I want you to look at this text with me today that's so familiar to you, where these Jewish people are given a choice. They have a choice between Barabbas and a choice between Him and Jesus. And you see the choice that they make, that they choose this notorious criminal who was a thief, who led an insurrection against the government, who was a murderer. They chose him over Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless Son of God. They chose Barabbas over Christ. And I believe if you would just think about this, you realize that this is the choice that men make when they choose the world over Christ. They chose anarchy over Christ. They chose cursing over blessing. They chose darkness over light. They chose around us over Christ. You today make a choice. Christianity, in its message, is an offer of a choice. God gives you that choice. It's your free will to make a choice. I would try to persuade you to choose Christ. There are loved ones here that pray that you choose Christ. The Holy Spirit bids you to choose Christ. But ultimately, this morning, you make the choice. It's your choice. Nobody will bring psychological pressure upon you to make the choice. Nobody will bring physical force upon you to make the choice. But you today will make a choice, and I ask you to listen to me, because there's no greater choice that you ever make than what we speak of this morning. I look at this choice that the Jews made. Pilate gives them the choice. Jesus or Barabbas. I see in it a most incredible choice. It is absolutely incredible to me that they chose a murderer, a thief, an insurrectionist over Christ. We who know Christ, we who have received Christ, we who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, Do not understand anyone that would choose otherwise. It seems incredible to me that people would choose anything other than Jesus Christ, given the options. And especially that they would choose what they do choose. We in America are making our choice. We've been making that choice for the last 200 years. And we have again and again and again reaffirmed our choice. We're making the choice of anarchy over the Bible. We're throwing out the commandments. We're throwing out the teaching of the Bible. We are banning God from public life. And look at what has been the result. It is incredible to me that men would allow such teaching as evolution, as an alternative lifestyle, homosexuality to be taught, as abortion to be taught, and stand against the Bible, and stand against the commandments, stand against such teaching as abstinence that we want our young people taught. It just seems incredible to me. And then, not only what they choose, but to choose against Jesus. Here is the Lord Jesus Christ in all of his glory, in all of his perfection, in all that he offers to the heart that receives him. And I say this morning that it is incredible to me That right here in this room, that there are some in this room that are going to choose against Christ. You say, I'm not choosing against Christ. You are choosing. And it is about Christ. That's ultimately what it's all about. It's Jesus Christ. I'm not saying this morning that you're choosing whether you're going to be a Baptist or not. That isn't what I'm trying to push. But I'm telling you, as sure as I'm looking at you this morning, that there's not a soul under the sound of my voice that isn't going to make a choice. And it's incredible that you would know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you. He had his blood for you. And it's incredible that you could turn your back on him and choose this world. This choice is incredible, it's immeasurable. I don't know that they understood how huge of a choice it was. I'm not sure that they appreciated the values that were involved here, the worth, what was on the line. I think all of us in our life at times have made choices, and we didn't realize how important was the decision we were making. I tell people, all the time, that the second most important choice that you'll ever make in life is who you marry. And I believe that. And yet people make choices on a regular basis about who they will marry without even a concept of how important that decision is. Whoever you marry is going to be the mother or father of your children. Whoever you marry is going to determine to a great extent how you live. And yet people get into something that they can't, they're injured and their life is a mess. Because they had no concept of how important was the decision. We make choices on a regular basis that are very important because they involve several years. I always think of that when it comes to automobiles. Before I sign on the line, I want to realize I'm signing for four, five, maybe six years. Maybe seven years I'm agreeing to right now that I'm going to pay for something. It's a huge decision when I think of it like that. These Jewish people, all they thought of was their hatred and their bitterness toward Christ. They could see no further than the hand in front of their face. Look at what they said in verse 25. Pilate says, I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Don't you wish it was just that simple? It's not that simple. Pilate's not innocent. Pilate is still going to face God in heaven over the decision he made here this day. In your hearing, as we read, he said twice in this passage, that Jesus Christ was a just man, and yet he sentenced him to