Gospel—Erastus Ruga
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Good afternoon everyone. Perhaps we can start by singing hymn #2 in the sheet here, and if a brother would start that I would be very indebted.
Uh-huh.
And 380 small on the next umm.
Shall we look to the Lord?
Our blessed God and Father.
We give thee thanks for the gospel of Thy grace.
That gospel with so many here have received.
Have known the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
We thank thee for the wonders of it.
And we think that perhaps there may be some here who is yet.
Our undecided have not yet listened to those words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And so we pray for this hour.
And we pray for wherever else in this world the gospel goes forth.
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That the message would receive would be received by many who as yet know not the Lord Jesus's Savior. We pray for Thy blessing upon this time. We pray for the speaker that the words spoken might be those needful as directed by the Spirit. We just commend it all to Thee, blessed God, in the alone, worthy and precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Well, it's very encouraging to me to look around and see so many young people particularly.
And there are some that are rather young still.
Perhaps, uh, one or two years old, maybe even younger, and others into their teens and even their early 20s.
And I think when I see the large group of young people.
Of the many, many years.
That I sat just like you in a meeting just like this.
And listen to the word of God being spoken.
The gospel of the The message. The gospel of Christ. Salvation through faith in Christ.
The blood of Christ alone which can cleanse us from our sins, and that it's all ours if we just accept it.
And I'm certain that almost everyone here knows the gospel message every bit as well as I do.
But I have that thought that perhaps there may be someone here who has yet not received the Lord Jesus as their own personal Savior.
It's free to own. The word goes forth. We sit, we listen.
Not everybody responds. Most everybody takes it in and has it in the head, but not ever, not to everyone as it sunk down into the heart and into the conscience. And so this is.
Something that I wish to mention at the start of this meeting.
I remember hearing not very long ago on ACD.
A message given by a brother through a group.
And he challenged the young people.
On this very issue, he said are you for real or are you a phony? For safety may have said are you for real or are you fake? Do you really know the Lord Jesus as Savior or do you just pretend you do? Do you just say you do?
And that question, when I heard it, struck home with me very, very strongly.
Because as I sat for years in the Brooklyn meeting and in other places listening to the gospel for years and years and years, it was all up here.
And the Lord bore with me, and in time it received. It came down into my heart and into my conscience. It was something I knew so well, but I had just never reached out and grabbed it, never applied that blood, never accepted Christ as Savior. I would have told you I was saved, but I would have been deceiving you because I had not received them personally. I wonder if there's someone here today.
That is in a similar situation.
We have these words of this precious hymn, come, come, come. The Lord wants us to come and that very last verse Angel hosts are musing or this sight so strangely sad.
God beseeching and man refusing to be made forever glad.
And it's not only a question of refusing the gospel. It can be a question of neglect. And of course we know Scripture says how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? So it's not enough to know the truth. We must each individually lay hold of it. We must teach individually come to repentance and to faith.
In our the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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So simple and yet so important because the message will stop going forth one of these days, and at the moment it goes out, uh, stops going forward. When the Lord comes to take his own away, all who are left behind, who knew the truth, who refused it or neglected it, will be left behind for judgment. What a sad thought. Judgment, judgment we all deserve.
But those of us who know the Lord and Savior.
Have been freed from.
We're his. There's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
But with those preliminary thoughts, I thought.
That I would speak about certain men that are described in the New Testament.
And the first few that I thought of are found in the book of Acts.
And they are three Roman governmental officials.
To whom Paul the Apostle Paul gave.
A defense of himself and of his life because he had been unjustly accused by the Jews of profaning the Temple. And as soon as that word was spoken, there was a riot, and large groups just latched on to that word. And they would take Paul and they would beat him.
And they would have killed him.
But a Roman official, a captain, chief captain, came and took him away and eventually he was presented before 32 governors and a king. And these are the three people that I wish to speak of. As he gave his defense, he was speaking the gospel to them. He was telling him about his life and also telling them about salvation through faith in Christ.
And what were their responses? They're very different, but they are instructive. So the first one would be in chapter 24 of the book of Acts.
And let's read the 25th. Well, the 24th verse.
And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
Now we don't have other words to describe exactly what he said, but we can imagine what he said when it says.
He they heard him concerning the faith in Christ. I'm sure that his message was a very detailed and very complete and accurate message, the truth of salvation and as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance.
And judgment to come. Felix trembled.
I can imagine when a person's conscience.
Is stirred by the thought of coming judgment. For his sins, for her sins.
It has to make a person tremble.
To think of the judgment which will not just be.
A punishment for a period of time, but a judgment which will go on throughout eternity.
Eternity in outer darkness.
Those who do not want the presence of God, do not want the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, will not be forced into a relationship. They'll be in outer darkness where there is no presence of God.
Judgment, eternal judgment, Felix trembled as any individual hearing.
Would feel.
Well, did it help convert him?
As he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled.
And he answered, Go thy way this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
The time was not suitable for this man. He trembled, but he could shut it off very quickly. And he said, well, when I have a good time, I will listen to you and give some thought to what you've said.
