1102. Two Appointments You Cannot Avoid pt. 1

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville South Carolina today on The Daily Platform will your sermon preached at a special evangelistic service on the campus of Bob Jones University evangelist Jeremy Fraser, a dynamic Bible preacher with an emphasis on revival and evangelism will be preaching part one of a sermon from Hebrews 9 entitled to appointments, you cannot avoid it.

To me it's been a great blessing to to be back here II think about this area and I grew up in Simpsonville, South Carolina, Greenville area and my grandparents were very kind to help pay our way to go to Bob Jones, initially elementary school and then junior high and high school and I remember during that time of my life. A lot of that was good but there were times there were, honestly, I I couldn't stand the school.

I was my junior high years in high school years were what is really in open rebellion towards God, Lord and save me a younger age. I just went through a time thinking that maybe I'm somehow smarter than God. I knew what's better for me than he did. And it's interesting when you try to live your life that way. What God does in your own heart, your life and God began to awaken me and stir me and it really wasn't until my senior year of high school that the tone in my senior year with the Lord. Got all my life that can't how many of you in sometime in the past that a Christian camp is made an impact on your harder life do Sabrina got an amazing huge number and it's amazing how God did work in my heart. I remember coming back from camp and and really for the first time really want to serve God with my life. I want to see God work in my heart and my life and I came back in I was a senior in the Academy and and we were.

It really was such a life change. It was like a fireball and became a fireball and where's the pastor would lead people down the wrong way and all of a sudden on and on, confronting everybody I was can apply a jerk to many people, not meaning to be.

I just I just couldn't believe what what would really like that when you can be free in Christ and God begin to stir my heart in such a way and I remember certain go downtown's Greenville South Carolina and talk to people about Christ and to see what God would do in our hearts or lives in and so II look back and when it came to coming to school. I didn't have to go to the University might my parents were not on staff or somehow they had to go here but you really pray about. I really felt is a God wanted me to be a preacher and that was a struggle in my own heart because honestly I think you got how can you use me I can get up in front of people to do a book report. I might be a little joke, maybe a month, but not a book report to my friends laugh at me and so there was a struggle in my own heart how God could use someone like me, and even my own past and had gotten his kindness and his mercy is grace not only begin to stir me but call me to preach. When I think about that. I look back and I and I see how God's orchestrated events and people. I begin to ask.

Okay God, where would you want me to go to school and trained for the ministry and the people who made a serious impact in my heart actually went to Bob's University and so I I remember praying about it and really lead me here and here I was studying for the ministry and got a sensitive work in my life. It was a very interesting to then going to travel with Steve Pettit to think about after undergrad and to be with him because honestly like when I showed up as it really was. He was really questioning a lot of things and and yet God was use that to actually break me in to work in my heart.

I'm so thankful for the friendship and the love of Stephen Terry Pettit and I look back and think about all the all the people that they've influence I think about the years.

I think Steve had some 60 people in trouble with the and and since then in 07 we started team on her own as well. You also many of you know Aaron, coffee and their teams well. I will document their teams in the past, but we had about 37 people who traveled with us. They they hear Steve Pettit every day and innocence through through me in fixing the influence that Steve had.

I'm so thankful that he's here I have a minute you get to know him and pray for their family and they've gone through a lot of trials. God continues to to work in and through them there some team members.

I have you in the past.

I look over here and I actually see Elizabeth and she traveled with us and I that my nieces sit over here and I my brother's daughter and so III know among friends and I'm so thankful for God's gonna do these next two nights. My plan would be. This is tonight. I really desire to to make it clear when it comes to the gospel to challenge both of lost people because I know their loss. People here there is no doubt in my mind that there are lost people hearing this message and it's amazing how many people grow up in a system. You maybe went to a Christian school, maybe went to now a Christian college and it's it's amazing how Scripture is very clear that many will say in that they Lord, Lord, and we prophesy in your name and we do good works, and he says depart for me you that work iniquity or practice lawlessness. I don't know you, many will say that the truth is out of the 12 anything about the 12. No one suspected Judas, which tells you that you can truly play the part really, really well. You can even deceive yourself into thinking that somehow you're in Christ.