die. But then notice the Jewish people, in verse 25, they said, His blood be on us and on our children. In one simple sentence, they condemned their future. They had no concept of what this statement meant. His blood be upon us and upon our children in 70 A.D. The armies of Rome under General Titus circled Jerusalem, and they withstood him to the point that they angered him. And finally the city fell, and when it fell he was so angry that he went in there and slew people and slew children in blood. float in the streets. All of that's a result of right here. Jesus said to these same people, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you together as a hen that gathers chicks, and you would not. He says, now your house is left desolate. And in 70 A.D. it happened. And you can follow their history. There's no question this world has been anti-Semitic. We know that. And it reached its peak under Hitler when six million Jews were exterminated. Not only men and women, but children. And one of the greatest atrocities ever known to mankind. They said, let his blood be upon us and upon our children. The decision they were making was immeasurable in its consequences. They made an incredible decision! Barabbas over Christ! And when they made that decision, they had no concept of what it was about. And I'm telling you in this room, from the front to the back, and I speak to you as directly as I know how to, you have no concept of what you're dealing with if you reject Jesus Christ. With the gospel, it's either or. As I said last week, it's an ultimatum. Jesus Christ will be accepted, or you will suffer for it. You say, my, that doesn't sound like a gospel. The gospel is awful good news, if you understand it. The gospel is good news because already we stand condemned before God, but Jesus Christ died in our place. He offered himself for us. And if we receive it, we receive forgiveness of sin. But it's our choice, and I'm telling you, it's the largest, it's the greatest decision you will ever make! It's the most important decision of your life! Because it's an eternal choice. The Bible says, what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? No, it's a choice. But you need to be very careful, because Jesus himself said, you count up the cost. Somewhere in America, we have it our own way. That's what we've been told. You do it your way. But God in heaven has sent his son to die in your place. And you have a choice. You choose what you will do with Jesus Christ. But as I said to you last week, you have no choice about what He will do with you. Now you come to this passage. He offers them a choice. And the Bible offers us a choice. Choose you this day whom you will serve. It's an inescapable choice. It's an unavoidable choice. You, this morning, I make you nervous. I'm nervous myself. I'm nervous that I might fail. I can't imagine. So you're here, and I fail. I fail to show you how serious this choice is, the solemnity of it, the weight of it. Just a preacher, you make me nervous. It is the business of preaching to offer you a choice. But it's the business of preaching to tell you that you must make a choice. It's inescapable. See, what's happening today is we're being offered Christianity without a choice. Celebration would be very simple and easy if you didn't have to make a choice, wouldn't it? In other words, if I could offer you a way to be saved and you continue to live just like you're living. In other words, if you could have both the world and Christ, wouldn't it be so simple? It would change my evangelism. In fact, the whole rub with evangelism is that you have to repent. If there is no repentance, if you don't have to repent, it's a no-brainer, isn't it? I mean, honestly, if I tell you that I can show you a way that if you died tonight, you'd go to heaven, I ask you, do you know for sure, do you know 100% sure that if you die, you will go to heaven? And then I say, I can prove to you and show you how you can know 100%. And then I tell you that we're all sinners, and there's a penalty on sin, and Jesus paid that penalty, and all you have to do is by faith, receive it! But I don't tell you that if you're living in adultery, you've got to get out of that adultery and turn from that wicked sin. And I don't tell you if you're drunk that you've got to turn from it. If I don't tell you that you're a liar, that you've got to quit lying. If I don't tell you that you're a homosexual and you've got to turn from that lifestyle. There's the rub. And I'm telling you, the Bible says, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. The Bible tells us we have to make a choice. The Bible says in 1 John 2, verses 15 through 17, where it speaks of all that is in the world, lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the plight of life. It said, love not the world, neither things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. You can't love the world and love the Father at the same time. Jesus looked at the rich young ruler and he said, I've kept all of the commandments the rich young ruler did. What do I lack? And Jesus said, I'll tell you what you do. You take everything you've got and you sell it, you give it to the poor. You come follow me. Pick up your cross. And the Bible said he went away sorrowful. Jesus lost the prospect right there. The problem with that man was his greed. The problem with that man was covetousness. The problem with