Gospel—J. Hyland
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Quiet, prayerful spirit of the Saints of God before a gospel meeting, because we have very, very serious and real issues to take up tonight from the word of God. And I would just beseech you at the beginning of this gospel meeting that if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, that you continue to be in prayer as the word of God goes forth for this next hour. Because I believe that when the Word of God is presented and the good seed of the Word is sown.
That the more prayer there is, the more blessing. You know we can over water the plants in a garden and drown them, but we can't over water the good seed and so do brethren, please tonight continue to pray for the gospel as we begin this serious hour together. I'd like to begin this evening with hymn #19 on the gospel hymn sheet. O Christ in thee my soul hath bound.
And found in thee alone the peace, the joy I sought so long.
The bliss till now unknown, now none but Christ can satisfy.
None other name for me. There's love and life and lasting joy Lord Jesus found in thee hymn #19. I'm going to suggest that we stand up to sing this hymn and if someone would please start it.
Oh Christ and thee, my soul by man.
Is the joy.
Of God.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 2.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 2 and verse 10. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. And then in Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians chapter 2, beginning with the second word of verse 4.
God who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us. Titus chapter 2.
Titus chapter 2 beginning about the middle of verse 13.
The Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us. And one more portion in Hebrews chapter 2.
Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3. How shall we escape?
If we neglect so great salvation.
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Well, as I say, these verses bring before us the gospel message.
That we will, by the grace of God, seek to present in some measure tonight from the pages of this blessed book. And aren't we thankful tonight for the word of God? That we can turn to this book? And we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that every word of God is pure, that every word recorded here by inspiration comes from God, and that it is the truth of God. We don't have to wonder as we open this blessed book.
Whether part of it is true, whether this statement is true, but we reject this statement? No. We can rest with assurance on the precious word of God tonight that lives and abides forever, the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.
The infidel Voltaire died in 1778 and before he died he made a prediction.
He said that within 100 years of his death, the word of God would have disappeared from the face of the earth and that Christianity would just be a part of history.
But you know, God had something else in mind.
Men have tried to eradicate this blessed book from the face of the earth, but will they ever do it? Will they ever get rid of this book? No, because the original is forever settled in heaven.
But Voltaire made this stunning prediction.
Within 50 years of his death, the Geneva Bible Society bought his home, the very home in which that infidel lived, and they bought it as their first headquarters.
The very press that turned off propaganda against the word of God.
With a very press that was used to print some of those first Bibles that the Geneva Bible Society printed within 50 years of his death.
Oh God is sovereign and God is gracious, and God desires that the word of God go forth.
In Blessing to the Lost, oh how long-suffering God is tonight. And the very fact that another Gospel meeting is announced and the very fact that we're sitting here in these seats on the 24th of November in the year 2000 is a proof of what's in the heart of God. It's a proof of His long-suffering. It's a proof of His patience. It's a proof of His grace. Do men want a proof that God is long-suffering every time they tear a calendar page off or turn it over?
Put a new one up for another year. It's a proof of what is in the heart of God.
I didn't mean to eavesdrop.
But as I was sitting here in this room before the Gospel Meeting.
I heard a brother who is 100 years of age to another brother.
That beautiful verse in Peter, He's long-suffering to us. We're not willing that any should perish. Have you heard that verse before? You probably have, and you've heard it again now he's long-suffering to us. We're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
And I would like, just for a moment, to say something.
To the parents of young people here, or to someone in this audience who belongs to the Lord Jesus.
And you're praying for a loved one. You're praying for a family member.
You're praying for an acquaintance. You're praying for a friend, maybe a neighbor that you've had opportunity to witness to.
Sometimes we quote the verse in Peter like this. He's long-suffering, not willing that any should perish.
And that's true. He's long-suffering to the loss. Tonight, if you're lost and in your sins, God is long-suffering to you. But that's not what the verse says.
It says he's long-suffering to us word and he knows that there's a mother, maybe a father, maybe a grandparent in this room tonight, maybe someone who invited you to this gospel meeting because they love you and they're concerned about your soul. And God knows that that person is praying. He knows Christian mother, Christian father that you're concerned and he's long-suffering to us word knowing that we have loved ones.