It's not my desire tonight though to if you are in Christ to somehow make you doubt your salvation, but if you are here tonight in your doubting your salvation that may be truly of God for you. I also believe know this is there are many believers here that you need be challenge in your walk with the Lord.

And so that's my desires well, so tonight it's kind of a double edge sword really preach to you tonight and then tomorrow night really challenging at this point really the believers to move forward and really make an impact in their world.

So tonight as we think about Hebrews. This this this passage came to my mind immediately when Stephen talk to me about even coming and preaching because of our culture and our modern-day listen carefully to this is Hebrews 9 verse 27 in verse 28 is is this the writer says, and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. You think about this verse you think on these verses, verse 27.

You can't get away from the word appointed life. You could say is filled with appointments, some is appointment are good, some are bad Psalm in many you can avoid but when I think about this. There was interesting. I traveled with the Pettit I'd come back for grad school.

But during that time I I remember I went and traveled for the University. They actually had asked me hey would you want to travel on a music team and you be the preacher they would let me do music. So, would you be the preacher and then your wife can Unipart be part of the music you have a music team and so we did two semesters of this, we did a fall and spring, and what was interesting about the fall in the spring is is literally we would average about 10 services in a week so we would do Sunday morning service at a church really Sunday evening service at another church.

Monday morning was a Christian school on Tuesday morning would be another Christian school and then went to the night would be service there Wednesday morning Wednesday night Thursday morning Thursday night Friday morning and all these different places where about 250 different places in a matter of I don't know what nine months. Amazing is God was doing the work in our hearts or lives by doing everyone time. In particular I member one time waking up and we are in lima Ohio and I woke up that morning before Chapel on a Friday and something was desperately wrong I'm and I'm I'm starting to speak in this chapel. I'm starting to slur my speech something was deathly wrong. I wasn't on anything that was caused me to slur, but the truth is, as I begin to slur my speech. I know my my mouth as being more more details swelling up more and more until finally, by time I finish I just finished a chapel. I said, is there a dentist in your area because because it is by me something is wrong in one mighty white teeth and so I does so at that point in time. This waxing there's a dentist right over there across the parking lot of there you can see, stripmall there's a dentist office there so I I went over there not knowing, and as I went in there. They basically assess my tooth. They said this a German just so you know you have a wisdom tooth that's impacted you really need to get it pulled.

But because you're walking and we can't do that for you and so Juergen have to have some scheduled and then I'm trying to think okay. When am I going to get this poll okay I I have from Friday afternoon till Sunday morning before I have the next scheduled event and then you can't do anything during the week they said we can give some medication. It'll help the swelling go down.

It's okay, that's fine. And then the very next week where, rural town in Ohio. How many of you here are from Ohio. Would you raise your hand. Okay so there's somebody here so you were probably cheering for your team. Unfortunately it happened when I think about this though II go this this little town in Ohio I finish off this chapel and they said here you go speak at this at errors we care of then and then here's a place you go for dentist and they describe the dentist as a World War II dentist that I didn't know what that meant for me.

I think it World War II.

That's not the greatest generation I go they can drop me off this old house off of Main Street and was like go to this house. I I walking and I meet the dental assistant.

I think she was a dental assistant. I think she was the secretary I think she was by the janitor to buy a lot of things I did meet the dentist and my meet the dentist you know II would've thought it was coven time because it sure nephews were a dental mask, and I actually never saw his face fully II can make me nervous because at that time, you know, historically you could normally see someone's face. You know, and so as the things I'm thinking this even hefty. I don't even know you know, we begin to work on my tooth and he said this is as you know Jeremy's in this bottom tooth is when it's impacted and when the top one here today because the irritation so here's what we'll do when you pull the top one and and so will pull the top wisdom tooth and and you should be good. I'm thinking, what wouldn't you pull the tooth with the problem.

I mean, I went to situations where things are moving a little bit too fast for you that is cannot break something out.

He's the expert buddies tell me anything to pull the stop to the signing the problem tooth and and and to fix the problem and how's that working in all the sudden Novocain start going in and out. If you've ever had with his experiences, but it was this definitely was World War II menisci. Having it was like a horror movie with a syringe in my mouth. You know Macau field everything he's doing it for like a hornets nest you in my mouth and soon after that what he did is EE begins to start to pull the two.

