MODERN DAY
PARABLES 5

THE MAN WHO
WOULDN'T LISTEN

Another in a series of stories
depicting Biblical truths.

THE PARABLE

Once upon a time there was a man taking a walk.   This man had always enjoyed the marina with its
ocean smell and sea gull sounds.

As he was walking along, someone approached him and asked, "Can I help you?"   "Why," replied the
man, "would you want to help me?"   "Because of the danger," said the stranger.

The man was very offended.   Here he was trying to enjoy his own life and some stranger comes along and
tries to ruin it with negative talk.   "Go away," he said, "and leave me alone."   Imagine the nerve of some
people he thought as he continued his walk.

Just then a second person approached asking, "Sir, may I lead the way for you?"   "Listen," said the man,
"mind your own business and let me go my own way."   The man was now walking faster in an effort to
get away.

A third stranger walked up to him and said, "Sir, I should warn you that the end is near."   "Alright!"
exclaimed the man.   "Enough is enough, you people better stop meddling in my life or else."

With that he took off running.   He could hear others behind him yelling, "Wait!   Don't go in that direction,
you could be killed."   The man covered his ears in desperation and yelled, "Leave me alone and stop
bothering me.   It's my life and . . ."

Before he could finish speaking he felt the sensation he had always dreaded as a child.   He knew he had
gone too far.   He knew it was too late.   He began to think he should have listened.   The fall seemed to
last a lifetime, but finally he hit the water.   Now what do I do he thought.   "I don't know how to swim
and I can't save myself now."

In retrospect the man realized that those people were only trying to help.   They were warning him of the
short pier and the unseen danger.

And why not, for you see the man had been blind from birth.

PARABLE EXPLAINED

THIS PARABLE DEPICTS MAN'S SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

The Blind Man   . . . . . . . .  Us
The Stranger's Warnings . . God's Word
The Short Pier   . . . . . . . .  Our Lives
The Fall   . . . . . . . . . . . .   Eternal Damnation

We are all traveling on a short pier known as life.

At the end of this pier is God's judgment (Hebrews 9:27).   The Bible says that most people will fall into
damnation (Matthew 7:13-14; 23:33).
--
"(13)Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14)Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."   (Matthew 7:13-14)
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33).

Now perhaps you are like the man in the story and don't want to be bothered with all this talk about
judgment and Hell.   Maybe you have even been approached in the past by someone trying to warn you
about what the Bible says.   Perhaps you, like the man in the parable, have been offended.

Since you have already read this far, please consider this.   The Bible describes us as being in a
rebellious state against God (Isaiah 53:6).   This rebellion has made us spiritually blind (II Corinthians
4:3,4).   We, therefore, have no interest in doing God's will (unless it happens to align itself with our own
will) and we don't seek out God's authority over our lives except on our own terms (Proverbs 14:12; Romans 3:10-12).
Naturally a man in a blind rebellious state will not want to be reminded that one day he must answer to
God (Revelations 20:11; Romans 1:28-32).
--
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."   (Isaiah 53:6)
"(3)But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4)In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."   (II Corinthians 4:3-4)
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."   (Proverbs 14:12)
"(10)As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11)There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.   (12)They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."   (Romans 3:10-12)
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."   (Revelation 20:11)
"(28)And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (29)Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30)Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31)Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32)Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."   (Romans 1:28-32)

But before you really get offended and throw this away, please be aware that God cares for you (John
3:16).   That is why He died in your place on Calvary and paid the price for your sins (Romans 5:6-11).
That is why He risks offending you by telling you the truth and warning you of impending danger.
--
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   (John 3:16)
"(6)For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.   (7)For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.   (8)But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.   (9)Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.   (10)For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.   (11)And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."   (Romans 5:6-11)

Don't be like the blind man who wouldn't listen and heed the warnings only to fall off the pier to his own
destruction.

GOD'S WARNING AND REMEDY

FIRST THE BAD NEWS:

1.   We must realize that we are lost, sinners that are spiritually dead.
* "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."   Luke 19:10
* "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23.
* "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   John 3:3
* "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."   John 3:6

2.   As spiritually dead, lost sinners, God's judgment and wrath are upon us.
* "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27.
* "For which things' sake [sin] the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
[sinners]:" Colossians 3:6.

3.   Our good works can't stop this judgment and wrath.   God demands death as payment
for sin.
* "Not of works..." Ephesians 2:8,9.
* "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:10.
* "the soul that sinneth, it shall die."   Ezekiel 18:4
* "For the wages of sin is death;" Romans 6:23.

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS!!

4.   God is willing to accept someone else's death in our place.   That someone is Jesus Christ.
* "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who
gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."   I Timothy 2:5-6
* "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us."   Romans 5:8

5.   Jesus has bought salvation for us and now God can offer it as a gift by grace.
* "Ye are bought with a price;" I Corinthians 7:23.
* "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast."   Ephesians 2:8,9

How does someone accept this gift?   Through repentance and faith.

REPENTANCE: means to change your mind and adapt an attitude of not rebelling against God.
FAITH: means to simply take God at His Word, i.e., believe the verses you have just read.
* "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ."   Acts 20:21
* "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."   Romans 10:13

6.   Upon being saved and born again spiritually, we become converted to a new creature in
Christ.
* "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven."   Matthew 18:3
* "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new."   II Corinthians 5:17

FARGO BAPTIST
CHURCH

3303 23rd Avenue SouthWest
Fargo, North Dakota 58103

Speaking the truth in love
Ephesians 4:15

aaa.232.5500

Schedule of Services

Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Evening Service . . . . . . . 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study . . . . . . . 7:00 p.m.

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