That we'd like to see saved loved ones that we'd like to see in the glory. This verse was brought home to my own soul when we got a call some months ago from Newfoundland.
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To inform us that my father's, my wife's father had been diagnosed with colon cancer.
And that he was facing immediate surgery and that after that there would be a long series.
Of treatments.
And it caused us to fall on our faces before the Lord. And I must say for myself, it was a new experience, having been brought up in a Christian home with generation after generation knowing the Lord.
To all of a sudden have one so close.
Who didn't know the Lord Jesus and as far as we know, to this very moment.
Still has never bowed the knee.
But to be able to fall on our faces in prayer and to claim this precious verse, He's long-suffering to us. Word not willing that any should perish. But oh, tonight we want to plead with the lost. God wants to plead with you. Tonight God desires your blessing and He is indeed long-suffering to you. And again, the very fact that you're sitting in one of these seats tonight is a proof.
Of the love that's in the heart of God.
And we began with this verse in Luke's Gospel chapter 2. And we know the context, don't we?
This is a portion that is often read at this time of year in connection with the Incarnation.
Of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, coming as a man here into this world, born a babe in Bethlehem. Manger and the message taken to those shepherds out on the hillside, caring for those sheep, those shepherds who when they saw the heavens lit with glory.
They were afraid, but oh, what a wonderful message was given to them that night.
Fear not, Isn't that a contrast?
When we look around the world we live in, when we look around in the very country.
That we find ourselves in tonight, Is there a lot of fear? Oh, it tells us that this is a day when men's hearts are failing them for fear.
And looking for those things that are coming on the earth. Because men, even in high places tonight, recognize that they are dealing with an interplay of social and political and economic forces that are far, far beyond their control. And they know that the bubble has to burst sometime. They know that the rope has to give. And they're afraid. The trouble is, they're not seeking the answers from the word of God. They're not looking to the one of whom we've been singing that can fill and satisfy the soul with love and life and lasting joy.
Why are men afraid tonight? Because they're trying to arrange everything by their own devices, and their finding it's not working out. Oh, they sign a piece packed here. They have an agreement here. They do this, They do that. They stabilize the money market. The stock market's stable for a little while, but then something happens and men's hearts are indeed failing them for fear. But oh, tonight the message is fear not. Because for the Christian, it says he's not given us the spirit of fear.
But of power and of love, and of a sound mind. And we see these things developing in the world around us, in the country in which we live. Are we concerned? Yes, we are concerned. And I believe for every believer it's good to be an intelligent bystander and to have discernment of the times. But all we don't need to have our hearts fail us for fear. He hasn't given us the spirit of fear. He says, fear not. I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. Can anything change that?
Oh no, we rest in that tonight. And that's the peace and the rest of soul that God desires for every Sinner. And so he said to the to the shepherds, Fear not, Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.
They were announcing the coming of Christ into this world, and tonight we're announcing the gospel message. We have good tidings of great joy to announce more than just the incarnation of the Son of God, because as we go on in the Gospels, we find that there was more to be accomplished in the Lord Jesus coming into this world than just the incarnation of the sun. Oh, he came that he might give himself on Calvary's cross.
And you have this expression, great joy, in connection with at least three things in the Gospels. We have it here in the announcement of his birth, in Bethlehem's Manger, and later on, after the Lord Jesus had been crucified, taken down from that cross, and laid in a tomb.
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There were those who came very early on the first day of the week, and when they heard the news, he is not here. He is risen. What did they do? They returned and they told the disciples, and it says they returned with great joy. Oh, what joy it is to announce tonight a risen, glorified Savior. I love that hymn we sometimes sing on an occasion like this. There is a savior on high in the glory.
A savior who suffered on Calvary's tree. A savior is willing to save now as ever.
His arm is almighty, his love great and free. Oh come now to Jesus. That dear loving Savior received him this moment, and peace shall be thine. And so they return from the Sepulchre with great joy. If they had gone and found the body of the Lord Jesus the way they expected, would they have returned from the Sepulchre with great joy? Oh no. But when they found an empty tomb and those glorious words, they returned with great joy.