that, Jesus put his finger on what was the skin of his life. Now watch it. God always puts his finger on what is the heartbeat of our life. The woman at the well, she said, Jesus said, I can give you water to drink and you will never thirst again. She said, give me that water. I don't want to be thirsty again. I want that water. And Jesus, instead of leading her to pray, instead of the sinner's prayer, he says, go call your husband. She says, I don't have a husband. He said, you're right about that. He said, you've had five husbands. And the one you're with right now is not your husband. Why did Jesus do that? She's ready to receive this water. She's ready. He dealt with her sin. And if the Holy Spirit deals with you, he will deal with your sin. Repentance in one word is a response. What happens is the gospel is preached and the Holy Spirit works in our life and He calls us to turn from the broad way and turn to the narrow. He calls us to make a choice between the world and Christ. And repentance is that moment in our heart where we respond to the call of God and make that turn. That's the rub on evangelism. The choice is unavoidable. If you truly come to Christ, you're going to make a choice. Don't let anybody tell you different. The Bible says don't be deceived about these things. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Salvation began with repentance, and repentance is a choice. It's a choice. That's why salvation is not as simple to some. Jonathan Edwards, the great preacher from the 17th century, the great leader in the Second Great Awakening, he said, true conversion is a very rare thing. I find that interesting that he said that. He didn't say conversion, he said true conversion. True conversion is a rare thing. This is the man who preached, centers in the hands of an angry God. The difficulty with conversion, the difficulty with salvation is this matter of choice. If I could offer you eternal life and you could keep on living just like you're doing, you'd absolutely be a fool, wouldn't you? Not to accept it. If I could baptize you and lead you in the sinner's prayer and baptize you and that was it, you'd be a fool not to. Do you know that's what's going on across America? Do you know that's what's going on in our Baptist churches across America? Our Baptist churches, listen to me, young people listen to me, married people listen to me, our Baptist churches across America are filled People living in fornication, open adultery, and even homosexuality. And they are as sure to heaven as if they're already there. And they've been told, don't ever let anybody cause you to doubt that. When this book, this book right in front of me says differently. It's an inescapable choice. You're going to make a choice. It's unavoidable. If you truly come to God, you've got to choose. It's this world or the next. It's not both, friend. It's Jesus or the world, and you'll make a choice. That's why America's not running to the altar, that kind of altar. We're running to easy believism. We're running to professions. But repentance is a response to the dealing of God and what God deals with us is about our life. So I look at this choice that these people made. They chose anarchy. They chose Barabbas. It's incredible to me. They made a huge choice. They made a choice that affected them and affected their children and affected generations to come. Just as your choice, Bill. No man lives and no man dies to himself. Your choice affects so many. The choice is unavoidable. Pilate, he put it in their hands. He says, it's your decision, it's your choice. Christ or Brabus, which will you take? And the choice was right there in their hands, and the choice is right in your hands today. Pilate's wife warned him, don't have anything to do about this thing. These people here were warned by Jesus, and I would warn you today. The choice is in your hands. I'm going to ask you, what are you going to do with Jesus? What are you going to do? What are you going to do this morning with Jesus Christ? I don't know your life, but I do know this, and this is how God works, and I'm closing this message and I'm done, but I know this. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. to deal individually and personally with people's lives. He works in such a way that you feel like somebody has talked to the preacher about your life. But they haven't. But the Holy Spirit works with you personally. And He puts His finger right on your life. And He's calling you today to make a choice. Don't walk out of here choosing against Christ. This is too big of a decision. What's at risk is too huge. I plead with you, in this room today, there are individuals that a lot of prayer has gone up for. There's individuals that are in this room, this very room, this moment. Your life is at a crossroads. You stand at a crossroads. And you're going to make a choice. There may be some individuals that you're right on the edge, you already know which decision you're going to make. I'm pleading with you in this room tonight, I'm pleading with you across this room to reconsider that choice. To write today, would you turn your back to whatever is pulling you, whatever is alluring you, whatever is holding you, whatever is ultimately going to destroy you. I want to plead with you and ask you to make the other choice. Don't say no to Jesus, who died upon the cross for you. Don't make that mistake. This morning, please.