All right, take your Bibles, please, and turn to the book of Matthew, chapter 5. Matthew, chapter 5. While you're turning there, several years, I mentioned this to the congregation several times, but several years ago, we were in New Orleans, and I had our ministry there, and there was a man, we had a thrift store in Belchase, and there was a man who brought stuff to our thrift store on a regular basis. His name was Mr. Wall and he was probably in his, I guess maybe his late 60s, maybe even early 70s, I'm not sure. But he drove a car that somebody had banged into the door and he had to get out the opposite side. The door was all crunched in and beat up and the window was out of it. And what he would do, he would go around to people would, on garbage day, he would go around and pick stuff out of people's garbage that they would throw away and he'd, if it was clothing, he'd take it home and clean it up and he would fold it up nice and neat and bring it and donate it to our store. And he would get literally mad. If you walked over a penny, if there was a penny laying in the parking lot, and you walked over and didn't pick it up, he would literally get angry. I mean, when he would bring this stuff to our store, it wasn't in a way that he would, you know, he would smile and, here, I want to give you this stuff. He'd bring it and he'd, almost every time, invariably, he would be complaining about the things that people would throw away. He would just get, he'd stay mad, he stayed mad all the time because of the things that people threw away. And so, he'd bring these things to our store and one day, You know, I got him to come to church. He started coming to church a little bit, but he didn't come too long. He stayed a while and then he quit. And I'll tell you in a minute about that. But he was, this old car he drove, it looked like the rust was holding it together. And so at that time, I would go to, sometimes I would go to these storage places, these mini warehouses, and I would, they'd have an auction and I would buy these warehouses. And went one time and one of them had a car in it. The car had been there for no telling how long. And it was, I forget what kind it was now, but the paint was still good on it. It was an older vehicle back in the 60's. But the paint was still good because it had been in this warehouse for probably 10 or 15 years. People paying on it. And finally they just lost it. And I bought it. I paid about I think I paid around $400 for it. Car was in good shape, ran good, looked good, interior was perfect, paint was, like I say, was still in good shape. And so I bought this car for him. I gave it to Mr. Wong. Because I, like I say, the rust was holding his car together. And so I gave it to him, and he... The next day after I gave him this car, or the next time he came to the store, I don't know if it was the next day or not, but the next time he came to the store, he had taken a can of spray paint and sprayed that car in circles and just, you know, and that blue, it was a powder blue, and that blue was showing through there. And I said, why did you paint the car? He said, I just didn't, I didn't like that color. He changed the color on that car. But anyway, one day, he got mad with me. Sometime after that, he was in church and I preached something he didn't like and so he didn't come back. But he still came and brought stuff to the store after that. And he came in one day, he came in a couple of times when I wasn't there, but one day he came in and I was there. And I began talking to him and asked him why he wasn't coming back to church. He said, and here was his reason for not coming back to church. He said, all you ever preach is about salvation in hell. Well, it wasn't quite accurate, you know. I remember years ago, somebody came from here and stayed with me in New Orleans when I was there, back long ago before I married my wife. Big tall fellow. In fact, he was so tall he fit over both ends of my couch. But he came and stayed with me there, but his complaint was a similar complaint about Brother Mack. He said, all he preaches over there is about tithing and salvation. Well, I knew that wasn't true. But that's what happens with people when they get upset about something and want to leave a church. They pick out something they don't like and they magnify it far above what it is. Well, that's what he did. He said, all you ever preach is about hell and salvation. And I said, well, let me ask you a question, Mr. Wall. I gave him this scenario. I said, Mr. Wall, and by the way, I'm about to relate to some things about his house. I went by his house one day and again, Mr. Wall was a, he just wouldn't throw anything away. And his house reflected that. His yard was full of junk. And I went and knocked on his door. We couldn't get to the front door because it was blocked off with junk. And I went to the back door and knocked on the back door and he didn't come to the door. But I got to looking inside the house through the window on the door. And I don't know how he could have got to the back door. I mean, if he would have come to the door and invited me in, I don't know how I would have gotten in. It was so full of stuff, there was just little pathways about so wide through these boxes throughout his house. And so, but I told him, when he said that that was all I ever preached was about salvation and hell, I said to him, Mr. Wall, let me ask you a question. I said, if I pass by your house, And your house was on fire, which was a reality in his case. It could have very easily been on fire, and if it would have been on fire, I don't know how you'd have ever gotten out. And so I said, if I passed by your house and saw your house on fire, And I just passed by and, you know, you happened to see me passing by out the window and I waved to you and you waved back. And I said, you didn't know that there was a fire in your house. And I said, but I did, I could see it in an area of the house that maybe you didn't see. And I just passed on by and you subsequently burned up in that house. I said, now, you wouldn't consider me a very nice person, would you? I mean, I would be an awful person if I did something like that. I said, and so Mr. Wall, the bottom line is this, and I asked him about his soul, about