And then we find, I believe, it's in the last chapter of Matthew. After the Lord Jesus had blessed them, he lifted up his hands and his feet left this scene, this globe, and he returned to the glory. He returned to the right hand of God. And what does it say? They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy because he not only rose from the dead, but he ascended. And as we have just quoted the words of that precious gospel, him, he's on high.
In the glory, oh, as we speak of these precious things together, I know I look into the faces of many thrilled souls as we speak of the exaltation of Christ.
But what about you tonight, if you're lost tonight?
I know that these things do not thrill your soul, but we have good tidings of great joy to present. That's really what the gospel is, the gospel concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is it not good news?
And yet, you know men will go to the news stands.
On the street corners and in the drug stores and wherever a newspaper is sold and they will pay good money.
To buy pages and pages of new Sprint filled with all kinds of bad news.
And they will scan those headlines and they will read those articles, sometimes in great detail, and shake their heads and wonder where it's all going to end. We know where it's going to end. It's going to end in judgment. But men will pay good money to read all kinds of bad news. And yet, when the story of the gospel is presented, when the word of God is opened and we seek in some measure to present the good tidings of great joy, people turn away.
And they don't want it. They don't have time for that.
It must grieve the heart of God to no end when boys and girls and young people and men and women sit in meetings like this.
And the word of God is read, and the word of God is quoted.
And the Lord Jesus is spoken of.
And when the hour is over, they turn away and go out the door.
And they do nothing with the message that they have just heard. If we were to read on here, we would find that these shepherds, they not only receive this wonderful message, but they went to see the results. They believed the message. Did they say, Oh well, we'll go in the morning? Did they say, oh, well, we'll have another day and then we'll find out if what the angels told us is really true. No, they rose up and they went.
And they found, as the Angel had said, And tonight, if you come to the Lord Jesus in simple faith, in repentance, you'll find that the message is true.
An infidel who spent much of his life discrediting the word of God said this, these words on his deathbed. My greatest fear is that the Bible is true after all.
I spoke of Voltaire a few moments ago.
And the testimony of the nurse who attended Voltaire's deathbed was absolutely shocking. And she said not for all the wealth of Europe would she ever again attend the deathbed of an infidel.
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You can live by infidelity, but you can't die by it. And down deep in your soul, you have a God consciousness that tells you that while you would like to discredit what the Word of God says, you know that there's something after this life. You know, deep down.
That you have a soul that's going to live on in one of two places.
It's not all over when we draw that last breath.
In a sense, it's really only the beginning.
You have opportunity to be saved tonight. You may not have opportunity tomorrow evening. All you say. There's a Gospel meeting announced on my schedule card. We have no guarantee that that Gospel meeting will ever take place.
I said the gospel is good news.
And that's literally what it means.
Ancient history will tell us that in the days of early Greece.
It was a series of a number of walled cities, sometimes great distances spanning between them, and often those cities would be at war with one another.
And not only so, but sometimes those battles were held a great way off from the city.
And there would be a watchman on the wall.
And he would be watching for something in the distance. He would be watching for a runner. He would be watching for a messenger as the battle raged out on the battlefield. Because as soon as it was determined how the battle was going, that runner was sent to the city. And as he ran toward that city, he would be shouting, and the watchman on the wall would strain to hear what the runner was shouting.
And oh, how glad he and the inhabitants of that city were.
As that runner approached and he was shouting gospel, gospel, gospel.
It was the proclamation that the victory had been won. And oh, tonight the gospel is that Christ died, He was buried, but he rose again the 3rd day. According to the scripture, he's won the victory, he's risen from the dead, and now the gospel goes forth. This is the good tidings of great joy. And for the few minutes that are left in this gospel meeting, do open your ears.
Do open your ears to receive what God has to say to you.
From this blessed book.
We read a verse in Ephesians chapter 2.
We've spoke of good tidings, of great joy, but here we find it says God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us. Oh, tonight we're Speaking of a love, a divine love that is beyond any human expression of love, a love that has expressed itself in a way beyond any expression of human love.
