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According to Rabbinic tradition from Rosh Hashanah to the end of Yom Kippur, the gates of heaven are open to receive our prayers and atonement. This is so we may survive the new year by being written in the book of life. But when the Shofar is blown at the end of this service the gates of heaven are closed and the book of life is sealed for another year. In a few minutes we will sound the Shofar one last time and our Yom Kippur closing services will come to an end. This closing of the gates is a great theme for Yom Kippur, but this tradition is not found anywhere in God’s Word. The reality is that God chooses who will live and die according to His will.

But it is true that one day the gates of heaven will be closed. They will be closed for those who are not right with the Lord before they pass away. If our lives are like a business, like a store or bar, then there is eventually a closing time. And if there is a closing time, you can consider my message tonight a Last Call. A final call to take care of your business before the lights are turned off and the doors are closed.

We don’t like to think about closing times.

We expect there is always more time. More time for that last minute trip to the grocery store. More time for one last drink before closing. More time for that phone call we’ve been meaning to make. More time to do whatever it is we know we should have done and are putting off. As someone with lifelong experience in procrastination I know this personally and chances are you do as well. We also assume we will have more time with the people we love and care about. Time to make things right with them or just time to spend with them.

But time runs out. The time of our lives runs out too soon, double so for the people that we love. The older I get the faster time seems to move and I bet it is the same for you. Yet, we live like we have all the time in the world, that what we need to do will work out. And you know sometimes it does. Sometimes we make it to the store before closing time. Sometimes we even can say goodbye to those we love before they go. But there is no guarantee that we will have enough time. All we really have is today.

I don’t have anything groundbreaking to add to all the prayers, liturgy, and messages we’ve heard during the High Holidays and Shabbat Shuva. If you have yet to make yourself right with God through Messiah Yeshua, then you need to soon, before the gates are closed for you. Before it is closing time.

If you are in a right relationship with the Lord through Messiah Yeshua, then let this time of introspection be more than just thinking and praying. Let this be a season of action. Of reconciling, forgiving, and dealing with the issues that the Holy Spirit has put on our hearts. To deal with the deep and serious issues inside ourselves, so we can experience the healing and transformation that only comes from the Lord. It is possible to sleep through all the prayers and even the Shofars call, never being moved spiritually and just going through the motions of it all. But each of us must be spiritually wide awake, ready to do the Lord’s work, both within ourselves and in the world around us.

As we move from this time of atonement to the joy of dwelling with the Lord during Sukkot, it is my prayer that each of us would be moved by the power of the Holy Spirit. To be moved towards repentance, reconciliation, and real transformation.

There is a lot more I could say and stories I could tell, but well it’s closing time and last call is over.