Today is May 1st. The beginning of a new month. Spring is in full swing as we see flowers blooming, birds making their nests, and thunderstorms raging. It is a welcome time as new life seems to be flourishing. However, the term Mayday has quite a different meaning. “Mayday” is an internationally recognized distress call used by pilots and maritime vessels over radio communications in cases of extreme emergency where life or the aircraft is in immediate danger. It is the most urgent distress signal in aviation and maritime operations. I have never been aboard a ship or a plane where this distress call was given, but we are living in a world where we as Christians need to be screaming Mayday for those who do not know Jesus.
Today is Mayday for those who reject Jesus. In John 3:18, those who do not believe in Jesus are already condemned. They have chosen their sin. They would rather live in the darkness of this world rather than give their lives to Jesus. Their deeds are evil, and they love the immediate pleasures they bring. They give no thought to what will happen to them when they die.
John 3:18-19 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
In Hebrews 10:26, Jesus gives a warning to those who deliberately keep on sinning after knowing the truth. This refers to those who have given their hearts to Jesus and have now turned away from Him, committing apostasy. At this point, their destiny is sealed; they have trampled on the blood of Jesus. While many do not believe this can happen, all their reasoning is based on scripture pulled out of context. In Hebrews 6:4-6, the author makes it clear that it can happen. This agrees with the scope of the book of Hebrews, which is to keep pressing forward and not return back to their old religion of Judaism where Christ is rejected. We must sound the alarm to those of the faith who are living a sinful lifestyle, while they still have time to repent and return to Jesus.
Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
There should be a Mayday alarm for those who chose the “cheap, easy believism.” Where you only make an intellectual assent to the gospel without repentance, that changes your life. This belief does not require submission to Christ as Lord. Jesus said in Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Repenting is to turn away from your sins. You turn from them to Jesus. The word comes from a military term meaning to do an about-face. Many have bought the lie that all you need to do is say a prayer and go about your life as usual. This is a lie that the devil uses to keep multitudes from knowing true salvation. They will stand before God one day and hear Him say I never knew you as He proclaims in Matthew 7:21-23.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
If we are neglecting to sound the alarm, to declare Mayday on the unsaved, we are guilty of disobedience to God. Jesus’ last command before he left earth to ascend back to Heaven was to go and tell, then make disciples. That is a command for every believer, no exceptions! Whose blood will be on your hands when you stand before God? Will it be the neighbor you did not care to be around? Will it be the person in the grocery store in your path that you did not have time to speak to? What about the person who visited your church that you did not speak to because you wanted to talk to your friends? We have all been guilty of not really seeing people, but we need to take this to heart. Ask God to forgive us for being so selfish with the time, effort, and opportunities he has put in our path. We need to understand that all the things we rush to do are not as important as a divine appointment from God to tell someone about Him. Who are you going to sound Mayday to today?
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