And where does that love flow from? It flows from God, because, as we often quote on an occasion like this.
And I delight to quote it again. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And as you trace through the word of God, how often you read of His love? Can there be any mistake, as you read the Scriptures to the earnest seeker that God is a God of love?
Oh, tonight the love of God passeth. Understanding it passeth. Knowledge it passes telling. But oh tonight, if you could just get one inkling of the love of God, if you could just get one taste of his love, it says God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Many years ago, on this very continent.
There was a principal chief of the Cree Indian tribe. His name was Crooked Arm. I won't attempt to pronounce it in Indian in Cree, but his name translated was Crooked Arm. History tells us that he received that name because in battle he was wounded, a wound that left his arm crooked and twisted for the rest of his life.
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Crooked Arm the chief, was used to waging war on his enemies, particularly the Blackfoot tribe.
It was a somewhat savage chief, as history, as history recounts.
But he did have a son. One son.
A son that he loved more than anything else, he loved his son.
And one day.
Crooked Arms sent his son with another young Brave down to a nearby valley to tend some horses that were being pastured there.
The father, when he sent these two men, young men, off together, he didn't realize.
That the other brave that was sent with his son harbored a lot of jealousy in his heart.
And when they were alone in that valley, Oregon, so they thought.
The young brave killed in cold blood.
The son of Crooked Arm the son.
That his father loved.
He brought a report back to his father.
That his son had been killed by an enemy.
But as carefully as he planned his deceit, he was found out.
And the father of that son was angry.
He vowed that he would get revenge on that young brave and that he would pay with his life. But before the opportunity arose, something else happened amongst that tribe. A missionary came amongst them with the story of God's love, and that missionary very faithfully presented the gospel.
Told of God who sent his Son into this world to die for sinners. He told of the Lord Jesus who came in lowliness and grace.
Who walked through this world in humility, the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief the despised and rejected Son of God. He told the story how that at the end of his life they took the Lord Jesus, brought him to pilots judgment hall and put him on trial.
How they mocked him. How they scourged him.
And then, at the end of it all, took him outside the walls of Jerusalem and had him nailed to a Roman cross.
And he stressed how, as the Lord Jesus hung there, he looked on the very ones that had crucified him.
And he said these glorious words, Father, for they know not what they do.
He told of the Lord Jesus in those hours of darkness bearing the penalty for sin, at the hand of a holy God. He told of the Lord Jesus at the end of it all, bowing his head and saying, Father into thy hand. I commend my spirit, giving up his precious life. He told of the soldier who with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came their out blood and water. He told how loving hands then according to the prophecies of Scripture.
Took the Lord Jesus down from that cross and laid him in a tomb. He told of that glorious resurrection morning when the Lord Jesus came forth.
He told how the Lord Jesus was now in heaven as the savior of sinners.
And as he presented this glorious truth.
Crooked Arm listened with rapt attention, and the word of God pierced his soul.
And the love of God touched his heart.
But the day came when that brave chief was out riding scouting with some of his Warriors.
And as they came to a precipice and overlooked what lay beyond, they saw a man in the distance.
And as Crooked Arms scrutinized that man, he realized that this was the very brave.
That had so treacherously murdered his son.
Some time before.
You can just imagine what must have went through that man's soul.
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He reached down, and he took his tomahawk out, and with all the speed that his horse could muster, he raced toward that man.
With his own men following.
He pulled up in front of that guilty brave.
He stared him in the face.
With a very stoical cold expression.
That Brave knew that he was guilty.
He knew that this father knew what he had done to his son. And if there's someone here and you're trying to hide from God, you think God doesn't know your guilt of sin? No, I want to tell you he does. All things are naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
That Indian stood there, trembling.
Waiting for that tomahawk to come down and to take his life.
The chief spoke.
He said. You killed my son, didn't you?
There was number use denying the truth.
Yes, he confessed he had killed Crooked Arms. Son, are you willing to confess you're a Sinner tonight?
With the mouth, confession is made, Romans tells us.
