BEFORE YOU LEAVE EARTH: THE PROSPECTUS YOU CANNOT IGNORE PART 4: THOSE WHO IGNORE THE PROSPECTUS

BEFORE YOU LEAVE EARTH: THE PROSPECTUS YOU CANNOT IGNORE

PART 4: THOSE WHO IGNORE THE PROSPECTUS

MATTHEW 7:13–14 (NLT)

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

In Part 3, we discovered that God's prospectus was not given merely for our information.

It was given for our transformation and preparation.

We learned that the Word of God calls us to:

Faith In Jesus Christ.

Repentance.

Obedience.

Holiness.

Perseverance.

¹qWe also learned that selective obedience is still disobedience. You cannot take the parts of God's Word you like and reject the parts that challenge your lifestyle.

The question we ended with was:

“Am I Following The Prospectus?”

Now we must ask an even more serious question:

What Happens To Those Who Ignore It?

A Prospectus Can Be Ignored — But Not Without Consequences

Imagine a student who receives a school prospectus. The prospectus clearly states:

• what is expected of students;
• what conduct is acceptable;
• what conduct is forbidden;
• what happens when rules are broken.

But the student says:

“I don't care.”

He ignores the instructions. He breaks the rules. Eventually, the school takes disciplinary action. The student cannot stand before the authorities and say:

“I didn't know.”

Why?

Because the prospectus had already been given to him.

THE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE.

In the same way, God has not hidden His will from humanity. He has given us His Word.

He has revealed the way of salvation.

He has warned us about judgment.

He has shown us the consequences of rejecting Him.

Therefore, the issue is not simply whether we have received the prospectus.

The issue is:

What Are We Doing With It?

THE TWO ROADS

Jesus presents humanity with two roads.

THE BROAD ROAD.

THE NARROW ROAD.

The broad road is attractive because it allows people to travel according to their own desires.

No serious surrender.

No genuine repentance.

No submission to Christ.

Just:

“I will live my life my way.”

But Jesus says that road leads to destruction.

Then there is the narrow road.

It is not necessarily popular.

It requires surrender.

It requires repentance.

It requires faith.

It requires obedience.

It requires following Jesus.

And Jesus says:

“The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult.”

The narrow road leads to life.

THE BROAD ROAD IS NOT ALWAYS THE BAD-LOOKING ROAD

This is important.

The broad road may look attractive.

It may be crowded.

It may be celebrated.

It may even appear successful.

Everyone may be going in the same direction. But popularity does not prove correctness.

A ROAD IS NOT RIGHT BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE ARE TRAVELLING ON IT.

Sometimes the majority can be wrong.

Noah built the ark while the world continued with ordinary life.

The crowd did not understand what was coming. But when judgment came, being part of the majority did not save them.

The lesson is simple:

Don't measure truth by the size of the crowd. Measure it by the Word of God.

WHERE DOES THE BROAD ROAD LEAD?

Jesus used very strong language:

“The highway to hell is broad.”

Hell is not a joke. It is not merely a frightening religious word. The Bible speaks seriously about eternal judgment and the consequences of rejecting God.

This is why the gospel matters.

This is why salvation matters.

This is why repentance matters.

This is why we cannot afford to postpone our response to God.

Eternity Is Too Long To Get Wrong.

AND WHERE DOES THE NARROW ROAD LEAD?

Jesus says:

“The gateway to life is very narrow.”

The narrow road leads to life with God.

This is not because Christians are better people than everyone else.

It is because salvation is found in Jesus Christ.

Jesus said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6

The Christian message is therefore not:

“I am good enough to get to Heaven.”

It is:

“I need a Saviour, and that Saviour is Jesus Christ.”

Our hope is not in our morality.

Our hope is in Christ.

THE DANGER OF WAITING TOO LONG

One of the greatest dangers is assuming that there will always be another opportunity.

“I will surrender to Christ later.”

“I will repent when I am older.”

“I will take God seriously when I have finished enjoying life.”

“I still have time.”

But nobody knows when their earthly journey will end.

Hebrews 9:27 reminds us:

“Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.”

Death does not ask whether you are ready.

Death does not check your schedule.

Death does not wait until your plans are complete.

Therefore:

Don't Postpone An Eternal Decision.

THE PROSPECTUS WARNS US ABOUT CONSEQUENCES

A good prospectus does not only tell you what to do. It also tells you what can happen when requirements are ignored.

