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Are You Ready
Shane Idleman
0:00
0:00 7:27
Shane Idleman

Are You Ready

Shane Idleman · 7:27

The sermon calls for a deep examination of one's faith and the necessity of repentance in light of the gospel's truths.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of preaching the difficult truths of the Bible, including topics like sin, judgment, the wrath of God, righteousness, holiness, the blood, and the cross. It stresses the foundational message of the gospel, highlighting the need for repentance and the exclusive salvation through Jesus Christ. The speaker passionately calls for a transformation in individuals' lives through a genuine encounter with Christ, warning against complacency and emphasizing the urgency of knowing and following God's commandments.

Full Transcript

What we're seeing in our nation today, not only are we seeing a turning away from God, we're seeing an embrace of relativism. We don't want to talk about the difficult truths of the Bible anymore. We don't want to mention hell.

We don't want to mention judgment. We don't want to mention the wrath of God. We don't want to mention righteousness.

We sure don't want to talk about holiness. We don't want to talk about the blood. We don't want to talk about the cross.

Unfortunately, those are the foundations of the gospel. That's the foundation. You can't appreciate the good news without hearing about the bad news.

And yes, we turn on the TV and you can hear about your best life now, but when do you turn on the TV and hear about the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ that we are sinners in need of a savior? When you preach the difficult truths of the Bible, lives are radically changed. That's why we're not seeing people radically change. We're seeing people walk into churches no different when they arrived because they're not being convicted and they're not being challenged.

Do you know that the only hope for this nation and the only hope for people who don't truly know God is repentance? When the judgment hand of God falls upon a nation, there is no plan B. There is no second chance. You don't stand before God and give your, well, I did this and I did that. No, you will fall down on your knees and weep when you stand before a holy, righteous God.

We're talking about the eternal destiny of souls. Behold the glory of God, but we don't want to talk about these things. And that's that first group of people I want to talk to, those who truly don't know God.

Do you know that Jesus said, I am the only way? The only truth, the only life. No man can come to the Father except through me. He is the only way.

All paths, every path you take, every choice, every road, every religion you follow will lead to the judgment seat of God. It will. I can take you through Genesis and Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers and Deuteronomy and Joshua and Judges and Ruth and 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs.

I can take you through the prophets and show you Christ in every book of the Bible. It's all about Christ and him alone. That's why I get excited.

He said he's the only way, the only truth, the only life. You won't get up to God and make a deal. You'll bow to him.

God said he is highly exalted, Jesus Christ. At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. Period.

End of story. John said in the book of Revelation that he saw heaven open and behold, a white horse. And he was set on what's called faithful and true.

And it goes on to say that out of his mouth goes a sword. Jesus Christ, yeah, goes a sword that he will strike the nations. And he himself will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

And he himself will tread the winepress and fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. That does not sound like a pacifist doormat, turn the other cheek. Christ is Lord.

See, we say that flippantly now. Christ is Lord. People used to die for saying that.

Heads will come off. The cross is bloody, it's a mess. Because the sin of mankind, if you don't like what I'm saying, guess what, you need to hear what I'm saying.

If you don't like this, that's because God's convicting you and drawing you. I love this. Thank God for the blood of Christ.

Thank God for the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It's the only reason I stand up here today and I'm not buried in Lancaster somewhere. The grace of God, those who truly don't know God.

And I can't be up here and say, yeah, there's a plan B, like I talked about earlier. It doesn't matter if you're Baptist or Presbyterian or Catholic or any other things. What have you done with Christ? Because you see sin, it's our sin nature.

We are sinners who need a savior. We cannot stand before a holy, righteous, pure God. So he had to send his son who died upon the cross.

Leviticus says, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. His blood has to be shed. He took the place of me and for you, a savior, God on a cross.

That's not pretty. That's not pretty, folks. That's why I get so passionate about because it's life changing.

If your religion has not changed your life, change your religion. If Jesus Christ has truly not changed you, I question the sincerity and genuineness of your salvation. And I can say that with the authority of God's word.

There is a transformed life. Jesus said, he who believes on me as the scriptures say, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. If there's no passion for the things of God, there's no passion for holiness, for purity.

We look just like the world. I need to seriously have you question your commitment to Christ. Paul said, examine yourself.

Do you not know yourself? Is Christ in you? John tells us, he who says he know him, but do not do his commandments are a liar. John, little nice John, yeah. He said they're a liar and the truth is not in them.

I'm not saying this in anger. I'm saying this in love. Warning, people are running for a cliff and they don't even know it.

What I'm doing is I'm shining the light on the darkness of sin. I'm shining the light of the gospel. But in our pride and arrogance, we don't want that.

I'm going to do things my way. I don't need God. I guarantee when you stand in front of him, you will fall down like a child and will not be able to stop weeping.

Because Jesus said, depart from me. I don't know you. Do you truly know him? I mean, I could just skip right to this part and say, are you ready? Do you truly know him?

Sermon Outline

  1. I
    • The current state of our nation and turning away from God
    • The importance of discussing difficult truths
    • The foundation of the gospel
  2. II
    • The necessity of repentance
    • The judgment of God
    • The eternal destiny of souls
  3. III
    • Jesus as the only way to salvation
    • The authority of scripture
    • The call to examine one's faith
  4. IV
    • The significance of the blood of Christ
    • The transformation that comes from true faith
    • The urgency of the message
  5. V
    • The consequences of ignoring the gospel
    • The reality of sin and judgment
    • The hope found in Christ

Key Quotes

“You can't appreciate the good news without hearing about the bad news.” — Shane Idleman
“If your religion has not changed your life, change your religion.” — Shane Idleman
“Do you truly know him? I mean, I could just skip right to this part and say, are you ready?” — Shane Idleman

Application Points

  • Reflect on your relationship with God and seek genuine transformation.
  • Engage with the difficult truths of the Bible to deepen your understanding of the gospel.
  • Encourage others to examine their faith and the reality of their commitment to Christ.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main message of the sermon?
The sermon emphasizes the need for repentance and the importance of acknowledging difficult truths about sin and salvation.
Why is discussing hell and judgment important?
These topics are foundational to understanding the gospel and the necessity of recognizing our need for a savior.
What does it mean to truly know God?
To truly know God means to have a genuine relationship with Him that transforms your life and leads to obedience.
How can one be sure of their salvation?
Salvation is evidenced by a transformed life and a passion for holiness and the things of God.
What should we do if we feel distant from God?
We should examine our hearts, repent, and seek a deeper relationship with Christ.

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