Gospel—Don Mackewich
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Everyone else, welcome to the Gospel meeting.
We are so glad that you can be here tonight and.
It's a privilege to be able to share.
This life changing message of the gospel.
So again, thank you for those who are listening to this recording. Thank you for.
Being willing to listen to it, if a friend is recommended this to you, if you're listening to it on a podcast, if you're listening to it on the Internet, thank you for taking the time to listen. This message can change your life. We're excited to be able to preach the gospel tonight.
And I ask that you listen carefully. This is not a time to be checking the sports scores on your phone.
This is not a time to be thinking about other things. Let's focus.
On what we have before us tonight.
It's a wonderful message. I'd like to begin with by singing #2.
Says Come tis Jesus gently calling ye with care and toil oppressed.
With your guilt, however appalling, come and I will give you rest.
I was thinking of verse three. It says come for night is gathering quickly or the world's fast fleeting day.
If you linger, if you wait till the darkness, you will surely miss your way.
And still waiting, sadly waiting till the day the course is run with his patients unabated. Jesus lingers for you. Come.
The gospel message tonight is come just as you are. Let's sing #2.
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We want to thank everyone for coming. If this is your first time coming to a meeting like this because you've been invited, welcome. Thank you. We hope that you feel at home. And for those who've heard the gospel many times, we hope that you will listen again. And if you've never accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
We hope that tonight.
You'll make that decision and accept them. It'll be the best decision that you will ever make. It will be the best decision that you will ever make is to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior to have your sins forgiven. Just by way of introduction, I'd like to connect with those who are listening. My name is Don Mack, which I'm from Richmond, MI.
So we're from the east side of Michigan. My wife Christine and the four children are visiting. It's.
A privilege to be with you here in Saint Louis and so happy to be able to to come down here.
And so happy to be able to be able to preach the gospel tonight. Everybody enjoy a good supper tonight.
Everybody enjoy a good supper tonight.
We've enjoyed it too. We've enjoyed our time here and just what a blessing to be together. Haven't the meetings been good?
Yeah, I'd like to be able to try and connect. I like to try and engage with the ones who are here. I'm a school teacher myself, so I like to make sure and try to make sure that I'm being interesting. And I hope that tonight the message is interesting. I teach 5th grade, so I have 28 students in my class and I don't want to be boring. Nobody wants to hear a boring preacher, right?
So I am going to try to present the gospel faithfully and with power. And tonight, tonight is your night.
There's power.
In the gospel and it changes lives.
My grandfather, his name was William Mackiewicz.
When he was younger.
His mother was dying.
And the family.
Was called in to gather around the bedside.
He was a young boy.
He was there with his brother and his sister.
Bernie was talking yesterday about his father's last words.
My grandfather heard these last words from his mother.
I'm going to hell.
I'm going to meet you all there.
That's what he heard.
From his mother.
My grandfather got married.
A neighbor.
Shared the gospel with my grandmother.
Not a missionary from another country.
Not a gospel preacher on the radio or television, but a neighbor shared the gospel.
With my grandmother and she got saved.
Our family tree.
Has never been the same.
There is power in the blood. Our family tree was changed because someone cared.
Someone cared and shared the gospel with her.
And later.
My grandmother's three children, which would be my father, and his two brothers, all came to know the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
My grandfather at the very end of his life.
He was an alcoholic. It ruined his life.
But the good news, the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from all sin.
And I don't recommend this, and I hope that you don't wait to be like my grandfather. But towards the very end of his life, he too accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior.
I never met him, but I will see him again.
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Because someone shared the gospel, our family tree was changed. My grandmother, my grandfather, my father, my 2 uncles.
Will all be in heaven. My dad is the only one living of that generation.
And the gospel has been passed on to myself.
And my brothers and my sister who many of you know, and now we have the joy of passing it on to our children. And tonight it's our desire. It's my desire as I share the gospel with you. Perhaps you have no one else in your family has accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, as their Savior. And perhaps tonight you're going to be the first one that will be marvelous.
There will be rejoicing in heaven tonight when that happens.
I also have a burden on my heart that perhaps tonight there are ones in this room whose daddy and mommy are saved.
