Gospel—Stan Allan
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
I'd like to welcome each one to the Gospel meeting this evening and for responding to the invitation to come. And I wonder if we could just open this evening by singing #2 Come tis Jesus gently calling ye with care and toil, oppressed with your guilt tower. Appalling. Come and I will give you rest.
For your sin he once has suffered on the cross. The work was done, and the word by God now uttered to each weary soul is come. Could we sing #2?
Contest.
Phone bill, I don't know where I'm going. I'm like, oh, I don't know what else to get anywhere in Germany for a while.
OK, I'll add a little bit. We're going to have a little bit of blood and I'm going to get my own and so on.
I don't want to be able to ever get into the house blah blah blah blah blah blah.
May I know how to get you home?
Nsnoise.
Restaurant.
Forever, forever, forever.
Umm, so when I have you there may be 100%.
Right down to one hour.
While I wish about.
In the last day and I'm considering, uh, really well. Uh-huh.
00:05:04
Umm, just ask God's blessing.
Maybe you're just saying one more hymn. How about #9 Come every soul by sin oppressed. There's mercy with the Lord, and he will surely give you rest by trusting.
In his word #9.
Amen.
Burned.
OK, yeah. And when I was playing on.
More than heaven, pride on the flood, grain, blood to anything that you're going to be for how long?
10-4 0, 10-4 0. 10-4 029295 15 10-4 20 10-4 0 10-4 075.
Nsnoise.
Nsnoise.
I'd like to look at several scriptures this evening, but not in detail. Really looking at stories that we could spend the whole evening talking about each one.
But I'd like to introduce my subject by looking at Revelation chapter 3.
Revelation, the last book in the Bible.
And the third chapter.
And we'll just read.
Uh, one verse.
00:10:01
For now, at least.
A Revelation chapter 3 and verse 17.
Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art rich. I'm sorry that thou art wretched and miserable, and blind and and and poor, and blind and naked. We'll just read another one. I counsel thee to buy of me gold. Tried in the fire.
That thou mayest be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with isaf that thou mayest see. Verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will Sup with him, and he with me.
Well, I know that there are many here in this room tonight who are believers, but this is a gospel meeting and I want to address my remarks mainly to those who do not know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior. You know, this chapter that we're looking at is talking about the very last church that's mentioned in the Book of Revelation, the Church of Laodicea, and the Lord Jesus says to this church.
Uh, because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, You know, I believe it brings before us the day in which we are living. I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of the world.
Uh, that a country has been so prosperous, or I should say the Western world has been so prosperous as it is today. I know that the.
Data the United States is something like $16 trillion and that the debt is a major problem in Europe and many other places, but man is living like a very rich person, even richer than perhaps that's kings lived 500 years ago and the Lord says here, because I know he says because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods.
Has there ever been a time when man has had so much? They have their computers, they have their cars, they have their tablets, they have their cell phones. They're not lacking in anything. But, you know, none of this brings happiness. You know, I went into a gift store just the other day to buy something, and I saw this plaque on the wall and it said, you know, the best things in life are not materials.
And yet, you know, this world has become very materialistic, going after things to make them happy. But I want to tell you there is no true happiness outside the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord here says that even though Laodicea is rich and increased with goods and says I have need of nothing. And isn't that the world today? We don't need God. We don't need God in the schools. We don't need them in the in the courthouse.
We can do without him. And what does the Lord say? He says you know not that you are miserable and poor and blind and naked. And what I would like to do tonight is to take a look at stories about someone who was wretched, someone who was miserable, someone who was poor and someone who was blind and someone who was naked, and to see how the Lord came in for each one of those souls.
And before we look at those, I'd just like to read one other verse in Luke chapter 4. This is when the Lord Jesus was in the city of Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. He was in the.
Synagogue. And he picked up the Bible, or at least the Scriptures, and he read from the Old Testament. And I want to look at verse 18 of chapter 4 because I think it links very nicely with the verse we read in Revelation.
00:15:00
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blinds, to set at liberty them that are are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Well, let's take a look now at some of the people.
First of all, Mark Chapter 5. These are stories that we're all very familiar with.
At least most of us here are, and I'm not going to read the stories right through.
But in March, Chapter 5, we have brought before us a man who was possessed by demons. You know, it's a great concern to me that the Western world today, they've given up belief in God. But, you know, man by nature is religious. And often we find today that people are searching for something that will satisfy them spiritually. Where do they go? They often go to the occult. Well, here was a man who knew all about that.