This Indian chief also said to this brave, he said.
Being guilty and having confessed your deed, you deserve to die under the laws of the Korea Indian Tribe. Yes, he realized that he was a condemned man, guilty of death.
I don't know if you can picture the scene in your mind's eye.
But just imagine.
That chief as his face softened with all the love of God.
And he put down his tomahawk, and he said to that brave he said, as God has forgiven me, my sins.
So I forgive you.
It's just a feeble picture. It's just a pale reflection of what we're Speaking of here. The Father sending the Son to be the savior of the world. God showing that great love. Not just a love, but a great love. His great love wherewith he loved us. Has that love touched your heart tonight? Does that love mean something to you?
God has proved his love in a tremendous way. Tonight, God doesn't just tell us that He loves us. Sometimes the boys and girls and we who are older enjoy it too. We sing that little gospel chorus. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so, and that's certainly true. The Bible does tell us that God loves us.
But oh, the Bible also tells us that God has proved His love in the giving of his Son. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we may live through Him. Do you doubt the love of God tonight?
It's a solemn question, isn't it?
Do you doubt the love of God tonight?
If you doubt the love of God tonight, you have never had your eyes turned to the cross. And seeing the sacrifice of Calvary, you have never understood that God so loved the world that he gave, because this was brought out already today. In these meetings, God is a giving God. Sometimes people tell us they love us, sometimes they make great promises, but they never follow through. But God.
Has not only told us of his love, he's not only made promises, but he has followed through.
He has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. And when you look to the cross, can you doubt that God loves you?
Not if you've really entered in to what it must have meant, at least in some measure entered in to what it must have meant for God descend the one of whom it could be said prophetically. I was daily His delight, the one who, when He came here in incarnation the heavens, could open up in all heaven, look down, and gaze on that blessed one in this world, and a voice declare, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
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The one of whom the heavens could open up again to receive that Blessed One back having accomplished.
The work of eternal redemption, the one who could say with the utmost certainty and confidence, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And oh, tonight God is offering salvation through this blessed One. He's offering a free gift because again, God's heart is such that he desires to give and to give freely. I say to give freely because sometimes people give and.
Though they may not express it, deep down in their heart, they're hoping to get something in return.
Well, it's true. God does want something in return. He wants our heart's affections. My son, give me thine heart. But divine love is such that it gives. It loves when there's nothing lovable in the object. It gives when there's no response from the object, it flows out consistently. Divine love, human love, it ebbs and flows according to the response of the object. But all tonight, divine love flows out, no matter what.
It freely gives.
Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish War.
As a Colonel had quite a number of men under him, and.
Due to conditions.
In his camp, many of those men became very ill, and it was feared that many of those men would be lost, not in battle.
But on beds of sickness?
And so he made an appeal.
To Clara Barton, who was the, at that time, the Minister of the Red Cross Society?
For some supplies.
For some things he needed, and he offered to pay a good sum for those provisions. The answer came back very definitely that there would be no provisions given. Oh how distressed he was. He hated to see his men languishing on beds of sickness.
Because of the lack of proper food and medication.
And he couldn't understand why his appeal was turned down.
In what seemed like such an uncompassionate way.
And then he realized what the difficulty was. The Red Cross wasn't selling medications and supplies. They were giving it, and he was told to simply ask, and he would receive not to offer money. And realizing his mistake, he immediately sent a request to the Red Cross. And immediately on reception of that request, all that he requested and more was sent.
And the lives of many of those men in that army camp were spared. He had to realize he couldn't pay. And all the Sinner tonight has to realize that they can't pay. We can't pay for our sins. I could never pay for my sins if I spent an eternity in hell, but oh the Lord Jesus died for me. It's true, the wages of sin is death, but all the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
If we had to pay for it, it wouldn't be a gift.
And yet, you know, in Romans, there's a beautiful expression. It says the free gift of God, as if God would say, I know you understand what a gift is, but I'm going to punctuate it by calling it a free gift. God tonight, in his love and grace, has provided A savior, and through that savior a way of salvation.
We're burdened tonight as we look into the faces of young people.
