This message I'm gonna preach, I told Vicki when we were, just before we came over, I said, this is a very sobering message. A very sobering message. And I believe it needs to be heard nowadays. I believe it needs to be proclaimed. Especially in the times that we're in. So much, so much religion, so many false teachers. I believe this is a very relevant message for our day, just as it would have been relevant for any time during the church age and before, preaching about these things.

Open your Bibles, if you would, Hebrews chapter 9, the name of the message is, For Certain Things. For Certain Things. And today I'd like us to consider verses 24 to 28 of Hebrews chapter 9, with verse 27 being our main verse. Let's read Hebrews chapter 9, verses 24 28.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, for his people. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest entered it in the holy place every year with blood of others.

But, or for then, must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared, look at this, this is marvelous, Hebrews 9, 26, why? Why has he appeared? To put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, to put away the sins of his people by the sacrifice of himself, by the shedding of his blood, which redeemed our eternal souls. My, now here it is.

Here's a verse I'd like us to consider. and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Look at verse 27. And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment." Now, we see here in verse 27 that the scripture declares that it is appointed unto man once to die.

But after this, the judgment. Here are four certain facts for human beings upon this Earth. I'd like us to consider these four certain things. Death is certain. Anyone hearing this message is going to die. Anyone living on this planet right now is going to die. A hundred percent of humans die. Die. It's a fact. And we see in verse 27 that we have an appointment to die. It's appointed. We have a day that we shall be taken out of this world. And no one's gonna stop it. Not even us. Not even us. No. No doctor will be able to stop that appointment. No matter how much they put into your body to try to keep you alive, when that appointment comes, it's over.

Here are the four certain things. Again, death, judgment, and then heaven and hell. Heaven and hell. Very sobering topic. Four certain things. very very sobering We see in Hebrews 9 27 that every man woman and child on this earth whoever lived Right, they all died didn't they or whoever? Will live in the future. They're all gonna die and forever who's alive right now. We're all gonna die Because the scripture declares Look at this He's appointed for man to die once. Once. Not die and then come back and then go again. Once. That's what it says, right? Once.

And after that comes judgment. So the first thing I'd like us to look at here Is it appointed for a man to die? Every man, woman, and child on this earth has an appointment with death. Has an appointment with death. And this is an inescapable appointment. Inescapable. How do we know that?

Well, just look in the past. Everybody we know who's my aunts, my grandmama, my grandpa, My great-grandpa, they're all dead. They all died. My mom and dad, they perished. We have the evidence within our lives. And we're going to die, too. We're going to die, too.

Death is not a possibility. It's a divine certainty. You say, oh. I don't have to accept Christ. I got all my life to live. And then you hear they die a month later. They had an appointment, didn't they? Young, old, rich, poor. This is certain. It's a divine certainty. You know why? Because the wages of sin is death. The payment for sin is death. And the law says the soul that sins, it must die. And we're all a bunch of sinners, so we're gonna die. It's a certainty.

Oh my. It's the last enemy. And you know what it is? I often think about this when I hear a certain person die in the news or in the world. They have just passed through a door into eternity. Death is not the end. You're stepping into eternity. And judgment's going to come. And the only way one can escape hell is Christ. And there is a hell. And all who reject Christ will be there.

Religious folks too. So-called good people. You know heaven is filled with bad people? Bunch of sinners saved by grace. Oh yeah. Be a lot of good people in hell. Good religious folks. Oh my. The only way for a sinner to be saved from the fires of hell is through the Lord Jesus Christ and him alone. through His blood and righteousness. And God gives His people faith to believe on Christ. Why? Because He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And the difference between those in hell and those in heaven is the grace of God in Christ.

Period. That's it. That's it. My, so... Death is the doorway to eternity. No one escapes it. It may be rich. It may be poor. And even those who are saved and those who are lost, those who are saved by Christ and those who are lost will all pass through that door of death. Everyone, the young, the old, all must pass through that door.

Yet for the believer, death's not the end. It's not the end. It's the beginning of glory, beloved, with Christ forever. He's removed the sting of death from his people, hasn't he? Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain. My, to die is gain. But for the unrepentant soul, death seals their eternal doom.

Let us consider this verse again. Let us consider this verse. "'So teach us to number our days, "'that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.'" Psalm 90, verse 12. Next comes judgment. It's appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the judgment. This is just as sure as death. As death. After death comes judgment.

Not reincarnation, that's just a folly of man, a figment of man's imagination. Not annihilation. People say, well, I don't like the thought of hell and people suffering, so I just don't believe in that. Well, it doesn't change the fact that hell is real. Hell is real. And when you die, there's no second chance. People say, well, I'll get a second chance when I die. No, when you die, there's no second chance.

There's judgment. There's judgment. And every soul, do you know every soul will stand before the throne of Christ, saved and lost? Listen to this. Write this down if you want, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 10. Listen to this. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We must all. That everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Now, people say, well, that's just for believers.

