literally is the idea. The only thing that is visible, the center of the universe is this great white throne on which sits Jesus Christ. It is the focal point of the universe before the new heaven and new earth are created. The judge at this judgment is none other than Jesus Christ himself, the one who died for you and for me. But the Bible goes on to describe in this passage the process of this judgment. We know what will take place at this judgment and how it will be done. Verses 12 and 13 described the process of this judgment. And I saw the dead great and small standing before the throne. Now notice this process and books were opened. Another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead, now notice this expression, the dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. And then verse 13, the sea gave up the dead that were in it and death and haydies gave up the dead that were in them. Let me pause just enough to describe what that's about. Death and haydies gave up the dead or death and hell gave up their dead. Death is literally the word for the grave. That's the place where unsafe people's bodies have been. Hell is the place where unsafe people's soul or spirit has been. What he's talking about here is their resurrection. Death gives up the body, the grave gives up the body, hell gives up the spirit. Just like when believers are resurrected earlier, the soul rejoins the spirit and they stand before God in a resurrected body. So death and hell give up the dead and then he adds this, the sea gave up its dead and that explanation is simply given because in ancient times people wonder what happened to people who died at sea. They were not given a proper burial. And so resurrection was seen as being, well what's going to happen? And so that expression just simply indicates no matter how the body is taken in death, whether it's at sea or whether it's buried in land. It will be resurrected. The body will be resurrected reunited with the soul and spirit which come out of hell. By the way, hell or haydies is only a temporary place of punishment. It's where people who do not know Christ go now, but it is not the eternal place of punishment. We'll see in a few moments. That's called the lake of fire. Hell is the place where people go now who do not know Christ. But one day their soul and spirit will be delivered from hell reunited with their body and a resurrected body stand before Christ with the great white throne judgment and then they will be cast into the lake of fire. But notice the end of verse 13, again what is said about the process of this judgment and each person was judged according to what they had done. Both verses 12 and 13 say that unsaved people are judged first of all according to works. According to what they had done according to the works that are recorded in the books that are opened. Now it's important that you understand this. It's important that you see these people are not of this judgment to determine whether or not they go to heaven or hell. That has already been determined. They have already died and their soul is already in hell. They will spend eternity in the lake of fire. That's already determined. They simply stand before God now to be judged according to their works. All judgment, all future judgment in the Bible is a judgment of works of what you've done with your life. Even for believers the judgment seat of Christ we're judged according to second Corinthians 510 for those things done in the body. The works that we've done are actions. So all judgment is for works and this judgment is for unbelievers works. Why will they be judged for their works? Well the Bible seems to indicate that the greater the wickedness the greater the sin of a person's life the greater their punishment will be in the lake of fire. The Bible also seems to indicate that the greater opportunity people had to hear the gospel, to be exposed to the Bible, to know about Christ, the greater opportunity people had, the greater their punishment will be in the lake of fire. Let me just read a passage that describes that very thoroughly and clearly Matthew chapter 11 verses 20 to 24. Listen as I read these verses Jesus is talking about this very thing. Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorazan. Woe to you, Betheseda. Those are towns along the north and western side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus made the center of his ministry. They saw all kinds of miracles. They heard his teachings. They were there to listen to the very son of God in person. Great opportunity. Great light. Much of the word they heard. Jesus says woe to you for if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed entire and siden. Now those are Gentile cities along the Mediterranean coast and Phoenicia. People who did not have as much opportunity did not have as much light, not as much witness of the Lord Jesus. He says if they had seen the same miracles they would have repented long ago in sack cloth and ashes. Now notice these words but I tell you it will be more bearable for tired and siden on the day of judgment than for you. And then he says this. He says and you cappurnum cappurnum was Jesus home base during his Galilee and ministry for 18 months he lived there eight there slept there. I mean they had Jesus in their midst the son of God living among them. And Jesus says woe you cappurnum. Will you be lifted to the heavens? No. You will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom it would have remained to this day. Now notice these words but I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you cappurnum. Sodom the essence of aiquity and sin and immorality in the Old Testament a city that was destroyed by God with fire from heaven because of their immorality. It will be more bearable for them the day of judgment and cappurnum. Yes and why? Because cappurnum had more opportunity. They saw more that more light they had more revelation from God they heard the teachings of Jesus and still rejected it. So what Jesus is saying is there are evidently levels of punishment in the lake of fire. Now I don't understand completely how that will happen. I don't I can't fully explain that the Bible doesn't go any further to explain it one other passage in Luke 12 we're not going to go there but basically the same thing different levels of punishment in the lake of fire. I don't fully understand that every unsaved person will spend eternity in torment in the lake of fire but there will be different degrees of punishment somehow. The only analogy that I can think that even comes close is being in prison. Some people who have done more heinous crimes who have done more vile or violent crimes are treated more severely in prison maybe in solitary confinement. Others are allowed to mix with the more general population given a little bit more freedom of movement but everybody's still in prison. Now I don't know exactly the illustration breaks down on a number of levels I know but it's the only thing I can come close to