His sermon was Biblical - even i know that. He preached from the very scary Marthew 7:14, ya know, the verse (among various other scary ones).

For starters, Matthew 7:14, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."  The verse before, (7:13) clearly states that "many" will go through the "wide" one that leads to ... where nobody wants to eternally end.  The preacher then quotes some other following Christ scriptures, being even harder, narrower.    And then at the end, only to find out, you didn't make the cut (Matthew 7:21-23).

Well, that's encouraging (NOT!!) to people who atleast know God is real, and that they're in eternally serious trouble, if they don't up and deep-six their sins, and come to Christ.  In short, people who know they're lost, and are on their way to hell.  Even harder to square, in knowing, there's alot of kind, others-centered people around...ya know, like that nice co-worker - the one who never has anything bad to say to, or about anyone, or anything - who happens to be ... of another faith.

Thing is, if i could bottle his very Biblical sermon, there'd be enough AC to cover the house, for the entire summer, with almost enough left over for the pole barn.  Don't want to accuse, but doggonnit, he came off just plain ice cold.  Maybe he, without missing a beat, has no problem singing that highly convicting hymn, "I surrender All" and following that one up with "Blessed Assurance."  Well, bully for him!  But many of us, find ourselves...uhm, not exactly  "boldly approaching the throne of grace" proclaiming those verses.

And basically, his answer - his emphasis - to people questioning whether they're saved is, well, ya might not be.  And yeah, i get it:  it's very VERY important to examine ourselves, to read the Scriptures, to pray, and to put off sin - like that's easy doing?  Well, maybe for him.  Maybe he's not even tempted to reach for a second slice of pizza, let alone a beer or a dollar store spy novel.

What was most disturbing about the sermon - and yes, it was Biblical, while ez-beLIEvism/cheap grace is very not - was knowing full well, that this isn't the first time - or the last - a frozen-chosen will (knowlingly, or unknowingly) stand right inside that narrow gate, not letting some poor soul through.  

Btw, no wonder Paul talks about "agonizing," like an athlete getting to the finishing line, or like a soldier pushing his way through enemy lines.  Paul himself was quite aware, but for the Lord's grace, that he himself could end up "castaway."  All's i know is, Jesus Christ himself had been in, i think Jerusalem, and saw a bunch of lost people going about their daily business (working, greeting friends, food shopping) and "Jesus wept."