He put the dental players in his first the pool so horrible back and forth and back and forth like wrestling me with me in his chair and is all this is kinda going on. I mean, he's sweating, I'm sweating on feeling every bit of everything he's doing and he says one more try. And then also hear a loud crack crack and he is gone it and then he goes he puts gauze in my mouth and then he C6 me up in the chair and says that'll be $60.

Actually, that's a great price to go to with them to pull the awesome but he pulled the wrong tooth and what's amazing set me up so quick. I also wasn't filled. I mean I wasn't don't get it on by turning green and and and I say to him with the gauze in my mouth. I said I think I'm going to throw up, and he's excuse me I said I'm sick and he's taller then he goes over the counter he grabs some smelling salt he breaks it, he sticks underneath my nose like an old-school boxer of some sort, and he says why don't you just rest here for a while and when you're ready, you can go pay now. I tell you this to say this, that was like the worst appointment. I'm not joking. I would not wish that even upon my enemy.

It really was that bad. And again he pulled the wrong to so as I left there that day. I'm thinking okay this happened to me now one of my going to do because I still need the right tooth pulled. It was probably about two weeks later after a chapel. Sure enough, I I'm talking to some people. We spent the night with people that night and I asked this man when he came home from work I said so what do you do for a living just in talk and he says I am dentist, I gave him a dirty look and he says why you look at me that when I told the story and he laughed like so you laugh little bit to. But the idea was up as I tell the stories.

I'm so sorry. He said listen, you come to my office tomorrow I will pull your tooth. I'll do it for free and I guarantee you won't have the same kind of an appointment. I said, I'll pray about it. I don't know I just didn't know I was sure enough the next morning after that chapel had that 24 hour period where I would be able to hopefully heal enough. I went in and sure enough soothing music then eventually Mr. Frazier come on and they begin to assess my tooth action begin to put some numbing cream in my mouth universe and gonna talk before little bentonite pull that out and they began taxi put the Novocain in Owsley. I never felt a prick of the syringe at all, and there really are put Novocain in my mouth and do it very gently massaging it in and when it was all said and done and they pulled out they waited a while, my did you feel as I feel that this will wait a little longer gets more conversation than a tap on the Getty thoughts out so that it all and within moments, they pulled out and can I taste something. I had a really good appointment at the dentist now when I say all this to you.

Life is filled with appointments, some good some bad. And most you can avoid but here in Scripture were learning tonight about two appointments that you cannot avoid no matter who you are tonight you will face these appointments. Let's pray tonight. Just ask God's blessing God as we come to you tonight and thankful again for my friends here and I ask that you would use me tonight as I would unfold. Scripture I pray that you would stir her heart to pray for those who are lost with a with a be convicted by the spirit of God through the Scriptures that you would stir them and bring them to a genuine saving knowledge of Christ and for many in this room who are born again or born from above last God, would you stir them and encourage them. Will you we work in them as believers nor to grow in their signification so dear God, I asked when you fill me with your spirit and use this time for your honor glory. Thank you for your word use it tonight in Jesus name we pray in all God's people said amen in Hebrews 9 verse 27.

You see, it kind of clearly laid out his is an as is appointed unto men once to die.

Which brings me right to the first of two points that that's kind of an easy message the first point is simply this year to have an appointment with death.

Did you know that now it's interesting as I say this I didn't get any kind of weird reaction. I'm looking around all over. I didn't see anyone go like shockingly move you like what you talking about Jeremy not me. Jeremy maybe other people Godiva, not me know.

We all know this doesn't take us by surprise.

They were all gonna die. The truth is, in our culture right now more than ever we come to see this late hour played out many people dying. You could say this way death is universal. I wonder how many of you have have suffered the loss in the last year of a loved one have that happen to you. You numbers of your truth is a some of you have lost friends of you have lost a grandparents or uncles when I think about not just due to coven.

What I think of this at a great-grandfather in his 90s who died during the first part of the shutdown lockdown Co. that we were able where we are on the other side of the country so we could make her way back in the sense during that time to the funeral and I remember as we were finishing the summer off and doing ministry local churches.

I get a phone call.