as an analogy of what will happen in eternity. It will be more bearable he says for those who've never heard then for people like you and me who've had a abundant opportunity to hear the gospel and to know about Jesus and to hear his word and to have a chance to receive him. So it will be judged according to works but secondly the Bible makes it clear here will be judged according to God's books. Verse 12 again books were opened and the dead were judged according to what they've done is recorded in the books and then verse 12 also mentions another book the book of life. Okay so there are books at this judgment what kind of books what are they there are at least three that we know of that will be there. The first one is God's word the Bible will be one of the books opened. Jesus had this to say in John chapter 12 if anyone hears my words which are now recorded in Scripture the words he was speaking then if anyone hears my words but does not keep them I do not judge that person. He's just simply saying it that's not what I'm here for now for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world there is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. The very words that Jesus spoke during his ministry are now recorded for us in the gospels indicating that the word of God will be one of those books that is opened at the great white throne judgment. But there will be a second book or group of books evidently and that's the books mentioned there in verse 12 that people will be judged from according to the works they had done what was recorded in the books evidently there are books that God keeps of things people do. Actions which is what is referenced here will people will be judged unsaid people will be judged according to what they've done that has been recorded in these books but not only actions also words have been recorded. Jesus said something about that in Matthew chapter 12 verse 36 look at this verse but I tell you that everyone who everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they've spoken. So those books evidently contain not only the deeds of unsaid people but also the words of unsaid people but in addition to that the thoughts and motives of the heart have also been inscribed in those books. Paul talks about that in 1 Corinthians 4.5 when he says therefore judge nothing before the appointed time wait until the Lord comes he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. Now there he's talking about the judgment of believers but the same principle no doubt if that's true of believers if God knows the motives of our hearts certainly knows the motives of the hearts of unsaid people too and that obviously will be a part of their judgment as well. So these books these books that are used in judgment evidently record the works of unsaid people the words of unsaid people the thoughts and motives of the heart of unsaid people and people will be judged according to what those books record. So there's the word of God the books that record the words actions and motives of unsaid people and then a third book is the book of life mentioned in verse 12. Book of life is also produced what happens with that book verse 15 anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Now I know what some of you are thinking is this the lambs book of life are there two books I'm not going to get into that controversy that's pointless for what we're trying to do today. Basically all this passage is saying is there is a book called the book of life and if you're not saved your name is not in that book that much is clear. But evidently this book is produced to be the final testimony that silences all objections as to where an unsaid personal spend eternity after the thoughts motives actions and words have been judged and God's justice is accomplished evidently this book is produced the way it reads in verse 15 their name is not found there is an awful. There is an awful blank the evidence that they had never trusted Christ as savior and the name is not found there and they're thrown into the lake of fire. So judged according to God's books and the book of life evidently the final confirming testimony that silences all objections. That is the process of this judgment. But the Bible also talks about the result of this judgment in verses 14 and 15. What is the result what is the end result of this judgment the Bible says first of all is the lake of fire. 14 then death and hey days were thrown into the lake of fire. What does that mean remember death and hey days are a combination reference to the resurrected body of an unbeliever the body coming from the grave the soul and spirit reunited with it from hell unsaid people is what he's basically referring to there are thrown into the lake of fire. A lake burning with fire it is gruesome in its description but that is quite clearly the eternal destination of everyone who is lost and is unsaid is the lake of fire. Now what happens there are people just incinerated and cease to exist no I could wish that were true but it's not. If you go back to verse 10 at the end of the millennium after Satan's rebellion the beast and false prophet have been in the lake of fire for already a thousand years now Satan is thrown into the lake of fire notice the description in verse 10 the devil who to see them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown they will be tormented day and night forever and ever and Jesus described eternal punishment as forever. We'll get to that later in a message on hell I take no pleasure in saying what I'm saying now but I must be true to what the Bible teaches I must be true to what God's word clearly declares and I must be true to the holiness of God. There is a place of eternal punishment and separation from God and every unsaved person will be tormented forever and ever in that place. Is that because God loves tormenting people? No of course not. I love the way in T right a New Testament scholar from England says it. He says the biblical doctrine of God's wrath is rooted in the doctrine of God as the good wise and loving creator who hates yes hates and hates implacably anything that spoils defaces the sorts or damages his beautiful creation and in particular anything that does that to his image bearing creatures that's people. If God does not hate racial prejudice he is neither good nor loving if God is not wrathful at child abuse he is neither good nor loving if God is not utterly determined to root out from his creation in an act of proper wrath and judgment the arrogance that allows people to exploit bomb bully and enslave one another he is neither loving nor good nor wise. The Bible says that God does not delight in the death of the wicked he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked God doesn't enjoy this and I don't enjoy announcing it but it is true nonetheless. You see it is your rejection of Christ that will send you there. It is up to you today to determine whether or not you will experience eternity in the lake of fire. God takes no