Whose uncle and aunts are saved? Whose grandpa and grandma are saved?
But all of a sudden it stops at you.
And you have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
That's a concern of mine, friends. The good news is, is tonight the blood still cleanses from all sin. Tonight the invitation is come.
We're going to look tonight at the story of a man who.
What we would say heard.
I would say it was close to the Gospel. It wasn't the gospel because the Lord Jesus hadn't died on the cross yet, but he heard. He heard a message that would change his life if he would heed it. And we're going to find out whether he did or not.
As you look over to the windows outside, what time of day is it right now? It's night. And this story that we're going to take, that we're going to look at tonight, it's been on my heart, is the story of Belshazzar and Daniel, Chapter 5.
And I want to look at it tonight, so let's please turn to Daniel Chapter 5.
I get nervous when I speak, I stutter sometimes and the thoughts don't always flow together. But with the Lord's help, I'm going to do the best I can. And tonight we pray that tonight will be the night that you your life has changed. As we look at this story, it's not my intent to get into a lot of the teaching of it. I want us to take a look at the this man, this king, his name was Belshazzar.
And we want to find out what he did. And was his decision a good one or a bad one? That's what we're looking at tonight. It's not my intent to try and again, get into the teaching of it, but we'll take a look at this.
And there's a lesson to be learned.
Daniel chapter 5 and verse one. Are we there?
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to 1000 of his Lords and drank wine before the thousand. So the King's name is Belshazzar will be referring to this king, and he decided that he was going to have a great big party.
He was going to invite friends, he was going to invite ones who he worked with. It was going to be a large company of 1000 of his Lords.
I'm not sure how many people are in here, but I would guess that we're less than 500. So think of this, this group of people here, we're double, but here was the king who was going to have a good time. And perhaps you're here tonight thinking I'm going to have a good time, got a break from school, I've got a break from work. I'm going to be able to be with friends. I'm going to be able to be with family.
Belshazzar, verse two. Well, he's tasted the wine commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels, which his father Nebuchadnezzar.
Had taken out of the Temple, which was in Jerusalem.
That the king and his Princess, his wives and his concubines might drink therein.
It was going to have a good time and it's going to get the beer and wine flowing.
Let me just encourage you young people, the Bible does not say thou shalt not drink wine, but learn a lesson from Belshazzar and learn from others in Scripture. It's a bad decision to start turning to alcohol and wine to solve your problems.
My grandfather was an alcoholic grandfather and it ruined his life.
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Belshazzar here, he was going to have a good time. He was going to enjoy life. This was going to be a party. This was going to be a good evening.
Or so he thought. His friends were there. They were going to party like a rock star. More accurately, party like a king. And the king is the one who has what. The king is the one who has the money. The king is the one who has the resources. The king is the one who's going to have the space in the banquet hall to be able to throw something.
Tonight.
What are you chasing after? What are you following after?
It's not wrong to have a good time, but if it keeps you out of heaven.
Terrible mistake. Well, they brought the golden silver vessels. They were going to drink out of them. Verse three it says then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the House of God, which was at Jerusalem. And the kings and the Princess, sorry. And the king and his Princess, his wives and his concubines drank in them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron.
Of wood and of stone, there they are having a good time.
Drinking.
And praising the gods of gold and of silver, a brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
Are this During this conference we've had the wonderful privilege of being able to hear about the Lord Jesus.
And when we talk about the Lord Jesus, he's someone that we can turn to, and can he hear us? Yes. Will he answer our prayers? Yes. Does he know all about us? Yes.
If your God is gold or money tonight, does your God hear you?
No. If your God is silver again, money, finances, will he hear you? No. Those things are you chasing after.
Thinking, oh, I'm not interested in the gospel, I'm just interested in having a break, having a chance to be with friends. And when I get back on Monday, I'm going to continue my education or I'm going to continue to climb the corporate ladder. I'm going to continue to make money.
Who is your God tonight?
Who is your savior tonight?
I hope that tonight it will be the Lord Jesus Christ. Belshazzar was trying to do his best to make himself happy.
Without God. Is that a good idea?
Is it a good idea to try to satisfy your needs?
Apart from God.