being saved, and of course he gave an unscriptural, listen to what I'm telling you now, he gave an unscriptural response to my question as to whether or not he was saved. Anyone who gives an unscriptural response to whether or not a person's, whether or not they're saved, we have to assume that they're not. Even if they say they are, but give an unscriptural response. Now there are some people who give a scriptural response who aren't saved. But most certainly, salvation is of the Lord and salvation, what we know of salvation, we know from this book. And so it must be according to what this book says. And so I told him, after talking to him about his soul, I said, Mr. Wall, your house is on fire. And I said, I have to tell you that your house is on fire. You may not come back and allow me to tell you again, but I have to tell you today that your house is on fire. If you die without Christ, you're going to a literal lake of fire. And so this morning I want to speak for just a few moments on your house is on fire. I want you to consider it's going to be some if statements. If these qualifications, if these certain things stack up, then you need to give serious thought to the fact that your house is on fire and there's something you need to do about it. You need to escape the burning. Matthew chapter 5 and we'll begin reading with verse 17. Matthew chapter 5 verse 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, Jesus said. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle, shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least of commandments, and shall teach men, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raka, shall be in danger of the counsel. But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary. Quickly, while thou art in the way with him, lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Let's pray. Our Father, we bow and thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the Word of God. Again, speak to us, please, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Now these are some pretty serious words, I would say. He says it's better to pluck your eye out and go to heaven with one eye than to go to hell with two. It's better to cut your hand off and go to heaven with one hand than to go to hell with two. Serious business. Now I have heard of people, I have heard of an incident some years ago where a person literally cut off his foot. Now how his foot was offending him, I don't know, but he cut it off and took this passage to justify what he had done. Now the point is here that you don't want to go to hell. Nobody wants to go to hell. Oh, I hear people joking about it. Oh yeah, I may go to hell, but all my buddies will be there. I don't want to go to heaven. I don't know anybody there. That's a foolish, foolish statement. Nobody wants to go to hell. Hell is an awful, awful place. But people are going. Now, I want to say to you this morning that your house is on fire if your righteousness doesn't exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. Watch it again now. Your house is on fire. That's what he says in verse 20. He says in verse 20, I say unto thee, to you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now, that's pretty serious business. What's he talking about, about this matter of the righteousness of the Pharisees and the scribes? What kind of folks were these? Well, one thing, they were very dedicated. They were very involved in their activity, their religious activity. They weren't unfaithful to their religious activity. They were very faithful to it. When Saul, when the king wanted to know where Jesus was to be born, he sent to the scribes and they went to the books and found it. I mean, they knew how to get what they needed or the information required, they knew how to get it from the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures. So they weren't unacquainted with the Bible. They weren't unfamiliar with the things of the Word of God. That was their business. The scriptures were the scribes' business and they studied it. diligently. Now, go with me, if you will, to Luke, chapter number 18. Let's see a little more, a little further into this character, the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Now keep in mind, Jesus said, if your righteousness doesn't exceed theirs, you'll in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Chapter 18 of the book of Luke, verse 9 says, And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee that I am not, as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican, I fast twice in the week. I won't ask for showing of hands, but I wonder how many of us have fasted two times this last week. You say, well, I skipped a meal. No, that's not what he was talking about. I'm on a diet. No, that's not what he's talking about either. When they fasted, they did without food entirely. No food passed through their lips from sundown to sundown the next day, a 24-hour period. So two 24-hour periods in a seven-day week, this man fasted. I would say he was pretty diligent about his religious activities. He was faithful to his religious activities, and because of his faithfulness to his religious activities, he was convinced that he was righteous. More so, now this publican, there's no indication that this publican fasted at all. Probably from the indication that we have in the Scriptures, probably he was more frequented at the banquet table than the fasting. See, when Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus, well, he took him to a banquet. And the publicans were the tax gatherers and they were normally pretty well off. And so I'm sure that they spent their time in banqueting and feasting rather than fasting. So he could look at that publican and make a comparison and say, well, I've got to be better than he is. I fast twice a week. Now what? Let's move on. He says, I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. Now, for sure he wasn't a Baptist. Now that's not true. Probably, I don't know about other churches, but I know this church, the general membership are tithing folks. They know the value of obeying the Word of God. Very diligent about it. Now, but in general, in general throughout Baptist circles, I don't think it's very common, but he says, I'd give tithes of all that I possess. So he was diligent about his religious activity. Verse 13 says, And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breath, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For every one that exalted himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Now, we are not going to take the time to do it, but if we went back again to Matthew chapter 5 and saw the list of things there, Jesus puts it on a different level. He puts sin on a different level. He takes it out from the realm of strictly obeying the law by outward circumstances and places it into the realm of a matter of the heart. See, sin is a matter of the heart. And when He said, except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, He meant that it's got to be a righteousness of the heart and not of the... Just the outward obedience. And the only way that's going to happen is by trusting Christ. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21 says, He, God, hath made Him, Jesus, to be sin for us, Jesus who knew no sin, that we sinners might be made the righteousness of God in Him. See, when Jesus said, except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, what He meant was, you're not going to heaven without the righteousness of Christ. It's got to be beyond ourselves. They trusted in themselves. If you are trusting in anything that you produce, anything that originates with you, then it's not enough. It's just simply not enough. Your house is on fire if your righteousness doesn't exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. And then your house is on fire if you need signs and wonders to know that you're saved, to know that you're going to heaven. Now, look with me in John chapter 4 if you would. John chapter 4. And we'll begin reading with verse 46. John chapter 4 verse 46. If you need something external, if you need signs and wonders, anything external to know that you're going to heaven, you're in trouble. Please hear what I'm telling you this morning. Your house is on fire if you need anything external to know that you're going to heaven. John chapter 4 and verse 46 says, So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wind, and there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." Isn't that a curious thing? Jesus is known as the... I mean, He was God. He is compassion incarnate. And He is love incarnate, yet He rebuked this man. This man out of the desperation of his heart came to Jesus and said, please come down and heal my son because he's just about to die. And Jesus, almost like in the narration, it's almost like He didn't even hear what He said. He said, except you see signs and wonders you will not believe. Now, I think Jesus is bringing out a very, very, very important point here. Look at our society today. Look at how much emphasis is placed upon miracles, signs, and wonders. In the realm of Christianity particularly, the largest churches, in fact, I believe the largest church in the world, every year that I've gone, I've gone twice to the radio convention. We went to Anaheim, California this year and the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. And each time I've gone, the two times I've gone, the church in Korea, I forget the name of it, but it's a huge church in Korea. They have over 100,000 members. They have representatives at this convention every year. And they show, they have their pictures on TV and stuff of all the miracles and healings that are going on. Some of the largest churches in the world are involved in the matter of healing. All you have to do is turn on cable TV and as soon as you come across the channel where this guy is in a white suit, white Nehru suit, shirt, suit, whatever. When you see this fellow, the thing you are going to note most prominently in all of his meetings is Miracles, signs, and wonders. I mean, this guy must have some power, right? All he does is wave his hand over the audience and they all fall out in the aisles and in the chairs. I mean, people will come forward and he'll just stick his hand out like that and they all fall out on the floor. Surely there's some... You say, well, there's nothing to it, it's all phony. I don't believe that. I don't believe that it's all phony. I don't believe that he doesn't have some kind of power. I just don't believe it's of God. I can back that up scripturally, from the book, from the Word of God. See, the point of the matter is, here's Jesus telling this man, except you see signs and wonders, you're just not going to believe. Then he went on to say to the man, the nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. Well, you know the rest of the story, as Mr. Harvey would say. He found his son all better when he got there. And Jesus brought out a very important point here. That if you've got to rely on something external to believe God, you're believers in the wrong place. If you've got to have some kind of external evidence to know you're going to heaven, then you are in trouble. Bottom line is, your house is on fire. Go back to John chapter 2, please. John chapter 2, begin reading in verse 23. John 2, 23. Another very curious portion of Scripture. He says in John 2, 23, Now when he was in Jerusalem, At the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." Isn't that curious? Many believed in His name. But he didn't commit himself to them. Why? Because you don't come to Jesus by miracles, signs, and wonders. You might be attracted to the Son of God because of the power. But you don't come to Him in salvation because of miracles, signs, and wonders. 1 John chapter 5. Let me just read it for you real quick. In 1 John chapter 5, verse 10. No, just turn there if you would. 