Tired of Sinning and Scared of Dying

Every 4th of July in Memphis, people gather at the banks of the Mississippi River to listen to a sunset symphony. It's a southern tradition and each year a man in a tuxedo will get up and sing Old Man River with a full symphony accompanying him and a sunset on the river behind him. It is quite a sight to behold.

One of the lines from Old Man River is, I'm sick of living and scared of dying. And as he's singing it to you, you will hear a sledgehammer pound on an anvil like driving a stake. It's a portrait of man's condition regarding the futility of life on the river and life in general.

Life is a struggle at best and then you die. That song, Old Man River, speaks of life on the river and the struggle to survive. I'm sick of living and scared of dying.

And you could apply that line of that song across this nation for a good many people are sick of living and scared of dying. But the real problem is they are tired of sinning and scared of dying. I preached in a prison outside of Memphis years ago and I vividly recall that those convicts were tired of sinning and scared of dying.

Those men had tried every kick, every thrill known to man and they realized it all ended up on a dead end street. For sin is pleasurable for a season, but it always ends up at a dead end street. You can get your kicks from drugs and they will get you high, but when the effects of the narcotic wears off, you will then sink down low.

You can get your kicks from booze and get drunk, but when the booze runs out and you pass out, you regret what you did the next morning. You can get your kicks through sex and find a new partner, but soon the thrill is gone with that person and you dump them and look for someone new. And your life becomes a vicious circle of thrill-seeking and looking for satisfaction that never really lasts.

And you are tired of wallowing in your pig trough for sooner or later that's where you end up. And when you try to get out of your pig pen, you slip and fall back again because you can't get out on your own. So you stay there and wallow in that slop and you are tired because sin doesn't satisfy.

It just leaves you empty. All you know is that you were sick of sinning. And on top of that, you're scared of dying.

You don't want to die. Death is called the king of terrors because death comes upon a person sometimes suddenly and quite unexpected. And each one of us will have to face that king of terror someday.

And we don't like to think about it. We don't want to face it because it's an unknown. You may be comfortable in this world, but you don't know if you'll be comfortable in the next world.

You don't want to believe that in hell that you'd be lumped together with bad people like Hitler and serial killers. You wouldn't think God would put you with them, with that kind of human refuse, because you don't see yourself that bad. And the thought of dying gnaws at you because deep down you're afraid of dying and facing that unknown.

You're tired of sinning and scared of dying and you don't know what else to do but drown yourself in pleasure seeking. So you take a few more pills, snort a few more lines of cocaine, drink a few more bottles of whiskey and indulge your passion sexually until you are at the end of the road and at the end of that dead-end street and you're miserable again. Sick of sinning and scared of dying and I don't know what to do.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we have a picture of a man who sought pleasure in vain. King Solomon was that man. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and if anyone knew the pleasures that this world had to offer, it was old King Solomon.

He was the richest man that ever lived. He was so rich he could stuff Donald Trump in his shirt pocket. He had all the money.

He had all the women, over 1,000 of them. He had all the fame. Even the Queen of Sheba came to pay him a visit because she heard of his fame and when she saw what he had and the wealth that he had, she said that it only told half the tale.

King Solomon immersed himself in pleasure seeking and it brought him emptiness. It was all vanity, vanity seeking satisfaction and this world's pleasures. It was like chasing the wind.

Listen to his words. I said my heart go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this is also vanity. I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what do with it.

I sought in my heart to give myself unto wine yet acquainting my heart with wisdom and to lay hold on folly till I might see what was that good for the sons of men which they should do under the heaven all the days of their lives. I made me great works. I built me houses.

I planted me vineyards. I made me gardens and orchids and I planted trees in them all kinds of fruits. I made me pools of water to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees.

I got me servants and maidens and had servants born in my house also. I had great possessions of great small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me. I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasures of kings and of the provinces.

I get me men singers and women singers and the delights of the sons of men as musical instruments and all of that sorts. So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me and whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them.

I withheld not my heart from any joy for my heart rejoiced in all my labor and this was the portion of all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labor that I had labor to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun. Listen friend King Solomon had it all.

He tasted every pleasure this world had to offer and it left him unsatisfied and empty. Sin will do that to you friend. Sin may be pleasurable for a season but that season always ends.

You were left unsatisfied and empty and at the end of a dead end street. King Solomon realized this and he pondered about the end of man. How man who was once young and virile becomes weak and old and the grave is waiting for every man.

The king of terrors lurks in your future. Listen friend again to the words of King Solomon how he describes the deterioration of the human body for you will surely see your own predicament in them and heed the advice he gives for it. It's given from a man who's tasted all the world had to offer and this is what he found out to be at the end of it.