God's Word does the same. It tells us about:

SIN.

JUDGMENT.

ETERNAL LIFE.

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

HEAVEN.

HELL.

SALVATION.

These warnings are not designed merely to frighten us. They are God's gracious warning to humanity. Think about it. If you were walking toward a dangerous bridge and someone shouted:

“Stop! The Bridge Ahead Is Collapsing!”

Would you call that person cruel?

No. You would call that person merciful.

The warning is an expression of love.

GOD'S WARNING IS ALSO AN INVITATION

The good news is that God does not simply warn us about destruction.

He provides a way of escape. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

John 3:16 reminds us that:

“God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son.”

That means the prospectus contains both:

A WARNING. AND AN INVITATION.

A warning about judgment.

An invitation to salvation.

A warning about the consequences of rejecting God.

An invitation to receive His grace through Jesus Christ.

DON'T CONFUSE GOD'S PATIENCE WITH GOD'S APPROVAL

Sometimes people continue in sin and nothing immediately happens. So they conclude:

“Maybe God doesn't mind.”

But God's patience should never be interpreted as God's approval.

2 Peter 3:9 teaches that God is patient, not wanting anyone to be destroyed but wanting people to repent.

God gives people time to turn around.

MERCY GIVES US TIME.

But mercy should lead us to repentance, not presumption.

THE FINAL EXAMINATION

One day, every earthly journey will come to an end. There will be no more opportunity to rewrite the past. No more opportunity to say:

“I will start tomorrow.”

No more opportunity to change the decision.

There will be judgment.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:10:

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged.”

That should cause every one of us to examine our lives. Not somebody else's life.

My Life. 

Your Life.e.

The question is:

“WHERE AM I HEADED?”

PRACTICAL LESSONS

1. DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD BLINDLY 

The majority may be travelling on the broad road. Popularity is not proof of truth.

2. DON'T PLAY WITH ETERNITY.

Earthly mistakes can sometimes be corrected But eternity is not a rehearsal.

3. DON'T ASSUME THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TOMORROW.

Today is the opportunity you have. Respond to God while you have the opportunity.

4. DON'T REJECT GOD'S WARNING.

When God warns you through His Word, it is not because He hates you. It is because He loves you.

5. CHOOSE CHRIST.

The narrow road is not merely about avoiding Hell. It is about following Jesus into life.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Ignoring the prospectus does not cancel the examination.

You may ignore the Bible.

You may reject its instructions.

You may postpone repentance.

You may choose your own road.

But God's Word remains true.

And one day, every person will face the reality of eternity.

Therefore, don't wait until you stand before God to discover that you should have taken His prospectus seriously.

Read It.

Believe It.

Follow It.

Live It.

YOUR CALL TO ACTION

Stop and ask yourself honestly:

Which road am I travelling?

Not:

“Which road is everybody travelling?”

But:

“Which road is Jesus calling me to travel?”

If there is sin you need to repent of, repent.

If there is an area where you have been disobeying God, obey Him.

If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, don't postpone the decision.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE EARTH, MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY FOR ETERNITY.

PRAYER

1. Lord Jesus, help me to examine my life honestly and know which road I am travelling.

2. Lord, give me the courage to turn away from every path that leads me away from You.

3. Lord, forgive my sins and help me to walk in genuine repentance and obedience.

4. Lord, keep me from being deceived by the crowd, the pleasures of this world, or the temporary success of the broad road.

5. Lord Jesus, help me to remain on the narrow road and finish my earthly journey ready for eternity.

AMEN.

COMING NEXT: THE FINAL LAP 

PART 5: BEFORE YOU LEAVE EARTH — MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY

We have discovered the revelation.

We have identified the Author.

We have examined the requirements.

We have seen the consequences of ignoring the prospectus.

Now we arrive at the most important question of all:

WHAT WILL YOU DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE EARTH?

Will you simply read the prospectus?

Or will you respond to it?

Will you continue travelling your own road?

Or will you surrender to Jesus Christ?

Because eventually, every earthly journey comes to an end. And when it does, the question will no longer be:

“What did I plan to do?”

The question will be:

“WAS I READY?”

DON'T MISS THE FINAL PART.

Grace and peace be with you until we meet again in the next class of this life-transforming journey.

God is speaking, are you listening?

Prince Julius Nenebi-Darkson 

(EL-PJ God's Penman)