Gospel—R. Thonney
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His living.
And powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest before Him, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Let's pray.
Like to go to the first verse of the Bible?
Genesis.
One verse one.
In the beginning.
God.
You know, I feel that a real responsibility here this evening.
I find it quite a bit harder to give the gospel to a group that is sitting before me than I do to some audiences that I speak to.
Southern Illinois we go to.
A prison, A state prison that is one less than maximum security.
And.
We get out a nice group of men.
But it is not too difficult to speak directly.
The gospel to those men. But everyone here, as I look around the room, I think I recognize almost everybody. Maybe not quite everybody.
That I recognize that most of you make a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus.
But what concerns me is that making a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus.
Is not sufficient.
You must be real with God.
You can fool around with me.
You can deceive me. Other people have and other people stop. Probably stillwell, But you cannot fool around with God, and tonight we are dealing with a question of God.
You have to start with God, not the God that people imagine in their minds.
But the God that is revealed?
In the Bible.
And here in this verse, this first verse of the Bible, it says in the beginning, God.
That's where we have to start if you don't start there.
You'll be totally disoriented, and that's what concerns me, is that there have been young people in audiences like this.
Who profess to be believers? They're baptized. Some have even broken bread.
And a number today say they are atheists. They don't believe in that there's even a God in existence.
What's going on?
You know, when I go in to speak at the prison, I kind of make it a habit. When the prisoners are filing in, they have to leave their identification tag on the table so the guard can keep track of who's there.
But I make it a point to meet them, to shake their hands, and I like to try to look him in the face. And it's interesting to me to see how people respond sometimes.
Hello. And they won't look me in the eye.
I don't know why. Maybe they're just timid. Who knows? I can't know why.
Maybe something's wrong?
Maybe they haven't gotten it straight yet.
And I look at a audience like this evening, I just want to say to you, you don't have to deal with me tonight. You have to do with God. And we want to bring you right into the presence of God. And I notice sometimes when people are sitting in audiences like this, they're trying to talk to somebody else while they're sitting there. Let me tell you, if you're talking to somebody else, you can't listen properly.
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And when God speaks from his word, we need to listen. Sometimes I say to those men, you know, there is some reason why God gave us two years but only one mouth.
What do you take from that?
That is kind of important to listen.
You know, the country in which we live was founded by men who truly feared the God of the Bible.
Box.
Over the course of time, philosophies of life have come in that have totally, and I think to a certain extent unconsciously undermined the truth of the true God of the Bible. People today seem to be at liberty to decide what God they like to believe in, and they make up their own God, just like idolaters.
You know what impresses me as I look at the idols that are made as how ugly some of them are? That's their concept of God. Isn't that interesting? You like an Ugly God?
Let me tell you, we don't have the liberty to decide how God is. He has revealed Himself in the precious word of God to how He really is.
Today we've been talking about the question of love and that God is love.
But there is another short statement in the word of God. God is light.
The light is that which manifests everything. You can hide in the dark.
But you can't hide in the light and what you are is completely manifest.
In his presence if I'd stand up here tonight and try to hide a paper bag behind my back.
And you'd hear that thing crinkling back there. You'd say, What in the world is he trying to hide?
I only make myself more conspicuous if I try to hide things in the light.
Don't try to hide things, young people. That happens more than we like to recognize sometimes. Sometimes not only young people, sometimes older people too.
Where are you with God? You know gospel preaching is priestly work.
In the Old Testament, when there was a leprous person that needed to be brought to the priest, the priest had to go outside the camp to where that person was and bring him into the presence of God.
And that's what we want to do tonight, let you know you have to do with God how solemn that is and how real it is when we think that we are getting close to the moment when God is going to directly intervene in the affairs of this planet and he is going to bring back His own Son to reign in righteousness in this world.
God takes sin seriously. People like to decide too. They think they're at liberty to decide what sin is and what sin isn't. Let me make it clear, you and I are not at liberty to decide those issues. God has told us what it is sometimes speaking to people in South America.
I give this illustration, I say, supposing I'm arrested in Bolivia, where we spend a lot of time.
And I'm taken before the courts of justice and I say before the judge.
When the accusation is laid out against me, I say, hey, in the United States we can do that. What would that judge say to me? He would say, you are standing at the bar of the authority of the country of Bolivia. You will be judged by Bolivian law. You have no right to decide how you're going to be judged.