My wife gets a phone call since her mom and and my wife calls me out of this auditorium and and and it's it's like it's kind of wailing right now.

I did wind up what will happen and she says Brent it's her brother. He may have just round.

We waited about an hour not knowing what happened.

The family had gone vacation that day that is latte with a live in South Bend Indiana that you drive up to Michigan and I go to Lake Michigan and some they would do. It's not a big deal they done it many many times in the past makes us make their way up. There's a family there, celebrating really. You could say that the that one of the daughters birthday and a 17-year-old 15-year-old 12-year-old and of the wife and and in soap sure not to Thursday late afternoon I get up there.

They eat some pizza. They go to the to Lake Michigan and sure of huge waves that I mean so you been to Lake Michigan before and it's not actually massive ways. But that day is is a beautiful day but yet the waves are crashing some 5 feet.

It was huge waves unheard-of almost like Michigan so there they are on the beach area and play in the water even that even as his wife was nervous about the same. Brent, this is really this is this is really okay okay and they played for about an hour got out a little bit in the 12-year-old in the 17-year-old get the water one more time and begin to be drawn out by current brother-in-law sees this and and and reverses phone Downing and his stuff and and and and his wife.

Since I call 911 and and right away he says yes.

Not knowing their calling on one for him to eat he runs to the water.

He's 44 years old. He jumps in the water is in good health and and he jumps and had to rescue gets about 10 feet from his his kids and in the midst of that gets pulled out what the last words were I can do this sees me and pulled out its 17-year-old is rescuing his sister is 12 years old and in and literally they should all three should've drowned, and yet he rescued his sister and adheres a father, who in love for his own kids jumped into rescued and drowned in the process devastating.

We were devastated, but you look at all of this I think about life and I good you know we all have an appointment with death.

We all know we may live to be 90 something years old which are not promised tomorrow. We don't know and actually right now with our culture. In one sense this is a helpful thing for all of us to come to wake up a little bit because the reality is we don't know.

And there are people dying and you have sometimes of the relatives and friends are people who have passed on. And yet Scripture does tells the book of Ecclesiastes that is better to go to funeral than to a party you know and you know party leader you gonna what you party forget life, but it's interesting funeral sobers you and you begin to read really consider okay I will die, and I'm to spend eternity somewhere forever and and yet as you think about here. The Scriptures are clear that death is universal. You could say will Jeremy I'm from a different culture.

It doesn't matter.

I doesn't matter agent station. We just don't know what the reality is we do know this that we all have an appointment with death, and he when you consider this it spans all ages and spans all cultures. Death is not final though you might even asked this question because, or maybe some of you might even visit will Jeremy why death and and why where this all come from, and yet you know Scripture you you realize in Genesis 1, God is Creator of all things, and he makes us this world and he makes mankind in its very very good. Mankind is tempted, in Genesis chapter 3.

In short, sure enough, peers, EB and tempted by the serpent and and Adam seemingly right there with her and as she's being tempted the lust of the flesh last night, the pride of life and remember as an suicidal me she she did not understand what was kinda going on there and yet the devil in the form of a serpent was questioning God. Did God say this many ways you could say he's saying God's not good got a really good when he let you eat of any of the tree of the garden you can have it all makes rising withholding something from you. You deserve that and yet the truth is if you have this you will be like in God and you know good from evil and and so the truth is he or she is. She's being tempted with all of this in and she's being tempted. She gives in and sure enough there's Adam is right there with what you can do and he gives in Scripture tells us this in Romans chapter 5 verse 12 wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men. Why, for that all have sinned that there can be a tendency for us to go. You know, I mean why did he do this. Why did they do this I mean.

But the truth is, before we try to blame them. How often do you soon. Every day we think about sin. What is since it is a transgression of the law when you break God's laws. We sometimes it with little kids anything you think or say or do that even displeases God. The truth is everyone we know has San.

We've all broken his laws.

In many ways an action for some of you right now. It may be much more heightened because you been on a break of about seven weeks. Some of you spiraling down the center life and yet there's mercy there is grace that God would get.

But the truth is, you know so you taste and send you you delve into this and you always come up short. Don't you because sin is pleasurable for a season. What happens when the seasons over and then the Scriptures clear that the wages or the payment of sin is what it's death. So why do people die will because because we sin against God were born this way were born sinful.

