peace from our God and Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Please silence your phones and prepare your hearts for worship. you you Well, we welcome you this morning. We thank you, and it is a privilege to come together to worship with y'all this morning. If you are a visitor with us here this morning, we would like to get a record of your visit. There should be a booklet back on the table where you can sign your name. You're not signing your life away or putting yourself on an email list. We'd just like to get a record of your visit. And we would also like to hand out a free copy of this little book titled Ultimate Questions for visiting us here this morning. It goes through many of the ultimate questions that we may have. And so let us turn our attention to the bulletin this morning. So this morning we have continued our series through 2 Samuel 2, which is titled A King an imposter and devouring sword." That should be recorded for your edification later on if you were providentially hindered from listening to that this morning. And then our text for next week comes from Hebrews 9, verse 27. Actually, no, that's our text. That's this morning. I don't think we have our text for next week. Oh, that's right, okay, so we have Kim Barber speaking for us next Sunday, what a privilege that will be. And then on the next page we have the Robert Murray McShane reading plan that goes through the entire reading of the New Testament and the Psalms twice and once through the Old Testament in a year, and is available for free at dsf.org slash dailybible. And then we have our testimonies in 2025, which is this year that we're in. We heard Greg's testimony in January. We're going to hear another one on the second Wednesday of February. That will be a blessing and encouragement to hear how the Lord has been shaping us and growing us into His image. And then we have the wedding shower for Leslie Mercado. The Dayspring Ladies are hosting a Wedding, Shower, and Tea Party in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, February 15, at 11 a.m. There is no gift registry, but gift cards and or funds for their honeymoon are welcomed. We have the 2025 Annual Bunyan Conference at Providential Theological Institute. It is a free conference on June 22nd through the 25th. Speakers will include Dr. Joshua Grever, Pastor Blake White, and then our own Pastor Greg, and then Pastor Gary George. And then lastly, we have the Van Court vacation. That's why you see me up here and not Greg. He will be returning, Lord willing, next Sunday. So if you would mind please standing for our call to worship this morning. And after we do our call to worship, if you would turn to page 467 in the Red Hymnal. Our call to worship comes from Acts 16, verses 25-34. so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds were unfastened. And when the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, Do not harm yourself. For we are all here. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. And then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of night and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, he and all of his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin. How shall my tongue describe it? Where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free, for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea, Higher than the mountains, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me. Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame, O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name! Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching a mighty host. My end I have been pardoned, saved to the uttermost. Chains have been torn asunder, giving me liberty. For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than a mighty rolling sea, higher than the mountains, sparkling like a fountain, all-sufficient grace for even me. Broader than the scope of my transgressions, greater far than all my sin and shame, O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise His name. The wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled By a transforming power, making Him God's dear child Purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea, Higher than the mountains, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me. Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame, O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name! Amen. Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning. Father, we praise your most holy name, the matchless name of Jesus, the name that is, Father, that is above every name, a name, Lord, that we will bow to one day, Father. And Lord, as we come to worship you this morning, I pray that you, Lord, would instruct and encourage our hearts before you. Lord, I pray that you would remove the distractions of our minds. Lord, I pray that as your word is spoken to us, Father, both through song and through word, Lord, that you would keep our eyes fixed upon you and we worship you in your most holy name. In your name I pray, amen. You may be seated. All right, now please turn to hymn number 461, just a few pages to the right. 461, Not What My Hands Have Done. Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul. Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God. Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load. Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin. Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within. God mine, O Lord, to Thee, and rid me of this dark unrest, and set my spirit free. Thy grace alone, O God, to me can pardon speak. Thy power alone, O Son of God, can this our bondage break. No other work save Thine, no other blood will do. No strength save that which is divine Can bear me safely through I bless the Christ of God I rest on love divine And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine His cross dispels each doubt I bury in His tomb Each thought of unbelief and fear Each lingering shade of blue I praise the God of grace I trust His truth and might He calls me His, I call Him mine, my God, my joy, my light. Tis He who saith with me, and freely pardoned gives, I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives. Amen. Now please turn to 465. Going back a few more pages. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled. Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin. Sinned and despaired like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss. Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, points to the refuge, the mighty cross. Marvelous grace, infinite grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Marvelous grace, infinite grace, grace that is greater than all my sin. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. One can of ale to wash it away. Look, there is flowing a crimson tide. Whiter than snow you may be today. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin. Well, you know, when we come and celebrate the Lord's Supper, that's what we celebrate. We celebrate the Lord's grace and his work upon the cross. Not our work, but his work that was finished for us. And so here at Dayspring, we see the pattern in scripture to regularly observe the Lord's Supper, which for us here, we observe the Lord's Supper each Sunday. Each Sunday, we get a reminder of the Lord's grace and his marvelous work for us. And so as we participate, there are three things we ask of you, first and foremost, that you're trusting in God's marvelous grace alone. You're not trusting any work that you have. You're not trusting in yourself to bring you good before God, but you're trusting in God who finished that work for you and made you righteous through the righteousness of Christ. Secondly, We ask that you are a baptized believer, and we leave the details of your baptism up to your individual conscience. And then thirdly and finally, we ask that you not be under church discipline from your local congregation, so that we may respect the Lord's work in his church. And so as we prepare our hearts for communion this morning, let us sing our hymn Oh, we have the scripture reading. Well, this is what happens when Greg is gone. All right, so we have our scripture reading this morning. The reading is from John 3, 16 through 19. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God. and this is the judgment. The light has come into the world and people love the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. Now you may turn in your red hymnals to page 455. And can it be that I should gain? And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood? Died He for me, He who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love, how can it be? Amazing love, how can it be That thou, my God, shouldst die for me? This mystery all immortal tithes, Who can explore his strange design? In vain the first-born seraph tries, To sound the depths of love divine. This mercy all let earth adore, Let age-old minds inquire no more. Amazing love, how can it be That thou, my God, shouldst die for me? He left His Father's throne above, So free, so infinite His grace. Humbled Himself, so great His love, And bled for all His chosen race. His mercy all immense and free, For O my God, it found out me. Amazing love, how can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? I in prison's spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature's might. Then I diffused a quickening ray, I woke the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose with forth and followed Thee. Amazing love, how can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? No condemnation now I dread, Jesus and all in Him is mine. Alive with Him, my living Head, Enclothed in righteousness divine. Bold I approach the eternal throne, Chain the cloud, Dear Christ, my own amazing love, How can it be that hell, my God, should stifle me? So about a year and a half ago, Alyssa and I, we were in a car accident, totaled our car. So we went through the process of trying to recoup reimbursement for the damages. Alyssa had to go to the hospital. She was fine. No severe injuries by God's grace through that. We got the reimbursement. So now we're going and paying off the medical bills that we accrued. And we called the hospital to pay off one of the bills. And when Alyssa was speaking to the billing lady, she informed Alyssa that the bill had already been paid. And this was a bit of surprise for us because we were not expecting that bill to be gone. And so Alyssa asked her again to double check And the lady reiterated again that there was nothing that we owed. There was no record of our bill there. And, you know, therefore, in a much greater way, this table that we come to every Sunday is a reminder that the payment that you owed has been paid. The debt that you had accrued because of your sin has been paid for. You have no debt upon you anymore. It has been wiped clean by the blood of the Lamb. Your debt has been completely forgiven. And this payment that we were obligated to pay was the payment of your life because of your sin. And not even that payment of our life could pay the penalty that we owed. It was not enough to satisfy God's righteous requirement. The only payment that the Lord would accept was the payment of his son, Jesus Christ, upon the cross. The one who was perfectly righteous in our place, who bore our sin on our behalf. He died on a tree so that we might live through him. And He did so not because of anything that made us lovable. We had no righteousness of our own that could pay that penalty, but He did so because of His love towards us. And that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And so because of this reason, We need daily and weekly reminders that there is no work that we can do to earn God's forgiveness. You already have it. And this is part of what we do here at the Lord's Supper every Sunday. We are reminding ourselves that this bread that we break represents Christ's body, which was broken for you. And the blood of Christ that was shed for you. And therefore everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. And so we no longer have any reason to be ashamed because Christ's righteousness has been credited to your account. I speak as to sensible people, judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, he will be guilty concerning the body, in the blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined. so that we may not be condemned along with the world. Please take a moment to examine your hearts before the Lord. Heavenly Father, what a blessing it is that you sent your son and your only son to