No, it's not going to work. It's not going to work.
We look around us today, just to mention a few names, but some of the wealthiest people in this world.
Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, they have buckets and loads and loads of money, but they've all been divorced and as far as I know, none of them know the Lord Jesus as their savior.
What shall I profit a man or a woman, if they gain the whole world and lose their own soul? They've already lost their marriages, and they have all the money that they can ever spend, and it's not satisfying that void. This king is having a great big feast, and it's not satisfying his heart.
Are you trying to satisfy your heart tonight with something other than the Lord Jesus?
Maybe it's social media. Maybe it's the pursuit of a fancy car. Maybe it's the pursuit of degrees. Maybe it's a beautiful woman. Are you chasing after something, trying to fill that void?
It's not going to satisfy.
Nebuchadnezzar here, he's trying to make himself happy. Trying to enjoy this big party has left God completely out of it. Do you think God knew about what's going on?
He does, and he did, and he had his eye on Belshazzar, and tonight he has his eye on you. He loves you too much to let you get away, to let you leave tonight without hearing the clear gospel.
Well, the party was going on, they were having a good time, they were drinking, they were living life. And then in verse five, it says, in the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand and rode over against the Candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the King's palace. And the king saw the part of his hand that wrote.
Then the King's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote, 1.
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Against the hour.
Oh, he had left God out of his plans. He had left God out. But God had his eye on him, and God had his eye on. He has his eye on you tonight, whether you're 15 years old or whether you're 5. And Belshazzar. There he saw off by the Candlestick the fingers of a man's hand.
Imagine if we're here tonight and all of a sudden we started to see a handwriting on the wall.
Belshazzar went from being full of joy and enjoying the party to a completely different man.
The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. I don't know if anyone else saw it, but the king saw it.
And it says in verse six, his countenance was changed.
Friends, I hope tonight as we faithfully present the gospel, that if you're not saved, you're countenance will change tonight.
It says his thoughts troubled him.
And so the joints of his loins were loose in his knees, smote one against another. He could barely stand up.
If you're going on in your sins tonight.
You're in a terrible position.
Because your sins aren't going to go away on their own.
This world is not going to satisfy that emptiness in your heart.
Your destination right now, unless you change courses, The lake of fire.
And the Lord is coming soon too.
And we don't want any single person in this room.
To go there, we don't want any single person to go there. Belshazzar was troubled by what he saw. And I hope tonight that as the gospel is preached, if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, that you do not have peace tonight. In fact, I hope you have a very miserable night's sleep.
I hope that tonight the Word of God speaks to you and it works in your soul because the good news is, is as that Holy Spirit works in your heart.
Our prayer is that you would accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior and that you would have peace and that your life would be changed.
Well, the king saw the writing on the wall. He was shaking. His countenance was changed. It was exercise. It was he was exercised about what was going on.
And what happened? The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers. Verse 7, The Chaldeans and the soothsayers.
And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing?
And show me the interpretation thereof. Shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck.
And shall be the third ruler in the Kingdom.
Instead of turning to the God God of heaven, instead of turning to God, he turned to man and his wise man to help him.
And I want to let you know tonight, if you don't turn to the Lord Jesus, no one else is going to be able to satisfy your need. No one else is going to be able to forgive you of your sins. No one else's blood can cleanse you from your sins. Don't turn to someone else right now. Turn to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll speak about His death on Calvary's cross for you in a little bit. We'll speak of His precious blood that was shed for you.
Take your eyes off of others and look to the One, the Lord Jesus, who died for you.
Belshazzar made a big mistake. He turned to others to get help and they were not able to help them. And if your friends don't know the Lord Jesus as their savior, they're not going to be able to help you. The advice that they give you is not going to save your soul. Your professors, if they don't know the Lord Jesus as their Savior, the advice that they give you is not going to save you.
I teach in a school.
And as far as I know, I'm the only Christian in the school. It's a public school.
And the children, I tell you this, the boys and girls going to school aren't hearing things like sin and death and judgment. And the only place they're going to hear it is where the gospel is preached to, the Christian songs that they listen to. So if you're hearing tonight, consider yourself fortunate and blessed because there are many boys and girls your age. There are many, I believe, young people your age who do not know and are not hearing a clear.
