by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

Genesis 6:5–7

You may be someone’s last warning signal before they enter eternity.

The great preacher D. L. Moody once wrote this story about an unheeded warning: “I was in the north of England in 1881, when a fearful storm swept over that part of the country. A friend of mine, who was a minister at Evemouth, had a great many of the fishermen of the place in his congregation. It had been very stormy weather, and the fishermen had been detained in the harbor for a week. One day, however, the sun shone out in a clear blue sky; it seemed as if the storm had passed away, and the boats started out for the fishing ground.

“Forty-one boats left the harbor that day. Before they started, the harbor-master hoisted the storm signal, and warned them of the coming tempest. He begged of them not to go; but they disregarded his warning, and away they went. They saw no sign of the coming storm. In a few hours, however, it swept down on that coast, and very few of those fishermen returned. There were five or six men in each boat, and nearly all were lost in that dreadful gale. In the church of which my friend was pastor, I believe there were three male members left.  Those men were ushered into eternity because they did not give heed to the warning.”

Much like the harbor master warned the fishermen, Noah was given the task of warning the people on earth of God’s coming judgment. Over the years the people had turned away from God and had lived in wickedness. God decided to bring judgment on the people in the form of a flood, but before He brought judgment, He gave them a chance to repent.

Noah was the only man on earth who followed God, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). While everyone lived for themselves, Noah remained faithful to the Lord’s commands. Because of this, God was able to use Noah as a warning signal to the people.

Noah was given the task of warning the people that judgment was coming. He knew God’s plan was to flood the earth, but he also knew God would spare those who turned back to Him. Much like Noah, we have been given a task. Our task is to be a warning signal to the world around us.

God’s judgment is coming to those who reject Him. Eternal condemnation will come to those who reject His free gift of salvation. But God wants people to repent. He wants them to heed the warning of His Word and to be saved from condemnation.

You have been given a job, a task to perform. God wants you, like Noah, to sound the warning bell to those around you. God’s judgment is coming, but He wants all to repent before He judges the sin of this earth. Are you being a warning signal to those you know?

Don’t neglect your responsibility to warn others. You may be the only warning they ever receive. Take time today and every day to warn others of what is to come if they do not know Christ. Warn them of God’s eternal punishment, but also remind them of God’s eternal life. Remember, you may be someone’s last warning signal today before they enter eternity.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org.

To learn more about Pastor Paul Chappell and his ministry, please visit paulchappell.com or follow him on twitter.  

Daily Bible Reading
2 Chronicles 32-33 • John 18:19-40