die on the cross in our place. That not only was our debt removed, but Lord, you have credited your son's righteousness to us. Lord, we have been made full. And you see us, Lord, no longer as sinners, but you see us as righteous, Father. And so, Father, we come before you this morning knowing that we are still sinners in need of your forgiveness, Lord. Father, we ask that your hand would be upon us and you would forgive us, Lord, as you have made known to us. And that your grace would continually shine upon us, Lord. Lord, we confess our sins to you this morning. And may we nail them to the cross. And may we walk away and see, Lord, that your son's righteousness has paid it all in full. In your name I pray, amen. For I receive from the Lord what I also deliver to you. that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said, this is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup after supper saying, the cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. This is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was crushed for you. This is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ of the new covenant which was shed for your sins upon the cross. Now please take your hymnals and turn to page 478 as we prepare our hearts for the receiving of God's word this morning. 478, I love to tell the story. I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story because I notice true. It satisfies my longing. as nothing else can do. I love to tell the story, twill be my theme and glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems, And all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams I love to tell the story, it did so much for me And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee I love to tell the story, it will be my theme and glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story, it is pleasant to repeat. But seems each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet. Love to tell the story, for some have never heard The message of salvation from God's own holy word. I love to tell the story, t'will be my theme and glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story for those who know it best, seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song, it will be the old, old story that I have loved so long. I love to tell the story, it will be my theme and glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love. Amen. Now, please, with your red hymnals in hand, would you please stand for our responsive reading this morning, which comes from Psalm 51 on page 804. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love. According to your great compassion, allow my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. So that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. desire truth in the inner parts. You teach me wisdom in the innermost place. Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from blood guilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. You do not delight and sacrifice, or else I would bring it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrived heart. O God, you will not supply us. In your good pleasure, make Zion prosper. Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that your word, Father, is inerrant. It is infallible and inspired. I pray, Father, that your hand would be upon our brother and our elder, Bill Phillips, as he preaches your word this morning, Father. I pray that he would speak in the power of the Holy Spirit, Lord. I pray that your gospel would be proclaimed into our hearts. Lord, I pray that your gospel would be proclaimed to the ends of this world, Father. Be with our missionaries, Father. I pray that you would be with Ken Barber and his ministry. Lord, I pray that you would continue to bring people into your kingdom through the gospel of your son, Jesus Christ, that he proclaims, Father. I pray that you would be with Greg and his family and give them rest. Father, I pray for Pastor Eric Dodson out at Grace Community, Lord, that you would, Father, be a shepherd to him as he shepherds that body. Father, I pray that your gospel would continue to be proclaimed in the pulpit there. Lord, that you would bring a revival, Father, in that town. And Father, I pray that you would bring a revival in our hearts this morning. Teach us to obey your precepts, and teach us, Father, to rejoice in your Son. Father, I pray all of this in your Son's most precious and most holy name, amen. You may be seated. Well, we have the great privilege and blessing to hear from our brother and from our elder. He was not only a soldier, to our country, but he was a soldier, and he's a soldier to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I look forward to your preaching this morning, brother. Would you come and proclaim the word? Well, good morning. Yes, I sound different. Seems like every time that Greg goes on vacation leads to some kind of adventure in the Phillips household. A few years ago, during the COVID snowpocalypse, on the way up here to preach, when it was just the Cantrells and the Phillips is going to be here, there was a wreck on the highway involving the Phillips vehicle. We still made it here in time to preach. We're a few minutes late. This week, Susie and I have been very sick, so we're going to try our best to get through this. I have three cough drops, I have coffee, and 12 pages. So by God's grace and your forbearance, We'll get started. Only one verse, that's not going to help because we've got a ways to go. It's good to be here with you, bringing God's word in Greg's absence. Quite honestly, no one wants him back more than I. I tell Susie this morning that I'm not sure how I'm going to do this this morning, the way I'm feeling. If I die this morning, I have the solace of knowing that this is where Jackson wanted to die, was in this pulpit. And I have a feeling that this might be the one to go out on. But Greg being gone, he's far better equipped to fill this pulpit than I am. But he's also deserving of his rest and relaxation, so I consider it a joy, although it doesn't sound very joyful right now, to have a few minutes of spending time in God's Word. I appreciate my brother leading the service, because I certainly could not do both this morning. I picked those hymns because I love those