As we look into the faces of boys and girls.
Who sit in these meetings from year to year.
Sometimes you pass the time by writing notes to one another.
Sometimes you pass the time by whispering back and forth.
Are you paying attention to these very serious issues? Tonight we're in earnest. Tonight, we're not fooling.
These things are real.
And we read that verse. Let me read it again in Titus chapter 2.
The Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself.
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For us, he did indeed give himself at Calvary's cross.
In Galatians we read of two things in connection with the Lord giving himself.
We read of the reason why we read of the need in the first chapter.
And in the second chapter we read of the motive because in the first chapter it says he gave himself to say he gave himself for our sins.
That was the need. Man had sinned by one man's disobedience, sin entered, and death by sin. So death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. That's the need.
But there's something even more precious, if I can say it. In the second chapter, it says the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. It's true, he gave himself for my sins. But there was a motive. Not only a need, but there was a motive.
Sometimes people may see a need and they may fulfill it for one reason or another. Perhaps it's just in the long run, a selfish motive. Sometimes people didn't donate to charity and cause and different causes of humanity because they feel it's better to give it to that than give it to the government at income tax time. There may be a variety of motives as to why people show compassion or do good things.
But oh, here's a motive that supersedes all other motives.
He loved me and gave himself for me. I love to stand with the apostle Paul and echo those precious words. Can you stand with Paul? Could you come up here this evening and stand by my side? And could we say together with the apostle Paul, the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me?
Has the blood of Jesus washed your sins away?
This meeting is almost over another 10 minutes or so, but we want to make much tonight of the blood of Christ. It's God's remedy for sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanseth us from all sin. We're redeemed, not with corruptible things as silver and gold.
Received from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your Father's, but with the precious blood of Christ.
You know, I'm basing my salvation tonight, my redemption, not on something that changes in value.
The stock market closes in. The value of gold and silver is that one price. It opens again on Monday and the value begins to fluctuate once again and the end of the week. When it closes on Friday, it closes at another price.
Gold and silver change in value. But oh, tonight you can base your soul's salvation not on something that changes in value, like gold and silver, but you can base your soul's salvation on the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the blood of the Lamb that the redeemed will sing about in the Father's house for all eternity. Because we will realize then that it was the blood of of the Lamb that redeemed us out of every kindred and tongue.
And people and nation. And I'm thankful tonight for the value that God places on the blood of Christ. I don't base my salvation tonight on my appropriation of the blood of Christ or my sense of its value, because that, I am afraid, is very feeble at best. But God said of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12, When I see the blood, I will pass over you. It was for the eye of God. It was the value that God placed on the blood of the Passover lamb.
And what value does he place on our Passover which is sacrificed for us and that precious blood that flowed at Calvary's cross? And he says in Colossians he's made peace through the blood of his cross. Do you have peace tonight? Do you have peace with God tonight? You could never make peace with God, but the Lord Jesus has done it through the blood of his cross.
And you can, before this hour is completed, come into the good of settled peace in your soul in a world where there's no peace. Is there peace in this world? I had a lady tell me some time ago, she thought that this world was on a course that was going to lead to better and better things. And that through the advancements of technology and the advancements of medicine and knowledge and so on, the things we're going to get better and better.
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Has technology.
Made things better.
It's only made life more complicated. Now, instead of working 8 hours a day, we work 14 hours a day. Instead of having Saturday off, we take a briefcase of work home and we work on it on the weekend.
Has technology improved this world? Has it made the electoral system in this country any better? No, It's only led to all kinds of confusion.
Has modern medicine made things better in this world? We're thankful for modern medicine, aren't we? We don't despise these mercies that God has allowed man to develop.
But they're not the answer. They just get one disease they think conquered, or some medication to keep it in check in. Another disease pops up. Something here and something there.
This world is under judgment. This world is not getting better. This world is ripened, ripening, or shall I say, it is ripe for the judgment of God, and judgment will fall.
But oh, you can have peace in the midst of an unsettled world.
