Gospel—Al Coleman
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Return to #2 in our Gospel hymn sheets.
Come to Jesus gently calling you with care and toil, oppressed with your guilt, however appalling. Come, and I will give you rest #2.
Nsnoise.
Nsnoise.
I'd like to also say #44 at the back of the hymn sheet into a tent where a gypsy boy lay dying alone at the close of the day. And this mess and the core says this, tell it again, tell it again, Salvation story. Repeat or and or till none can say of the children of men. Nobody ever has told me.
Before, let's sing this one.
I didn't know one of the nobody ever had fooled today if it would be a way by again. Now we have time together.
Salvation Army.
Home in all my friends play. I'm not sure I'm going to call them.
Nobody ever had no teaching me on.
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And 9:00 39.
959-5399 Velocity of a little thousand and grandpa's daughter in hindsight.
Again, how do I get?
Salvation Government.
To help my dad's sangha and I'm jealous and all the man.
Nobody had ever had something to do.
First of all, turn with me to John's Gospel Chapter 7 and that well known verse, verse 37.
One of the most incredible verses in the whole of the Word of God. I know that the most incredible verse of all is John 316. Isn't it? For 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 I believe this, this verse that we're going to read right now. John 737.
Is just as incredible as John 316 because I believe that in this verse we have a very, very.
Just.
How would I call it the there's a There's a terrible urgency to this verse.
A terrible urgency to this verse. You know what it says here. And that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me entry.
And so here they were. It was a feast of Tabernacles. It was the last feast of the year, and they were having a good time.
It wasn't carried on the way it was instituted in Leviticus, Leviticus 23. They were just having a feast, a feast of the Jews and the Lord comes by.
And he and he preaches this word, this verse.
That last day, that great day of the feast. And I'm thinking that today, here we are, 2009.
And this world has been going on now, the day of grace, for over 2000 years.
And it's going to come to an end one day. The Lord Jesus is coming. His coming is as sure as the dawn.
And really, I'm waiting for that moment, that wonderful moment that is soon to come upon us, when the Lord is going to descend from heaven with a shout and the voice of the Archangel.
And take us all home to be with him.
But, you know, it says here that last day, that great day of the feast, and I want to treat this Gospel meeting tonight as being the last Gospel.
And it could be the last gospel.
The last Gospel.
You might never hear it again.
You know if you're lost and in your sins if the Lord was to come tonight.
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You would never have another chance.
I went to a hospital a little while ago and visited a friend.
And I gave him a couple of gospel tracts to read.
And I went home.
And the Lord, I believe, spoke to me that night.
And I felt that I needed to go back again because there was a terrible urgency.
For him to hear the precious gospel. But you know, when I got to this room, it was too late.
He was in a coma. But dear, no dear friends tonight, if you're still lost, it's not too late yet.
It's not too late yet. You can come tonight. You can come because the Lord Jesus.
He's saying to you, come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He delights to save. He wants to save. And though the Lord was standing that day, and he was shouting to that crowd, if any man thirst, let him come to me. And you see, coming to him, it's a person. It's not coming to a conference and not coming to a church. It's not coming to anything else, it's coming to a person.
Neither is our salvation and on any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. There's only one Savior for this world, one Savior for this world, the Lord Jesus Christ that blessed one, God's beloved Son who hung upon Calvary's cross 2000 years ago. Man could put the Lord Jesus up in that cross, but the very sphere that pierced his side.
Drew forth the blood to save, and I say this tonight, that the blood of Jesus Christ.
God's Son cleanseth us from all sin. I'm here tonight because the my Savior shed his precious blood to wash away all my sins and I am, I am saved and I am on my way to heaven. Can you say that tonight? Can you say that tonight? Oh, I trust that you can. He's a wonderful Savior. He delights to save. And I say to you, dear young people, if there's one here, one young person that's.
Still not saved. You know you're missing something wonderful. You are. You're missing something wonderful. To know that Christ is my Savior and I'm on my way to heaven. Can you be able to say that tonight? If you know Him personally, you'll be able to say that. And that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried. Can't you just see him there that day? And that crowd? If any man thirst, let him come to me and dream.
