Why Didn'T You Tell Me About Jesus — E.A. Johnston

The Missed Opportunity to Share the Gospel

I'll never forget him, and his face still haunts me still. Years ago, I hired a three-man crew to do some work on my house. One man in particular always got there early, before the other two, and I'd have to kill time standing there with him, chatting while we waited on the other two men.

At the time, I was in the midst of a big business deal and had a lot on my mind, and I couldn't wait to get back to my office, so as soon as the men got there, I took off and went to work. About a month later, I was reading my morning paper, and I was reading the obituary section, and my eyes fell upon a picture of that young construction worker, who was always the first one to work.

He was a man, in his thirties, who died quite unexpectedly, and as I read his obituary, I had a sick feeling in my stomach, under conviction of sin. I had failed miserably to share the gospel with that young man, whom Providence had him show up at my house early, so he and I could talk each morning.

Divine Appointments and Witnessing to the Lost

And instead of telling him about Jesus, I'd just kill time with him talking about sports. I believe God places in our path divine appointments, so we can have the opportunity to witness to the lost, and if we fail in that endeavor, there will come a day when we will be reminded of that failure.

The title of my message today, friends, is, Why Didn't You Tell Me About Jesus? And my text today is found in the book of Revelation. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. We will be in chapter 20, in verses 11 through 15.

The Great White Throne Judgment

Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of His holy word. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, and whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, 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 those things, which were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every man, according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, that this is the second death.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. I will stop there. I believe we Christians will stand there as spectators watching that final judgment day, that grand decise that John Wesley referred to, of an eternal courtroom scene.

Judgment Outside of Christ

Every mother's son who died outside of Christ's saving blood will be arraigned on that day. Every person, small and great, shall stand before the judge of all the earth as evidence is presented and cases are reviewed.

The sentencing of the law will be carried out against all guilty lawbreakers as they head to their eternal damnation. There's shrieks and cries on that they will be terrible, but I believe it will be a nervous time for the saved individual as well, when we recognize certain individuals we knew in life as they appear before that great white throne and their sentencing is carried out.

The Accusation of Those We Failed to Reach

And they will look at us and point an accusing finger at us and with a broken sob say to us, oh, why didn't you tell me about Jesus? Why? That young man, that construction worker that I failed to witness to, will give me a piercing look on that day as he cries, why, why didn't you tell me about Jesus?

Lined up that day will be all the neighbors and co-workers and friends and relatives that we knew in life who died outside of Christ, whom we failed to witness to, and ringing in our ears will be their accusing words, oh, why didn't you tell me about Jesus?

Why? Then we will watch them be bound hand and foot by strong angels to be thrown into that boiling lake of fire, their cries and shrieks will haunt us on that day, oh, why didn't you tell me about Jesus?

Why? Why didn't you tell me about Jesus?