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Gospel.
Let that sink in.
If you have Christian parents here tonight, or you have a Christian grandfather or a Christian grandpa, a grandfather, that's the same thing. A Christian grandfather, a Christian grandmother. I told you I sometimes stutter. An uncle or an aunt, someone who knows the Lord Jesus, and they've been faithfully praying for you.
And telling you about the Lord Jesus. Be thankful because there are many boys and girls who don't.
And don't ignore, don't put off, don't think, oh, Dad, you're old fashioned. Oh, mom, that's that's for other people. I can get by on my own. No, listen to what they're telling you. Your Sunday school teacher at Sunday school, listen to them. They love you. They care about you when the ones stand up and preach the gospel on Sunday night.
Listen, don't say oh, not interested, Don't put that off.
Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart.
Verse 8 then came in all the King's wise men, but they could not read the writing.
Nor make known to the King the interpretation thereof.
They couldn't help verse 9. Then was King Belshazzar, greatly troubled in his countenance, was changed in him, and his Lords were astonished. They noticed a change in this man. And it's a wonderful thing when we start to feel the weight of our sins. It's a wonderful thing when we start to realize that this world is not going to satisfy me. It's a wonderful thing when we start to realize that, yes, when I start hearing about hell in the Lake of Fire, it's a real place.
And I better not continue on that way. And when you hear people talk about the Lord's coming, which it is going to happen very soon.
That we don't put it off. Listen, it's OK if you're troubled about that. It's the Holy Spirit working in your heart if you're sitting here tonight and you feel your chest beating right now.
That's the Holy Spirit speaking to you.
God beseeching man refusing to be made forever glad. Don't reject that voice that's speaking to you tonight.
Verse 10.
Now the Queen, by reason of the words of the King and his Lords, came into the banquet house, and the Queen spake and said, O King, live forever, let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
The Queen, and I don't believe it was the Queen, it was probably the Queen's mother. But regardless, she wasn't there. But she heard that there was a change in Belshazzar and she came.
And spake to him.
And said, O King, live forever. And that was perhaps a greeting that they had back then. But little did she know that that night would be his last. And tonight, maybe your very last night on earth. I don't want to scare you, but I do want to be real with you. And you have no guarantee that you'll be here tomorrow. I've had seven students. This is my 17th year of teaching. I've had seven students who have preceded me in death.
Some to cancer.
One, at least one to a car accident in some suicide.
We have no guarantee how long we'll live.
Don't put it off.
And she said, Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. If you have someone tonight who is whispering to you or Saint, don't listen to him. Don't believe that.
31 minutes and the gospel will be over and then we can go to the hymn seeing and we can play basketball or volleyball.
And do all that other kind of stuff, she said. Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
That that you have going on right now. Don't ignore it.
Don't ignore it. Sin does not go away on its own. The Bible says that we all have sinned.
Including me. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and our sins do not just go away.
They do not go away. In fact, they accumulate day after day. And the burden of sin grows stronger. The burden of sin grows stronger. It's not going to go away. We used to have a mechanic who would tell us our car isn't going to get fixed on its own. And your sins aren't going to just go away on your own. And as we begin a new year.
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In just over a month, if we're still here, we can't just say, well, I'm starting today, I'm going to be a new person, I'm going to be a better person. I'm going to just ignore the past. That doesn't work that way. Your sins don't just go away. You still have them. What are you going to do with them?
Well, the.
The Queen Mother could tell Belshazzar there is a man verse 11 in thy Kingdom, in whom the spirit of is in the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him whom the king Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, the king, I say thy father made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.
There is a man in thy Kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. Be thankful tonight for the ones who can speak the Gospel to you.
For the ones who open up the Bible and preach it to you and tell you as it is.
OK, it's our desire tonight that your life will be changed, that you will come to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
Belshazzar is going to hear from Daniel soon. Will he listen? Are you going to listen to me tonight?
Verse 12 For as much as an excellent spirit and knowledge and understanding, interpreting of dreams and showing of hard sentences and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.
