Gospel—Michel Payette
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To our gospel meeting.
You should have a hymn sheet and we'd like to sing #10.
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. Receive him this moment and peace shall be thine #10 Someone started for me, please.
Well, the passage I have on my heart tonight.
Is.
If I could say in my own words, is a bit of a hard passage.
It's in the book of Numbers.
Old Testament book.
Call the Desert Book.
A time when the children of Israel were in the desert and their hearts were tested and didn't they didn't do too well.
And there was much judgment on the people because of their failure.
So numbers 15.
And we just read from.
Verse 22.
And if you've erred and not observed all these commandments which the Lord had spoken unto Moses.
Even all that the Lord had commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses, and henceforth among your generations.
Then it shall be a thought be committed by ignorance, without the knowledge of the congregation. Then all the congregation shall offer one young Bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the Lord.
Verse 27 If any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring.
A she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
Verse 30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously.
Whether he be born in the land or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord and had broken his commandment. That soul shall utterly be cut off. His iniquity shall be upon him.
There was a provision here by God for those who were ignorant.
You know, many people in this world tonight are ignorant of many things about God.
Might not be your case and mine, but it is a condition of many, many a soul on the face of this earth tonight and God can see the difference between those that are ignorant and those that are negligent.
And those that are outrightly rebellious.
And we're going to read about this man now.
In the 32nd verse about one who had a mind of his own about those things that the Lord had commanded.
Verse 32.
And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found the man that gathered sticks.
Upon the Sabbath day, And it had found him gathering sticks, brought him to Moses, unto Moses and Aaron, and on to all the congregation.
And they put him in a ward because it was not declared what should be done to him.
And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones, without the cap.
And all the congregation brought him without the camp and stoned him with stones.
And he died.
As the Lord commanded Moses.
Read a passage like this.
A hard passage to comment on.
And not to react to in our personal hearts, because in our own judgment.
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This man did not kill anybody, didn't do wrong to his wife.
Didn't steal anything. They didn't curse the name of God.
All he did was pick up some sticks.
Perhaps you wanted to have eggs and you wanted to cook his eggs, and you didn't have any wood.
Ah, Sabbath days. What's the difference? I mean, just to pick up a little bit of wood and cook my eggs.
And you picked up some wood.
And he died.
Some would say, oh God, it's so.
Unjust. Oh, that God is not unjust. He cannot be unjust. He is absolutely just.
The Sabbath day was an ordinance of God.
Was something that he required for himself.
And though this man hadn't done nothing wrong to his neighbor.
He greatly offended God in what he did.
And he lost his life.
James, we read that one whom is guilty of one commandment of trespassing, 1 Commandment is guilty of all.
You have a transgressed one of God's commandments.
I'm sure none of you are guilty of picking up wood on the Sabbath day.
Because that's no longer a provision in Christianity in the New Testament.
But you and I have done many things.
That offend God and that we have to answer to and answer for.
We noticed before that there were sins of ignorance and it's very interesting to consider.
With the people of Israel.
Because you know, when the Lord Jesus came into the world, he was born as a Jew, when he walked those streets in Palestine, in Jerusalem and Nazareth and Bethlehem, and these people, they saw him, they heard his discourse, they saw the miracles he performed.
And in a general way they said, we will not have this man to rule over us. They rejected their king, and more than that, they said away with him, crucify him.
They asked for him to be crucified as a malefactor.
To become a curse on that piece of wood.
They requested that from the governor pilot.
But then when you go to Acts of the Apostles.
Chapter 3.
This is the apostle Peter speaking in verse 14, he says.
But he denied the Holy One and the Just.
And desired a murderer to be granted unto you.
You recall that Barabbas, Barabbas and Jesus was offered to them, and he chose for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified. That's what they did.
You're eating Luke's Gospel when the Lord was crucified.
He prayed Father forgive them.
For they know not what they do.
The Lord allowed them to be ignorant.
Recognize them not as not knowing what they were doing.
And then in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter was preaching to them, and he says, verse 15.
And killed the Prince of Life, whom God had raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.
And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong. He just healed a man there.
Whom you were, whom you see and know. Yeah, the Faith which is by Him hath given him.
This perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I walk that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Recall when we read the numbers, when there had been sins of ignorance, there was a provision.
There was a sacrifice that could be offered for that sin to be forgiven.
And here we see in the Acts of the Apostles.
