Eph. 2:12-14, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"

1 Kings 18:21, "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."

I. How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions In Seeking Peace? --- What Hope Have You Outside of Christ?

A. The Peace of this World.

Money --- Pleasures of this life --- Earthly friends --- won’t give you peace.

B. There is No Peace for the soul without Christ, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 48:22, "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."

Ezekiel 7:25, "Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none."

C. The Peace of God.

Rom. 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

1 Cor. 14:33, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

II. How Long Halt Ye Between two Opinions In Seeking Happiness? --- What Hope Have You Outside of Christ?

A. The Happiness of this World.

1. Is Limited to This Life.

Luke 16:25, "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."

2. Is Short.

Job 20:4-5, "Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, 5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?"

3. Is Uncertain.

James 4:13-14, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

4. Is Vain.

Eccl. 2:1-11, "I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."

Eccl. 1:14, "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit."

B. The Joy (Happiness) That God Has To Offer.

1 Peter 1:8, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"

C. This Joy is Abundant and Satisfying.

Psalm 36:7-8, "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures."

III. How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions In Seeking Hope --- What Hope Have You Outside of Christ?

A. The Hope which this World has to offer Shall Perish.

1. Prov. 10:28, "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish."

2, Job 8:11-15, "Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? 12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. 13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish: 14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. 15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure."

3. Hope for the Future is more Important than present possessions.

4. The wicked have No Ground for any Hope.

Eph. 2:12, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:"

B. Notice the Hope which God has to Offer.

1. The Christian Has Hope.

Titus 1:2, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;"

2. This Hope is both Sure and Steadfast.

Heb. 6:19, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"

IV. How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions In Seeking The Highest Manhood And The Highest Womanhood? --- What Hope Have You Outside of Christ?

A. We have all fallen away from God’s Ideal of manhood and womanhood through sin.

Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

B. What does the World have to Offer?

1. Nothing, Morality cannot obtain it.

2. The best that you can do or be without Christ is to jsut Exist and Wait For Hell.

C. What does God have to Offer?

1. A New Spirit.

1 John 3:9, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

2. A New Body.

1 Cor. 15:51-53, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

V. How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions In Seeking Acknowledgment? --- What Hope Have You Outside of Christ?

A. In This World:

1. Is by mere Humans,

2. Is but a Short Time and then it fades away,

3. Is Not Worth The Effort.

B. In The Word To Come:

1. Is By Christ Jesus.

Matt. 10:32-33, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

2. Is For Eternity.

1 Thess. 4:17, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

3. We must Confess Christ in this world.

Rom. 10:10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Mark 8:38, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

VI. How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions In Seeking Eternal Life? --- What Hope Have You Outside of Christ?

A. The Way of The World:

1. Regeneration with them means a sprinkled face.

2. Justification to them means an elvatedf host.

3. Sanctification with them means an exhaustive observance of ordinances.

B. God’s Way.

1. This is Not By Works.

Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

2. Only God Can Give Eternal Life!

1 John 5:11-12, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

VII. How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinion In Making Your Decision Now?

2 Cor. 6:1-2, "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"

If You Are Not Saved, Nothing Else Matters