Gospel—Don Mackewich
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Good evening. We'd also like to extend a warm welcome to everyone who can be in this room this evening. It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share the gospel gospel with you. So thank you for being here this evening. We're thrilled that you're here. Tonight can be a life changing night for you.
Some hymn sheets were passed around look like this. And we're gonna begin by singing one of my favorite songs that's on the back. It's #40.
Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so little ones to him belong. They are weak, but he is strong, the chorus reads. Yes.
Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, The Bible tells me so let's sing it together. Jesus loves you.
And holds her out of the gaze. Come back to the old blinds in their hands. And they come back. And they are completely. Uh, I think he's getting together. And so I'm on. Yeah. I, I, I, I, I'm. I'm having a good day. And I'll have a lot of stuff. We'll have to create it.
8527 o'clock.
3:00 And you have a lot of issues. You don't have to go on completion. You have a lot of stuff. You need to buy glasses and then you're doing it. You got to have something to do with that before I was in today. It's just, it's just, it's about a lot of like a couple of pounds and we need to go.
To $3000 and they can use 1000 conditions that amount or any information and get up around and we get to start anything from ourselves and I need to provide you a lot of money and I yeah I see you've got a lot of well you're going to get.
A lot of money to get yourself as well. And you're going to do anything? Yeah. I, I, I, I I don't know. Excuse me now, but I'm pulling up. Well, I'll have to get it from the house. I'll probably, I'll probably make a total of the Commission. I don't know.
2001's name is rattle Skype Wow skate 2005 and give me a call about.
Yeah, I'm fine. Probably doing 015953. Well, I think it's almost a month and a month you'll have a lot of money to see if you're gonna have a lot of security. So you're a lot of community and I'll just go out to community. Yeah, Community 500 and four dollars. Yeah. So 5500 and total powerful communities.
I'd like to sing one more song for the younger ones who are here #43.
One door and only one, and yet its sides are two.
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Inside and outside? On which side are you #43?
One door and only one.
Star I have to give you a lot of people and all the new ones. And yeah, I just thought it's potatoes. I have one chicken. I don't think I do.
Before we pray, we're gonna read one verse to get us started.
The verses that will be reading come from the Holy Bible.
This one comes from the book of John.
John is in the New Testament.
John, Chapter 3.
And we're gonna read verse 16.
You're welcome to put your finger on the verse as we read it.
It says for God.
So love the world.
That he gave his only begotten Son.
That whosoever.
Believeth in him.
Should not perish, but have.
Everlasting life.
Let's close our eyes, we'll bow our heads, we'll pray and ask the Lord's help.
We thank you, Lord Jesus, that this evening we can come together, we can open up the Holy Scriptures, we can read from Thy word and read the true account of how Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We pray tonight that if there's one who is burdened with their sin, there is one who has an emptiness, a void that needs to be filled.
That if there's one who knows they're on the wrong Rd.
The road leading to hell. We pray that tonight they would have listening ears, tonight they would see your love for them, and tonight they would accept your free offer of salvation. We ask this in the name and in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Again, thank you all for coming here tonight. It's it's a wonderful privilege to be able to share the gospel with you for those who have been here.
All day during the Bible conference for those who joined us this afternoon and for those who are joining us this evening, we welcome you thank you thank you for coming we know that you have choices we know that you have options we know that there are other things to do on a Saturday evening. We appreciate you being here this evening tonight's message is wonderful and it's life changing for those who are listening to this podcast, for those who are listening to this recording on the Internet around the world, we.
St. Thomas ON, It's good to to have you joining in as well. So thank you everyone, and thank you for being here and thank you for listening.
We're gonna be pulling the Scriptures from this book. It's the Holy Bible.
It's not a textbook, it's God's Word. It's written by men and women who live many years ago, who lived in different parts of the world, written by ones who didn't even always know each other. But every word of God is true, and it's a very holy book to us.
And we're going to begin by reading a reference in the book of Second Timothy.
Chapter 3.
And we're gonna read verse 16.
Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 16 says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction.
In righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. So as we begin tonight's message, we're gonna be reading from the Bible. It's it's full of good history and it's very important history, but it's more than that. It's God's word from the very first verse in the Bible, Genesis chapter one verse one, all the way to the very last book in the Bible.
The very last chapter, the very last verse, it is God's word.
It's not my opinion, it's not the opinion of those here in this room, it's not the opinion of Christians. It's God's word and all of it is true. God's word is true. Thy word is truth. Another thing I want to begin is bring out at the very beginning is that there is one God.
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And one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
Let's turn to the to that verse.
It's in the book of, uh, First Timothy.
First Timothy chapter 2. We'll start with verse one again. Please follow along. It's not what I say, it's what God says. First Timothy chapter 2 and verse one it says. I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority.
That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable.