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Even after this nation was guilty before God of rejecting and crucifying their own Messiah, that God would offer to them to be at the benefit, you might say, the benefit from this very sacrifice offered on the cross by the Lord Jesus himself. What a wonder of mercy and grace on God's part to offer this people again.
Now dead and resurrected Christ One they requested him to be crucified.
He was offered to them again to be a savior and we know many were touched in their hearts.
And were brought into blessing and were saved by the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.
But you know, we live.
In the last days of God's testimony to this gospel, that we have the glorious gospel of the grace of God.
And I doubt if anyone in North America is ignorant of the name of Jesus and who he is.
And what he said to be so. There are many things we cannot plead ignorance about.
I ask God tonight to help me.
That when you leave this room tonight, you will not be ignorant.
Of God's desire for you to be saved forever.
By the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.
If you are not saved tonight.
There's only one day I can think of where you can be saved.
And it is not tomorrow.
It is not on the Lord's Day.
It is today.
And if there's one moment?
In time.
When you can be saved for sure. There's only one of those, and that one is now.
Tonight.
God gives us the opportunity once again to open His Word and to hear.
The callings of his love to those that are lost.
And I'm going to perish forever, lamenting and torment, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
You know the gospel is a message of love from the heart of God.
And God warns us because he loves us.
And he wants no one to be lost. He wants all men to be saved.
And did it come to the knowledge of the truth?
It's God's will that you be saved tonight if you're not.
Several of us brothers, before the meeting we were praying on our knees for you to be saved tonight.
We all want you to be saved tonight. God himself and all of us who know Him.
Are you saying in your heart, but I don't want to be saved?
Well, I trust that before this meeting is over, you'll say I I wanna be safe.
Well, in parallel with this portion in Numbers chapter 15, I like to look at some verses in the book of Hebrews.
Chapter 10.
Bill is speaking this afternoon of some scriptures perhaps that are brought before us and sometimes they make us uncomfortable.
Well, tonight I trust as we read these scriptures, some of you will not be made uncomfortable.
Because if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, these verses shouldn't make you uncomfortable.
But if you don't know him, if you're not saved tonight.
I hope you're gonna be uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable enough to say I'd better do something about this before it's forever too late.
Hebrews, chapter 10.
Verse 26.
Hebrews 10 and 26.
For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice.
For sins, remember those in the Old Testament. They sinned through ignorance. There was a sacrifice they could offer.
But that man that sinned willfully.
He went against what God said willfully.
Picture of this man here. If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there's remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. There was no sacrifice for him in the Old Testament, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despises Moses, Moses law died without mercy, under two or three.
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Witnesses.
There's that man in numbers 15.
He just despised what God had said.
Then rob a bank. Didn't kill his neighbor, didn't commit adultery, just picked up some pieces of wood.
And he was judged without mercy. Not that God has no mercy. He has mercy.
And grace and forgiveness. But this man is given to us as an example.
My friend tonight, do not despise the Gospel of God.
It's so much greater in the revelation of God than the law of Moses that put forth his righteousness, His Holiness.
What God has us here tonight.
And is proclaiming in this world tonight is not the law of Moses. Keep God's commandment and you're going to be blessed.
Nobody gets blessed that way.
What God is proclaiming to us tonight is His mercy and grace and forgiveness through the work of His Son.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
This man died without mercy.
With two or three witnesses, that was enough.
Verse 29.
Remember it said there.
Because of this man's special case, they didn't know what to do with that was a question they had to put it to, Moses said. Well, this has never happened before. Somebody so willful to do something like that.
It wasn't specified what they were going to do with this man.
And you know what we're gonna read? It's not specified what's going to happen to those that do what these verses bring before us. It says in the 29th verse.
The whole 29 verse is a question.
Try and answer that. Try and answer that question.
Of how much sore punishment?
Suppose he.
Shall be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot?
The Son of God.
This man, he picked up some little pieces of wood.
And he lost his life.
And you think you can step on the Lord Jesus and blasphemous name and neglect the cause of God, and there's not gonna be judgment?
It's incomparable. How can you compare that?
It says Who had trodden under foot, the Son of God, the one who walked down here, who accepted in his face are spittle.
The hits from our fist when we blindfolded his eyes, the crown of thorns and the mockery and railing and insults when he was on the cross. And God kept quiet so you could hear tonight. The callings of God, the pleadings of God for your soul to save you forever.
And that counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified.
An unholy thing.
The Lord Jesus, God Himself, God the Son, partook of flesh and blood.
