Gospel—John Bilisoly
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 don't know if there's anyone here that UMM has come as a result of receiving receiving an invitation, but if you have, welcome. We're thankful that you came.
I wonder if we could sing together #25 in our hymn sheet.
And someone please raise the tune for us.
And you're probably not feeling like anything.
On.
And everything is not warning quality made by the water in our house. He's talking. Let him all around you whenever you're home.
I'm from dark, you have to stand through the light prompts of the wagon. That's the game and crying. I'm trying to find more time to my life.
Well, you know, this meeting is scheduled for 60 minutes. I don't know that we'll go that long, but one thing I can tell you, dear one, tonight, and that is that the time is short.
00:05:06
And because of that, I want from the very outset here of this meeting to present the gospel in a very clear and simple way as given to us in the Word of God. So if you have a Bible tonight and would like to turn, and if you don't turn with me, that's fine, I understand. But if you'd like to turn with me to the book of Romans, we're going to look at a few verses in the book of Romans at the beginning of this meeting.
To outline the gospel because the time is short and we have no guarantee.
So at that minute hand is going to make it circle around the clock.
We don't know if we'll get that far. So we want to present the gospel right away. So in Romans chapter 3, we're going to just present the very basic elements of the gospel here. And the first one that we want to mention is in the 23rd verse of Romans 3. And it says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now that doesn't provide for any exclusions.
In the human race, that's everyone of us in this room. So, dear one, tonight I don't know the condition of your heart, but if you are still in your sins, if you have to this date not accepted God's plan of salvation through the finished work of Christ, I would urge you to do so tonight. Because God's Word faithfully tells you that you are a Sinner, that each of us all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Well, there's consequences to our actions. We know that. We learned that from childhood up, don't we? That our actions have consequences?
There are consequences to being a Sinner, so turn back one chapter in Romans and look at Romans chapter 2.
And the Spirit of God through using the instrument of the apostle Paul says in verse one, therefore.
Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgeth judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judge us doeth the same things.
And verse 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judges them, which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Or despise itself the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Now verse six, pay attention dear one tonight, who Speaking of God will render to every man according to his deeds. Now if we were to take the time to turn over to the Old Testament, we could find a verse that said the soul that sinneth it shall die. Like I said, there are consequences.
To our action. And so God tells us through the Spirit of God, we're told in this chapter that God is going to judge.
The Sinner who will render to every man according to his deeds. Now turn over to the fifth chapter.
Chapter 5 and verse six of Romans. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a Goodman some would even dare to die, but God commendeth his love toward us.
Isn't that while we were young sinners, Christ died for us? Dear ones, this is the gospel message, the glad tidings, and we're thankful that if you can't, that you came to hear it, that God does have a remedy. He, he does have to judge then, but he has provided a remedy through his Son, the Lord Jesus.
While we were young sinners, Christ died for us, much more verse 9 than being now justified by His blood. We shall be saved from wrath through Him. There's the key, there's the answer, dear one. Tonight God has provided a remedy.
Through his Son, the Lord Jesus died on Calvary's cross. His precious blood was shed. If you put your trust in Him, He will cleanse you from your sin so God will no longer see you as a Sinner. He will see that the blood of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, has covered your sins. They're gone from His sight. What a wonderful message we have to tell now, chapter 6.
00:10:04
And verse 9.
He died on Calvary's cross. But that isn't the end of the story, dear ones. We have a living Savior, it says, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more death, hath no more dominion over him.
The Lord Jesus died, but he rose again, we're told, the third day.
According to the scriptures, and so we present to you tonight a Savior that has died and shed his precious blood, but who is alive. Death had no dominion over him. He rose victorious.
Over death and the grave. And he's alive in heaven tonight.
We learned something else in this chapter, the last verse.
23 For the wages of sin is death. We mentioned consequences, but the gift of God is eternal life. Dear ones, this is a gift. God's remedy for your sin is a free gift. You cannot pay for a gift. You couldn't pay for God's gift. It was too costly. And God offers it to you freely, and it's yours if you will accept it tonight.
The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. One more verse in this book, chapter 8.
Verse one, we learned something else. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Oh dear ones, not only have you been saved from your sins, but God will never bring them up again against you. There is no judgment, no condemnation.
To them which are in Christ Jesus.
Is that something that you would desire tonight?
You can't do anything to earn it. You can't turn over a new leaf, you can't start a new afresh.
Trying to improve yourself?
No, there's nothing that's going to avail but to accept God's gift freely.
