Crossing God's Deadline | Part 2

Guest (Male): Are you at risk of crossing God's deadline? Listen to Adrian Rogers.
Adrian Rogers: The Bible teaches that you can so insult God. You can say no to the Holy Spirit of God so many times that God's Holy Spirit of God will cease to work in your heart.
Adrian Rogers: Genesis chapter 6 and verse 3, God said before the flood, "My spirit will not always strive with man."
Adrian Rogers: Don't get the idea that Holy Spirit conviction is going to stay in your heart and in your life. You may come to a place of sudden destruction in your spirit as well as in your mind, where the Holy Spirit of God no longer speaks to you and God no longer draws you.
Guest (Male): Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the dynamic teaching and convicting lessons of Adrian Rogers. Can a man spiritually pass the point of no return? Can he be so willfully rebellious that God will give up on him?
Guest (Male): The answer, frighteningly, is yes. In part one of today's message, we learned that we must listen to the warnings God graciously gives us before we reach the point of no return. If you have your Bible, turn to Proverbs 29 as Adrian Rogers reveals more about crossing God's deadline.
Adrian Rogers: Can a man spiritually pass the point of no return? Can he so stubbornly and arrogantly sin against God? Can he be so willfully rebellious that God will give up on him? The answer to that question is yes. And that's a frightening thing. There is a deadline.
Adrian Rogers: And if a man, woman, boy or girl crosses that deadline, his doom is sealed, and he has no hope. You say, "But Pastor, God is a God of love, infinite love." Yes, he is. But he's also a God of wrath and a God of judgment.
Adrian Rogers: And when you say that God is a God of love, that is truth, but it's not all of the truth, it is part of the truth, and when you try to take all part of the truth and make part of the truth all of the truth, that part of the truth becomes an untruth.
Adrian Rogers: So we need to see all of God's Word. I want you to look at this verse of scripture. Because it is terrifying in some ways, Proverbs chapter 29 and verse 1. He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.
Adrian Rogers: He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. There's a time, I know not when. There is a place, I know not where, which marks the destiny of men to heaven or to spare.
Adrian Rogers: There is a line by us not seen which crosses every path, the hidden boundary between God's mercy and God's wrath. And to cross that line means that there's no hope for you.
Adrian Rogers: I I've been told that in the Niagara River. I've never seen it. But in the Niagara River that rushes down to Niagara Falls, at first the Niagara River is very placid and very slow, but it reaches a point where it rises and picks up speed, and there's a sign there, I'm told on the riverbank, which says, "The point of no return."
Adrian Rogers: Now, you can be in that river for a long time, but when you come to that place, you're not going to turn around and go back. That is the point of no return, and you are going over the falls if you pass that point. It is the point of no return.
Adrian Rogers: Now, there are four definite truths that are in this one verse. And so I want you to take Proverbs chapter 29 and verse 1 and and keep it open in your hand.
Adrian Rogers: And if you if you don't have a Bible with you, listen to it again. He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. Four thoughts I want to lay on your heart today, and I pray God the Holy Spirit will etch them upon your consciousness and rivet them into your mind.
Adrian Rogers: The very first is spiritual conviction. God does convict us. We are often reproved. Now, nobody goes to hell unloved, unwarned, unconvicted. Not a one. He that being often reproved.
Adrian Rogers: God strives with us. God knocks on our heart's door, God reproves us, God calls us over and over and over again. The Bible says, "He that being often reproved," many times reproved. It would have been glorious mercy if God had just warned us one time, wouldn't it?
Adrian Rogers: But over and over and over and over again and again and again and again, God reproves. That's the first thought. Spiritual conviction.
Adrian Rogers: Here's the second thought. Stubborn rebellion. Stubborn rebellion. He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck. That means what we say today is is bowing up the neck. Just saying no, jutting out the chin, saying, "I will not do what God would have me to do."
Adrian Rogers: How do you harden your neck? Well, you're in Proverbs 29, just go back 27 and look if you will in verse 1. Some harden their neck by procrastination. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Adrian Rogers: You have the idea, "Well, yes, God has spoken over and over again." "One of these days, one of these days I'm going to give my heart to the Lord." "Tomorrow." But God's word says, "Don't boast about tomorrow."
Adrian Rogers: And so you may harden your neck by procrastination. You say, "Well, I'll do it bit later." Or you may harden your neck by pride and saying, "I'm not going to go down there and make a fool of myself." Or you may harden your neck to the pleasures of this world and say, "I am a lover of pleasure more than lovers of God."