No, no, this is the very end. The great white judgment throne. How do we know that? Listen to Revelation 20, verses 11 and 12. Listen to this. So sobering. I saw a great white throne. And him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. He's so righteous. He's so holy. That's our Redeemer, beloved.

Oh my. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. All the people who've ever lived, saved and lost, standing before God. Right? Goats will be on the left hand, and the sheep will be on the right hand. And the only one who made the difference between the sheep and the goats is God himself. The one on the throne. Mine. And I saw the dead. Revelation 20 verse 12. Small and great stand before God. See, everyone's gonna stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of these things, which were written in the books according to their works. Now, every thought, every word, every deed will be weighed for the unbeliever.

But for the blood-washed believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, we will not be judged at all. Not at all. Because Christ Jesus, our Lord, our Savior, God in the flesh, bore the judgment that was due us upon himself. Oh my. God poured out His wrath that was due you and I, beloved of God, upon our King, the Lord Jesus Christ. And He bore it all. He extinguished the wrath of God against us. So much so, He said, it is finished! And the Father says, I don't remember their sin anymore.

Oh, what a great salvation. What a great savior is God himself, the one who's sitting on that throne in Revelation 20, 11. My, for every unbeliever, every sin will be exposed and justly condemned, and there will be no appeals, no excuses, and no escape. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil, Ecclesiastes 12, 14. My, oh, my. The next certain thing is heaven or hell. Heaven or hell. Now, folks, they scoff at hell.

They say, oh, it's just a scare tactic people use. Well, no, it's not a scare tactic. It's a real place. It's a real place. It's a real place where the justice and wrath of God is poured out upon sinners. And you know, hell's not a metaphor. It's not a scare tactic, but it's a terrifying reality. It is the just punishment for sin. under God's righteous wrath. See, God's wrath has been appeased for we who believe in Christ.

Listen to this. Matthew 25, 46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous unto life eternal. Who made them to differ? God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in his precious, precious blood. My, oh my. You know, Jesus spoke more of hell than anything else in the scripture.

The cross of Christ is the only refuge from the fires of hell. And those who reject Christ will be tormented in hell, in the presence of the holy angels, in the Lamb of God. And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. And they will have no relief, day or night.

And there's many ways to enter into hell, you know that? There's only one way to enter into heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. But there's many ways to enter in hell. Broad is the road to destruction. Broad. Oh my. But there's only one way to heaven.

There's only one way to avoid hell. And that is trust in your soul to the only savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I pray God will give you grace and give you faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of your soul. To the saving of your soul.

And how do we know that there's no escape? And this is another thing. There's no escape from hell. How do we know that? Well, that scripture I just read. They will go away into eternal punishment. This is a reality. This is a reality. My. And then lastly, let us consider heaven. Which is where Christ is.

And it's the eternal home of the redeemed of the Lord, beloved. And the only reason we will be in heaven is because of the grace and the mercy of God in Christ, shown to sinners such as you and I. Now, heaven's not earned. It can never be earned, and it can't be purchased. Not by our coin, not by any money on this earth, but heaven has been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for his people.

You know what it is? It's the home of the righteous, sinners who've been made righteous by God in Christ. And that's our eternal home. Oh, listen to this. 2 Peter 3, 13. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. There's no sin in heaven. In hell, they still blasphemy God. No. In heaven, we'll never struggle with sin again. Never. Heaven is the dwelling place of God. And it's the eternal inheritance of the saints of God.

Listen to this, 1 Peter 1, 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. My, given, given, an eternal inheritance in Christ. There, the redeemed of the Lord, we shall see our Savior face to face.

Isn't that wonderful? And we're seeing him forever. And we'll worship him without sin. We'll rejoice without sorrow. There'll be no more tears, beloved. No more suffering. Go to the land of no mores, no more death. But unending joy in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to Psalm 11, or Psalm 16, 11, says this. Thou will show me the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of joy. Fullness of joy. At thy right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. So these four certain things, beloved, are not distant abstractions, no. They are imminent realities. whether people believe them or not.

Everyone will die. Everyone. Saved and lost. And those who die not trusting Christ will be judged. Will be judged. Those who do not Trust Christ in this life, we'll spend eternity in hell. But those who trust Christ, those who cast themselves upon his mercy, those who cry, God, be merciful to me, the sinner, by God-given faith, we'll spend eternity in heaven, all because of the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He gets all the glory, doesn't he? He gets it all.

So let me tell you, listeners, the only hope for sinners, such as you and I, is the Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to save sinners. To save sinners. I say, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. My Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who's preached in the gospel. And may God regenerate you and give you faith to believe. May you be born again by God's Holy Spirit. and be given faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance before God.

And you'll say with me, you'll say with me, to live as Christ and to die as gain. It's wonderful. Oh, oh, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who the gospel speaks of. It speaks of him. Oh, and let us, we who are the redeemed, let us cling to Christ. Let us cling to our Savior, beloved, by faith.

And for those who are listening, I say this, this from Amos 4.12, prepare to meet your God. Amen and amen.