And so again, we just go over these again, these basic.
Umm, foundational truths of the gospel. All of sinned. You have sinned. I have sinned. We're all sinners. God is going to judge sin. He must. He's a righteous God, and so he has to judge that sin. But He has come out in love because He desired to bring you and I into blessing.
And so he came out in love, and he gave his son, who went to Calvary's cross and died.
And shed his precious blood. But he's risen from the dead. He's alive in the glory right now.
He's offering you the gift of eternal life through Him.
And it's nothing you can earn. Our wages would only take us to a lost eternity in hell.
As we read at the end of that 6th chapter, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. And then He brings us into the wonderful revelation that there's no more condemnation for us.
No, once you accept Him as your savior, you are His for all eternity.
That work is good for all eternity and it will never have to be repeated in your life.
Of course He wants us to walk to His honor and glory, and this book takes that up, especially in the latter chapters. And that's a wonderful thing too, to be able to walk to His glory and honor, but it doesn't affect our salvation.
It's sure and firm and cannot be altered. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Well, there's one more thing that we like to present with the gospel, and that is that He is coming again. Now we don't get that in this book because the Christian here is viewed as walking in this world. So we have to turn to other passages of scriptures and there's of Scripture, and there's many of them that would bring before us that wonderful truth that He's coming for us. And I love the one in Titus chapter 2. Like I said, there's many. So let's just look at Titus chapter 2.
And read together verse 13. And I hope this you can read this along with me and say that this is something that you are looking forward to looking for that blessed hope. There we have it. He's coming for us, dear ones. And the glorious appearing, that's yet future too. And that will come later when the Lord will be glorified in this world.
00:15:25
He was rejected, he was scorned, he was nailed to the cross.
But he's going to have his day of glory looking for that blessed hope. That's what we're looking for. And the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
And so the time is short, dear ones. You know, that's an expression that I'm going to borrow that's mentioned or, umm, used in First Corinthians Chapter 7.
And the apostle Paul is speaking to believers, and he's saying here, he says in verse 29.
But this I say, brethren, the time is short.
Well, I hope we can impress that upon your soul this evening. The time is short. We don't know how much longer we have. I don't know how much longer you have.
None of us has any guarantee of how many more minutes we have in our life. And we have. We don't know when the Lord is coming for us. It's always presented to us as a present hope, one that we are looking forward to as we've had before us. The thought of hope, something that is secure, that we know it's going to come, but we don't know when. And that's why it's so important to listen to the message, to accept God's offer.
This is the last gospel meeting that's scheduled in this conference. It might be the last gospel meeting that you have opportunity to hear.
I don't know what will happen to each one of us.
When we leave this place, if we're left here a while longer.
The time is short. You know, there was a man that was walking down a street that had shops on it and there was one shop that he went by and he kind of slowed his pace because he had an interest in this shop. It was a clock shop that sold clocks and there was a clock in the window and it had a little plaque on it. And it caught his eye and he looked at it and it was an engraving and it just had two words.
Another time. That's all it said on this little clock, this little plaque that was on the clock. Another time. Well, I I dare say that every one of us in this room has used that expression. Well, we're going to do that another time.
Do we know that for sure? We don't, do we?
The time is short. We may not have another time. You know, there was a man that was is recorded for us in in the book of Acts. If you'll just turn there briefly in the book of Acts and it's chapter 25 or 24 and his name was Felix and he was the Roman governor and he had married a Jewish.
The Jewish wife. And so he knew something of their customs and their ways. And Paul is a prisoner and Paul is speaking before him. And Paul says this to this man.
In verse 25, and as he Paul reasoned of righteousness.
Temperance and judgment to come. Felix trembled.
And answered, go thy way for this time, when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee. That's sad, isn't it? Here was an opportunity.
That this man Felix, had to believe the message that Paul was bringing.
I don't doubt that Paul preached a faithful gospel to this man.
But you know, in effect, what he said was another time.
Thank you, but another time.
I wonder if there's someone here in the room tonight that is going to walk out of the doors of this hall and they're going to say in their heart after hearing the gospel and knowing that they're lost.
Another time.
I hope you don't say that tonight. You know, I have a burden for young children here too, children that have grown up in Christian homes, who have heard the gospel many times.
00:20:09
Is it possible that there's someone here, a child that we all think knows the Lord Jesus as their savior, but perhaps doesn't?
I know it's been a long day, boys and girls, children, but just listen for just a minute if you would.
