Past the Point of No Return
Ezekiel 21:8–10; 2 Chronicles 36:15–16
Preached at a Local County Jail on July 12, 2026
I was especially excited about carrying this message into the local county jail. I normally preach two one-hour services back-to-back when I go there, and this message had been weighing heavily upon my heart. It is a sobering message about the certainty of God’s judgment against sin, but it is also a message filled with mercy and gospel hope.
The central illustration is that of a driver traveling down a foggy road toward a bridge that has been washed away. Someone stands beside the road, waving his arms and crying, “The bridge is out! Turn around!” But the drivers ignore the warning and continue until they pass the point where there is no longer enough road left to stop.
That is where Ezekiel stood. He could see the judgment of God approaching Jerusalem, and he was commanded to sound the warning. God had sent messenger after messenger because He had compassion upon His people. Yet they mocked His messengers, despised His words, and continued in their rebellion until the wrath of the Lord arose against them “till there was no remedy.”
Those are frightening words.
God’s judgment against sin is certain. It is already hanging over the sinner who refuses Christ. It may come suddenly, and it will make no distinction between the wealthy and the poor, the powerful and the forgotten, the religious and the openly rebellious. No position can exempt us, and no presumption that we have plenty of time can protect us.
But the warning itself is an act of mercy.
While God is speaking, there is still hope. While conviction is stirring the heart, the point of no return has not yet been passed. Jesus Christ stood beneath the sword of divine justice at Calvary. The judgment that guilty sinners deserved fell upon Him, and He now offers forgiveness and salvation to everyone who will repent and believe the gospel.
After the first service, a Hispanic man came up to shake my hand. I had noticed him during the preaching. He had practically been sitting on the edge of his seat, his eyes wide as he took in everything that was being said.
As he shook my hand, he tried to explain something to me in halting English. With a huge smile across his face, he said, “I did that last week when the man preached!”
He was talking about trusting Jesus Christ as his Saviour.
I cannot adequately describe the glow upon his face as he tried to tell me what God had done in his heart. He wanted me to know that someone had preached the gospel to him the week before, and he had responded by placing his faith in Christ. He was grateful that I had come to tell him about Jesus again. He was just another traveler on the road of life that had stopped in time to turn to Christ!
That brief conversation was like a drink of cool water to my soul. The labor of ministry can sometimes leave a preacher weary, but the Lord knew exactly what I needed that day. That man’s joyful face reminded me once again that God still saves sinners. God still changes lives. The gospel is still the power of God unto salvation.
What a wonderful day at the county jail, and what a privilege it is to carry this good news from place to place.
The bridge is out. Do not continue traveling toward destruction. Do not presume that you will always have another opportunity. Stop and trust Jesus Christ today.