Remember now that creator in the days of our youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them. Oh while the sun or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkened nor the clouds return after the rain in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out the windows be darkened and the doors shall be shut in the streets but when the sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the voice of a bird and all the daughters of music shall be brought low also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and fear shall be in the way and the almond tree shall flourish and the grasshopper shall be a burden and desire shall fail because a man goes to his long home and the mourners go about the streets or ever the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowl be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it did you hear friends how Solomon described the decay of man the hands tremble the back stoops and bows the teeth begin to fall out the eyes become darkened and even sleep is disturbed for a little bird can now wake you and then you die and drop into the grave and your soul goes back to the God who gave it but man is a sinner man drinks iniquity like it's water man tries to find happiness in this life through pleasure riches gratifying the lust of the flesh but man ends up in the same condition tired of sinning and afraid of dying listen to the advice King Solomon offers at the end of his search for happiness and satisfaction in this world let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man for God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil what King Solomon had to learn for himself was that there's no lasting happiness in this world the pursuit of wealth and the pursuit of pleasure ends up in vanity and emptiness and a person grows old to where they can no longer even indulge their pleasures anymore or enjoy them and then they die and their soul goes back to the God who gave it and man will face a future judge who will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil and what is the end of man King Solomon speaking of the great white throne judgment of all mankind the grand size pictured in the book of revelation in chapter 20 where every person will stand before the judge of all the earth and their life will be reviewed and destinies determined whether one will be granted the glories of heaven or condemned to the agonies of hell let me read you this striking passage now friend as found in revelation and i saw a great white throne and him that sat on it and from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was no and there was found no place for them and i saw the dead a 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 that's a terrible scene friend the lake of fire is the final abode of those who die in their sins without a sin substitute in the person of Jesus Christ as the books are opened and your life is reviewed it's an open book every thought every deed every motive will be reviewed before that great white throne which speaks of the holiness and majesty of God almighty it's a courtroom scene the books represent the evidence that's stacked against you the sins of your life God requires perfection to get into his heaven one must be completely perfect to obey his commands but man is a sinner who has broken the commands of God man is a guilty rebel against the sovereign king the sentencing of the law must be carried out and punishment must be inflicted for God is a just judge who hates sin and who must punish sin so there you stand friend guilty is charged and under the condemnation of a holy God your only hope is to have a substitute for sin in the person of Jesus Christ he paid the debt of sin on a bloody cross and endured the wrath of the father so those who believe on him shall escape damnation but you must be savedly united to him who is the remedy for sin and the only way friend is through repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ those in Christ have their names written in the book of life and when God looks at your name written there that judge will justify you and acquit you and say enter in into eternal life but those persons whose names are not found written in the book will be cast into the lake of fire Matthew Henry the great bible commentator says of revelation 20 verse 14 happy are those who have so ordered and stated their cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that they shall be justified in the great day of the Lord and you can know that friend but you must come to the friend of sinners Jesus Christ and surrender you all to him and beg him for mercy and grace if you are truly tired of sinning i have good news for you friend the gospels for the weary listen to the words of Jesus who says come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and i will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for i am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light listen friend are you tired of sinning and scared of dying then come to Christ come to Christ dear friend for forgiveness of sins and receive pardon wouldn't it be wonderful to have so ordered and stated your cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that you shall be justified in the great day of the Lord listen to what is needed friend seek the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon are you ready friend to seek the Savior sinners in him is pardon for sin on judgment day when God reviews your life if you are in Christ then your sins are washed in the blood and you have pardon and peace you will be justified in the sight of God because of what Christ has done on your behalf on Calvary listen friend to the following story and it will illustrate to which I speak there was a preacher who was traveling through the city of St. Louis on a Sunday morning and he stopped and parked his car at a downtown church to go into services once inside he realized he was the only white person in an all-black church up in the pulpit was an elderly pastor who was speaking on the topic of heaven this traveling preacher took a seat on the back pew and listened to the preacher's words who said some folks call heaven Abraham's bosom some folks call it paradise but you know how I see it I see it this way here is Jesus and he has just returned to heaven after his earthly ministry and Abel greets him with these words hello Jesus sure is good to see you Jesus welcome home Jesus we sure have missed you but but who is that with you Jesus is that that thief that thief who was hanging next to you on the cross we can't have no thieves up here in heaven Jesus just then Jesus spoke to Gabriel and said never you mind Gabriel never you mind and then Jesus placed his arm around the thief and hugging him said to Gabriel never you mind he's with me I like that friend don't you no matter how bad your past is no matter what your sins are if you come to Christ in repentance and faith he will stand beside you on judgment day and wrap his loving arms around you and declare to the judge he's with me let me ask you are you tired of sinning and scared of dying then come to the one who came down from heaven so we could go up to him come to him to wash all your sins away for the poor sinner was foley come to him and trust in him will be saved come to Christ friend so he can save you on that day he's with me