He was from the country of the Gadarenes and it tells us here in the second verse, he, when he was come out of the ship and the Lord Jesus immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit. So here comes this man. He lived in a graveyard. Can you imagine? You know, people make a great deal out of, uh, graveyards at Halloween, but here was a man that knew what it was to really live in a graveyard.
Possessed by demons. And you know, in a certain sense, this world is one vast graveyard, is it not? I often remember, and I've said it many times, I remember driving through Brooklyn, NY, a few years ago when my son lived there. We passed a graveyard, and it must have been at least one mile long. I never saw such a huge graveyard, but I just impressed upon me that that is what this world really is. We know the psalmist could say in Psalm 23.
He says, yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Well, here is this man that lived in the valley of the shadow of death. And what does it say about him in verse three who had his dwelling among the tombs and no man could bind him? No, not with chains. So this man was Ratchet, just as we had in Revelation chapter 3. Know us now not that thou art wretched. Here was a man that was wretched.
He went around.
And, uh, he was completely wild. They tried to chain him and he just broke the chains free and, uh, nothing could restrain him. And you know, does that not bring before us the man in his natural state? You know, man, they set up laws, Umm, and what happens? Man breaks those laws. He tells us that the speed limit should be 110 kilometers an hour and he goes 150 kilometers an hour. It said they make laws that say you can't steal and they steal.
These kind of things are going on today.
Because man cannot be restrained. And we know that God gave Israel the 10 commandments, and yet what happened? They broke those 10 commandments. And so man by nature is unrestrained. Well, you might say, well, I'm not like this man.
But you know, the Lord says of our hearts, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? And you know I might be able to hide from you.
What's in my heart? But God sees the heart, and He sees what's there.
And what does he said? He has said all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Well, like I say, I'm not here to go into all the details of this story, but the wonderful thing is that this poor wretched man indwelt by these legion of demons, he comes to Jesus and what does the Lord Jesus do? He delivers him. And it says they're so wonderfully in the 15th verse. And when they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind.
They were all afraid what a change took place in this man, the one who was, umm, going up to the mountains and down to the valleys and, uh, was totally unders cons, umm, unrestrained. The Lord delivered him. And oh, dear friend, tonight I want to tell you that the Lord wants to bring blessing into your life. You might say, well, I'm not wretched, but you know, if you're not saved, you're in a wretched spiritual condition.
00:20:26
And the only one who can bring blessing into your life can bring joy and happiness.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ, and as we had on our little hymn tonight, the Lord says come.
Since Jesus gently calling ye with terror and toil oppressed all the Lord wants you to come to Him tonight. Well, as I say, the Lord was able to deliver this man who was wretched. Let's look at a man now who was miserable as we've had before us. And I might just say one other thing before we turn to the next one. It says there in Luke chapter 4 and verse 18 when the Lord is reading from the book of Isaiah.
He says I have come to deliver the captive, and isn't that what the Lord did with that man?
He had been taken captive by Satan and the Lord was able to deliver him and oh, tonight he can deliver you. You know Satan is going around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. But you know, the only one who can deliver is the Lord Jesus. Just as he delivered this captive, he wants to deliver you tonight. Well, we going out to someone who was miserable this time the book of Job, umm.
We'll just look at the 1St chapter.
And as I said, most of us here are familiar with these stories, so there's no need to read the whole thing.
But here was a man.
That, you might say, had everything going for him at first.
He had a wonderful family, he had crops, he had animals, he had everything. But you know, the day came when all those things were taken away from him. He lost his animals, he lost his family, he lost his health, umm, everything. And he came to the points Notice in the second verse, in the second chapter, it says there in the seventh verse.
So when Satan?
So when Satan force from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils.
From the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a Apache to scrape himself withal, And he sat down among the ashes, then set his wife unto him. Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Cursed dog God, and die. Cursed God and die. And he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh What Shall we receive Good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?
In all this, did not Job sin with his lips?
Well, here was this poor man.
He lost, as I said, his family and in everything that he had. And then he got these boils from head to foot. And, you know, he was just sitting there with a piece of pottery and he was just scraping the sores off his arms and his legs and his body. And, you know, his wife said, why don't you just curse God and die? And, you know, sometimes we run into very difficult circumstances in our life. And we might say, why is God allowed this to happen to me?
And uh.
You might feel like Job here, you just want to blame God for your situation and umm, and yet you know here was his wife that said curse God and die.