Adrian Rogers: But now there's a third thing I want you to see in this text. Now look at it. He that being often reproved, that's spiritual conviction. And hardeneth his neck, that's stubborn pride.
Adrian Rogers: Then notice, there comes also our stubborn rebellion, then there comes sudden destruction. Sudden destruction. Look at it. He that being often reproved, spiritual conviction. And hardeneth his neck, stubborn rebellion, shall suddenly be destroyed, sudden destruction. That's what God's word says.
Adrian Rogers: There comes a time when you cross the deadline. Now, God will bring judgment. God is a God of love, but he's also a God of wrath. Now, how may that sudden destruction may come to you? Well, it may come to your mind.
Adrian Rogers: Not merely to your body, it may come to your mind. Not merely to your soul, the destruction may be in your head. God will destroy your ability to think right. You say, "Pastor, where is that found in the Bible?"
Adrian Rogers: Well, I want to give you a passage of scripture, and if you want to turn to it, you can turn to it, or if you just want to listen to it, it's found in Second Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 11 and 12. The Bible says, "For this cause, God shall send them strong delusion."
Adrian Rogers: God sending delusion. Well, Pastor, I thought God was here to teach us the truth. Do you mean God would delude a person? You know what delude means? It means to be deceived. For this cause, God will send them strong delusion.
Adrian Rogers: Well, why would God send people strong delusion? Well, he goes on to say that they should believe the lie. You mean God wants people to believe the lie? That's what it says. Well, you say, "I don't understand that." Well, it gets worse. That they all might be condemned. Damned.
Adrian Rogers: Now, wait a minute, Pastor, are you telling me that God sends delusion, that people would believe lies, that they might be damned? That's what it says, black print on white paper. Well, why would God do that?
Adrian Rogers: He goes on to say, "These are the ones who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." God spoke to them, God gave them truth over and over and over again. Now, in this passage, and listen very carefully, the opposite of truth is not error, it is sin.
Adrian Rogers: You see, you're faced with the truth, and you know that if you receive that truth, that you'll have to turn from your sin. So here's a man over here, he has truth, over here he has sin. And so, when he's faced with the truth, he refuses the truth, he embraces his sin, the opposite of truth here is unrighteousness in this passage of scripture.
Adrian Rogers: And when that man turns from his truth, he's being often reproved, he hardens his neck, he turns toward his sin, then the baggage that he has is strong delusion.
Adrian Rogers: You see, that is the baggage. That is the just judgment. When a man says, "I had rather have my sin than God's truth," God says, "All right, with your sin, you will be given strong delusion." And that's the reason that so many people are in false cults today.
Adrian Rogers: A man may come to this church and hear the Gospel preach and get all bent out of shape and say, "I didn't go to Sunday morning to hear that kind of garbage." He doesn't ask whether it's true or not.
Adrian Rogers: Three weeks later, he's at home, his kids in Sunday school, his wife is out shopping, he's sitting there reading the papers with his whiskers grown out, got a six-pack of embalming fluid by his side.
Adrian Rogers: Somebody knocks at the door, he goes the door. Who is it? Two of Jehovah's false witnesses. And he says, "What do you want?" They say, "We're here to tell you there's no hell." He says, "Come on in."
Adrian Rogers: And he believes a lie. You say, "Well, he may be sincere." He's sincerely wrong. But when he knew the truth, when he knew the truth. He did love not the truth, but he had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Adrian Rogers: And for this reason, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed.
Adrian Rogers: There may be the destruction of the mind through delusion. There may be the destruction of the spirit through desertion. Did you know that you can't be saved just anytime you get ready to be saved?
Adrian Rogers: Don't get the idea that one day you just whistle and say, "God come save me." Jesus said, "No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me, draw him." Did you know that? Did you know that unless the Holy Spirit of God brings you under conviction, you'll never be saved?
Adrian Rogers: It's not my preaching that puts you under conviction, I'm just the Western Union boy. The message is his, and he is the one that has to put you under conviction. But the Bible teaches that you can so insult God. You can say no to the Holy Spirit of God so many times.
Adrian Rogers: That God's Holy Spirit of God will cease to work in your heart. Three times in the first chapter of Romans, God speaks of giving up on people. And God gave them up, and God gave them up, and God gave them over.
Adrian Rogers: The old-time preachers used to call that when the lights go out on the road to hell. The Holy Spirit of God no longer speaks to a man. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 3, God said before the flood, "My spirit will not always strive with man."