I find it interesting that Daniel wasn't there, and I'm thankful for ones like Daniel who dare to stand alone, who didn't give in to the pressures of perhaps being associated with all that's going on. And let me encourage you as young people and us as parents.
It takes courage.
To not go along.
With the current of this world.
You may be made fun of.
You may be laughed at.
You maybe thought weird.
But take a stand for Jesus.
It'll be worth it.
The pressure is real, the.
The pressure is real, but.
It was said today, I believe Brother Sam said it. He said it and it's so true. Them that honor me, I will honor. Daniel wasn't there. But when help was needed, Daniel was able, not because of his own wisdom, but because the Lord, working through him, was able to give the message that Belshazzar needed to hear. And we're just instruments. I'm just a vessel. And I hope that tonight that the Lord is using me to pass on a message to you.
Well, verse 13 then was Daniel brought in before the king?
And the king spake, and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah?
Whom the King, my father brought out of Jewry. I have even heard of thee.
That the Spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellence wisdom.
Is found in thee. Belshazzar was hoping that Daniel would be able to help them. And tonight we can preach from God's word, the truth. The Bible says thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Are you in darkness tonight? The Bible says the entrance of thy word giveth light.
You're not sure about something wherewithal shall a young men cleanse this way by taking heed their core thereto according to the word.
Listen to God's Word.
He goes on to say in fifth verse 15, And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me.
That they should read this writing and make known unto me the interpretation thereof. But they could not show the interpretation of the thing. If your friends aren't saved, they're not going to be able to help you.
And I have heard of thee that thou canst make interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shall be the third ruler in the Kingdom.
Belshazzar wanted to know, and I hope that you have a desire to want to know the truth.
What is truth? God's word is truth. Jesus is truth. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but might be. God's word is true. This is not a fable. The story that we're reading tonight is not a made-up story, it is true.
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God's word is true.
Verse 17 Then Daniel dancer and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Well, Daniel is going to tell them what the writing is and what the interpretation is. Here's what I want you to take away. Belshazzar is going to have to make a decision. And tonight, later on, I'm going to challenge you to make a decision, too. I don't want you just to walk out of this room and say, yes, this was a good gospel meeting. Yes, I enjoyed what you had to say. If you aren't saved, you're still in your sins.
You still have an emptiness in your heart. You're still on your way to the Lake of Fire.
And the Lord is coming soon. That's a terrible position to be in. But the good news is you don't have to stay in that position.
Verse 18 O thou King, the most High God, gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father, a Kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him whom he would he slew, and whom he kept alive, and whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down.
But his heart, when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in the pride, he was disposed from his kingly throne, and they took His glory from him, and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beast, and his dwelling was with the wild *****. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God ruled in the Kingdom of men.
And he appointed over it whomsoever.
He will.
Tonight, you are not in control.
God is in control and He has his eye on you. He puts in power who He wants.
We're not worried about what we see going on around us or we shouldn't be saddened. Yes, but the Titanic is going down, so to speak. This world is on its way out.
How about you? Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, or will you be left behind for judgment?
Belshazzar thought he was in charge. He was the king. He was throwing the great big party.
But he led to learn that the Most High God rules in the Kingdom of men, and He appoints over at whomsoever He will. He was not in charge, and you are not in charge of your life either.
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, has not humbled thine heart.
Thou the newest all this.
You know the story well. There was two men that went up to the temple to pray.
And one went up and he prayed and I said, I thank God that I'm light like this one, and I do this and I do that.
Was that being humble?
No.
The other would not even lift up his eyes and he said, God be merciful to me, a Sinner.
If you've never accepted Lord Jesus as your Savior, let's call it what it is.
Let's be real.
You are a Sinner.
Not my thoughts, not my opinion. That's God's.
Verdict.
But the good news is, those sins can be forgiven. Have you humbled yourself?
Have you turned to the cross and seen the Lord Jesus dying for you?
Have you accepted Him as your savior?
This verse 22 has been on my heart. It says, And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart.
Here it is.
Though thou knewest all this.
My concern is tonight I'm speaking to ones in this room who could probably give the gospel better than I can, who know the way of salvation your parents have told you.
Other loved ones have told you, though thou knewest all this, yet right now you have never made a decision to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
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Though thou newest all this.