I have a burden for you. Are you saved? Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
Can you say with confidence that he is your savior?
I hope you can tonight.
You know, when I was young, I, I would if you can't, if if you want the assurance, something to assure your heart that you're the Lord's. Perhaps you say, well, I think I am, but I'm not sure. I'll tell you something that helped me, if you don't mind a personal reference. When I was very young, I don't remember how old I was. I remember laying in my bed and my mother would come in and she would tell us good night. And I remember saying to her.
Mom, guess what?
And she said what I said, I'm saved. And you know, I, as I think back on that, I wish I would have been more explicit. I wish I would have used the Lord's name and said I belong to the Lord Jesus. But that's what I said. And yet the confirmation that she gave me was wonderful to my heart. She was very happy that I had told her that. And so I would encourage you, dear child, in this room.
Whoever you might be, if you are having doubts as to your salvation.
Tell somebody that you are the Lords, maybe your dad, your mom, maybe a friend. Say I belong to the Lord Jesus and that will give you assurance.
Well, let's go on.
What the Lord laid on my heart was just some of these little phrases that we read in His word. And so I have another one here. So if you'll turn with me to the book of.
Genesis.
Genesis chapter 19.
We're not gonna develop all of these stories because we don't have time.
But this is a very solemn story about judgment that was coming on some cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, and so we'll just go to the 19th chapter of Genesis.
And it says in verse one, and there came two angels to Sodom at even, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom.
And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
And, umm.
See here.
I was gonna looking for the verse there where they tell him what their their mission is.
Umm, verse 12 So, so just to fill in the story here, a lot persuades these two men, these two angels to spend the night in his home. And we won't read all that happens that night. But it's, it's an awful picture of the heart of man's wickedness. It's a picture of the way the world is today, dear ones, the world that we live in. But then in verse 12, he says the the two men say to him, and the men said unto lot, Hast thou hear any besides son-in-law and thy sons and thy daughters and.
Whatsoever thou hast in this city, bring them out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxing great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. And we know the story. That lot goes to his sons in law, and they they basically don't believe the word. And so.
When the more it says in verse 15, And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters.
Which are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he linger, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife.
And upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him and brought him forth, and set him without the city. Dear ones, tonight I believe that we can say the Lord is merciful as being merciful to you, if he has given you another opportunity to hear the gospel tonight. And you are sitting here and you're hearing the gospel, perhaps feebly, but you're hearing the word of God, and it makes you responsible. God is being merciful to you.
00:25:06
Well, these were these angels destroying angels sent from the Lord to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah were merciful.
To Lot and some of his family.
And so they are told. They are given instructions in verse 17. And it came to pass, when they brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life. Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain. Escape to the mountains.
Not unless they'll be consumed.
And then these words in verse 22.
From the angels, Hasty escape, thither, hasty escape. That's the message that I want to impress upon you tonight, dear ones, if you are in your sins.
The word to you tonight is to haste. Make haste. That means to hurry. Don't linger. Haste the escape.
You know, we've had some tragic things happen in this country recently and I was thinking.
About that bombing that was happened in Boston at the marathon. Now, let me ask you this, dear ones, tonight, do you think that of those people that were near those bombs, if they knew that there was a bomb in the vicinity of where they were standing that was about to go off?
Do you think that it would've been hard to convince them to leave?
No.
No, they would have been.
It would have been umm, medlam, just bedlam. They're trying to get out of that area as they press to get away from.
That device, why is it then, when souls hear the gospel, why is it?
That they'll say such a thing as another time or some more convenient time. Why is it that souls don't feel the urgency?
To flee from the wrath to come. I believe it's because they don't believe it.
Why else? The only reason someone wouldn't flee from that area of where those bombs were is if they didn't believe it, say ah, no, I don't believe that. That's that's nonsense.
It's never happened before. Why? Why would it happen now? No, I, you know, it's, it's sad, isn't it? How the enemy has been able to come in and men are in a stupor, as it were. They don't have the energy to believe.
Except the grace of God.
Quicken them.
Impart life to believe. Oh, it's sad man's condition. He's hardened. He's hardened to the gospel, He's hardened to.
The thought that judgment is coming, he doesn't want to believe it.
You know the word of God says in Hebrews. I'm going to read it because it's such a solemn verse. It's in Hebrews chapter 2.
And it says.
How verse three shall we escape? Well, I'm going to read verse two first. The word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. The writer is talking about the law, the law of Moses that was given by angels. If you transgress the law, then there was results, there was consequences for that. Well, is God going to be any just in those that refuse His offer of salvation?