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And when we deal with God, my friend, we have to deal with God on the grounds that he has laid down. You and I are not at liberty. The idea of human rights has given people the false sense that they can decide what they like to believe and they don't, and that nobody else should judge them.
You will be judged, and by one who has set the standards in his own precious word.
And we ask you to take.
Attention to what He has to say to you. God takes sin seriously. One little white lie in the sight of God is far more serious than 10,000 gross sins in our eyes.
Yes, God takes sin serious and I want to say something every.
Single sin that has ever been committed on planet earth by any man, woman or child is going to receive from the hand of God. It's just punishment.
God is light and nothing will escape his attention.
Maybe your dad and mom don't know what's happened.
Maybe nobody else, maybe only you know what's happened, but there's somebody else that knows and you will give an account to him in that day. There is no escaping from that bar of judgment.
Every single sin will receive its just penalty from the hand of God, but at the same time that God is light and He knows everything. The wonderful news of the gospel is that God is love.
And all this is what is so tremendously wonderful, so tremendously precious.
Like we were singing, God in mercy sent his Son.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Son of God, came into this world who was born into this world by a virgin, a woman who had never had relations with man. That's important because he was completely sinless. He was the holy Son of God. You know, everyone of us.
When we are born, we are born sinful flesh.
We inherited from our parents a sin nature, but when the Angel announced to the Virgin Mary.
That she was going to be the mother of him that was the Son of God.
The Angel said, That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. He was holy, completely without sin before God and he he grew up in this world and through all his life he never once sinned. Could not be he was.
Not only because he was God, but because he was holy.
Humanity, he could not sin. And I want to read some verses.
In first Peter chapter.
Two and chapter 3 to show something that to me is very important when we are talking about the question of the Gospel. Let's read these verses first of all.
Verse 21.
Second phrase says Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps.
Who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled?
Reviled not again when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously who his own self.
Bear our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed. Chapter 3 and verse 18.
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For Christ.
Also have once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
Principle I'd like to show here is that God in his judgment of sin.
Accepts substitutes, or I should say he accepts a substitute.
One that he can accept.
In the Old Testament it was prefigured in the fact that when there was.
A person who had sinned they could bring as a sin offering an animal, and that animal, they placed their hands on its head, and that animal was killed and that was accepted at that time for the sin of that person.
Of course, we know that it only prefigured the one we were talking about in these verses, but the Lord Jesus became our substitute.
He went to that cross to die for us.
Again, I say God does not Passover sin.
He cannot, He is too holy. If God would Passover 1 little light, uh, white line, it would call in question his holy character. Absolutely impossible. Every sin you've ever committed has to receive from the hand of God. It's just penalty.
And the Lord Jesus at the end of his 33 1/2 years was led as a lamb to the slaughter. You know the story, but I want to tell it again. I'm not going to apologize for telling it again. It's the most wonderful story. Can't get my mind around it yet, but it just enraptures my heart. The glorious Son of God, the creator of the universe.
The one that's going to reign supreme from sea to sea in this world came into this world.
Todai for me and for U.
The end of those 33 1/2 years they took him before Pilate and they accused him falsely and Pilate, recognizing there was no substance in their charges, finally gave way to their insistence and condemned him to the most awful death possible, the death of the Cross.
Delivered him to.
Those Roman soldiers who were practiced in cruelty.
And those soldiers?
They whipped him.
It says in the Old Testament, they plowed upon my back, they made long their furrows, they took a crown of thorns and put it on his head.
I don't know if there's those kind of thorns very much here in the United States, in Bolivia, when we lived there, there was thorns that you had to watch.
Number one time people who didn't appreciate me knew that I was coming at a certain time down a certain Rd. of my Jeep.
And they sold thorns along the way. Next day, all four of my tires were flat on the ground.
They went straight in. You know most thorns will break when they're run over by a tire. Those thorns were like nails, and I consider how they put that on the head, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, they took sticks to beat it into His head.
Oh, what a sight, the glorious Son of God. And then they led him outside that city of Jerusalem.
He, bearing his cross, went forth and.
When they got to that's place called Golgotha, there they stretched out those wonderful hands that had done such acts of mercy, and they nailed them to a cross. And his feet. There they hung him between heaven and earth, to be a spectacle to men and angels. Oh, what a sight. I wonder what the angels thought.
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Wonder what they said when they saw men treating their creator in that way.