In the sight of God our Savior. And this is the heart of God tonight.
God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. So when I make reference to God, and Jesus is God, we're referring to one God. Sometimes people think that Christians believe in more than one God. We believe in one God, and Jesus is God.
One God, and the last thing before we get started, which I made reference to at the very beginning, is that God is love. God cares about you.
Cares about you more than you know. Perhaps you've never thought of it that way. That the God of this world, the God of this universe who created you and who created me, loves you passionately, loves you and longs to forgive you of your sins. The message that we have tonight, which is true, is life changing.
It is wonderful. God is love. It's an item going to follow a very simple outline.
I'm gonna talk about the birth of Jesus from the scriptures. We're gonna talk about his death.
We're going to talk about his resurrection and mention his soon return.
That is the gospel message.
Now, as I mentioned, the Bible was written by many different ones, men, women, ones who lived in different time periods, who lived in different continents. Some knew each other, some didn't know each other.
But in the very beginning.
God created this world, so no one is here by accident. No one is here by chance. You have a Creator, I have a creator, and our Creator is God. He created Adam and He created. Even from there, life has continued on all the way to 2017 right here in St. Thomas, ON.
And in the Old Testament, the Bible is broken down into two parts. The Old Testament, in the New Testament, different ones prophesied that there would be one who would be born. And this one who they prophesied would be Jesus. Think of that. Years before he was born, it was prophesied that Jesus would be born. Not only was the prophesied that he would be born, but it was also prophesied hundreds of years before he was born.
Where he would be born.
Not in Toronto, not in Montreal, but in Bethlehem.
That prophecy was fulfilled. It was prophesied that his mother.
He would become from a virgin. That prophecy was fulfilled. So as we read the Bible, it's not just historical facts and figures. Many prophecies have come true and those that haven't come true will come true. God's word is alive. It's quick and powerful. It's sharper than any two edged sword and the birth of Jesus Christ.
It really happened. Please turn with me to the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter one.
It takes me a little while to get there too sometimes.
So I'm reading in Matthew chapter one, kind of towards the end of the chapter. I'm going to start with verse 21. I'd like you to follow along if you have a Bible.
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And it says that she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.
Which is being interpreted God with us.
Then Joseph, being raised from the sleep that is the Angel of the Lord, had bidden him.
Unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son.
And he called his name Jesus.
Now why was Jesus born? Why is it so important that we have before us tonight Jesus?
We don't have before us a bunch of rules and regulations that we're gonna try to follow and try to become holy that way. That's not gonna help us. We have before us tonight a person, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God manifest in flesh. And tonight we're gonna be speaking about Him because He is the way, the truth, and the life, and he is the one who can forgive you.
Of your sins.
Tonight.
Down through the years, going all the way back to Adam and Eve, not a single person, including Adam and Eve down through the years lived a perfect life. And God is holy and God is perfect. And God desires to have a relationship with his creature, you and I, to be able to enjoy fellowship together, to be able to enjoy company together.
But because of sin.
We have been separated from God, our sins.
Have separated us from God and the Bible tells us in Romans chapter 3, verse 23 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That includes me. I'm not perfect. Nobody in this room is perfect. We're not even going to try to pretend that we're good because it wouldn't work. God sees right through. He knows the thoughts. He knows the intents of the heart.
He knows our life from before we were born.
Until it ends.
And he sees the sins in our lives, and God can't allow sin into heaven.
Sin is awful.
Thin is terrible.
Is like that dirty diaper that stinks and you want to get rid of it. You want to get it out of the kitchen as fast as you can. You want to isolate it, You want to remove it.
Sometimes you go to people's houses and they ask you to take off their shoes because they don't want to have dirt come into the house. God can't allow sin into heaven and it is a big and serious problem. And so that is why Jesus came. Jesus didn't come to help the United States and help Canada and other countries solve their problems. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He was thinking of you.
When he came, and so he came into this world and he lived here.
In this world, for 33 years, always doing the will of his Father, He could not sin. He did not sin. He knew no sin. He went around helping people, healing people. He also went about speaking truth, changing lives, bringing forth truth.
He was God manifest in flesh.
But where we're gonna pick up the story now is that this world, the ones who were living at that time, and if we were living back then, our hearts would have been just the same.
We didn't want Jesus. The cry was away with him.
We will not have this man to reign over us. Man wanted to do his own thing. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone.
To his own way, we did not want Jesus and we're going to read reference briefly what happened to Jesus.
And This is why it's significant, because Jesus came into this world.
To go to a place called Calvary's Cross.
And as a substitute, take the punishment that you and I deserve.
That's why Jesus came. He was crucified, but he came to die and to be punished for the sins that you and that I had committed. Turn with me, please, to Matthew chapter 27.