You can have peace in a world where there's only wars and rumors of wars, The peace of God that passeth all understanding, and it does pass understanding. It's only the one who has availed themselves of the finished work of Calvary that can enjoy this peace. The man of the world is seeking peace, and he can't understand why he can't find it.
But for the Christian, what peace it gives us to know that our sins are forgiven?
That hell is not going to be our portion at the end of this life to know that we are waiting for God's son.
To give that shout and call a safe home, to be with themselves. To know that we have a glorious future.
And not only so, but one that cares for us in this life.
People talk about what they'll have to give up if they become a Christian, but the only thing I gave up when I got saved were my sins, and I'm glad they're gone. As far as the East is from the West, so far as he removed our transgressions from us and they're gone. My sins and iniquities, I will remember no more.
And what I have gained in return is far greater than anything I ever could comprehend. I have not seen, nor re heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.
But I read a solemn verse in Hebrews chapter 2.
A verse that brings us to the end of this gospel meeting. We've spoken of good tidings of great joy.
We've spoken of a great God and savior.
We've spoken of a great love.
But let me read this verse again. How shall we escape?
If we neglect so great salvation, I suppose it's a great salvation because it was at great cost, great cost to God the Father, great cost to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And isn't it solemn to consider that at the end of a gospel meeting we read a verse like this that says how shall we escape if we neglect?
So great salvation. If you came into this gospel meeting at about 5:00 to 7:00 tonight or so, and you were not saved, you have neglected so great salvation for approximately 1 hour. Do you realize how dangerous that is? Do you realize the awful reality of neglecting and finding that there's a moment when it's too late?
William the Third was King of Scotland.
And after some battles between different of the tribes, the clans, I should say in Scotland in those days William the Third decided to grant amnesty and pardon to any who would come.
Before the 31St of December of that particular year.
There was a chief of one of the clans.
Who was a particularly warlike chief. He'd had a great deal to do with the battles that had raged in Scotland at that time.
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And he decided that he would seek this pardon.
And that he would have audience with William 3 before the 31St of December. But he made one fatal mistake. He waited until the 29th to begin his trek to see William 3.
He didn't count on the delays that arose. Some inclement weather, a bad snowstorm, a Blizzard, and he didn't make it. He arrived only to find that his doom was sealed. Because he put it off, he neglected. Are you going to neglect God's offer of pardon tonight? Are you going to neglect God's wonderful salvation? There's no need for you to wait another moment. The Lord Jesus is coming.
Scripture warns us solemnly that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
And warns us too, that when once the master of the house hath risen up and shut to the door.
Then they'll be, they'll come, and they'll begin to say, Lord, Lord, open unto us, And that door is never reopened.
Those words ring out from the other side of that door to ring in the ears of the knocker for all eternity.
Depart from me. I never knew you.
You know there is a book.
Being sold in Christian circles today and a movie that has been made based on that book.
Which is a lie of the devil, because this book propagates the thought that after the Lord Jesus comes, those who have had opportunity to receive the gospel of the grace of God will have a second chance. I tremble when I see material like that being circulated.
It may mean the doom, the eternal doom of many souls.
But don't be deceived. Tonight the word of God stands. The door will never be opened again.
It's going to be shut. And this verse raises a question. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
A man was walking the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa one time.
And he noticed a piece of paper in the gutter with these words, a £5000 reward.
He stopped and bent over to pick up that paper, curious as to how.
He could receive a £5000 reward.
He read further a £5000 reward offered to the individual who can answer the following question. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Needless to say that reward.
Has never been collected. Oh, there will be no escape. These things are real.
These things are solemn. God is speaking to you. I know the devil's whispering in your ear. I know Satans at work. He's the great procrastinator. He wants you to put it off and put it off and put it off. But I'm going to close my Bible in a moment and pray. And I beg of you not to rise up from that seat until you have settled this solemn and eternal question of where you will spend eternity.
God loves you. He's the great God and Savior he's provided the Lord Jesus Christ.
His great love has been fully displayed. The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared.
Don't neglect that great salvation.
Don't get out of your seat until quietly in your heart you have confessed your need, your sins, realized your great need, and received God's great and wonderful salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Let's pray.