And you know, there's so many people that today are thirsty, longing for some satisfaction, something in this world.
The Lord has given me the ministry in downtown Skid Row, Vancouver, where I've been down.
Quite, quite often down there and I see all these folks and they're looking for something that would satisfy their soul, some little peace that they pick up off the street. You know what it is and, and, and it doesn't satisfy them. It's only for just a few hours and then.
Down again.
I I want to, I want to turn to the book of Jeremiah.
And we're going to look at a man there. His name is Zedekiah.
And let's look at the history of this man. So let's turn, first of all, to Jeremiah 52.
Jeremiah 52.
Zedekiah was one and 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hammettel, the daughter of Jeremiah of of Libna. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all the Jehovah had done. For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast out from his presence.
Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, and it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the 10th month, in the 10th day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came, he and all his army against Jerusalem.
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And pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged until the 11Th year of King Zedekiah. And in the fourth month and the 9th day of the month, the famine was sore in the city. So there was no bread for the people of the land. Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled and went forth out of a city by night, by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the King's garden.
Now the Chaldeans were by the city roundabout, and they went by the way of the plain. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after king and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king and carried him up into the king of Babylon to Ribna in the land of Hamas, where he gave judgment upon him.
And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. He strew also the the Princess of Judah in Ribla. And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah. And the king of Babylon bound him with chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. Now I want you to turn just over one page.
Lamentations of Jeremiah.
One page and one verse. The very first verse.
How does the city sit solitary that was full of people? How would she become a widow? She that was great among the nations and Princess among the provinces? How was she become a tributary? When I look at that verse in the first chapter of Lamentations, it's just as if.
I'd like to put it this way as if God is opening the doors for us to just take a peek at what it will be like after the Lord comes.
Here the city of Jerusalem had been besieged.
And Nebuchadnezzar's army had surrounded that city and burned with fire the city of Jerusalem. And then when we come to the first chapter of Lamentations, what what do we find? How did the city sit solitary that was once full of people? You know what will happen after the Lord comes. This world will be decimated of its population.
It will be a solemn thing for this world after the Lord comes.
And Oh dear one, tonight we don't want you to be there. And that's why the gospel is going forth tonight.
We don't want you to be there.
What a solemn thing it is gonna be after the Lord comes.
But yet God and his long-suffering, mercy lingering over this world, not willing that any should perish. And so the gospel goes out again. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. What think he of Christ? What shall I do with Jesus, which is called the Christ? That is the question that you must answer for your own self.
What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? What are you going to do about Him? Are you going to accept Him as your Savior or are you going to reject them? Are you going to go out to this room tonight? Still a lost dinner. You could be in this situation after the Lord comes. What a terrible time it will be. Thank God I'm not going to be there. By the sovereign grace of God, He saved my soul.
What about you tonight?
There was Eddie Kaya in chapter 52. What does it say here? The very first verse, Zedekiah was 21 years old when he ascended the throne. And what does it say? He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Zedekiah was not a safe soul. He didn't love the Lord. He didn't want the Lord in his life. And we're going to see some of the things that that that.
Uh, happened to je uh, to Zedekiah. Did he have a chance? Did he have a chance? Did God give him a chance? Yes, he did. Yes, he did. He had every chance. And so tonight I'm saying this to you and tonight you have every chance to be saved. Tonight God has allowed you to come and hear the gospel tonight. Yes, he has a wonderful God, the long-suffering God giving you every chance.
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To be saved. How wonderful that is. What a wonderful, gracious God.
21 years old, he was a man and he was responsible. And friend, tonight you're hearing the gospel once more, and you are responsible for what you hear because God will hold you responsible for what you hear.
I give a track to a man downtown. The track. Was this torn in half?
He threw it on the ground. I said, Sir, God is going to hold you responsible for that very act.
Diberiac.
Yurita, a gospel sign on a billboard. You read it, God is going to hold you responsible for it. God is going to hold you responsible for it. I think of this too, that many here tonight are children of the Saints. How many gospel meetings have you been? And still you've rejected the gospel message. How many?