1 John 5, 10 to 12. says this, He that believeth on the Son of God hath a witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Belief is in the record. In other words, we believe the record, not the circumstances. It's not the outward response that makes the determination. It's the record that God gave us. Your house is on fire if you need some type of external evidence to know you're going to heaven. My Bible tells me that in Romans chapter 8, that the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Here in 1 John it says, He that believeth on the Son hath a witness, in himself. That's an internal evidence. There are two evidences that a person is going to heaven. The external being the Word of God. The internal being the Holy Spirit of God. They do agree. A two-fold witness must agree in order to be valid. They agree a hundred percent. If you need some type of external evidence, then your house is on fire. Your house is also on fire if the traditions of men mean more to you than the truth of God. I was talking to a fellow yesterday and he related to me, he is a preacher's son, and he related to me how that his family, a big portion of his family are a Christian denomination other than Baptist. And he was raised Baptist, but a lot of his family members were raised in other denominations. And he was talking about how his father, who was a preacher, would get into debates with them on occasion, some of his siblings on occasion. And he remembers distinctly one point in time where his father was trying to convince his aunt of the need of a doctrinal position from the Word of God. It wasn't a Baptist doctrine, it was just a Bible doctrine that Baptists believed. And he was trying to convince her of that and she made the statement, she said, I don't care what the Bible says, I know what I've experienced. You see, that would probably describe a large percentage of the people in our churches, including our Baptist churches. See, it's not what you've experienced. You don't know that your experience is valid. When I say valid, I mean coming from the right source, unless you can back it up in the book. See, I have friends who I've heard, and I've related this to you before, but I have friends who say, well, God told me to do that. I'm real, real nervous about that statement. God told me to do that. Well, how did He tell you? Did you hear a voice out here on the periphery? You know what I mean? If you're hearing and responding to voices, to audible voices, you might need to pass by the... What's that mental ward down here? You might need to go and get checked up if you're responding to voices. Now, God does talk to us, by the way. But He'll never tell you anything different from this book. And He talks to you from this book. So He can impress upon your heart. He can lead you in a certain way and does. The children of God are led by the Spirit of God, but never contrary to the Word of God. So a statement such as, I don't care what the Bible says, is a very problematic statement. You're in trouble. Might I say, your house is on fire if you accept the tradition of men over the truth of God. Go with me to Mark, please, Mark chapter 7. In Mark chapter 7, for time sake, I really need to read verses 1 through 13. Well, I believe I will. Just read all the way 1 through 13. It's very important that we see this. In verse 1 it says, Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defile, that is to say with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they washed their hands oft, eat not. holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not, and many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and vessels, and tables. And then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands. And he answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold to the tradition of men. as the washing of pots and cups and many other such like things you do. And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother, and whosoever curseth father and mother, let him die the death. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father's mother, It is Corbin that is to say, A gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free, and you suffer him no more to do aught for his father's mother, making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered, and many such like things ye do." Now, if we accept tradition over truth, we're in trouble, real trouble. Let me give you an example. popular among our circles, fundamental Baptist circles. And that is the teaching of Romans chapter 10 and verse 13 in comparison with Revelation chapter 20 or chapter 3 and verse 20. See, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20 says that, behold, Jesus speaking, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me. And then Romans chapter 10 and verse 13 says, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now there are some over the years, and I don't know where it started, but somewhere back yonder, you can tell I'm from the south, somewhere back yonder, somebody started this idea that, and they put these two verses together and said, there it is, Jesus is knocking on your heart's door, if you will open up to Him, He'll come in and you can be saved. And all you got to do to open the door is call upon His name and ask Him to save you. Well, the bottom line is this. Number one, Revelation 3.20 is not talking about an individual, and Jesus is not standing at somebody's heart's door. It's talking about a church, and Jesus is on the outside of the church knocking to get in, and the only one, the person who hears His voice is one of His already, sheep. They can open up and have fellowship with Jesus in the middle of a lukewarm situation. Secondly, Romans chapter 10 and verse 13, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, must be kept in its context, which verse 15 tells us, the process whereby a person calls upon the Lord. How shall they call upon Him whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except there be sin? See, the order is, somebody comes and proclaims a gospel, you hear it with understanding, according to Ephesians 1, and you respond. And then you're saved by believing on Christ, and then you're in a position to call upon Him. That's the process. Has nothing to do with getting saved. We must get to where we take the truth of God and line it up correctly and properly in our own hearts and minds. And then your house is on fire if you're waiting for a more convenient season. Friends, this whole business is about to wrap up. I mean, none of us have a promise of tomorrow. The young die as well as the old. Over in the Spanish church, the fellow that was coming down from Georgia and helping them out, preaching to them, he's from Columbia. His son is 21 years old and he's dying with leukemia. Now, my stepfather died with leukemia. I know how