Good Isn't Good Enough
Notes
Transcript
Good Things
Good Things
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Here at Young Navigators, we teach these fine young people important truths
We desire each and everyone of them to grow up to be:
Responsible
Respectable
Respectful
Honest
Hardworking
Courageous
Wise
Determined
Kind
These kids memorize scriptures such as
Love your neighbor as yourself
Honor your father and your mother
Children obey your parents
Be ye kind one to another, forgiving one another
Love your enemies, do good to them hate you, pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you
Do unto others as you would have them do to you
Whatever you hand finds to do, do it with your might.
We want each kid to be good
So we teach them good things
Makes sense, right?
Every week, there is a slot of time where they will hear a lesson from the Bible taught.
These lessons are geared specifically to them and their stage of life
These lessons challenge and encourage them to:
Be kind to everyone
Forgive each other
Do their best in whatever they do
Honor their mom and dad
Resist the temptation to cheat in school
Develop good character
Be a person of integrity
Do more than what is expected of them/going the extra mile
And the list could go on
This ministry does all it can to support good behavior in the homes and schools
We teach things that many kids don’t hear any more in the school system
We believe we ought to live lives that would honor and glorify our Savior
To boil it all down, we teach them how to be good people and good citizens
Doing good is good...
But is doing good enough?
Payday
Payday
I played sports growing up
I played basketball, football, and golf
I was never the star of the team or anything like that but I enjoyed working hard and having fun
Let’s say one day my basketball team showed up for practice and my coach told us to bring it in. When we all huddled up, he began to say that we are dropping out of our current league or conference and moving to a new one. We all started to look around in curiosity and confusion. He continued, “Last night I tied up all the final details and we are now part of the National Basketball Association, most commonly known as the NBA.” At that moment, there were mixed emotions. We kind of excited because we get to meet all these incredible basketball players, but then apprehension and fear set in because we realized we had to play these incredible basketball players.
Now even if from that day forward, our coach put together perfect practice after perfect practice.
He came up with incredible drills
He put us through top of the line conditioning drills
He devised a perfect game plan for each of our games
He taught us a lot of good things day in and day out
Do you think we will win any of our basketball games?
NO
Although we were taught good things
And although some may even consider us good at the sport of basketball
Our good would still not be good enough!
In fact, the moment the tipoff happens, is the moment our team fails to look good anymore
Although we teach these kids good things
And although we teach how good people ought to behave
Our good will never be good enough when compared to perfection
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
We cannot please God with our actions
it is impossible
God’s law says things such as:
Don’t kill
Don’t steal
Don’t covet
Don’t commit adultery
Don’t use God’s name in vain
and a plethora of other commandments
The purpose of the law is to show that we are not perfect
most of us would admit (we don’t need anyone to show us our imperfections) that we do wrong
How many of us have done any of those things I just mentioned
Whether is was a lie, or a covetous thought or act, use God’s name in vain, or looking at someone with lust
It shows that no one is perfect. It is humanly impossible to keep every commandment made by God
That is what the law is for to teach as a schoolmaster teaches that we are in dire need of Savior
Attempting to keep the law will never grant you access into heaven
Wait so you’re saying that being religious is not good enough to gain some kind of favor with God
If my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds, there is no heavenly merit of salvation?
that is exactly what I’m saying
It is good to be good, but being good is not good enough!
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Because we have all sinned, we will be separated from God for all eternity when we die in a literal torment
Heaven and Hell just as real the place we sit in tonight
We may not be able to see either place but I assure you they are real
Hell is hot
a place where comfort cannot be found
a place where pain abounds
a place where agony never flees
a place where relief will fail to come
a place where thirst is unquenchable
a place where unbearable burning never stops
a place of complete and utter darkness
a place filled with weeping and gnashing of teeth
a place where everyone wants to die but can’t
a place that no one can escape once they enter
a place I don’t want anyone to go to
But let me ask you something?
You still don’t believe it exists
ok, can I ask a question that may pierce your logic or worldview?
What happens if you’re right and I’m wrong
If I’m wrong and you’re right, then I may have missed out on what this world considers fun
But when I die a cease to exist but at least I did everything I could to be a good citizen, I paid my taxes, didn’t break the law, was a respectable human who tried to make the a world a better place.
But what happens if I’m right and you’re wrong
Then you’ve wasted your life and money on things that don’t matter
But the temporal enjoyment of a wicked sinful lifestyle cannot be compared to eternal suffering
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
There is a judgment coming
Those who do not have their name in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity
God who sent His only begotten to save us from the penalty of sin loves the world beyond our comprehension
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.
God doesn’t want one person to experience this day of judgment
He wants everyone to be saved
Imagine the pain that God must feel knowing His creation will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire forever
On the flip side though, He is so excited when one person gets saved
At the completion of the Golden Gate,
no, the angels did not celebrate
and when the Wright boys flew their bird
no angelic shouts were heard.
There's only one thing that we're sure about
it's when a sinner makes the Lord his choice,
that's when the angels rejoice!
Now, when the light bulb first lit up the town,
No, the angels did not dance around
and when the man stepped on the moon
they didn't sing a victory tune.
There's only one thing that we're sure about
that's can make those Angels jump and shout:
it's when a sinner makes the Lord his choice,
that's when the angels rejoice!
Now, Heaven doesn't strike up the band
for any old occasion at hand,
it's gotta be a special thing
to make those Angels sing.
Now, when the model T first hit the street
it didn't bring all Heaven to its feet
And when the first computer was born
they didn't blow Gabriel's horn.
There's only one thing that we're sure about
that's can make those angels jump and shout:
it's when a sinner makes the Lord his choice,
that's when the angels rejoice!
Now, when the United States became a nation
there was no angelic celebration,
but when one lost sinner comes back home
they jump for joy around God's throne.
There's only one thing that we're sure about
that can make those angels jump and shout:
it's when a sinner makes the Lord his choice,
that's when the angels rejoice!
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
How can I be saved?
Jesus died
our wrongs needed to be made right
Our debt needed to be payed for
Our sin must be pardoned
either we pay for our wrongs or simply believe that Jesus already did when he died on the cross
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Not very many people are willing to die for a righteous man unjustly condemned Not very many would be willing to give up their life for a good man.
Jaws would drop in utter amazement if one person took the death penalty for another.
It could and possibly has happened but not very often
That individual would be such an upstanding person to take the punishment of another on himself.
Even if the person who was to die didn’t deserve the punishment
But God did not die for a righteous man or even a good man
He proved His love when he died for the ungodly
While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Christ came to the world to save sinners
We deserve nothing but God’s undiluted wrath and punishment
Sin has outraged God and defiled earth.
It has introduced rebellion and ruin where once He reigned supreme.
The world is haunted by demons, disease, and death, and dotted with graveyards, hospitals, prisons, and mental institutions.
It is ruined by vileness and squalor, misery and hatred, war and famine, blight and pestilence, death and decay—all products of sin.
When God sent forth His Son to be their Saviour, men spat into the face of Jesus, plowed His back with a scourge, spiked Him naked and thorn-crowned to a tree, sneered and mocked Him in His anguish until the sun hid its blushing noonday face in shame and the earth quaked in terror and the bedrock granite rent wide in protest.
Yet despite it all, God has "made peace through the blood of his cross" (Col. 1:20), surely one of the most astounding statements in the Word of God.
We had a great year in Young Navigators
these kids learned a lot of good things
however, we missed the mark if we think our good is good enough
Are you relying on your good deeds to get you to heaven?
Or is it time you stop trying to be good enough and accept Christ’s perfection through his shed blood on the cross.