You wanna know how many I was in before I before I came to the Lord Jesus? I'll tell you, it was a lot of gospel meetings, a lot of gospel meetings. But God in his long-suffering, mercy saved this person and he's able to save you. Yes, he is. I say this again to you. What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? You know what Pilate said, I'm gonna wash my hands of all this. I'm gonna stay neutral.
That's what Pilot wanted to do. I'm going to stay neutral. You can't do it. It's impossible. You can't stay neutral in the things of God.
It's either accept or reject. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth in him. Is there a middle part to that verse? No, there isn't. It's either or or. Will you accept Him or will you reject him? Here was that he Kaya He was given every opportunity to come to the Lord.
Turn with me to uh.
Let me see, I've got some here.
Jeremiah, chapter 36.
Uh, yes, I, I'll just briefly go through, uh, Jeremiah 36 here. This is Jehoiakim, not, not Zedekiah, but.
Jeremiah was told to write in a book and give it to Jehoiakim. And you know, in this chapter what, what did they do? Umm.
Let me see.
Uh, let's start at verse 20. And they went into the king, into the court, but they laid up their role in the Chamber of Elisham, described and told all the words.
In the years of the king, so the king sent Jehovah I.
N.
Thus saith the Lord, thou hast burned this roll.
Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come?
I spilled the water all over the place anyways.
They burnt the roll.
Jeremiah.
Southeast sent this.
Message This message of judgment that was coming upon the nation of Israel.
He sent this message and what did the king do? He burns it.
And there are many souls today are throwing away the word of God, not reading the word of God. You see, here is a precious word of God.
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You know, what are you going to do about this precious word?
It's beautiful, it's wonderful. In this are words of life. I cannot get up in the morning without reading the word of God. I cannot get go to bed at night without the precious word of God. Here is words of life. Young man, young girl here tonight.
Is this your constant companion? Is this your constant companion? But how many there are that have thrown away the precious word of God like they did here. And it says here they weren't even afraid.
They were never afraid. You know what? You know what God said to Jeremiah? Never mind Jeremiah. Write it again, write it again, tell it again. You see, that's what we were seeing it tonight. Tell it again, tell it again. Salvation story. Repeat or nor till nobody can say. I've never heard of it before.
How many here tonight have never heard the gospel before? I don't think there's one. But have you accepted it? Have you accepted it?
And so, you know, I, I really.
Dear ones, tonight Jeremiah to me is a inspiration to my soul. You know, because in the you you start, you start in the first chapters of Jeremiah, God told him. He says no, I want you to go home and tell the nation of Israel.
I want you to tell them that judgment is coming. I want you to tell them that. And you know what Jeremiah did? He kept on, he kept on saying the same thing over and over and over again. Judgment is coming. Judgment is coming. Go to go to the next chapter, Chapter 37.
Verse 16 When Jeremiah entered into the dungeon and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, and Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. And the king asked him secretly in his house and said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah says that there is. For he said, He thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon in that wonderful, in that solemn.
You know.
Zedekiah comes secretly to to Jeremiah and he says, is there a message from the Lord for me? You know there is a message there one tonight from the Lord to you. It's the precious word of God that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That is the message of the gospel tonight. The message that the Lord Jesus could say, come unto me, all ye that leave were and are heavy laden.
And I will give you rest. That is the message of the gospel. Have you accepted it?
Zedekiah didn't want everybody to see you this, so we took them aside secretly and says is there a message for me? There is. And that's what I like about Jeremiah. He kept on preaching the same thing and for 2000 years, dear ones, the same message has gone out to whosoever will Christ Jesus.
Came into the world to save sinners. The same message, and it won't stop. It won't stop until the Lord comes, so it won't.
Chapter 38.
Then Shepatia the son of Maban, and Gedelaya the son of Pasher, and Jacob the son of Shemalaya, and Pasture the son of Mechelaya, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto the people, saying, Thus says the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence, but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans will live.
For he shall have his life for a prey, thus that the Lord, this city shall surely be given unto the hand of the King of Babylon's army.
Which shall take it? Therefore the Princess said unto the king, We beseech you, let this man be put to death. For thus he weakened at the hands of the man of war that remained in the city, and the hands of all the people in speaking such words unto them. For this man seeketh not the welfare of his people, but the hurt. Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hands. For the king is not he that should do anything against them.