that works. It's not pleasant. Here's this young man in the prime of life, robust, And yet he's dying with leukemia. The young die as well as the old. You think, well, I'm just going to do my thing right now. And one day, when I get older, I'll get right. I'll make things right. You may not be able to. You say, well, I'm not going to. Well, you may not die. I'll tell you what, you don't have to die to not be able to make things right. You may get out there and blow your mind on drugs or alcohol or just stupidity. to where you get to the point that your receptor is all messed up. If your receptor gets messed up, you're going to have a problem. See, the idea, the whole idea of waiting for a more convenient season, it never comes. Go with me to Acts chapter 24. Acts chapter 24 and verse 25, you know the story about Agrippa and how that Paul preached and he trembled and he was, God dealt with his heart. And he says in verse 24, And Festus said, King Agrippa and all men which are here present with us. You see this man about whom the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I... I'm sorry, I'm in chapter 25. Skipped over a page. 24, after and 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. And of course he hoped that money might be given, but there's no record that he ever called. No record he ever came back. No record that he ever got saved. He trembled. It bothered him what was being said. The message had an effect on him. I have seen people in church services literally gripping the back of the chair or the back of the pew and their knuckles turning white and trembling in fear of what might happen to them. But then they go away. And the emphasis is not there. They go away and they are not thinking about it directly. Nobody is pressing them about their eternal destiny. They sit down in front of the tube and their mind goes into neutral and all the garbage starts piling in and washing out the truth of God that they had heard. And so they don't respond. And a convenient season never comes. What a tragedy that is. In 2 Corinthians chapter number 6, it says this, And I know this may be a little bit misapplied, but I think it fits myself. 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 1 says, When we then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain. For He saith, I have heard thee in the time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. And that probably has more emphasis to the believer, but it applies to everyone. You don't have a promise of tomorrow. You may have a tomorrow. Pray to God that you do. Pray that we all do. I pray to God that I have a tomorrow to try to win some of my friends and family and neighbors. You need to pray to God that you have a tomorrow that you might diligently seek the truth of God to the point that you are 100% sure that you are going to heaven. I'm going to finish with this. Your house is on fire if your confidence, now I've already stated this, but if your confidence is in anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ, to the point that you are 100% sure that when you leave this life you're going to be with Him. See, if your confidence is up and down, this week you might be confident, but next week something happens and you're not. then you may very well have a serious problem that you need to address. I would not settle for anything less than complete confidence, knowing that when you leave this life, you're going to step into His presence. You say, well, how can anybody know that? Well, look in chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians, and we'll finish. Verse 1 of chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians says, For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, and a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. That's talking about this body. The tabernacle, it says, this earthly house, this tabernacle, if it were dissolved, it goes back to the dirt. Now he says this is something we know, not something we wonder about, not something we think might maybe happen. We know that if this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. Watch this. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with the house which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Talking to people who are saved, people who have been born again, people in whom dwells the Spirit of God. Verse 6, Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith and not by sight. Now watch verse 8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body. What does it mean to be absent from the body? To die, for this body to be dissolved, to go to the dirt. Then I say, willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. How? The previous verse, it's the result of the earnest of the Spirit and we are always confident. Not confident today and wondering tomorrow, always confident. Now, it's my obligation. as pastor of this church. It's my obligation as a preacher of the gospel. It's my obligation as a Christian, as a born-again child of God, it's my obligation to warn you that your house is on fire, if any of those conditions exist in your life. And I plead with you today to take the necessary steps to avoid destruction. We're not talking about temporary destruction. We're talking about a literal lake of fire. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 11 through 15 talks about the great white throne judgment. And it says, Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. That's an awesome thing. That's an awful thing. You do not know that you won't breathe your last breath before another 24 hours transpires. I strongly encourage you to do everything necessary today to escape the fire. Jesus has made the way, not a way, but the way. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. I plead with you to come to Him. That's not at an altar necessarily. You could meet Him at this altar. You could also meet Him right where you sit. You could meet Him in your home, in your living room or your bedroom. You could meet Him driving down the road. The important thing is that you take all necessary steps to expose yourself to this book enough to where you trust Him. Say, how much do I have to know to get saved enough to trust Him? Enough to trust Him and Him alone to take you to heaven.