Through the Lord Jesus Christ first, the word spoken by angels was steadfast in every transgression, and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. How shall we escape if we neglect? So great salvation doesn't even talk about rejecting it here, just even neglecting it. And if you really look into that word, it's the thought of not really caring being negligent. We know what it means to be negligent, to not really care.
Dear ones, tonight it's not your attitude when you sit under the sound of the gospel.
You say, oh, I've got other things to worry about. I've got other issues in my life. I've got other things I'm doing. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, hasty escape God is offering you.
00:30:01
A way of escape from coming judgment, dear one, tonight, what are you doing with God's offer?
I hope that you will come tonight to the Lord Jesus. Well, let's go over now to the book of Acts, and this was actually referred to today, but Acts chapter 26.
Have a little word there.
You know, to me, this is a solemn word. It's a word that it's one of those words that conveys a lot of meaning.
Almost.
What does it mean to you, dear one? Tonight, Almost. Well, one thing that it means to me is that.
Not quite enough.
Umm, whatever it might be, you take an exam and you have to reach a certain score to pass this exam. And you're one point short. Let's say you have to have a 70% and you get a 69% and you come away and you say, oh, I almost passed it. Is that good enough? No, it's not.
You might as well have gotten a 40%. The outcome is the same. You didn't pass.
Have you ever heard?
It said if someone they almost survived.
What does that mean? It means they didn't survive.
This man was hearing the gospel again from the same man Paul the apostle Paul in in Acts 26 and he was a a king, a grip of the 2nd. I believe he was the grandson son of Herod the Great.
It was his father, I believe this man's father that was died a horrible death. You can read about it in the book of Acts. He was eaten of worms because the people.
Praised him as a God and he accepted that and so the Lord smote him with these worms that took his life. Awful way to go.
And so this, this Agrippa, this king Agrippa here.
How about umm, as some of his background, a father that died that way, you would have thought that that would have impressed him and that that would have made an indelible impression on his soul that God is real and we have to do with him. And so Paul is speaking to him and he says umm in verse 27. King Agrippa, believe us, thou the prophets, I know that thou believe us.
And what does King Agrippa do?
In a mocking way, he says.
Verse 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost.
Thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
That is pathetic, isn't it?
This man had an opportunity to believe the gospel was presented to him by the apostle Paul.
And he said, almost Thou proceedeth.
Persuaded me to be a Christian dear one tonight. Are you saying that in your heart?
Are you saying almost? I almost believe.
That's not good enough. That's gonna fall short.
I'm afraid there's going to be a lot of souls and lost eternity.
That almost came to Christ.
I hope you aren't going to be among that number.
God in His mercy is giving you an opportunity to accept salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus.
You know, reading a little later about this man.
Paul, We'll just read Paul's answer to him.
Verse 29 of Acts 26 And Paul said, I went to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice, and they that sat with them, and when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds, you know, as far as we know.
00:35:12
This man, Agrippa, I don't know if he ever spoke with Paul again.
I don't know if he ever had another opportunity.
To believe the Gospel.
But it says here when he was gone, when they were gone, aside.
You know, they turned and they walked out from Paul's presence. And as far as we know, that was the end. We don't know that this man ever came.
He set himself almost.
Persuade us thou me to be a Christian.
I can't think of anything more sad than someone.
Sang almost.
That's not good enough. That's not enough.
How sad. Don't be among those that would have such an end, such a fate that became that close.
And yet not did not accept the Lord Jesus.
Turn to 2nd Kings Chapter 5. Very familiar portion.
Second Kings Chapter 5. We know it's the story of a Syrian captain.
And his name was Naaman.
And so let's just read a few verses in that chapter.
Second Kings, chapter 5 and verse one. Now Naam, and captain of the host of the king Assyria was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria, but he was a mighty man in valor.
He was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. You know, dear ones, leprosy is a type to us of sin. And this man, you might say, had a lot of advantages. He had position, no doubt. He had wealth.
He was the captain of the King's host. He was like the general of the army, but it says he was a leper.
Leprosy is a type of sin, a picture of sin like we read at the beginning, all of sinned and come short of the glory of God.
And so.
This man, his wife, had a little maid that was from Israel and she knew about the prophet Elisha.
And she knew that Elisha was a man of God and that he could.
Help this man in his condition. And so she tells her.