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Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into a dungeon of.
The Hamleck that was in the court of the prison. And they let Jeremiah down with cords, and in the dungeon there was no water but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire. He preached the same message. I say again, the same message is going out to whosoever will, whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely.
This is the message tonight. The Lord Jesus died on Calvary's cross to make it all possible, whereby we might have eternal life, whereby we might be saved. This man receiveth sinners and eateth with him. What a Savior we have.
He received sinners, He received me, and he can receive you tonight if you'll only come to him. Oh, he wants you to come to him. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. But Jeremiah kept on. He kept on the same message. Yes, there is judgment coming on this world.
There is as sure as I stand here, are you heeding the message? Are you heeding the message? I remember my mother, when I was a young lad, often said to me, Al, are you listening to me?
I'm saying this to you tonight. Are you listening to the Lord Jesus? Are you listening to God?
Are you listening to his precious word? There is words of warning to you.
Tonight, are you gonna heed the warning?
Because.
Jeremiah kept on preaching. What did they do? They put him in a dungeon and it says. And Jeremiah sat in the mire.
The sufferings of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. He weeped.
For the nation of Israel.
And their condition.
He sank the mire. You know, I love this. It's a beautiful Jeremiah sank in the mire. And you know, in Psalm 69, what does it say? I think in deep mire where there is no standing. Oh, to think of what our blessed Lord did for you and I on Calvary's Trust. You see, Jeremiah is just a little type of the Lord.
So was Joseph, he was a little type of the Lord in Genesis 37. What does it say of Joseph? They put him in the pit, and there was no water in the pit. What does it say of the Lord? All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Oh, to think of what the Lord Jesus suffered on Calvary's cross for your sins and mine, when he became the sin bearer there on Calvary's cross. Think of it, the depth of all thy suffering. No heart could ere conceive the cup of wrath or flowing for us.
Thou didst received an oath of God forsaken, to think of him crying out there.
On calories cross my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why would why did he cry out that?
Because of my sins, that he, that blessed, holy, spotless Lamb of God, who never sinned, who never even had the thought of a sin.
There on that cross in those dark hours. Bore my sins, pay the penalty that I deserved. What a Savior. What a Savior. His love for me, His love for you, His love for guilty sinners. He did it all for you. He could say it is finished. It is finished. Yes, indeed. Finished. Every job sitter. This is all you did. Tell me, is it done? That's all you need to do.
Is to come to him, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. I think indeed mire, where there is no standing. The Lord Jesus did not on that cross.
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Because what He suffered for you and I, these are just beautiful little types of the Lord.
And now look at, now look at a little bright spot here, verse seven of chapter 38.
Now when? Ebad Malak, Ethiopian.
Here he is a black man.
One of the units which was in the King's house heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon.
And the the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin Yvette Melich, went forth out of the King's house, and spake to the king, saying, My Lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the Prophet, whom they have cast into a dungeon, and he is to die for hunger in the place where he is. For there is no more bread in the city than the king commanded. He makemail like The Ethiopians, saying, From thence take from thence 30 men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the Prophet out of the dungeon before he died.
So Yvette Nella took the man with him, and he went into the House of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast coats and rotten, old rotten rags, and let them down by cords unto the into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Eve Ed male like the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, put now these old class clothes and rotten rags under thine arm holes under the cords, and Jeremiah did so. So.
They drew up Jeremiah out of the dungeon, and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison in this beautiful.
Oh, Yvette Malek, the Ethiopian, he was so concerned about this dear servant of God and this dear servant of God, he said, I want you. And they just got all cash coats and rotten rice. And that said, they brought Jeremiah out of his dungeon. You know, it says in Psalm 40, what does it say? He lifted me up also also out of a horrible pit, not of the miry clay.
And he set my feet upon a rock, and he established my going, and he put a new song in my mouth. Even praise unto our God. That's what He's done for me. Has He done this for you? Do you know this wonderful Savior who died on Calvary's cross for you? This wonderful Savior whose arms are outstretched to you and wants to save you tonight? What about Yvette Malik, the Ethiopian? What do we find about him?