So he could die.
And he shared his precious blood on the Cross of Calvary.
And I, John one and seven, tells us the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son.
Cleanse it us from all sin.
Somebody says the blood of Christ.
It has no value.
God knows what they're thinking and what they're saying, and there's a day coming when he will vindicate.
When he will judge every idle word pronounced against his son.
I pronounce idle words against his son.
But there was a time in my life where he came to knock at my heart's door and call me to repent and believe. And I did have you already.
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Are you still thinking about it?
There's not much to think about, you know.
God asks you not to think. He wants you to believe. Repent.
Unbelief.
And have done despite unto.
The spirit of grace.
You know, the law, it kind of was a spirit with the law.
If you do, you're gonna be blessed.
And if you don't, watch out.
You had to perform perfectly, you know, go up to an exam in school, university, you have exams, you want good marks. Well, if God puts you in an exam before him and his righteousness, you have to have 100%.
The Pass 99.
You don't pass on your school system. They keep lowering the standards, 60 percent, 50%. You come to the exam, we'll let you pass.
That's not the way it works with God 100%. Nobody's 100%.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So God says, OK, I'm going to undertake for you.
Not just in any way in My way to satisfy My holiness and My righteousness and to glorify My name.
And there it is, the Lord Jesus on the cross, object of derision, all mankind guilty before God.
And God manifesting his perfect righteousness and holiness and the love.
But they cannot measure by the gift of His son.
And the Spirit of God for 2000 years now the Spirit of grace is calling men to repent and believe.
This Jewish nation that the Apostle Peter was addressing in the Acts.
You know, in the year 70.
Roman armies came.
And they overtook the land of Israel and they killed one million 100,000 people.
Adolf Hitler. He murdered 6 million of them.
As we do a little book recently, it's called I believe The Destiny of Israel. It was a book in French.
But it went through the interval of time between Adolf Hitler and and year 70. How these poor people have gone through so much difficulty in trial. And in the end God is going to bless that nation as He's promised. But how much sorrow they brought upon themselves by the rejection of their Messiah.
But God in his plan of mercy to you and I, who mostly are not Jewish.
Was that His grace and love would be extended to all men, and at the work of the Lord Jesus would benefit.
Billions.
If they'll simply come and believe.
Now we are not living in Arab nations where this book is forbidden. And perhaps you yourself, you were brought up in a Christian environment. Perhaps you come to meeting all the time. Perhaps your mom and dad are Christians.
I don't know you personally, all of you.
But you have a measure of responsibility tonight. You had one when you came in this room.
And you'll have one when you leave.
And it might be a greater responsibility.
When you leave.
Because you will have heard the gospel.
Because you will have heard of God's plan to save you. Because you will have heard of God's warning not to despise.
The callings of His Grace.
You know it says.
In the 26th verse, verse 27, for a certain fearful, looking for a judgment and fiery indignation.
Which shall devour.
The adversaries.
There are those who are God's adversaries or enemies.
Enemies go to war.
And somebody wins.
I can tell you ahead of time.
God is going to win over his enemies, absolutely.
And we were all, at one time, his enemies.
But God says I made peace for you.
I made peace for you so it wouldn't be enemies anymore.
I want to adopt you in my family.
It's not that he went and filled out papers or took out money and paid for you that way. We read in the book of Romans. Let's turn to that Romans chapter 5.
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Verse 10.
For if.
When we were enemies.
Is that what we were? It says verse eight. God commanded his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us when we were sinners.
Enemies of God in our minds and our practice and our words and our thoughts, we were enemies. We were reconciled to God.
How by the death of his son.
It's beyond me to take it in. I can't understand that, but I believe it. I can't measure it, but I know it's true that God did not spare his own Son.
To have me as a son.
To have you as a son. He didn't spare his own son, but delivered them up for us all on the cross. The torment.
I can't understand that.
But I believe that.
It reaches into my soul.
It blesses me, makes me thankful, gives me a desire to serve a God who loved me so much.
You know, you can't measure how many gallons of water in the Pacific Ocean, but you can stand beside the Pacific Ocean and appreciate it and say wow.
And you and I can gaze at God's love and at the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and we can just.
Wonder and praise and adore and worship. Do you know anything about that?
Goes there goes the Pacific Ocean.
They do say I move around a lot but.
For we were enemies who were reconciled to God by the death of His son. Colossians, Chapter one.
Verse 21.
And you?
That were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works.
Yet now had he reconciled.