We commit sin. It's an endless cycle.

Your center yet. That's why you sin and yet you send because your center and just it just and we we do this we know this. We say things each one of you here would would would say this, there you know of people that you have hurt by your own speech. You've said things that deftly displease God, but you've hurt other people in the process you wish you could take it back.

You might even set of the person. Just so you know I did. I didn't mean that. Try to come to get away from it, but but out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks the truth is we sit with her speech. We sin with our mind. It's amazing how you can have angry thoughts or dirty thoughts or selfish thoughts are just proud thoughts. All of these things show us our sinful this and yet all of this is against God Almighty was so holy and so pure is without sin and God lives in heaven. When I think about even God in his heavenly state.

The truth is Revelation 21 makes it very clear that there will be nothing I will enter into it that will defile it.

This is God. He is holy and is pure but that's not us were broken people we sin against God.

We sin against people.

We need to be delivered when you look at this closely. I would say this way death is not annihilation. There some people who think that they say will Jeremy come in and witnessing is on a might even say hey listen you gonna live and you die so you might as well live it up and say what what what excuse me, but you will live somewhere for all eternity. You consider that whole thought there I would say this way. There is a danger in death. If you are without Christ you think of Christ.

Think of who Jesus is, as Messiah version born as he is not only entered into the world and yet never sin and is against the age of 30 years only does miracles make it so clear. The dumbest of dummies can understand. Here he is doing miracles are only of God and yet all prophesied that this Messiah would come. Jesus then does exactly says he's going to do at the age of 33 1/2. These prophesied his own death is unfairly the resurrection at the truth is, and as if he does this and he dies on the cross he wasn't paying for his sins. He was paying for your sins and for my sins. We need to be delivered from our sins. My question to you tonight if you are without Christ, is how will you be delivered even as about try to do better Scriptures clear, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy that he saves us. It's not your words mean people as it will baptize Jeremy wow is going underwater in front of people wash away your inward sin problem when you think about that.

Maybe she's soap and shampoo.

With that you now as you try to.

The point is, it doesn't wash away your sins, just as you go underwater for the people.

Some people trust and that some people trust and that they're a pretty good personality.

Maybe they're good would outweigh their bad but yet God is at work that way because God is so holy that not even one sin will enter into heaven, so how the world are you going to get there. You need to somehow be perfect and made perfect and you can do this on your own. This is why Messiah came you off and I preach this I tell people listen you know what you need. The Messiah you need Messiah because you're not the Messiah.

That's why the truth is everyone a senior no were not the Messiah, and we need to be delivered from our sin, and yet the hardened heart of mankind rejects God is against God. But God's kindness stirs people.

He began to work in you and through you brain experiences and situations, and the word of God to then ignite your heart to draw you to himself that he was out of all my sin you're repenting out what I said I want Jesus to save me as is happened to you is ever been a time in your life you come to grips with your own sin and not just coming to grips in a light way I think of the song rock of ages and if you're familiar with that song. The hymn writer basely says that she says you know there's nothing in my hands.

I can bring to God, but somewhat to the cross. I can cling. He goes on to say that all my tears, no respite know is that's was the main it's like in all this religious zeal for the Lord and I was crying in that sense but I couldn't find respite I can find peace for some of you are maybe wow, I think about even further. It's like there's just I feel naked expose I come to you for dress, until finally the writer it this the songwriter says this he says wash me, Savior, or I die that genuine repentance where a person realizes they cannot save themselves.

They need Messiah and him alone they turn from their sin to Christ. They cry out to Christ to be rescued and I just I look here my heart breaks for you and I praying for you because are some of you here tonight that is never happened to you, not genuinely because it really is happened to you.

It would transform your life and you would be a new creature, a new creation old things passing away at all things becoming new, literally.

Some of you look at your life and you want your life spiraling down, down, down, and maybe they be here tonight you're here here without Jesus and and and why are we doing this because God in his kindness. God is love is set it aside for you to hear the gospel. Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today's sermon entitled to appointments, you cannot avoid. Be sure to listen tomorrow is will hear the conclusion of the sermon from evangelist Jeremy Frazier preach from the Bob Jones University Chapel platform