Church of God (Holiness)

Jun 18, 2001

A few weeks ago there was a terrible tragedy in Jerusalem. A wedding party of about 600 people were celebrating together when the floor collapsed beneath them. Those who were partying were focused on the pleasure of the moment. They felt secure in their surroundings. They sensed no danger. They were oblivious to their destiny. They were sure that the building was of sound construction. What could go wrong on such a joyous occasion?

The joy of the occasion and the celebration of their dance turned to sudden and final horror as the floor dropped a couple of stories. The laughter, fellowship, merriment and excitement came crashing to disaster and death for many of the celebrants because of reported poor workmanship in the building. The moment was caught on video tape as the music and dancing ended with the sudden disappearance of the entire dance floor amid screams of terror and looks of horror. The floor was apparently not as strong as it needed to be. I have read that the concrete was not as thick as it was supposed to be.

Those present did not think that they were taking some unreasonable risk, such as venturing out on a thin layer of ice during a winters outing. They were, after all, simply dancing on a concrete floor which had passed someone’s inspection.

This is a pictue of the world we live in today. The world is partying with no concern for it’s destructive surroundings, awareness of it’s lurking danger or vision of it’s dark destiny. They are sure of their foundation in life, certain of the soundness of their beliefs. They have home, food, cars, boats, friends and a bright future, what could go wrong? They have not done something as foolish as skating out on the thin ice of radicalism or fanaticism. They are simply dancing on the solid foundation of a life built on the concrete of societal norms. Their desires and actions are just like those around them. After all, how could there be any problem with the way they are living when the vast majority of neighbors are dancing the same dance?

However, they are standing on a weak foundation. Partying like there is no tomorrow. There laughter will be turned to terror, their security will be turned to disater. They are not being so foolish as to skate on thin ice but they presume that their foundation is safe and sound…while they are dancing on thin concrete.

This life will suddenly give way to the horrors of the next world where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Where there is eternal punishment for sin and where the cry of their torment never ceases. The moment of transition will bring a sudden change from celebration and revelry to suffering and punishment. The moment of this life’s fleeting pleasures will give way to eternal separation from God. There will come a moment when the facade and pretense of this world will be swept away and the reality of eternal destiny will come rushing up to meet those who have chosen to live their lives without the love, forgiveness, presence and mercy of God. A life lived without Jesus is the way to eternity without God. People refuse to accept both their own accountability for disobedience and rebellion and God’s provision for forgiveness and newness of life. They are dancing on thin concrete and will only realize the error of their way when the bottom drops out and they are lost forever!

Believe that you have sinned against God. Believe that you deserve to be separated from God for eternity in eternal punishment. Believe that God paid for your sin with the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus, on the cross. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and that He rose again from the dead. Confess and turn from your sins, believe on Jesus as your Rescuer and you shall be saved from the dark night of eternal separation and the eternal torment which awaits you.

DON’T DANCE ON THIN CONCRETE!

Pastor David L. Gould – The Church On Higher Ground

I just walked in the front door of my house. I live less than a mile north of Purdue University and its football stadium in a nice middle class neighborhood. Tonight the Indianapolis Colts played an exhibition game against the Saints I believe. Anyways following the game there was to be a fireworks display. When I heard it begin, I hurried out into the front yard and sat beneath a tree to watch. The colors were spectacular and I was impressed by their brilliance and being so close I felt the concussion of their explosions.

Some of the shells went off behind a solitary tree that must have been a block away. Sometimes, even those of you that would find it hard to believe, I can get a little choked up. As I watched the fireworks dance around this tree, I began to praise God for the intelligence that he has given man. How we can light up the night sky and array it in a myriad of colors. Yet His loving creation of this tree, rather than obscuring my view, seemed to be watching it with me, and using the wind through his leaves to make the colors bright.

My eyes misted up as I began to wonder how long the tree that was watching the display with me had been standing and how many fireworks shows it had seen. In a moment I was experiencing a real blessing, thanking God because I was unable to attend the 4th of
July since I worked that I had got to see one now.

Then there came a lull in the display and off in the distance, I began to hear another sound, a sound that interrupted the silence normally heard in my neighborhood. The sound of car alarms warning their owners that they were under attack. It jolted me somewhat from my happiness. I began to wonder why must man fear other man?

I then began to see a part of the answer, we have lost the fear of God. After the brief lull of only a few seconds, the fireworks started again, once more I was fascinated by the their luminescent tracings across sky, but the sound of the car alarms that I had never heard until the silence, were now hidden beneath the roar of the fireworks. I could hear them still. At the
finale, I was impressed by the light show! But as quickly as the sounds of launching rockets had forced me to stand up so I could see around my tree friend, the rush of fireworks came to a halt.

I was left with only darkness and the sound of car alarms, reminding me that no matter how hard humankind tries to make become happy, that until he makes himself right with God, we will always carry fear of other men. My tree friend has stood long enough to have seen probably all of the last century. He knows of nights with no car alarms.

Will our children? I think sin works just like those car alarms. As long as we fascinate ourselves with it, we never hear those car alarms. But in our lives there will come a point of awakening. We may return to the fireworks of life, but we will no longer be unaware of the stifling presence of sin.

- Contributed by Vernon Wallace, pastor of Milton Church of God (Holiness)

A church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and
complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me I can’t remember a single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time . . . and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked
some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall what the menu was for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: they all
nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be dead today.”

No comments were made on the sermon contents anymore.

When you are DOWN to nothing…. God is UP to something!!! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the
impossible!!

- Contributed by Vernon Wallace, pastor of Milton Church of God (Holiness)