In the body of his flesh through that to present you wholly unblameable and unreprovable in his sight.
The price that God paid.
To bring you into such blessing that He played for you. He paid for me the expression of His love.
This man in the Old Testament given us to us as an example.
Died without mercy for breaking Moses law.
I ask you, what sort of punishment will be thought worthy?
He that draws on their foot the Son of God. The apostle in Hebrew says, How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
How can you think of standing before God and answering for yourself?
Not having the Lord Jesus as your Savior, not having the value of His blood to wash your sins away.
Not having been reconciled to him.
By the death of his Son, to stand before God as his enemy.
To wicked works.
Can you answer that?
People answer that very easily. They say God doesn't exist. I'm not going to stand before God. Well, God has news for you.
God says you will.
Well, if I will, then I'm gonna tell No, No, you're not gonna tell him anything. It says every mouse stopped the whole world guilty before God. God not gonna put up with any of your arguing, reasoning, none of that. God has one solution for you tonight. He has one solution tonight for this world. Though despised and rejected, that solution is the Lord Jesus. It's not gonna change.
It's offered to you tonight. Well, getting back to Hebrews.
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Verse 30 For we know him that had said, Venge it, Vengeance belongeth unto me.
I will recompense, said the Lord. And again the Lord shall judge his people.
Verse 31.
It is a fearful thing.
Fall into the hands.
Of the living God.
The Apostle Paul.
In Two Corinthians.
Chapter 5, I believe he says.
Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord.
We persuade men.
You know the Lord Jesus spoke of hell.
Of a place where fire is not quenched, where the wound I it not he spoke of that.
You spoke of love, forgiveness, eternal life, but he also spoke.
Of a place of torment.
A place that should terrify each one of us.
It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
As I mentioned before, you can look at the history of Israel as a people, the Jews as a people, and say.
What hardship they endure. They're not the only ones that have endured hardship, but special hardship.
Especially people.
You're indifferent to that.
Well, you know.
A lot of things when I consider in the scripture, I like to consider them.
In their absolute might say, you might say.
And I've wondered at this verse. Fearful things have fallen into the hands.
Of the living God.
And I do not believe.
That as yet sinners.
I've completely fallen into the hands of the living God to receive.
What they deserve.
Hasn't happened yet. So the fullest measure of God's holiness and what we read in God's Word.
But I believe one man.
Has fallen into the hands of the living God.
And received the full measure of his wrath and judgment and terror.
Over soon.
Let's read the 88th Psalm.
Some verses there.
Verse 13.
But unto thee have I cried, O Lord, And in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee, Lord, why cast it thou off my soul?
Why hideest thou thy face from me?
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth. While I suffer thy terrors. I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me. Thy terrors have cut me off.
They came round about me daily like water. They compassed me about together.
Lavern friend stop put far from me and my acquaintance Into Darkness.
Here's one who's gone through the fierce wrath of God.
And his terrors. It's a prophetic Psalm Speaking of the sufferings.
Of the Lord Jesus.
Think of the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean. Think of all the waters on the face of the earth.
The Lord Jesus says prophetically in the Psalms, all thy ways and thy billows.
Passover, Me.
Can you count the ways? And the billows? Nobody knows, but he knows. All thy waves and billows they Passover me. The waters have come into my soul.
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It's piece of fire that will devour the adversaries, it says in Lamentations chapter one. Let's go to that verse.
Lamentations, chapter one.
12.
Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by?
Is it nothing to you who hear a gospel calling? Behold, and see if there's any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord had afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger from above hath He set fire into my bone.
Chapter 3.
Verse one.
I am the man that had seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
He had led me and brought me Into Darkness, but not into light. Surely against me as he turned, he turned his hand against me all the day.
The hand of God.
Against him.
The fiery wrath. The terror.
From God that I deserved.
That millions deserved, that you deserve, that I'm never going to get.
And you're never going to get if.
You have him as your Savior if you let God reconcile you to Himself by the death of His Son, if you accept the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior.
But if you don't.
You're going to fall.
Into the hands.
Of the living God.
And knowing the terror of the Lord, we would persuade you, young person.
Young boy, young girl, older one. Don't put that off.
Be serious. Consider.
What do you answer to that question in the book of Hebrews chapter 10?
What do you think God is going to do with those that despise such an offer?
That cost him.
To forsake the Lord Jesus on the cross in your stead and mine.
That had the Lord Jesus cry on the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
There was no reason in him, all the opposite.