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So the scene now that we're gonna be looking at is Jesus on the cross and there's gonna be a cross on his right hand and there's gonna be a cross on the left hand side.
And Jesus is on the cross. The two thieves are on the cross as well. So picture the scene in the middle. There's a man, Jesus, who did not sin, could not sin, knew no sin, and on the right hand and on the left hand were men who were guilty and who deserve to die. But the one in the middle, he did not deserve to die.
Picking it up in Matthew chapter 27, it says verse 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and the other on the left, and they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads and saying, Thou that destroyeth the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Likewise also the chief priest mocking him with the scribes and elders said.
He saved others himself. He cannot save if he be the king of Israel. Let him now come down from the cross.
And we will believe him. Come on, Do you think they really would have believed him if he came down from the cross?
No, but he knew what lay ahead while he was there. He knew what lay ahead. And even though they were mocking him, even though they were taunting him, even though they were saying come down from the cross.
Did he come down? No, he didn't. I'm reminded of the 1St and Nehemiah, I believe prophetic Neo Nehemiah chapter six. He could say I am doing a great work. I cannot come down.
Jesus was about to be punished for the sins.
That you and I had committed. And there he was on the cross. He had already had the crown of thorns put on him. He had already been spit at. He had already been buffeted. And there he was people saying come down, if you are the Son of God, come down. But he didn't come down because He had. He had important work to do. I say that reverently. He was thinking of you tonight. He was thinking of me. And he knew that. Our greatest need.
Is forgiveness of our sins.
Verse 45 Now from the 6th hour there was darkness over all the land until the 9th hour and about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani, that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me there on the cross for three hours?
God punished the Lord Jesus.
The one who did know sin. The one who knew no sin.
The one who could not sin, He bore the punishment that you and I deserve. You and I, we deserve to go to the lake of fire. We deserve to go to hell for our sins. That's the only fair outcome. But Jesus in love went to the cross and died as a substitute for you and I, taking on the punishment that we deserve if we will repent and put our faith and trust in Him. Some of the.
Ones in this room, you know what a substitute is. I teach school, elementary and middle school, and some days if I'm not there, there's a substitute teacher. Nowadays we use sometimes the word guest teacher, but there's somebody who's covering for me. So that's a classroom, has an adult in there. There would be chaos if there wasn't. There's someone in there as a substitute and we deserve to be punished for our sins. Jesus went to the cross.
As a substitute for us.
Punish me instead. I will go, I will die, I will bear the punishment so that you can be set free. Would you turn with me to the book of John, please?
So there is Jesus on the cross. He has been punished for the sins.
That he didn't commit punished so that you and I could have forgiveness of sins. Verse 32. I'm sorry, verse 28.
Matthew chapter. I'm sorry, John chapter 19, verse 20.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
John chapter 19 and verse 28.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Seth, I thirst now. There was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled the sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
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When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said these are life changing words for the Christians in this world, those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. These words that he said on the cross are full of meaningful of importance because at this point he could say.
It is finished.
The work that he had done, the death that he was about to die.
The punishment that he had taken on Calvary's cross, the work was done and he could say it is finished. And the good news that we can proclaim here in Saint Thomas and around the world is that you do not and cannot work your way to heaven. The work has already been done. Jesus has paid the price in full, and tonight he offers you salvation.
Tonight he offers you salvation and listen to this. This is oh, this is so good. Verse 30.
Two.
I say it reverently, but let's just I'm gonna get to it. It's gonna be verse 34. Jesus had finished the work on the cross, Then came the soldiers and break the legs of the 1St and the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear.
Pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood.
And water.
In the Old Testament it says without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. In the Old Testament it says when I see the blood I will pass over you. And there it Calvary's cross, Jesus on the cross the work was done. Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, the precious blood begins flow and it is the blood of Jesus Christ his Son that cleanseth us.
From Austin.
It is the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, that cleanseth us from all sin. So the sins that we have, the good news that we can share with you in the gospel is good news is that the precious blood of Jesus has been shed. And those things that you have, they can be forgiven tonight because the blood was shed in whom we have redemption through his blood.
The forgiveness of sins. Let's turn to that person first, John, just so you can see.
It's true. Oh, it's so good.
First John, chapter one.
It's OK if I go a few more minutes.
First John chapter one and verse 7.
Breaks tears to my eyes. First John chapter one verse 7, the end of the verse the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin and it is the blood that can cleanse sorry, sorry. It is the blood that can cleanse us from our sins tonight and Peter could say.
Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man has preached unto you Jesus.
That is preached unto you, the forgiveness of sins. How marvelous. But the story doesn't end there. Turn back to Matthew chapter 27.
Matthew chapter 27. I'm going to kind of paraphrase it at this point.
Jesus had borne the punishment. His precious blood had been shed.