hymns, and I had to tell myself, don't sing, because I'm trying to not shoot my voice out, but I couldn't help it because I love those hymns. You may notice from the bulletin that our scripture reference for this morning is just a single verse. While true, it isn't the only verse we're going to see today. We're going to see many verses as we work through the points of the message. But our text is just the launching point. So without further ado, please turn in your copy of God's Word to the book of Hebrews 9 and verse 27. Hebrews 9 and verse 27. Just as it is appointed for man to die once, And after that comes judgment. Yes, I know that's an incomplete sentence. You could just consider that just as it is appointed for man to die once. And after that comes judgment. I'm not a language scholar like Greg is. I couldn't give you the correct Greek or Hebrew translation of anything. The smattering of foreign languages that I have any ability in are mostly aggressive in nature. Or I could say, I love you, because I always wanted to be able to come back from whatever country I was in and tell Susie that I love you in a different foreign language. And she'd always end up looking at me funny. So that really wouldn't do us any good this morning. However, I do have a Latin word that I want you to know, that you may know already. But if you don't, single word, imprimis, I-M-P-R-I-M-I-S, imprimis. It means first things, or has a more modern usage, first principles. We're going to focus on first principles this morning. So we see from our text, Death is certain for all of us. There's a common saying that only things in life that are certain are death and taxes. Well, that's partially true. You might be able to avoid paying taxes, but if you're doing so illegally and you're caught, there will be an accounting to be made. You cannot avoid death. None of us can. It's incredible the industries that have developed and the vast amounts of money that have been spent all around the notion of extending life or preserving bodies in frozen stasis until they can be revived. Good luck. All of it in an effort to avoid the finality of death, but my friend, Death is coming, and so is judgment. And this brings me to other first principles. So we've established one constant, that death is certain. But our text says that there's also judgment afterwards. Judgment. Judgment by whom? Judgment by God. So, hang on, here we go in rapid fire. The first principles that we're going to discuss this morning. There are many others. We're only gonna hit a few this morning. First, God created everything. He is holy, righteous, and good. Because he is holy, he cannot overlook evil. Second, God created man in his own image and placed him under his authority. Very important you grasp that. God created man in his own image and placed him under his authority. Man rebelled and sin entered into the world and therefore man is under the condemnation of God and subject to his eternal judgment. title of the sermon this morning is Condemnation or Salvation. Should be very plain what we're going to be talking about. Man is in need of God's forgiveness, but because of God's holiness, God's justice must be satisfied. Next point, man is incapable of satisfying God's justice and therefore needs a substitute savior capable of satisfying God's justice. Third principle. That substitute is provided by God in the form of his only son, Jesus, who became a man and lived the perfect substitutionary life we could not live and died the perfect sacrificial death that satisfied the Father's justice on behalf of all of us who trust in him alone for salvation. There you have it. First principles. That's the gospel. Simple. Questions? I might as well sit down. Straightforward to the point. Brevity is the soul of wit. There's my Shakespeare quote. No. Evidence. Evidence. Give us the evidence. Okay. Well, let's get into the evidence. Let's look at God's word. and show how it makes the case. For this, you know, those were the first principles. Those aren't the main points. That's just laying the groundwork of where we're going. Point number one, man is condemned to suffer the eternal judgment of God. That is point number one. Man is condemned to suffer the eternal judgment of God. Point number two, Salvation is only possible by the work of Christ alone. Condemnation or salvation? So to our first point, man is condemned to suffer the eternal judgment of God. What evidence supports this? Well, we first start with God's authority over man because God created man. We have two primary scripture references for this. The most obvious and easily recognizable is the account in Genesis. Chapter one, beginning in verse one. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light. And there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and morning the first day. Then we move down to verse 26. It's the sixth day. And then God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. And God blessed them, and said to them, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And God said, behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the earth, and every tree with seed and its fruit. You shall have them for food, and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life. I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and morning the sixth day. God created man and everything else. He subdued under man, but God was over man. Now remember I said there was another reference that God created everything, including man. Almost as familiar as Genesis, the first chapter of John's gospel. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." So God created all things, including man, and therefore has authority over man. God and man had a perfect relationship in the garden of creation. There was no sin. No barrier between God and man. And man could look upon God without fear. God only placed one rule on Adam and Eve. Genesis 2, starting in verse 15. The Lord took the man and put him in the garden to work it and keep it. And he commanded the man saying, you may surely eat of every tree in the garden. but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. For the day you eat of it, you shall surely die." One rule. That's all that Adam and Eve, in their perfect state, had to follow. But they didn't. Let me be more precise about that. When I was growing up, I remember Eve getting a lot of grief because she was deceived by the serpent who was, in fact, Satan, the great deceiver. You know, that guy who's the father of all lies? The same being who was crafty enough in deception and persuasion to lead a third of the angels in rebellion against God? Not that much of a stretch to see him successfully deceiving Eve. Harold wants to look at a key moment in the fall for a second. From the beginning of Genesis chapter 3, the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God made. He said to the woman, did God actually say, you shall not eat of any tree in the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, he didn't say that, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. And she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. And the eyes of both were opened, and they knew they were naked. Did you notice something in there? It's more plain a little later on when God confronts Adam and Eve and the serpent. But you get a little glimpse of it here if you're looking at it. Eve was deceived and ate. Did you notice Adam? Adam chose to eat it. Eve gave him the fruit. He knew where it was from. He ate it anyway. Adam bears the responsibility for the fall of mankind into sin, not Eve. This is plain throughout scripture. And as we see just in a few verses from where we just read, the curse bears a death sentence. And to Adam he said, but because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten the tree which I commanded you, you shall not eat. Cursed is the ground because of you. In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you. And you shall eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground. For out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return." There it is. That's the death sentence for all mankind. As a result of sin, mankind was ejected from God's presence in the garden and was henceforth under God's condemnation. So what does it mean to be under God's condemnation? It means we're under judgment. It means that unless something occurs to change our status as condemned before God, We are destined for eternal punishment in hell. Some partial verses just to make the point. We'll get to the whole verses later on. I told you we're going to be dealing with partial verses for a little bit. Romans 6.23, the wages of sin is death. Romans 3.23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You say, wait. Even me, I wasn't there. I didn't do anything. I was just born. Well, we're all born fallen and sinful, and we're all descended from Adam. Romans 5.12, therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. And finally, 1 Corinthians 15, 22. In Adam, all die. I mean, we can keep going, but I think four makes the point. Again, these are all partial verses. The point is, mankind is under the condemnation of God, and barring any action, is doomed to suffer eternal punishment in hell. So what might that punishment be like? Is it something like you hear today in modern culture? Well, at least all the fun people will be there. Well, they might be, but the so-called fun people won't be having fun. What does God's word say about hell? Well, no one spoke more about hell than the Lord Jesus. He says it's a place of eternal torment, Luke 16.23. Unquenchable fire, Mark 943. Where the worm does not die, Mark 948. And if you don't understand that reference, look at a dead body after a few days riddled by worms. Where people will gnash their teeth in anguish and regret. Yeah, I'd think I'd be regretful if I was having a body eaten by worms and I was conscious of it, from which there is no return even to warned loved ones, Luke 16, 19 through 31. He calls hell a place of outer darkness, Matthew 25, 30. In Revelation 14, starting in verse 10, we see the judgment on those condemned described as, they will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength in the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. and the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night. It's not a place where God is absent. Rather, it is a place where God is very present, but only in wrath and judgment. What a great time. What we see now of God and his wrath is very limited and restrained. It will not be so there. There are no holds barred in hell. It is unleashed. And it is constant. And it is eternal. The full fury of his rage against sin. And trust me, it is not a place you'll want to be. There will be no fun ever. No rest, no respite, no end, immeasurable agony for eternity. That is what awaits us all. So in the words of the Philippian jailer, what must I do to be saved? That brings me to my second point. Salvation is only possible by the work of Christ alone. Why? Why can't I save myself? Why can't I change and do better and make myself acceptable to God? Because you're dead in sin. If you were here a couple of weeks ago, you heard Greg talking about a bunch of self-help things published in popular media to help you have a better 2025. Well, get this straight. When it comes to salvation, it's not a self-help program. You can't help you. You have to be helped. We are dead in our trespasses, Ephesians 2.1. All our righteousness is as filthy rags, Isaiah 64.6. And lest you be thinking, well, he's talking about other people. He doesn't know me. He doesn't know how good I am, how good I can be. I can change. I'm different. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take Bill's book of blunt truth out and tell you that you are especially wretched just like everyone else. Don't believe me? Well, here's the Apostle Paul from Romans chapter three. No one is righteous. No, not one. No one understands. No one seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they have become worthless. No one does good. Not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. See how special you are? You're mentioned in every portion of that passage, just like the rest of us. No one is righteous, and if we are not righteous, then spiritually we are dead. Our bodies just have to catch up. Well, that's just one passage, right? Maybe it doesn't apply to me, even though it sounds pretty definitive. Still need convincing you're dead in sin? Okay. God has more for you. It's Triphesians chapter two, starting in verse one. And you were dead in trespasses and sins. It's not me. In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience. among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind." I'm just telling you what the Word of God says. Shoot the messenger if you want to. So since we're already spiritually dead, Something dead cannot act for itself, therefore it must be acted upon. That is why Christ came. This is why the angels announced his birth in the way that they did to the shepherds. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. They told the shepherds, for unto you It was a special message. He was coming for them. He was coming for us. They weren't just announcing the birth of the king. They said, he's coming for you. This is the whole purpose behind the text that we heard read from John chapter three earlier. Let's hear it again in that context. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment. The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their works were evil." Again from John's Gospel, and only the best literary opening in existence. We've seen the very beginning of this already, but it's just, it's too good not to use again in greater depth. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, All things were made through him, and without anything was not anything made that was made. And that was from earlier, establishing God's authority over creation. And now we get into his purpose for redemption. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. And then a few verses down, he was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave them the right to become the children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man. but of God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory. Glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. The Lord Jesus' sole purpose in coming was to be the sacrifice that would redeem man, that would pay the penalty that we could not pay ourselves. He would live the life that we cannot live. He would bear the burden that we cannot bear. In a matter of hours, he paid the penalty that we cannot pay in an eternity. And then he looks at us and says, believe me, trust in me, turn from your sin and turn to me, and I will take it all away and give you life everlasting. You'll be washed in my blood, and I'll remember your sin no more. I'll make you a new life, adopted into the family of God, and I will call you my brother or my sister. Now, if you recall, I said we were using partial verses, and we were focusing on the aspect of our condemnation. Let's take a few minutes to look at the entire verses and see them in the context of Christ's work on our behalf. Back to Romans 6.23, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 3.23, now through 26, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation, that means substitution, by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the ones who has faith in Jesus. And finally, 1 Corinthians 15, 22, for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. In Christ we are made alive, and in him alone It is his work in which we must trust. And why must this be? Back to the full context of Ephesians 2. You were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air and the spirit that is now at work and the sons of disobedience. among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body, the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. Now watch this, here we go. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead and our trespasses made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Another familiar passage from Titus 3. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Example after example of us in our wretched, lost, and spiritually dead state, and in those beautiful words, but God. That moment when he worked upon us, for us, through us, on our behalf. It's not about our work. It can't be about our work because we can't do it. Only Christ can do it. And that's why it's grace. He does it because he loves us. And his work brings him the glory, which is only right. We have nothing to boast about. It says we are near the end of both the message and my voice. We have one verse remaining to put into full context. our initial text that served as our launching point this morning. So if you would, turn back to Hebrews 9.27, and let's look at it in its complete context in verse 28. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. This portion of scripture is speaking about Christ's role as our high priest, and that he is seated because there are no more sacrifices to be made. He was the final, complete sacrifice that dealt with sin, and we who trust in Him wait eagerly for His return. When He returns, and He will return, those who have trusted in Him will be united with Him for eternity. We will meet our God, our King, our savior, our friend, our brother. He will wipe away every tear and sin and death and pain and suffering. It'll be at an end. We will enjoy being with him for eternity. in a new creation, unspoiled by sin. That is our future. But for those who do not trust in him when he returns, he comes as judge, and his judgment is certain, and wrath is eternal. It will be too late at that point And you will look back at today for all eternity and say, why didn't I listen when I had the chance? Why didn't I turn and repent of my sin and flee to the cross? The Lord Jesus stood there with open arms and said, come to me. I came to seek and to save those who are lost. Why didn't I go to him then instead of waiting for him to come to me in his wrath? Death is coming for all of us. The Philippian jailer knew he needed Jesus and he asked, what must I do to be saved? Are you feeling the weight of conviction of sin working on your soul? That, my friend, is the Holy Spirit calling to you. Are you asking the question? Well, here's your answer. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, if there's been any error spoken, wipe it from the mind. Lord, may your word go forth in power. May your spirit work on the heart. May you be glorified and honored. May your people be blessed and strengthened. And may you watch over those of us as we depart now, may we bring you glory. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Please stand. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, amen.