Well, we know that he had three friends and we don't have time to go into this whole book, But they started thinking about why this has happened to him. And they started to say, well, Job, you must have done something terrible. And they began to accuse him. In fact, notice what he says in the 16th chapter for a moment. And the second verse or the first verse.
Job chapter 16 and verse one.
Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things. Miserable comforters. Are you all you know? He just wanted a little bit of comfort to come from those friends of his, but all they could do was accuse him, and so he calls them miserable comforters. He was feeling terribly sorry for himself.
00:25:04
Look at the 10th chapter for a moment. This is just a couple of verses.
Uh, and the first verse again, notice what he says. My soul is weary of my life. I will leave my complaints upon myself. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. And so, you know, it just seemed that things got worse and worse for Joe. But you know, the day came when God spoke to Job and all of a sudden Job realized.
That he wasn't the good person that he thought he was. You know, he thought he was above reproach. And then he didn't do anything right or didn't do anything wrong. But, you know, when he got into the Lord's presence, he realized that he was a Sinner. And, you know, you might be here tonight and you might say, well, you know, I'm not such a bad person. But, you know, if we get into the presence of God, we really feel our lost condition. And that's what happened to Job. Notice what it says there in the 42nd chapter.
Uh, this is near the end of the book.
After God had spoken to him.
What does he say?
Uh, verse five of chapter 42, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job got to the end of himself. He realized that he had a lot of pride in his heart. And now he gets to the point where he says, I repent and dust and ashes.
I wonder, dear friend, have you ever got to that point? You know, we had quoted to us today that verse in Acts chapter 20, I believe it is where it says it speaks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, the first step for blessing is to realize that you're a lost, guilty Sinner on your way to hell.
And that whatever God says about us is true. Well, you know, that's where Job came. He got to the point where he realized that he was nothing. And he had to say, I abhor myself and repent and dust and ashes. Are you willing to do that tonight, dear friend? Are you willing to say that there's nothing good in me at all?
Well, Joel did, and it was the beginning of his blessing, even though all these terrible things happened to him.
Uh, still, when God heard Job get to the end of himself and acknowledged that God was far greater than what Job was, and the Job was willing to confess his sin, then there was blessing. Notice what happened at the end of his life, uh, just a little further on in that 42nd chapter.
It says Umm in the 12Th verse. The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning, for he had 14,000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, 1000 she *****. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemima Jemima, and the name of the 2nd Kesia, and the name of the third UH, Karen Hapeck. And in all the lands where no women found so fair as the daughters of Job.
And their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. Just imagine God gave Job twice as much as he had before. And I want to say tonight, if you're willing to come to Jesus, acknowledging your sins and believing that he died on the cross and took that judgment that you deserve, God can bring blessing. I don't mean that your blessing might be twice as much material goods as you have now.
But you're promised a home in the glory. You're promised things that this world could never possibly give you, and happiness for all eternity. Well, here was this man who was miserable, and yet the Lord brought blessing. Well, our little verse in Revelation said, no, it's not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor. Let's take a look at a man who was poor.
This time in Acts Chapter 3.
00:30:02
And again, I just, uh, well, we won't say any more. Acts chapter 3. And here we have a man who was poor. We'll just read a couple of verses.
From the beginning now Peter and John went up to gather into the temple at the hour of prayer.
Being the 9th hour. And a certain uh man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple, which he called beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked alms and alms. And Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John.
Said Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto thee.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took them by the right hand and lifted them up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength, and He, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered into entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
What a wonderful story. Here's this man at the gate of the temple. You know, I remember many, many years ago, probably 43 years ago, I was walking through the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, and I remember seeing all these beggars sitting around with their hands going like this, asking for something. You know, back in those days, this would be back in the late 60s, they didn't have social programs for people who were disabled.
And the only way they could make a living for themselves was to sit there at the gate of the city, Oregon, the gate of the temple.
Asking for an arms. Well, here was this man and that's what he was doing. And he no doubt tried to get Peter's attention and said, please give me something. And what does Peter say? He says silver and gold. Have I not none, but such as I have, I give unto thee. What did Peter have? Peter didn't have anything in himself, but you know, he was the representative of the God of glory. He had come there to Jerusalem to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ.
And how he had died to put away sin. And so he says to this man.
He says In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and watch.
And immediately he leaped up and it says he went into the temple praising God. What a change.
Well, this man was poor. And you know, when our little verse there in, uh, Revelation that says, no, it's not that thou art miserable, wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Well, you might say, well, I'm not poor like this blind man. I have a house to live in. I have a car and so on. But you know, God says that you're poor towards him. If you, when you were born into this world, you had nothing. And when you leave this world, you'll have nothing.