There was reason in you and in me for us to be forsaken forever, not in Him.
Is beyond me to understand.
To measure the love of God. But it's true.
He spared not his own son. He gave him for you tonight.
For you will hear the calling in the gospel message for you to be saved.
And my friend, if you leave this room tonight.
And you're still unsaved.
Maybe it's my fault.
Believe me, but I can tell you, when you stand before God, you won't be able to blame me.
You won't have a word to say.
You'll be pale and trembling and you'll hear the verdict.
They brought that man to Moses because he picked up some wood.
What's the verdict? The Lord said that all the congregation of Israel stone him, and they stoned him.
What do you think the verdict is going to be?
When you stand before God without Christ, you cannot plead ignorance.
You won't be able to say I didn't know.
I didn't understand, I don't speak English.
You'll have no excuse.
These verses in Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10 are often used.
By those who don't understand that measure of the work of the Lord Jesus.
For you and I.
And they keep true believers in ignorance as to the result of the work of Christ.
On the cross.
And we need to remember it's the book of the Hebrews. He's writing to Jews who had a particular.
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Responsibility. That's why I said at the beginning, I I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable with these verses in Hebrews 10, Hebrews 6 because you know the hands of the living God.
They're the same hands that are holding me tonight and holding you tonight if you've trusted the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Let's go to John's Gospel, chapter 10.
Verse 27.
I trust you're one of these, my friend tonight.
Not an enemy of God, not an adversarial despiser, a mocker, a negligent, but that tonight you're one of these. And the Lord Jesus says, verse 27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and the Father are one.
Some of you might recall this.
Publicity from NU insurance company in the state, it's Allstate insurance used to say had the little saying you're in good hands with Allstate and they had a little picture that two hands there and had a little car in there, a little dog, a little house and you're in good hands with Allstate. Well, I can tell you not in good hands with Allstate.
They don't pay very good.
But you're in good hands.
If you're a sheep of the Lord.
God has two hands.
The hand of the Sun and the hand of the Father.
The son who went and bore the judgment that you deserved, and the father who gave this son to have you in his household.
Are we ever safe?
Save forever in the hands of God the Father and the Son.
Where are you tonight, my friend?
Are you in the hands of the Father and the Son, safe forever?
Are you perishing?
And on your way to falling in the hands.
Of the living God, to know everlasting terror and sorrow and weeping and wailing. Not because you're a Sinner.
We don't go to hell because we're sinners.
We go to hell because we refuse to be saved by the only savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus. Tonight, my friend, our time is almost up. You've heard this message many times. You haven't believed it yet. How many more times do you think you might hear it? You might never hear it again? Maybe tonight the Lord Jesus coming and it's all gonna be over and God is going to deal with this world. He's gonna start with the Western nations, those who publish it, published Bibles.
And are falling into gross immorality and approving things that are called abominations in the word of God.
God is not indifferent.
But he is patient, long-suffering. Is he waiting for you tonight?
Don't make him wait. Come tonight, come before it's forever too late. Doesn't matter who you are, what age you have, you can say tonight I accept the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior. I do not want to fall into the hands of the living God an answer for my sins. I accept that somebody else answered for me because God is patient, loving, gracious, merciful, and He's not willing that any should perish. But also come to repentance once you come to repentance tonight.
And put your trust in him.
We plead with you, don't put it off. Let's sing number.
1.
Almost persuaded now to believe, almost persuaded Christ to receive. Seems now some soul to say, Go, spirit, go thy way. Some more convenient day on thee a call number one.
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Almost.
Transactions.
When you purchase a house.
Might work in the states like it does in Canada. The way it works is you see a property like to to buy and you make an offer you make an offer you set the conditions and you set a time frame because you don't wanna spend the week not sleeping, not knowing if the person is gonna accept your offer or not. So you said conditions and you set a time limit and once that time limit is expired that offer is no longer valid and off times you know the buyers and sellers they make offers and counter offers but.
When the ultimate offer is made, the last offer is made.
And the time has expired that offer is not valid anymore.
And you know, I don't know when God's offer will expire.
I know it's valid right now.
It's valid for a few more minutes, don't put it off.
Because if the Lord Jesus comes, you might run after the train, but the offer is no longer valid. You'll be able to call upon the name of the Lord and knock on the door. Lord, Lord never knew you, but you preached in our streets. I heard you in Saint Louis I.
I never knew you.
Trust it never happens to you.
We leave on him tonight. Let's pray.