Let's turn over to umm, let's see.
Umm.
Think Oh yeah, Chapter 39.
Chapter 39 and verse 16.
Go and speak to Ebed Millik, Ethiopian saying thus saith the Lord of hosts.
The God of Israel, Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil and not for good, and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee, but I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord. Thou shalt not be given unto the hand of the man whom thou art afraid, for I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee.
Because in this beautiful thou hast put thy trust in me.
Saith the Lord. Oh friend, tonight have you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know Him personally as Lord and Savior of your life? Have you put your trust in Him? Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understanding. Come to the Lord Jesus tonight. You know you can be saved right in your seat. As you're sitting there in your seat. God be merciful to me, a Sinner.
That is the sinner's prayer. Will you come to him tonight? Will you accept Christ as your own personal Savior in this beautiful to see this here was a here was one who identified himself with that man that went down into the pit. And oh, thank God that I have identified myself with the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who went into death for me. He did it all for me.
On Calvary's cross, what a wonderful savior, What a Isn't that wonderful to be a child of God? Isn't it wonderful? Judgment will never fall on the child of God. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. You'll never come under the judgment of God.
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My sins are all gone.
My sins are all gone. How about you?
Are your sins washed in the precious blood of Christ? Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior? And so how wonderful it is that God, in his long-suffering mercy, has had this gospel meeting tonight, even though it's been feeble.
And he wants you to be saved tonight. He's giving you another opportunity to be saved. Just one more opportunity. What are you gonna do with it?
What about it tonight, your young friend, tonight.
Can I make this one?
Story that I've told over and over again that has been graven on my heart so many, many times that when Brother Reuben and I were in Nigeria.
And we were told to preach the gospel in the prisons there in Nigeria.
And there was a row of 16 prison houses, and each one we preached the gospel to, there would be about 4040 men in each, uh, in each prison house.
And uh.
All you could see was black faces. It was beautiful to see it. And we got to the last prison house and it was an enclosed affair, cement affair. And when we walked into that and the door climbed behind us.
We were in that prison house. You know, it's kind of a eerie feeling when you when you're going to a prison house and the door climbs behind you.
Terrible thing to be in prison, terrible thing to be.
In prison without Christ. And there are many that are in prison when there are sins. And so we came into this last, uh, gate there, uh, prison house.
And there were six men in there.
And the text that the Lord gave me was that text that I have repeated many times tonight. What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? The most important question that a person can ever answer is that question, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? And I ask you that question tonight very sincerely. You have to answer it. You can't remain neutral as pilot did. You have to answer that question.
What are you gonna do about the Lord Jesus Christ?
And there are those that men heard that heard that question, and it was for the last time.
Because we asked as those men, as we left that building, we asked what was that? What were those men were all about and what was to happen to them? And they were going to be taken out and executed and shot.
What a solemn thing. But you know, the beautiful thing of it is that has been ingrained in my soul ever since that day, was that God gave them more and more opportunity to be saved.
One more opportunity to be saved. And dear friend tonight he's given you one more opportunity to be saved tonight.
Are you going to lay hold of it?
Are you gonna put your trust in me like eBay Malek?
How wonderful to be able to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What about dear friend, I plead with you tonight come tis Jesus gently call it ye with care and toil oppressed with your guilt. O he's you know he can save the very worst, the very worst I and and and then a wonderful that the very worst Sinner is in the in with the Lord this very moment, the apostle Paul.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
And let me, let me Fr let me quote another, another person, my sister-in-law, she's now with the Lord.
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And she made this statement about 50 years ago, and she said to me, she said.
Al, if God can save you, there's hope for my son. And God saved me. Save my son. We've been gathered for over 50 years. A wonderful God is the grace of God, the grace of God. And if you hadn't known me when I was 20 years old, you would have said.
That is hopeless. That is hopeless growing up in a Christian home and hopeless.
But by the sovereign grace of God, he saved me. And the very worst one here tonight, He can save you.
Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out never turn anyone away. He has a perfect record. He never turned 1 Sinner away. That came to him in faith.
And so I asked you, I urge you tonight, come to Jesus, the Savior of sinners. He will save you. He will save you. He will save you now.