His body was taken down off the cross. A wealthy man UMM named Joseph helped to make this a possible help to make this a reality and his body was placed in a tomb and a great big stone was put in front of the tomb and it was sealed shut and guards were stationed around that tomb.
That we can read it real quick. Matthew chapter 27.
Verse 64 Command therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples came by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead, so the last heir shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch, go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went and made the sepulchre sure.
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Feeling the stone and setting a watch.
So there Jesus was buried. A big stone was put in front of it.
It was sealed and it was guarded.
Now, as I talk about Jesus tonight, this is one of the most exciting parts of the gospel message. This next part, this is what separates Christianity from a lot of other religions.
Jesus and Christianity is not a religion by the way either, but Jesus was placed in that tomb.
And tonight, we're not following the teachings of a dead man, because that's not the end of the story.
He was put into that tomb.
But my friend, the good news is.
Three days later.
Three days later, Jesus.
Rose from the dead tonight we can tell you. Matthew chapter 28, verse 6.
Matthew chapter 28 verse five that there was a great earthquake. The stone was rolled back. Ones were allowed to look into the tomb. They didn't see the body of Jesus because there was nobody in there. No body as in nobody. There was nobody in there. The tomb was empty.
As a songwriter could say, up from the grave he arose.
With a mighty triumph or his foes tonight the good news is that the good news is Jesus is alive. Jesus is alive. He is not dead. He was dead, but he is not dead. Tonight the good news is Jesus is alive.
To verse 6, verse five, I know that you seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here.
For he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord.
Laid.
Lei tonight, the good news, the glorious news is that Jesus is not dead. He is alive, and he was on earth and eventually he returned to heaven where he is tonight. And so as we talk to you about the Lord Jesus, we're not talking about a dead man. We're talking about one who loved you, who came into this world, who went to Calvary's cross and died so that you could have your sins forgiven.
Bore the The punishment that you deserve to be punished with was buried put in in the tomb.
And rose again, and he is in the glory now, and soon he is coming to take us home.
So tonight, as we wrap this up, again, thank you for listening. Thank you for being respectful to the Gospel message. Thank you for being respectful to the Scriptures.
There's about 400, maybe 500 in this room.
If you could just do me a favor right now, I need you to listen very, very carefully here.
I don't know your background.
But I do know that God loves you and he cares about you.
And tonight he would like to save you. Tonight he would like to forgive you of your sins. Tonight he would like to set you free. That burden of sin that you have, it's kind of like a beach ball. You kind of just try to suppress it and say, I hope it goes away, but it doesn't go away. It just keeps popping up. It keeps coming back. It's not going to go away tonight. Jesus is the one who can forgive you of your sins.
You say tonight I have a void in my heart. I've been trying to satisfy myself by the things that this world offers. I've been pouring myself into education. I've been pouring myself into stocks and bonds. I've been in pouring myself into real estate. I've been looking. I've been trying to read the different philosophers. I've been trying to fill that void. But tonight, I'll be real with you. It's not filled tonight. Jesus can fill that void.
Maybe tonight you're sitting here with the realization that if I were to die tonight.
I would end up in the Lake of Fire.
Tonight that your course, your trajectory of your life can be changed by Jesus Christ. And so tonight, as we get ready to close, I want to invite you to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior. I want to invite you to say yes to the one who loved you and the one who gave his life for you.
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What that looks like.
Just right where you're sitting. It doesn't even have you don't even have to get out of your seat. Come, come to the realization right where you're sitting that you can say in your in your heart, yes, I believe that what I've heard tonight is true. I believe that God's word is true and that I am a Sinner.
I also believe that Jesus gave his life for me on Calvary's cross, that his precious blood was shed for me.
And that if I repent and put my faith and trust in Him, I will be saved.
And if you do that tonight, you will right where you're sitting right now. You can just bow your head. You can pray.
From your heart, it's not a formula. Just in your heart you can say right now, Lord Jesus, I am a Sinner. I believe you died for me. Please come into my heart. Please wash my sins away. And He'll do that.
We love you, God loves you.
Lord willing, we'll be here again tomorrow unless the Lord comes tonight. We invite you to come back. We invite you to come to Sunday school. If you have questions about what has been said tonight, you have questions about what you heard, please see myself. Please see one of the other adults in this room. We'd be happy to talk with you. I was in your shoes at one time, too. I needed a savior, and he saved me.
Let's close in prayer.
Lord Jesus, we just thank thee that tonight if there's one in this room who hears you knocking at their hearts door.
One who hasn't yet said yes, Lord Jesus, come into my heart. One who has not said yet.
Please wash away my sins. We pray that tonight there would be those in this room who would say, who would ask you to be their Savior, who would repent and put their faith and trust in you. We give thanks and your worthy and precious name, Amen. Again, we love you. Thank you for coming.