There he hung from 9:00 in the morning till he died till at 3:00 in the afternoon. For six hours, first three hours he suffered for righteousness sake from the hand of man.
Yes, He was not there for any sin of His own, because there was no sin of His own. It was for righteousness He suffered. But from 12 noon to three in the afternoon, God veiled the whole earth with darkness. And in those three hours of darkness, Jesus suffered not only for righteousness sake, but on top of that, He suffered.
For sin from the hand of God.
If God is going to forgive you your sins.
Somebody had to pay for him and it was the Lord Jesus that paid that price in full. Sometimes say to make it clear to people where I'm speaking, it was just as if God said, Bob, Tony can't go to heaven. He's got too many sins.
And it was as if Jesus said, Father, I'll die for him.
In those three hours, God took that filthy load of sin. I wouldn't want you people to know all that's in that record that was written on the back wall here for you to read. I wouldn't stick around very long.
Would be too shameful. All those things were laid on him.
And the full storm of divine judgment broke on the head.
My Lord Jesus.
For three hours he went down under a storm of judgment. Because God can't Passover sin lightly, He can't do it.
It was going to be forgiven. Somebody had to pay the price in full. And in those three hours Jesus went down under that storm of judgment.
And if you look carefully at the divine record, you'll find.
That there was never one complaint during those three hours.
Silence from that centre cross, for that holy sin bearer was suffering the punishment for our sins.
Oh, how awful sin is in the sight of God.
But then at the end of those three hours.
There's an awful cry from that center cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
You know the Lord Jesus, his meat, His drink was to do the will of him that sent him.
And to finish his work.
It was his constant pleasure to do the will of God.
The end of those three hours, the God that was his strength and his stay.
Turned and abandoned him.
Can't get my mind around that.
My heart.
That man has what my heart.
And then he cried.
It is finished.
Oh, that storm of judgment that was against me as a guilty Sinner.
It's done. There's no more.
Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Thank God he bowed his head and died.
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A soldier came up a little later to make sure those three that were crucified that day were dispatched because there was orders that there should be no.
Bodies hanging on those crosses on the feast day, which was the next day.
Soldier dispatched the one-on-one side, he dispatched the other on the other side, and he came to Jesus.
Saw that he was dead already.
Takes his spear and plunges it into his sight.
Outflows blood and water.
It's the last time this world saw Jesus.
A mangled body hanging dead.
On a cross.
They took him down.
They buried him.
That was what we generally understand to be Friday afternoon.
On Lord's Day morning.
An Angel came to push back the stone that covered the tomb where he was laid.
Only so that those that were there could see there was nobody there any longer. He had risen from the dead. The Lord Jesus is risen, and after 40 days of showing himself with infallible proofs that he was alive, he ascended to the right end of God. He's a real living man today, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Powerful to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him.
All you have to do is repent of those sins of yours.
And come in saving faith to the Lord Jesus.
You know, I sometimes ask people.
Freshly young people in the youth village where we go to preach the gospel, I say what do you have to do to get saved? And they always say all you have to do is ask for forgiveness.
You know what I say to him? You don't even have to ask for forgiveness.
You know why?
Because Jesus paid the price in full and now God is offering you forgiveness of sins.
I would offer you $100 bill.
Tim, come right up to you and offer it to you. Would you keep asking for it?
What would you do exactly? God is offering you forgiveness of sins. You don't have to ask for it. All you have to do is take it and thank God for it. That's all you have to do.
But I want to get around to something further.
That's salvation, I just want to say.
To young people here and older ones too, because I've been surprised that sometimes some that are older that don't have it clear in their own souls about their soul salvation.
And I want it to be exceedingly clear tonight. I don't want there to be any doubts in your mind about it.
One thing that God says is very important is repentance.
Except ye repent, Jesus said, ye shall all likewise perish. Repentance is important.
You know, there's a lot of people who say I'm a Christian, I believe.
But it is evident by their manner of life that there has been no repentance. They just keep on living the wildlife. They always do.
You know what repentance means? It comes from that word. It's really from the Latin pant in Spanish. It's pensar to think.
Repent means to change your thinking.
If your life has been partying, drinking, drugs.
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Illicit sex. Whatever way it is, I want to ask you to repent tonight. In fact, God says He commands you to repent.
Why? Because He has appointed a day in the which he will judge this world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained.