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While Scripture doesn't tell us at that convenient time ever came.
That Felix ever heard.
The word.
From the Apostle Paul again.
As far as we know, that was the last occasion.
So the man.
There certainly is lost, because although he trembled, he did not believe it, He did not receive it, He put it off. Or what a mistake that is to put it off. What a mistake. How many of you, when you were younger, perhaps trembled at times, thinking that the Lord had already come?
I don't. I don't know of many people who haven't had that experience. I know I certainly had.
Where your parents are supposed to be somewhere at a set time, coming home from meeting with the rest of the family. And you wait and you wait and you wait and they don't show up.
Perhaps it's night time and the house is just as quiet that you could hear a pin drop and you start thinking, Am I here alone? Are the others gone? I'm certain many of you have had that experience and you've trembled. I trust that at those occasions when you've trembled and you realize that the Lord had not come, that you would write then and there.
Except the Lord Jesus as Savior.
Felix trembled, but he put it off.
The Apostle.
We don't know ever had an opportunity to speak to him again or he to hear the words of this the faith concerning the faith in Christ.
So putting it off is a very, very solemn thing. Today He will hear his voice harden, not your hearts. Today is the day of salvation, not tomorrow, not 10 minutes from now. Today, when you're under conviction, when the Spirit is working within you, convicting you of sin, exercising your conscience, that's the time. That's the proper time.
To take that step, to accept the Lord, to ask Him to come into your life, receive Him as your Savior.
Not later, but just then.
The other two men are a man named Festus, who was the governor who succeeded Felix.
And King Agrippa, before whom Paul spoke.
At the same time to to both of them at the same time.
And we could turn to the 26th chapter.
OK, let's read the.
From the 11Th verse he speaks of his prior life, the Apostle. I punished them, the Christians OFT in every synagogue, and compelled them to blasphemy, and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them.
Even unto strange cities.
Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and Commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven above, the brightness of the sun shining round about me, and then which journeyed with me.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the ******.
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest, but rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee.
To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them, which are sanctified by faith, which is in me. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent.
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And turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day.
Witnessing both the small and great, saying none of the things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer, that he should be the first that should rise from among the dead.
And should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.
So he was preaching the gospel he didn't have. The New Testament hadn't been written yet.
He had the Old Testament and the Old Testament supports.
Everything that we read of in the New Testament, well, almost everything that we read in the New Testament, not certain issues concerning the church, but as far as salvation, that Christ, the Messiah must come, that he must die.
23rd The 22nd song.
In Isaiah the 53rd chapter of Isaiah the 69th Psalm, there are so many.
That speak very clearly of the death of the Messiah.
And so he spoke unto them.
Showing them from the Old Testament scriptures the truth that he was now proclaiming.
Well, the 1St man has had shows his effect at this point in time, and as he thus spake for himself. Festus said with a loud voice. Paul, thou art beside thyself much learning.
Just make thee mad.
Not a surprising answer from a man of the world.
If any of you have spoken to someone recently, there's a good chance you may have gotten a similar answer.
Or be completely ignored because the natural man doesn't receive the things of the Spirit of God he can.
They will not believe.
And, uh, we have it in the in First Corinthians by the preaching the gospel, uh, foolishness. The gospel is foolishness to the Gentiles.
And the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
In the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. So it's no surprise that people would think it's foolishness. They do not receive it, They consider you mad for believing it, and they would like to help you by relieving you of your faith in Christ to believe in the things that they believe. Have a good time, we only go around once.
We'll never get a second chance. Things are here for us to enjoy. Let's enjoy them to the Max. And that's the philosophy of the world. It certainly is not faith in Christ. It's foolishness to them. And until the Spirit of God, until they listen and the Spirit of God starts working within them, they cannot receive the gospel message. And Festus, he said it with a loud voice.
Much learning doth make thee mad. There was no question as to Paul's.
Intelligence.
He was a man of which we would call a super intellectual were he alive today.
But he was brought low by the Lord on the road to Damascus. He found out that he was persecuting not these Christians, but that he was persecuting Christ himself.
I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. That was a shock to him.
But his response was quick and sincere.
Who art thou, Lord? I'm Jesus, whom thou persecutest, and then he comes back. What wilt thou have me to do, Lord? He acknowledges this man that he had just minutes before.
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Had nothing but evil thoughts about He says, Lord, what will thou have me to do? And of course the life of the apostle Paul, the way the Lord used him is.
Unique.
He was a vessel of very, very special vessel of God to bring the gospel to many portions of this world and to bring out certain truths as the the Church of God and the Jews and the Gentiles being both members of that same body, that same church. He was a very special vessel, and he was converted as soon as he heard the words of the Lord.
He believed, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Well, that was Festus response, and that is a response that is very common in the world. You're mad, you're crazy. How Can you believe that?
Don't let any of their comments.
Get into you, into your head, because they're all the comments of.
Satan inspired by whomever it is, it speaks the words.