Can somebody know the way to heaven and go to hell? Yes.
Let's let's be real clear on that. You can know how to go to heaven.
And still go to hell.
I remember Mr. Hayhoe at the Saint Thomas Conference one year, Peter's father, he said Judas kissed the door to heaven and still went to hell.
But has lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee.
And thou and thy Lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them. And thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, and wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways.
Hast thou not glorified?
Every breath that you take is a gift from God.
The fact that you're here, the fact that you're breathing is a gift from God. He holds your breath in his hands.
And when you take the last breath, it is too late. Don't die in your sins.
And whose are all thy ways? Hast thou not glorified? Verse 24 then was part of the hand sent from him, and the writing was written.
And this is the writing that was written, Meanie meanie Tikal ufarsen. This is the interpretation of the thing meaning. God hath numbered thy Kingdom and finished it. Tico thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Harris Thy Kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. In other words, Belshazzar. Just keeping it very simple. You don't have long to live.
Your time is up.
In fact tonight.
It's over. If for you tonight you were to close your eyes and not wake up, where would you be?
Growing up next door, the neighbors, their last name was the Pinskeys, and one night Mr. Pinsky closed his eyes and went to sleep.
He never woke up. He died in his sleep.
My friend Dave, who his parents lived down the street, he was overweight. Same thing. He closed his eyes one night. He never woke up. He died in his sleep. If you were to die tonight in your sleep, where would you go? Where would you be? Well did Belshazzar listen to the warning. God hath numbered thy Kingdom and finished it. Thou art wade in the balances and found wanting.
Verse 29 Belshazzar command then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with Scarlett and put a chain of gold about his neck.
And made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the Kingdom.
That verse lets me know that Belshazzar didn't believe the message. He gave Daniel the goods that he said he would. He gave him the promotion. Belshazzar was thinking he was going to live for a long time tonight. Are you thinking that you're going to live for a long time? Don't be so sure. Don't be sure. Sure. Verse 30 and that night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans.
Slain.
That very night was his last night here on Earth.
Where is he? That's the question. Where is he? Is he in heaven with the Lord Jesus?
He is not. I don't believe we'll see him. I believe he'll be in the Lake of Fire.
He didn't accept, he didn't believe the message. What about you?
Where will you be? Sorry, that's the alarm. I don't want to go over to overtime, so I'm going to be stopping soon. Where would you be? There was another man in Luke 12. He was prosperous. He laid up his goods. He thought he was going to live for a whole long time. I'll think within myself. I've laid up goods. But what did God say? This night thy soul shall be required of thee. Call them a fool.
It's foolish to think that you're going to go on.
And live.
Forever. It's not going to happen.
Well, I've had before us. I want to turn over to the Gospel of Luke.
As we start to wind this down, I want to take a look at one other man. We don't know his name.
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But he didn't have long to live. In fact, he was nailed to a cross.
In Luke chapter.
20.
23.
So just kind of setting the stage. The Bible says God so loved the world.
It doesn't say God so loved the Republicans, God Southern loved the Democrats, God so loved the people to vote, or God so loved the people who don't vote. It says 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 so God sent his Son the Lord Jesus into this world.
And man took the Lord Jesus and they nailed him to a cross. He was nailed between 2 Thieves.
And where this story picks up is the Lord Jesus is on the center cross.
Why was he on the cross? Did he sin? No, he didn't sin. He couldn't sin. He knew no sin. He could not sin. He did not sin. But there he was on the cross. And on his right hand and on the left hand were two thieves. They didn't have long to live either. Let's see what their decision was. Belshazzar made a bad one. He's in the lake. He'll be in the Lake of Fire.
There they were. They saw the Lord Jesus and on the cross.
God punished his Son, the Lord Jesus.
Not for his sins, but for those who would repent and put their faith and trust in Him.
And on the cross, the Lord Jesus was punished.
Verse 39 In one of the malefactors which were hanged, railed on him, saying, If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man hath done nothing amiss. There they were on the cross, the three men, and the one realized that this one in the center cross, the Lord Jesus had done nothing amiss. He had not sinned. We deserve the punishment that we were getting. There was a working in his heart. And now I hope that tonight there.