God takes sin seriously and you can't get away with it if you are still being.
Light about sin in your life.
That shows you haven't repented.
Again, I say God commands you. He doesn't say repent if you like. He commands you to repent. But he knows the awfulness of the judgment. That's just ahead for this world.
And when there's true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus.
Is when there is real salvation and it shows in a person's life.
You're not saved by works, no, saved by faith, but the faith that saves is the faith that works, and it will be evident in your life if you truly have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't think that you can just say I believe and then you'll go on living your old wildlife like you always have.
Had somebody say that to me the other day. Oh God will be for merciful to me. He'll forgive me.
That person showed to me by what he said that he hadn't repented yet.
That's important.
But you know what?
If your decision is not to get it straight with God, God is still going to have to take care of those sins of yours.
And if you refuse to accept what Jesus did on that cross?
For you and for me. Then you yourself will have to answer for your sins. You cannot get away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Every single human being will meet up with Jesus sooner or later. You can know Him. You can receive Him by faith as your Savior tonight. But if you don't, if you decide to go another route, God won't force you.
He pleads with you. He commands you.
You will have to deal with the question of your sins yourself.
Go on to the 4th chapter just to re read a verse that was read today.
Verse 5.
Speaking of the Lord Jesus, it says of those that run to excess of riot, who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead? He's ready.
And it's so solemn to me to think of what's just ahead.
You know, what's really solemn to me is to see what's happening on the world scene and to realize that we are getting close to the time of the end.
Sometimes then, put this way, it's interesting to me to think about it when the Lord Jesus came the first time.
It was the Roman Empire.
In the person of Herod the king that tried to put him to death as a little child.
It was another agent of the Roman Empire, Talius Pilate, who gave the command to have him crucified.
It's getting close to the time when Jesus will come again.
And you know what's rising up over in Europe?
The revived Roman Empire is called the European Union. Why is that so significant? It's because Jesus is going to come again, and when he comes again, Satan is going to use that instrument to go into war against Jesus.
It's interesting that Europe is apostate, majorly Dean Rule, who goes over to Europe quite frequently.
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Sad that he goes to Holland quite a bit and his flower business said to me. 100 years ago in Holland 97% of people went to church on Sunday, today 3% go.
That's been the change over the last 100 years.
In Spain, where I visited a number of times, they say that 50% of the people are atheists.
The majority of the others are nominal Roman Catholic, but so terribly fed up with the immorality of those who represent that system that they're willing to give it up.
Europe is apostate.
It only lacks a man to rise up, and that could happen at any time. Are we aware of these things, brethren? Are we realizing that we are stepping them towards the edge of this present age of grace?
Jesus is coming again.
He's coming, of course, to take all his people out. That should happen before the end of this meeting. In three more minutes. Wait a moment's notice. Every person who is a real believer will disappear from this room.
How many will be still sitting there in your seats? You know who you are.
And if you haven't gotten it straight, there's anything that we can help clarify for you. We'd like to talk to you if you wanna talk. If there's questions in your mind, we'd be glad to help you to clarify things for you after the meeting.
But be real. These things are way too solemn. It's way too important.
For you to be messing around with eternal destiny of your soul.
Get real.
Get real tonight. Don't wait on this matter so important. And then after a time of terrible judgment in this world, the Lord Jesus said of those 3 1/2 years at the end of those seven years of tribulation, that there was never a time so terrible in the history of this world before, nor will there be afterwards.
So terrible a time.
Yes, there have been terrible times in the history of this world. Nothing in comparison with what's just ahead.
And at the end of those 3 1/2 years or at the end of those seven years, the last week of Daniel's prophetic week, Jesus is going to come back in person with his Saints, millions upon millions of those who are believers. I'm going to be one of the company saw as many that are here. I hope we can say all. I'm not totally sure about that.
And that's why we're here in this meeting tonight.
But he's coming back to Judge and the Beast and of his armies.
Are going to go against the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus will come out of heaven on a White Horse.
And with the sword of his mouth, he's going to level one army after another after another.
And he's going to establish his Kingdom.
Throughout this world and he's going to reign in righteousness for 1000 years. Yes, things are getting ready to change dramatically in this world.
If there's somebody who hasn't gotten the question of their sins straight yet, we plead with you, along with all those of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus yet. It's straight tonight. Don't wait one moment longer.
Let's try.
Father, bless thy precious word.
I.