Adrian Rogers: Don't get the idea that Holy Spirit conviction is going to stay in your heart and in your life. You may come to a place of sudden destruction in your spirit as well as in your mind, where the Holy Spirit of God no longer speaks to you and God no longer draws you.
Adrian Rogers: There was a pastor, used to pastor in Arkansas, Joe Henry Hankins, kind of a Jeremiah type of guy, would weep when he preached. He said he was preaching in his church, and God was there that morning. He gave the invitation, he said he saw a young man in the balcony.
Adrian Rogers: You know, people get the idea up in the balcony that I can't see you. Can you see me?
Adrian Rogers: He was preaching. And he said, "During the invitation, that young man in the balcony was under conviction. It was obvious he was under conviction." He said, "Come and give your heart to Jesus."
Adrian Rogers: He said, "I saw that man as he closed his hymn, and started out and then he stepped back and opened it and started to sing again." Sang another stanza. He stepped out and then he stepped back.
Adrian Rogers: Finally he closed the book and put it down and started out, and Dr. Hankins says, "Thank God, he's coming to Jesus." But he said he turned and walked out and went out of the church and never came back.
Adrian Rogers: Dr. Hankins said a few weeks after that, he said, "This boy was stricken with a disease." And the doctors said he would not survive. Hankins found his name, went to visit the boy at his bedside. He said, "Son, I want to ask you a question."
Adrian Rogers: He said, "Were you in church on such and such a time?" "Yes, sir." "Son, I I was watching you in the balcony. It seemed to me that you were under conviction and that you wanted to be saved. Was that right?" "Yes, sir, that was right."
Adrian Rogers: "Well, son, I saw you step out and step back several times. Why was that?" He said, "Preacher, when you gave that invitation, I wanted to get down there where you were so bad, I felt I could jump over the balcony and get down there." "Well, son, why didn't you come?"
Adrian Rogers: He said, "I remembered my sin, my favorite sin." His sin, I believe was a sin of immorality. And he said, "I knew if I went down there, I'd have to give up my sin." He said, "I was in a battle."
Adrian Rogers: He said, "I made up my mind, I would keep my sin and I left the church." Dr. Hankins said, "Son, have they told you how sick you are?" He said, "Yes, sir." "I know I'm going to die. You don't have to beat around the bush."
Adrian Rogers: He said, "Well, son, if you're going to die, you can't have that sin anyway." "Why don't you give your heart to Jesus?" And Dr. Hankins said that boy said something that sent a chill over him. He said, "Preacher, there's something you don't understand."
Adrian Rogers: He said, "When I closed that book and stepped out of that church, something died within me." "I can't give my heart to Jesus." Hankins said he wept and pled for that boy's soul.
Adrian Rogers: But he died without saying yes to the Lord Jesus Christ, because in his spirit there was something that was destroyed. God says, "My spirit will not always strive with a man." "He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed."
Adrian Rogers: There may be the destruction of the mind, strong delusion. There may be the desertion of the spirit where the Holy Spirit of God no longer speaks to your spirit. There may be the sudden death of the body.
Adrian Rogers: You say, "Well, Pastor, I've got plenty of days to live." How do you know? It may be the last sermon you'll ever hear. He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed.
Adrian Rogers: It just takes one bad incident at an intersection for you to be out in eternity. Don't get the idea, friend, that eternity is way out yonder. It's only a heartbeat away. Is the only thing between some people here and hell is that heartbeat.
Adrian Rogers: That little heartbeat. That's all there is between you and hell. The Bible says, "There is but a step between me and death." Notice what he says, "He that being often reproved," that's spiritual conviction.
Adrian Rogers: "And hardeneth his neck," that's stubborn rebellion. "Shall suddenly be destroyed." That's sudden destruction. Now listen to the next part and I'm finished. And that without remedy. That is settled destiny. Settled destiny.
Adrian Rogers: Don't get the idea that you're going to die. And stand before God and ask God for a second chance. There'll be no second chance. The Bible says, "It's appointed unto man once to die and after this, the judgment."
Adrian Rogers: It doesn't say there's a second chance. In Luke chapter 16, the Bible tells of a rich man who died, and the Bible says, "In hell he lifted up his eyes being in torment," and he said, "Father Abraham, send Lazarus, that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I'm tormented in this flame."
Adrian Rogers: And he looked for some alleviation of the pain, the suffering in hell. Whatever hell is, I don't want you to go there. You say, "Is that literal or figurative?" Well, your sake, I hope it's literal. Because the figure if it's figurative, the figure is never as strong as the reality.