Umm, mistress about him, she tells about this man, this prophet, and she says in verse 3.
What God, my Lord? Or with a prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy. And so the plan is to send him to the king of Israel, which wasn't what she had said, but that's where they go, to the king of Israel.
And we know the story that the Kings says, well, I, I can't do anything. And you're just seeking a quarrel with me. You know, I can't am I God to kill and to make a life that he's, uh, upset about this and so.
Anyway, umm, we're told that they come to Elisha, they're sent to Elisha, and Elisha doesn't even come out himself, he sends a messenger.
And this is what the messenger says in verse 10 to Naaman. This proud man Elisha sent a message unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan 7 times, and thy flesh shall come again.
Now let's see his response.
The Naaman was wroth and went away, and said, Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over this place, and recover the leper.
And then he is our. And then he speaks of other rivers of Damascus. Are not Habana and far par rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. Oh, those are sad words. And went away, dear ones, tonight.
00:40:17
Are you going to turn and go away tonight?
Is it gonna be sort of you that he went away? She went away without Christ. Oh, we hust we hope not. We trust not.
Come to the Savior.
Well, we're thankful that the story with Naaman doesn't end there, that there was a work of repentance. His servants came and entreated him, we're told, and reasoned with him, and he listened to them. And so he went and did as the prophet had told him to do, which was to wash in Jordan 7 times. And so he did. And we know the story, a wonderful story of a man whose leprosy was instantly cured.
And as flesh returned as the flesh of a child. What a wonderful thing God is offering you a cure to your condition of sin. Dear one, tonight, will you accept his offer? Oh, it's so simple. It's so. God has made it.
So easy for us to understand.
Accept the Lord Jesus as His Savior, do not turn away, and we plead with you tonight.
Don't turn away and miss out on the blessing that God has for you.
How close this man came to missing out on the cure.
That he needed, that he so desperately needed. He was dying of leprosy, a slow and painful death no doubt eventually, and God in his mercy provided a remedy for him.
How about you tonight? Are you going to accept God's way of salvation?
Through the Lord Jesus, though, I trust you well.
Don't turn and go away.
Turn to the Savior tonight.
We'll go to, uh, first Samuel.
Chapter 20.
There's another little expression there.
And, uh, we find this little expression in the third verse.
So David is talking to Jonathan, Saul's son, and we know that Jonathan is pursuing him to take his life, to take David's life. And David says in verse three, And David swear moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes. And he saith, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me.
And but a step. Oh, I think that is so solemn, dear. 1:00 tonight.
But a step.
You know, I read a story one time about a man.
That was a rock climber.
And he climbed in California.
And he and another friend of his.
And, umm, these were rock climbers that they, they climbed difficult faces of mountains and so on, but they did it without any ropes. They did it, uh, freehand, you might say.
And uh, they would go up these and scale these walls, these rock walls with nothing but their hands and their feet.
And they would, uh, you know, they had good shoes for it and they had, uh, bags of chalk. They would chalk their fingers, I guess that, uh.
Would absorb the perspiration and give them more grip and they would go up the faces of these rocks and umm, they would, uh, go up some pretty dangerous.
Things some pretty dangerous areas. Well, he was telling this story about he wasn't as experienced as his friend and his friend had gone up first on this one Cliff they were scaling and had gotten ahead of him and and he got to an area that was very difficult and he didn't know what to do and he didn't see what his friend had done. You know, he would normally watch his friend and follow and do what his friend did, but he didn't see what his friend did.
00:45:10
And so there he was in this predicament. His friend was out of sight.
And he was in a position where he was clinging for his life.
He was like David, there was a step between him and death, and I can't convey to you the way he conveyed it in the story.
But he became.
So scared that he realized if he waited any longer, he knew that he had maybe one chance.
To make a leap and grab onto this, this out jetting of rock and dig his feet in where he could. And if he didn't do it now, he wasn't going to have that chance. And he was wearing out. He was tiring, he was clinging against the face of that rock and he was fading and he knew that he would fall to his death.
And so.
He.
Mustard up the strength and he made that leap and he made it. He grabbed onto that rock and he was able.
To pull himself up and you say tonight, as I tell you this, I wouldn't do anything that silly, not foolish.
And yet you can hear the gospel tonight. You can be but a step from death, as it were, and you can say.
Another time.
You know, we can, we can say, well, that was that's foolish. Why do people do things like that? Why do they flirt with fate, if you will, and with death like that?
I don't know.