They working in your heart.
And he said, verse 42, Lord Jesus, Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me.
And paradise.
There he was. He was on the cross. He didn't have long to live.
And he had to make a decision, am I going to put my faith and trust in this one on the center cross or am I going to go to my grave mocking, making fun of the Lord Jesus? Well, we know the story and it's a wonderful ending. He said, Lord, Remember Me when thou come us in thy Kingdom. And the Lord Jesus said, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
And the wonderful news is tonight you can have your sins forgiven.
Well, what took place verse 46 and when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into my hands, I commend my spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the ghost real quick over to John chapter.
John, Chapter 19.
John chapter 19 verse 32 Then came the soldiers and break the legs of the 1St and of 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 throughout blood and water. And he that saw it bear a record, and his record is true. And he knoweth that he saith true that ye might believe. Tonight we can preach the gospel. The Lord Jesus was the one who died on the center cross, the one who was punished for sin, and the one who can be your substitute tonight. On Monday, my students will have a substitute teacher.
Not all the students in the school will have a substitute teacher, but mine will because I have a substitute.
I have someone who is taking my place. I don't have to worry about judgment because someone took my place. The Lord Jesus was punished for my sins and tonight, if you will repent and put your faith and trust in Him, you too can have your sins forgiven. The sphere was thrust into His side, and the precious blood flow it out. It is the blood.
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Of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin tonight.
There is power in the blood. We may be living in a day of small things, but tonight there is power.
In the blood lives can be changed, lives can be transformed because Jesus died and rose again and tonight Jesus is not dead. He is alive and in the glory and he is The message tonight is whosoever will may come. The message tonight is be it known unto you men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Tonight your sins can be forgiven not by anything that.
Who can do but because another has done it all. Jesus, when he was on the cross, was punished for your sins and mine. If we will repent and put our faith and trust in Him. His precious blood was shed for you and for me, the dying thief. There he was on the cross. He had not didn't have long to live, but thank God.
He availed himself, and we will see him in heaven.
As we close tonight and we'll sing a song in closing.
Who are you going to be like? Are you going to be like Belshazzar and brush off the message? You heard it. Perhaps you felt the Holy Spirit working in your heart.
That Belshazzar didn't believe the message.
And Belshazzar will be in the Lake of Fire. Or you can be like that thief on the cross.
He too didn't have long to live and he made a decision and we'll see him in heaven. Don't be like either one of those ones and put it off tonight. Tonight, except the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Tonight, before we sing a song in closing, I want to give you the opportunity to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior right where you are.
I've seen boys and girls, men and women, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. It's been wonderful. And tonight it'll be a wonderful time when you make that decision right where you are. I'm not asking you to come up here, but right where you are, you can, in your own words.
Tell the Lord Jesus you can say, Lord Jesus, I am a Sinner. I believe you died for me. I believe your blood was shed for me. Please wash away my sins. Please come into my heart.
In your own words, it's by faith. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So we're going to just take 30 seconds now, approximately right now. And if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, would you just bow your head? Would you pray? It's so important. We're not waiting. We're not waiting till tomorrow. We're not waiting till next week. We're going to decide for Christ tonight. Be like the one on the thief on the cross and you can say the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for me.
Decide for Christ right now.
In closing, I'd like to sing a song from the Little flock #322.
There is a stream.
Of precious blood which flowed from Jesus veins. And sinners washed in that blessed flood lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see that Savior in his day. And by that blood thou, violets, he our sins have washed, are washed.
Away we sing the 1St 3 verses of 322. And would you stand with me?
There is a stream.
Don't be like Belshazzar, be like the thief on the Cross.
Today, not tomorrow, not next week. I leave you with this one final verse. Behold, now is the accepted time.
Behold, now is the day of salvation.
Be like my grandfather, be like my grandmother, be like many in this room who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is the best decision you'll ever make. It'll change your life. If tonight anything that I said is unclear or you have any questions, I'll hang out over here or please ask another adult. Ask your dad, ask your mom, ask someone else that you feel comfortable speaking with. Don't leave. Don't say, oh, that was good, I enjoyed it. Decide.
For Christ tonight.