Adrian Rogers: Whether it's literal or physical makes no difference to me. God took the lexicon of heaven and he described a place called hell as hellfire. Talked about a man there in hell wanting a drop of water to cool his tongue.
Adrian Rogers: And then God spoke to him. And said, "Son, just remember, in your lifetime, all of the things that happened, how good I was to you and you didn't repent." "And now there's a great gulf fixed. Lazarus can't come where you are. Lazarus was in heaven and you can't go to where he is."
Adrian Rogers: God didn't say there's a second chance. Think about it. Hell is a bottomless pit. How could you use a bottomless pit as a stepping stone? How could you ever get out of a bottomless pit?
Adrian Rogers: God brought me here to tell you today that he loves you with an infinite love. And that he has spoken to you over and over again and he's speaking to you today. But God says, "If you continue to harden your neck," "You'll be destroyed." "And when you are, there'll be no second chance."
Adrian Rogers: "It will be without remedy." "Without hope." I looked this up in a number of different translations, but they all mean the same thing. No hope. Without a second chance, without a remedy, without a cure.
Adrian Rogers: He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Adrian Rogers: But why would God reprove you? Because he loves you so much. And he wants to save you today. Pastor Rogers, would Jesus save me today? Yes. Pastor Rogers, are you sure? Yes, I'm sure if you'll call upon him.
Adrian Rogers: You say, "What if I've crossed the deadline?" If you'll call upon him, you haven't. Let me give you good news. Anybody who wants to be saved can. The man who crosses the deadline, he has no desire to be saved.
Adrian Rogers: But if you have a desire to be saved, that's because the Holy Spirit of God is working in you. And if you want to be saved, you can be saved. And I thank God that the Bible says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Adrian Rogers: And if you were to show me one time, one place where anybody, anybody, were to ask Jesus to save them and he didn't save them, I'd close my Bible and never preach again.
Adrian Rogers: If you'd like to be saved, I want you to pray a prayer like this out of your heart. "Dear God." That's right, just speak to him. "I know that you love me. I know that you want to save me." "Jesus, you died to save me." "You promised to save me if I would only trust you."
Adrian Rogers: "I do trust you, Jesus." Would you tell him that? "I trust you now, Jesus." "I believe you're the son of God." "I believe you paid for my sin with your blood. I believe that God raised you from the dead." "I receive you now. I trust you now as my Lord and Savior."
Adrian Rogers: "Forgive my sin." "Cleanse me." "Save me, Jesus." Pray that from your heart. "Save me, Jesus." Did you ask him? Then by faith pray this way. "Thank you for saving me, Jesus." Would you pray that? "Thank you for saving me. I receive it by faith." "You are my Lord and Master."
Adrian Rogers: "I will follow you and live for you the rest of my life." "And I will never be ashamed of you." "You are my Savior, my God, and my friend." "Thank you for saving me." "In your name I pray." "Amen."
Adrian Rogers: Amen.
Guest (Male): And if you prayed to receive Jesus Christ just now, let us celebrate with you. Go to our website to the Find God's Love page. There you'll find answers you may need about your newfound faith. Go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab that says Find God's Love. Welcome to his forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today.
Guest (Male): Hi, this is Kerry Vaughan, and this program has been brought to you by Love Worth Finding, a non-profit ministry showcasing the powerful preaching and teaching of Pastor Adrian Rogers. We operate solely through the generous gifts of individual supporters just like you. To give a gift today, call 1-877-Love God. That's 1-877-Love God. Or write to us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38-600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. You can also connect with us online by going to LWF.org/radio. There we offer helpful resources inspired by the timeless teachings of Pastor Adrian Rogers. Additionally, you can sign up for daily emails, donate to the ministry, and learn more about how to become an ambassador of the Word. Thank you so much for listening today. Be sure to join us next time for more profound truth simply stated right here on Love Worth Finding.
Guest (Male): We were thrilled to receive a comment from a Facebook friend who shared this. I stumbled across Adrian Rogers on the radio for the first time many years ago. I still listen to him today. Brother Adrian pointed to Jesus. It still amazes me how relevant his messages are today. Because the Word of God is true yesterday, today, and forever. We could not have put it better. Here at Love Worth Finding, our mission continues to be to share the profound truth of the Gospel so simply anyone can understand. And when you donate to the ministry this month, we want to send you a copy of our 30-day devotional, Calling God's Name. Request your copy when you call with a gift at 1-877-Love God. Or give online at LWF.org/radio. And thank you so much for your generous support of Love Worth Finding.