THEN FOLLOW HIM

Elijah was in front of the people of Israel, facing the prophets of the false god Baal. The people had been mostly worshipping Baal, but some of them wanted to keep one foot on the side of Jehovah; others wanted to mostly worship Jehovah, but keep one foot on the side of Baal. Lots of people are like that today.

Elijah set up a test. He, and the prophets of Baal, would each set up an altar with an offering, but put no fire. Both sides would pray and whoever answered by fire would prove he was the true God. Baal never answered. The real God of Israel sent down fire and burnt Elijah’s offering. That was proof all right!

But that fire isn’t what I’m talking about today. I’m talking about Elijah’s question. Look down at your Bible again.

“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” (I Kings 18:21).

Elijah’s question was obvious. It was unanswerable. That’s why “the people answered him not a word.” They wanted to get out of the question. That’s why they kept quiet. But there was no way out. Just who are you going to follow? God or Baal? It’s that clear.

For a few years before I trusted Jesus, I was curious. Instead of telling them to get lost, I got into conversations with Christians. I asked them questions. We talked. I thought about what they said. One day I said this,

“If there is a God, then He’s the most important thing in the world.”

That was obvious. God is bigger and more important than anyone else. So, He should be the most important thing to me. I should be a Christian all the way, or not at all. Yes, Captain Obvious.

There is no way to get out of this. That’s why the people of Israel “answered him not a word.” They didn’t want to believe in God only. They didn’t want to live for God totally. For them, it was just a little bit, like they were already doing.

Most people are like that today. They may say they believe in God. They may say they believe in Jesus. But they don’t follow Him like He was the only God. One person said to me, “I’m not a fanatic about it.” He knew it was true, but he wanted just a little taste of it. Not enough to take over his life.

I was like that myself. Sometimes there were sins I wanted to keep. Sometimes I thought of my plan for my life, that I didn’t want to give up – or even put under the eye of God, because He might have something different in mind.

Sometimes it wasn’t a sin, or my plan. I just plain didn’t want Jesus over my life, in my life, and over me. That place was for myself only. That was my captain’s chair, and it was only for me.

Are you like I was? Are you like the people of Israel were? Some of you are just like that. You come to church. Your life isn’t so terrible. You are better than most people. But you haven’t trusted Jesus. You haven’t come over to Jesus.

Some of you are still fooling around. You come to church once in a while, or only once on Sunday. But your life still belongs to you. In the old days they would call you a “trifler.” A trifle is a small, unimportant thing, not worth much. But that’s what you do.

Remember what I said. If there is a God, He’s everything. He’s the most important thing, not just a small thing, or one thing out of many others. No! That’s obvious. To the trifler Jesus will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Away with you! Away with you!

Or maybe you’re not a trifler, but you still haven’t gone over to Jesus. But there is no way to get out of this. Most people just keep on the way they are. But maybe you are thinking about Elijah’s question. You are thinking about what I said to my friend. It makes sense. So, I ask you, what are you going to do about it? Nothing? Not a word? Or are you going to surrender to the true God by Jesus Christ? The answer is obvious. But are you going to do it? If you don’t, you will lose your soul forever. And there will be no excuse. It will be your own decision. You just plain didn’t do it. Really you didn’t want it.

King Agrippa said to Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). But there is no evidence that he ever did! You may think that an “almost Christian” is doing really well. You’re 90% of the way to Heaven. Or at least 80%, or 70%. But are you?

In fact, you are still 100% lost! The “almost Christian” is in a very dangerous place indeed. You are still in your sins. They are still on your record. You are still hanging over Hell. If you die tonight, that’s where you will go.

You may want to trust partway, a little more than you are doing now. You want to join the church, or get baptized, or something else. But that won’t help you. All that’s just pretty decorations, ornaments. But it won’t save you because it isn’t the real point. It isn’t what God wants. It isn’t what you really need.

Jesus doesn’t want you for “a little more.” He wants YOU. You, a person. Jesus is a person too, isn’t He? You don’t need just a little more. You need HIM. And He loves YOU.

That ought to make sense. Jesus is either your Lord and Saviour, or He is not. You either belong to Him, surrendered to Him, with Him and for Him – or you do not. It’s the same as what Elijah said: are you with God or not? I ask you now, are you with Jesus or not? I didn’t ask you, are you in church? I didn’t ask you, is your life cleaned up? I ask you, are you with JESUS or not?

It’s not enough that you believe about Jesus in your mind. You already know a lot about Him. It’s not enough that you go to church. It’s not enough that you live what people call a good life. Are you with Jesus in the TRUST way, the personal way, the ALL way? Is your person, your self, surrendered to Jesus? I didn’t ask if you’re perfect. I’m asking about your inner self, what people call your heart.

Some people talk about receiving Jesus. Some say coming to Jesus. Some say trusting Jesus. It’s all the same thing. And you do it with your self, your being, what people call your heart.

So, what about you? Are you going to do it? If you are, why wait?

I already know the answer. You already know the answer. I said that “I just plain didn’t want Jesus over my life, in my life, and over me.” I was a “just plain” person. And you are too. Admit it. You “just plain” won’t trust Jesus. That stubbornness will cost you your soul. Give it up. Throw yourself at the feet of Jesus. Kneel at the Cross. Be washed by His Blood. It’s that simple.

You may try to get around it. Like the people of Israel, you may “answer not a word.” You may do a little more, or improve yourself a little. You may set the whole thing aside to look at it later. But you cannot get out of it in the end. Nobody can. The Bible says,

“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” (Revelation 20:11-15; p. 1350).

This is called the Great White Throne Judgment. Everyone will be there. You will not be excused. So, YOU will be there. Your sins will be read out of God’s records, which are called “the books.” You will be cast into the lake of fire. There is no way out. You will scream and cry and protest, but you will not get out. No one there will get out. You will not get out.

There is only one way out. But you have to take it early, in this life. By the time you get to the white throne judgment, it will be too late.

You have to have your name in the book of life. The book of life is the book with the names of every person who has ever trusted Jesus and been saved by His Blood.

If your name is in that book, you will not be punished in the judgment. But you have to get your name there now, in this life. You can’t get to the judgment and say, “Please write my name in the book of life.” Too late. You had the time to do that, but you chose not to. Too late.

Oh, choose Jesus now! Be forgiven of your sin now! Go to Him. Receive Him. Give in to Him. Let Him be your Saviour. Let Him be your Lord. You are guilty of your sin, aren’t you? Oh, come to Jesus! He will forgive you, because He died to do that. Oh, isn’t it time you put your burden down? He will wash your sins away with His Blood. That’s why He gave it.

Say YES to Jesus with your heart and soul. Admit it. Anything less is still a NO. Don’t reject Jesus any longer. If you want to talk, or have us pray for you, please see Pastor Ngann or me after this service. But oh, why wait any longer? Why say no to the Saviour who loves you and died for you? Please, please trust Jesus! Amen.