Friends, today we are going to look at the many people in the bible who had no time for the Lord Jesus and told the Lord Jesus to take a ticket and take a seat. To all my friends everywhere, Brother Bob says confess Jesus as Lord right now today and believe in your hearts that Jesus died for you on the cross and rose again and be saved. Hebrews 3:7 tells us Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day, if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness. Don't put the Lord Jesus off and say Jesus take a ticket and take a seat, I'll get to you when I can at a more convenient season. Jesus does not stand in a line waiting on His turn to see you. When Jesus knocks on your door friend, you must immediately open the door and receive Jesus as your Lord because one day it might be too late.
Pictured above we see Felix and his wife Drusilla telling Paul that they will consider Jesus as Lord at a more convenient season. Paul's testimony about Jesus made Felix tremble and reason about the righteousness, temperance and judgment to come. Unfortunately Felix told the Lord Jesus to take a ticket and take a seat and Felix's convenient season to consider Paul's testimony about Jesus as Lord did not occur. History records that Felix and Drusilla perished and suffered in an earthquake at their city for delaying to consider and accept Jesus.
The picture above is stated at Acts 24:24 and says After certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him; (wow Felix loved money more than Jesus and told Jesus to take a ticket and take a seat).
Friends reading this anywhere, don't be like the multitudes of people that tell the Lord Jesus later on maybe, I got a lot of stuff to do before I can accept Jesus as God. Friends, God will not wait on us. God doesn't need us. We need God. When God calls we better answer and not put God on the backburner. The bible does not say that God has to wait on us. But, the bible says that we have to wait on God. Psalm 27:14 says Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 says But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.
Another person in the bible who told Jesus to take a ticket and take a seat was King Agrippa pictured above who told Paul almost thou persuadest me to be a christian. Acts 26:27 records how Paul tried to save King Agrippa by his testimony when Paul said King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a christian. Friends everywhere let us not be like King Agrippa and just be almost persuaded to be a christian. Almost only counts in horseshoes. In Jesus name, look at Romans 14:5 and Brother Bob says let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind that Jesus is Lord and go all the way with Jesus.
So many people in this world like King Agrippa say some other day I'll think about accepting Jesus as Lord. Some other day might be a better day in our minds to accept Jesus, but today is the day of salvation in God's mind. God's schedule might not match your schedule, but your schedule better match God's schedule. Today, harden not your heart, stiff not your neck, for if you do you shall suddenly be cut off and without remedy. Proverbs 29:1 tells us He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Friends, be blessed and read what my good friend Sonny Mull said about the excuses people make when they tell the Lord Jesus to take a ticket and take a seat. The liquor and the bar crowd says let God wait till we make drunkards out of all your children. The movie industry says let God wait, we got entertainment worth staying home from church for. The sports crowd says let God wait, put him off until you're a pro, making a lot of money, and are famous. The sex crowd says let God wait, till you get aids and then you'll need Him. Let God wait until you got four or five illegitimate children on welfare and nobody wants you. People say wait God, wait, I'm too busy enjoying this world, maybe later. The money crowd says let God wait until I have all my worldly possessions. The drug crowd says let God wait until we can't have fun any other way.
Sonny Mull went on to say people think of God as a last chance to enjoy anything in life. They try everything in the world except Jesus. King Solomon warned us at Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanites, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. After King Solomon realized the emptiness and vanity of this world, he concluded at Ecclesiastes 12:3 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Friends everywhere, put God first, not last, not second, not third; Jesus has got to be first in your life if you want a Holy Ghost filled powerful life.
In the picture above we see another example of the people who lived during Noah's time who also told the Lord Jesus to wait, take a ticket, and take a seat. The people ignored and mocked Noah's preaching for 120 years that they needed to get into the ark because it was going to rain. Notice that God (not Noah) shut the door of the ark. Revelation 3:7 tells us that when God shuts a door, no man can open that door. Genesis 7:15 proves that God shut the door and says And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of flesh, as God had commanded him, and the Lord shut him in (God not Noah shut the door to the ark).
The scriptures that prove that Noah was a preacher of righteousness for an hundred and twenty years can be found at the following places in the bible. 2 Peter 2:5 tells us And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. Genesis 6:3 tells us And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Notice that this bible verse says God will not always strive or wait on us. Therefore, now friend is the time to wake up, accept Jesus as Lord, and serve the Lord Jesus for the rest of our lives.
Take time to read the following scriptures telling us to wake up and accept Jesus as Lord today. Ephesians 5:14 says Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly (defined as diligently, always looking to Jesus and His Word), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Romans 13:11 says And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
For my final picture today, we see the rich young ruler whose love for money caused him to leave Jesus, and tell the Lord Jesus to take a ticket and take a seat. The story about this rich young ruler is found at Luke 18:18 and says And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus replied at Luke 18:20 saying Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing, sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, He said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.
This rich young ruler walked away from Jesus with the excuse that he needed his money more than Jesus. This reminds Brother Bob of the three people that had excuses and told the Lord Jesus that they could not attend His great supper. Because these three people told Jesus to take a ticket and take a seat, they were not allowed to taste of Jesus' great supper. This is recorded at Luke 14:16 and says Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many. And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse.
The first said unto Him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I can not come. Take a look at Jesus' response to their excuses at Luke 14:24 that says For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
My friend Sonny Mull preached a great sermon stating that when people make excuses and put off Jesus for another day for worldly pleasures, Jesus will give them up, up, and over to a reprobate mind. First, God will give them up to uncleanness, second God will give them up to vile affections, and finally God will give them over to a reprobate mind. Up, up, and over.
Up, up, and over is proven by the following scriptures. Romans 1:20 says For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:24 goes on to say Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves; Romans 1:26 goes on to say For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. Finally Romans 1:28 says And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.
Here's something to tell a Jehovah's Witness who comes to your house. Ask the Jehovah Witness Why don't you have a cross on your building; Tell them those to whom hell means little, the cross means less. Remember friend when Jesus died on the cross for you, it kept us out of hell. Show the love of Jesus and pray for Jehovah Witnesses to be saved and confess Jesus as God, but speak out against the Jehovah Witnesses false doctrine that denies Jesus as God. 1 John 4:1 warns us that any religion that says Jesus is not God come in the flesh (which is the belief of the Jehovah Witnesses) is of the antichrist and is not of God. Show a Jehovah Witness 1 Timothy 3:16 and tell them that Jesus was God come in the flesh and was the mystery of godliness.
As always, it is a joy writing these bible studies to lift up our Lord Jesus. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Till we meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.
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