Uh, it says naked came I into the world and naked I will go out. There's nothing that we can take from this world into eternity. And so the only true riches are found in the Lord Jesus Christ. How often we have sung that little hymn, haven't we? Yes, Oh yes, there's something more, something more than gold. To know your sins are all forgiven is something more than gold.
I'm so thankful that even though, umm, I might not have much in this world, I'm thankful that I have all my riches and all my joy in the Lord Jesus. He came down here, he who was rich, yet for my sake became poor, that I through his poverty might be made rich. And oh, tonight he wants to make you rich. He wants to put away your sins. He wants to give you a a home in the glory for all eternity.
You know, did you ever think that everyone of us are going to have to give an account of ourselves to God?
Life is not just a matter of being born here and getting a job and living until I retire and then having a few short years and then dying. That's not what life was about. God placed us here and He expects us to live to honor Him. And we know that all of us have failed.
In many respects, and the day is coming when everyone of us, saved and unsaved, are going to have to give us an account of ourselves to Him. Are you ready to stand before Him someday and to give an account of how you have lived your life? Have you lived it just for yourself or have you lived that to please Him? We have a responsibility towards our Creator. Well, we know that God is holy and He cannot let one sin into heaven.
00:35:31
And if you do not take Jesus as your Savior, if you do not realize that he died on the cross to put away your sins and you reject him, then there's nothing for you but a lost eternity. How solemn. You know, I was just thinking of a story about a man named Alfred Lake. He lived in New Zealand. He was a young man, had quite a bit of capability, and it was doing well in business. And there was this man who.
Was a Christian and he was handing out these little booklets. You've probably seen them. They're called the reason why. And he gave one of these to uh, Alfred Lake and he said, I'd like you to read this. And umm, Albert went home and he read it. And at the back of the little booklet there was a little sign, a little space where it said, I have and it said in brackets accepted or rejected. Jesus Christ is my personal savior. Well, Alfred Lake after reading the pamphlets and thinking about it.
He signed it. He said, I have decided after careful, uh, thought to reject Jesus Christ as my savior. And when the man came back the next day to see him, he handed him the book and said, look at the back of this book. And he looked at it and he read what he had, what Alfred Lake had written well.
You know, Alfred didn't realize that his life was only going to be 9 hours more that night he went home.
He went to a party and spent the night having a good time, and it was late, I suppose, maybe midnight. When he left. The party was on his way home in a car. He was speeding down the road and it was quite dark and all of a sudden an object appeared in front of him and he hit it square on and he was ushered into eternity. He had a cow. He had no idea that he only had nine hours left to live when he signed that little booklet.
And dear friend, you don't know how long you're gonna be in this world. Your life could come to an end before the end of this meeting. We know that there have been cases of people who have just had a heart attack and died instantly. We don't know how long we're left to be here. Are you ready to meet your Creator? Are you ready to meet the Lord Jesus, the one who gave his life, that you might live well? This man here.
Uh, he believed and he received healing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, it says in Acts chapter four, we know the verse so well. Neither is there salvation than any other or there's none another name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Well, this man here, he was healed and he went into the temple praising God. You know, it's such a wonderful thing when a person comes to know the Lord and Savior to see them praising the Lord, telling others.
I remember a girl in Stellerton many years ago who accepted the Lord and she just had to tell everybody. She brought her friends into the meeting room to hear the gospel. What a wonderful thing thing it is when someone is saying, well, here was this poor man who had nothing, and he received the riches that the Lord was going to give him and did give him. Well, we have not verse wretched, miserable, poor, blind.
Let's take a look for a moment at John Nine. Our time is running away on us, so we're going to have to be very quick.
But in John Chapter 9 we have the story of the blind man.
It tells us that he was blind from his birth.
And he was. His parents said he was of age, so he must have been at least 25 or so. In other words, he had spent 25 of his years blind.
You notice no one here has lost their sights. Maybe we have a little bit of a taste of it when the power goes out. We all know about what happened a couple of weeks ago when you Hurricane Sandy came and went through New Jersey and New York and the lights went out. In fact, there are still people there in New Jersey and in New York who do not have their power. My son is there right now trying to get the power back for many people, two weeks.
00:40:13
No light, you know, There was one man so desperate. He pulled up his car in front of the the gate where the power trucks are kept, and he said, I'm not leaving my, my, uh, car here. I'm starting to leave my car right here and block your entrance until you come and put the power on in my house. That's the way he felt.