I don't know, I guess to get a adrenaline rush or something and makes them go back and do it again. But there seems to be plenty of people that will do that. And we say that's so foolish, that's stupid to to do that. And yet souls will hear the gospel and they will turn and walk away from it. I can't think of anything that's more foolish. You don't know. But what? There's just a step between you and death.
You know, there was a rich man, it says his land brought forth plentifully. I'm going to read it. It's in, uh, Luke 12.
And he said, What shall I do? I I don't have room to bestow all my fruits. Luke 12 and verse 18 And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my barns, and I will build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, Thou is much goods laid up for many years.
Take thy knees, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
You know the the first mistake this man made, we didn't read it, but verse 17, he thought within himself. You know, that's the problem with souls, isn't it? Man has his own way. He begins to think his own thoughts instead of accepting God's word, God's plan of salvation, he thinks within himself and that's what this man did. And so he came out with this elaborate plan. He's going to build bigger barns. He's going to be stole all his fruits in these.
And then it says he's going to to.
Take his ease and eat, drink and be be merry. Isn't that the attitude? We've been talking about that a little bit, this country that we live in? Isn't that the attitude of many? Get what I can as much as I can, then take my knees and eat, drink and be merry. They leave one thing out. They leave God out.
Of the equation God said unto him, Thou fool, they forget that there's only a step, just but a step between them and death.
But you know, the wonderful thing is dear 1:00 tonight.
That there's only a step between you and the Savior, too. Like the hymn writer, the blind hymn writer ***** Crosby wrote only a step to Jesus. Why not take it now?
Come in thy sins, confessing thou shalt receive a blessing. Do not reject the mercy He freely offers thee. I didn't quote the whole stanza, only a step to Jesus.
Are you going to take that step tonight?
00:50:00
There's just about a step between you and him, and he's saying, come unto me, come to the Lord Jesus tonight.
Don't be so foolish.
To go your way, you might. There might be but a step between you and death.
One more that I want to end with.
And this is in, uh, the book of Luke. Luke, again, if you, if you're already in Luke, turn over to chapter 15.
And I wanted to end on this because it's such a wonderful thing.
Did you know that was in the scriptures as well? I love that expression. We use it a lot, don't we? Safe and sound? Well, we have that in the Word of God. It's in chapter 15.
And we know the story of the prodigal son who went his own way. And I believe that there's a wonderful gospel message in this story.
So he goes his own way, and he spends all his living that his father had given him, and he runs out of money, and he's eating what the pigs eat. And he comes to himself. There's a work of repentance in his heart. And he comes back to his father, and his father sees him a great way off and ran and had, and ran and fell on his neck. Verse 20.
And kissed him or covered him with kisses, another translation says.
And so.
It's we get this expression when one is explaining to the elder brother. He asks what's going on and he calls one of the servants in verse 26 and asked him what these things meant. And the servant said unto him, he said unto him, thy brother has come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf calf because he hath received him safe and sound. Well, I won't go into the.
The teaching and so on of this, but I've just enjoyed that expression.
But here we have this prodigal son. Perhaps that's you tonight, dear one. Maybe there's someone in this room that has strayed away from the Lord, or maybe you haven't come to the Lord. I'm going to apply it in the sense of, uh, someone that's unsaved. The Word of God we have had tonight lays out the God's plan of salvation. Come to the Lord Jesus, come to him, flee from the wrath to come.
And once you believe on him, you are safe and sound.
You know, whether we continue on in the scene, we have that assurance that peace, don't we? Doesn't matter what happens in this world around us, we are safe and sound. I've enjoyed that too, in connection with those of our dear ones that have passed on before. They are safe and sound.
It's a wonderful expression for our hearts, isn't it?
Well, I trust that you will heed these words, these warnings that we have in Scripture.
You know, we read early on in the Word of God in connection with man. Sin came in and spoiled God's creation. And God says, my spirit shall not always strive with man.
You know, dear ones, the Spirit of God is in this world. He's operating right now in this world. Perhaps He's convicting you tonight. His presence is here and He is working to bring souls to Christ.
But he's not always going to strive with man, and there is a time coming when he is going to leave this scene. The gospel of the grace of God will no longer be preached.
And so the the question tonight for you.
Is what Pilot said in Matthew 27.
What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? Dear ones, tonight I put that question to you. What are you going to do with Jesus, which is called Christ? I trust that you will come to him and accept him as your Savior. Let's pray.
Almost persuaded.
Maybe someone could raise the tune?