Well then we can read a little further.
In the 25th verse he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
Will the king knoweth of these things before whom also I speak freely? For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, For this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believeth thou the prophets?
I know that thou believers. And then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost Thou persuadest me to be a Christian, Paul was certain.
That King Agrippa had us a degree of faith in.
The Old Testament and the prophecies of it. And King Agrippa could only say.
Almost thou persuadeth me to be a Christian. How sad to be close and to be lost again, as with Festus, or as with Felix, we do not know. The king Agrippa ever heard the word of God subsequent to this experience, that he ever went beyond the point of almost as far as we know, he was lost.
Almost convinced to become a Christian, but not quite. How sad it is. And you know, for any who've been brought up in a Christian family and who have heard the gospel time and time again.
And who do not perceive the Lord Jesus, they are at this point almost but not quite. And almost is not enough. It must be faith in Christ and acceptance of Him as Savior.
So these three men.
Represent many of the.
Reasons that men of this world reject the Gospel.
The excuses that they will give.
What they will say when they're faced with a question concerning.
Their sole state, eternity, where they will spend eternity. These answers are very typical.
But they're all they all lead to the Lake of Fire.
Now, in contrast to that, we have a wonderful, another wonderful example in the same book of Acts in the 16th chapter. And perhaps we could discuss a little of that. And it's a story that all of you know very well, I'm certain.
The story of Paul and Silas thrown into prison unjustly.
Bound in chains with Roman soldiers to keep them from escaping, because of course, a prisoner who escaped made forfeit the life of those who guarded him.
Imagine yourself in that position.
In prison for no good reason, no legitimate reason.
And you're bound in chains and you have people all around you to make sure you you don't do anything, can't go anywhere.
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I think that would be very discouraging.
Paul and Silas, they were not discouraged. What did they do? You know the story.
At midnight, verse 25, Paul and Silas prayed.
And sang praises unto God. Wow. In that situation they are singing praises to God. Well, you know, as a Christian, whatever misfortune may strike you.
You should still give praise to God. All things work together for good to them that love God. All things, even trials and tribulations, things that we don't like, that we can't understand, that we would rather not undergo, all things work together for good and the Lord is testing us. The Lord is bringing us to a point that he would not have otherwise bring us to except for this trial, except for this tribulation.
So Paul and Silas, they apparently were well aware of that. And so at midnight, under these circumstances, they are still spraying and singing praises unto God. And the prisoners heard them, and I suspect that the keeper of the jail heard them also from the succeeding verses.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's hands bands were loosed and the keeper of the prison waking out of his sleep.
And seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm.
For we are all here. And then he calls for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe.
On the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Compare his response to that of those two governors and that king.
This keeper probably heard less of the gospel of God's grace than those two governors and the king heard, but he obviously heard enough because he knew that there was salvation.
Possible. And he wanted to know what it was because he wanted it.
Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Simple message that's still valid today. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. No ifs, no ands, no butts. Believe, truly believe in your heart.
Don't just say it, but truly believe it in your heart. You are saved and you have God's word for it to assure you that you are a redeemed child of God, redeemed by that precious blood which He shed on the cross.
So what a nice response from this man and he and his entire house were saved.
And they were all baptized.
And as far as we know, went on very happily in the Lord from that moment.
All because of the faithfulness of Paul in bringing the gospel message to them and Silas.
At a time when it seemed inconceivable that anyone would.
Be so, uh, concerned in prison. Chained.
Possibly having been beaten, but that doesn't, it doesn't tell us that. So that's speculation, but under circumstances that were very, very hard to accept. And yet they were so happy that they could sing praises to God, that they could pray to God. And the prisoners all heard and knew that there was something to salvation that they could get from their sins. And we know that the jailer and his family.
Accepted it. What a beautiful contrast to the response of the king and the response of the two governors. So I trust that these few words.
Have been in an encouragement to some.
That any here who are as yet unsaved.
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Might believe.
The word of God.
What the speaker says is not important is what the Word of God tells us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. For thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And shall believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. Not maybe thou shalt. And it's free to all. And it's an eternal salvation, something we can never lose.
God assures us of it. We can't believe it, we can't accept it. I trust that this word will be blessed to the heart of any who as yet may not know the Lord Jesus Savior. But perhaps we could sing another hymn #12.
Because this is how we have to come, just as I am. Could someone start that please?
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Sure, Gray, blessed God and Father, we give thee thanks.
But thy word still goes forth.
Beseeching men to receive the gospel of Thy grace. Salvation through faith in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shed at Calvary's cross. And oh blessed Savior, that.
Thy plea come unto me, might be heeded by any who as yet have not come, that they might come just as they are in full faith in Thee. Well, we thank thee for the word that still goes forth in many places in this world. We pray for the assembled group here.
That blessed Savior at thy coming.
There would be none here today that would be left behind.
We thank Thee and we bless Thee, Lord Jesus, for all that thou hast done at such a cost.
We give thee thanks in thy own worthy and precious name. Amen.