pleasure in the eternal condemnation of the wicked but in order to be a holy and just God he must punish sin he chose to do that in the person of his son but if you reject that punishment then you have to pay for your own sin it's that simple the decision is yours the decision is yours. But not only the lake of fire the second death happens the end of verse 14 says the lake of fire is the second death separation from God death simply means separation in physical death our soul is separated from our body the soul leaves the body that's what death is spiritual death or the second death is eternal separation from God in the lake of fire that is the second death. So the lake of fire the second death one and the same that will be the result of this judgment but I cannot close this message without telling you how you can escape from this judgment you do not have to be there you do not need to be there you do not have to listen to your works and your words and your thoughts and motives of your heart read from those books you do not have to see that awful blank in the book of life where your name could have been. You do not have to hear those awful words depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and these angels Matthew 2541 you don't have to hear that you don't need to be there a way of escape has already been made for you a provision has already been given you where that punishment has already been taken and you don't have to receive that punishment that punishment was taken by the Lord Jesus. Jesus Christ when he died for you and me on the cross Galatians 313 says it this way Paul says Christ redeemed us he bought us out of this he redeemed us from what the curse of the law that's the law the condemning us telling us that we are sinners and that we deserve eternal separation from God exactly what we're talking about this condemnation this judgment Jesus took that Jesus bore that for us how by becoming a curse for us how notice what the verse is for it is written curse is everyone who is hung on a pole when Jesus hung on that cross he was taking God's wrath God's punishment for you Jesus because he was the eternal son of God could take in a few hours and eternity of punishment for you and he could take it and pay it and bear it all the wrath of God for you and for me Jesus did that because he loved you he's already taken this punishment you don't have to be there you don't have to be at the great white throne judgment you don't have to be in the eternal lake of fire Jesus has already done that for you. But oh my friend you must receive him as your savior you must recognize that you can't get the heaven by your own good works by joining a church or being baptized or trying to live better treating your neighbor right or doing your job diligently or being kind to your family those are wonderful things but they don't get you to heaven because they don't cancel out your sin is only one way for you send to be canceled out Jesus did it on the cross. He bore your punishment for you you must receive him as your savior recognizing your center he died for your sins open up your heart to him and trust him as your savior here's what Jesus said in John chapter 3 very familiar verses for God so love the world that he gave his one and only son that's the cross that's why Jesus came that whoever believes in him and that's not just Oh yeah I believe Jesus was a historical figure he was a good man a good teacher no no whoever believes in him in the sense of committing your life to him committing your soul to him trusting him for your eternal salvation whoever believes in him shall not perish that's eternal death in the lake of fire that's what perish is shall not perish but have eternal life that's life forever in eternity with God in heaven that's what he promises if you trust Christ is your savior Jesus goes on to say for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him whoever believes in him is not condemned you will not spend eternity in the lake of fire in other words but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only son Jesus would say it in another way few verses later in John 3 verse 36 whoever believes in the son has eternal life whoever rejects the son will not see life for God's wrath remains on them you know what that says it says you are already under the wrath and condemnation of God you're already separated from him the great white throne judgment just proves that to you and then sends you on to an eternal separation from God in the lake of fire and God's wrath remains on you John would record Jesus as saying in John 5 in verse 24 very truly I tell you whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged speaking of that judgment of the great white throne eternal condemnation that will not happen to one of the great white throne to one who believes in Christ as savior but has crossed over from death to life the second death has no power over the one who knows Christ as savior you've already left that camp you've already crossed over to eternal life but my friend you can only have that if you trust Jesus as your savior how is it that you can escape this awful judgment by trusting in Christ by receiving him as your savior that's the only way the only way and I plead with you to do that today please don't think you have more time day Freeman was one of the co authors of the book a hundred things to do before you die that book spawned a number of other hundred type books and it was actually the inspiration for the movie bucket list things you got to do before you kick the bucket I love travel whenever I go into a Barnes and Noble I look at the travel section and I've seen books a hundred places to visit in the world before you die a hundred places to see in the United States before you die all kinds of spawn offs of that a hundred things you've got to do before you die the irony of this is that on August the 17th 2008 Dave Freeman fell in his own home suffered a head injury which he died from at age 47 family would later say he only marked off 50 of those 100 things he said you got to do before you die and the terrible thing about it of those hundred things not one of them had to do with making sure he was right with God you got a bucket list you got a list of things you want to do before you die scratch out the list put one thing on that list before you die the one thing you want to do before you die you have got to make sure of is that you know Jesus as your savior because should you die unexpectedly quickly and you're not ready you've never trusted Jesus as your savior you will face him someday at the great white throne judgment and you will hear those awful words depart from me into everlasting punishment the lake of fire the one thing on your list ought to be I want to make sure I'm right with God I will trust Jesus as my savior and you need to do that today not some nebulous before I die do it today I plead with you I plead with you escape this judgment come to no Christ today would you battle with me in prayer