Well, you know, we take life for granted, but you know, sad to say, Satan has blinded men spiritually. So they don't understand their lost condition. They don't understand that they're going to a lost eternity, except they accept Jesus as their savior. It says in Second Corinthians chapter 4, the God of this world has blinded the minds of them.
That believe not how many young people are today That say there's no gods?
Why do they say it? Because Satan has blinded their minds.
Oh, dear friend, tonight we don't want to see you go to a lost eternity. You know what tells us of a man there in Matthew 21, I think it is. He didn't have on the wedding garments and it says they cast them out and he was, and he was thrown into outer darkness. Can you imagine what outer darkness is like? I remember a long time ago I went into a cave.
As a young person and went down and they turned off the lights and I never felt darkness like that before. It was just incredible. Well, Hal was referred to as outer darkness.
But you know the Lord Jesus doesn't want you to be in outer darkness for eternity. He says I am the light of the world.
He wants to shine the light of His glory into your heart. He wants to give you salvation tonight.
And he has paid the price. He's not asking you to pay anything. He's just asking you to believe that He died and suffered for you when those three hours of darkness on the cross to put away your sin.
Well, this blind man, he received his sight, and isn't it wonderful what it says there in the 35th verse, Jesus heard that they had cast him out. That's the blind man. And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
And he said, Lord, I believe and he worshipped him. Are you willing to say that tonight, Lord I believe? Oh, if you do, your eyes will be opened. The Lord Jesus came to recover the the sight of those who are blind and he wants to give you spiritual eyesight tonight. Will you not come to him? Well, we have just one more and our time is really up.
But in Luke chapter 10, we all know the story of the Good Samaritan.
And again, we don't count. I haven't got time to read it, but here is this man on his way down to Jericho.
Very desolate walk.
I drove along that very Rd. just a few months ago and.
It's barren and lots of very poor people down there. No doubt there are thieves and robbers and that's the way it was here and there. He was going down and umm, what happens?
He was taken and he was stripped of his raiment and, uh, in other words, he, they not only took his money, they not only took his property, but they took the very clothes that he had. And he was just left there in the ditch. Well, a priest when it came along and he passed by. A Levi came along and he passed by. But then it says the Samaritan came to where he was. And, uh, so it says there in.
In umm the 33rd verse, a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.
And when he saw him, he had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an end and took care of him. Ah, the Samaritan, that one who was despised, that one who was rejected, no doubt a picture of the Lord Jesus. He came right to where that man was. And all I want to say that the Lord Jesus, he left his home in the glory, He came down to this world.
00:45:15
Born of that a baby in Bethlehem's Manger. And why did he do it? Because he wanted to bring blessing to your soul, and to bring blessing to my soul. And all it says there in Philippians, who being in the form of God, and thought of not robbery to be equal with God, but took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became beating unto death, even the death of the cross.
Yes, he came right to where we were. Why?
Might be clothed with the garments of salvation. You know I love that verse in Isaiah chapter 61 and we all know it, but just read it to get it correct. Isaiah 61 and verse 10. He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.
You know, it tells us that all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. You know, Adam, he tried to hide himself, uh, with fig leaves, but God could see right through that. Everything was exposed and open to him. We can't hide from God. He knows the very thoughts that we think.
It's often been said, you know, if I could just, if, if God could just right across this wall here, everything that I have thought in the last week, I would probably want to leave the room and get out of here as fast as possible. God sees my heart. He sees your heart. He knows what you're thinking. We cannot hide from him.
Well, we find here that this poor man, he was given the garments of salvation, and that's what the Lord wants to give you tonight.
He wants to give you a new life, a life that even though your life has been characterized by sin, He wants to give you a new life that wants to please him. And so it says here He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with a robe of righteousness. Always that true of you tonight. Have you come to know Him? You know we don't have time, but back there in Revelation again, it says, behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice.
And open the door. I will come in to him and Sup with him, and he with me. Are you hearing his voice tonight? Are you willing to say, Lord, I want to be saved. I want to know that my sins are forgiven. I want to know that I'm on my way to glory. You know, the apostle John could write these things that I written unto you, that ye might know that ye have eternal life. Oh, friend, tonight don't leave this room.
Until this question of your sins is settled, come to Jesus tonight.
Take him as your Savior and go on your way rejoicing. Well, our time is up. Let's just look to the Lord in prayer.