Gospel—Jim Hyland
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In the Gospel meeting this afternoon with hymn #4 on the gospel hymn sheet, Christ is the Savior of sinners. Christ is the Savior. For me. Long I was chained in sins darkness. Now by His grace I am free. Hymn #4, if someone will please start it.
I'd like to, at the beginning of the Gospel meeting, read a number of scriptures. The first one is in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 3.
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 3.
For this is he that was spoken of by Isaiah, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, And then at the end of the chapter, verse 17, and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, And then a portion in first Peter.
First Peter.
Verse chapter one and verse 25.
But the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word which by the gospel.
Is preached unto you and then a familiar verse in first Timothy chapter one.
First, Timothy chapter one and verse 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.
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John's Gospel chapter 3.
John, chapter 3 and verse 19. And this is the condemnation that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. The 17th chapter of this same gospel.
John's Gospel chapter 17 and verse 3.
And this is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God.
And Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent? At first glance, these verses that we have connected together at the beginning of this Gospel meeting might seem like they were chosen randomly. And I suppose even if they had been chosen randomly, they are the living word of God. And if we were to close our Bible now and pray for blessing, God could bless sinners in this room this afternoon.
Because it's the living word in all its power that is going to bring about blessings in the power of the Spirit.
But these verses were chosen because while there are many differences in these scriptures.
There's one little phrase that is the same and that is 2 words that you will find common throughout these verses, 2 words that may seem at first insignificant in themselves and those two words are this is.
It's an interesting little combination of two words, and it runs through the word of God. I've never counted how many times you have this little phrase. Are these two words together?
This is. But you know, I've thought lately a lot about these two words because we use them in everyday conversation quite a bit. We use it to point out something specific that we want to draw someone's attention to. If a salesman is trying to sell his product, he says this is this is the product and this is what it does, and this is the benefits of it. We use the phrase perhaps more than we realize.
Now, everything that God says in His word, we need to give attention to that's true.
But it is interesting in tracing out this little phrase that there are some things that to my own soul at least, it's just as if God would say I don't want you to miss this, this is and then something very important, something vital that follows and I trust will see this as we comment very briefly on these scriptures that we have connected together.
But what was significant in my own soul in tracing this out?
Was to find that in the New Testament, the first times that this phrase appears, it draws attention to God's beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's the one we want to point to tonight. That's the one that we want to draw a particular attention to today in the in this gospel meeting. Because there is no other way of blessing has has so often been pointed out.
And was pointed out last night in the Gospel and the night before. It's not religion, it's not sociology, it's not Reformation that we preach.
When we present the gospel, it's a person and it's the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the gospel is a reality. It's not some vague thing that is pulled out of the air. It's not some philosophy. It's not some, shall I say, even theology. No, it's a person and it's a reality. And when John the Baptist came to it, what did he come to do? He came to announce the coming of Christ.
He was, as we often say, the forerunner of Christ back in Isaiah 40 and other places.
It was prophesied that this man would come, and his message was short, but his message was wonderful. He didn't preach for very many years. But, you know, God tells us what he thought of John, and his message. The Lord tells us what he thought, he said of those born among women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. What a message John the Baptist had, and that message was a message.
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Of grace, of hope, a message of repentance. Because John the Baptist, I say he pointed to no one but the person of the Lord Jesus. When he saw the Lord Jesus walking in this world, he said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And it's interesting that the first time we read this phrase in the New Testament is in connection with prophecies in the Old Testament.
It takes us right back to what had already been written before and prophesied before John the Baptist presented his message, because if we were to go back to the Old Testament, we find that in the light of the New Testament, it all speaks of Christ. You know, I've enjoyed that in connection with reading of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts who was reading in the 53rd of Isaiah.
And as he sat in his chariot reading, he pondered, Who is the prophet Speaking of and directed by the Spirit of God? An evangelist named Philip climbed up and sat in that chariot, and sat down with that man. And the man said, the Ethiopian eunuch said, Of whom is the prophet speaking? Is he Speaking of himself or of another? And I love what it says it says. Beginning at the same scripture he preached unto him, Jesus.
You know, it wouldn't have mattered where that man was reading in the Old Testament. The Evangelist could have begun at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus, because this is what was in the heart of God from the very beginning, from the time that man sinned and coats of skin were provided for Adam and Eve through the death of an innocent victim or victim. And the the announcement of that glorious news, that's a woman's seed, would bruise the head.
Of the serpent, and in the fullness of time God did send forth His Son. And so we find here where we read in the end of Matthew 3 The heavens open up.
As the Lord Jesus is here in this world, heaven opens up, and Ohio heaven delighted to look down at that blessed one about the Son of God in this world. As the poet said, there was finally an object in this world that might commend the place. The Lord Jesus was here, the only perfect sinless man that ever walked the streets of this world. He was here, and as he comes up out of the waters of baptism, the heavens open up and how they delighted to open up and heaven gazed down.
And a voice declares, This is my beloved son. This is this is no doubt about it.
My beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Oh, have you looked to that blessed one tonight? I know that most of us, perhaps in this room, have had a glimpse of the man in the glory. We know him as Savior. But our hearts are burdened today to think that there might be someone here, someone who sat in these meetings as we spoke together in the readings of the the tremendous place and privilege.
Of being brought into the body of Christ as members of the Body of Christ. As we've had one another minister. The truth in afternoon addresses, as we've heard the gospel faithfully presented on two previous evenings. To think that you've sat here and you haven't come to know this blessed one as your savior. You don't have that subtle peace by looking to the Lord Jesus, but here we find.
Lest there was any doubt in the minds of those that looked on on that occasion.
Lest there was any doubt in their minds as to who this person was at the beginning of his public ministry, a voice declares this is my beloved son. If we were to turn to other gospels where you have this same account, there's another little comment added that's not here in Matthew's Gospel, because in the, I think in two other gospels where you have this incident, the little comment is added.
Here.
Have you listened to the voice of the Lord Jesus speaking to you? You know he speaks once, yeah, twice. And yet it says yet man perceiveth it not. I wonder how many times the voice of God, the voice of the Lord Jesus, has spoken to you, knocked on the door of your conscience, sought to get your attention.
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Just as this voice here.
Got the attention sought to get the attention of those that were standing by and watching this event that took place at the beginning of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus here.
Ye him it tells us in another place, he that hath ears to hear.
Let him hear how solemn it is when we stop our ears to the voice of God.
And the voice of the Lord Jesus. And that's really why I read the portion in First Peter, because here we have that little expression again in first Peter chapter one where it says, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word. I'm gonna stop there for a moment. This is the word, you know. This is the word of God.
This book we hold in our hands, I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Is God's voice speaking to you and to me sad to say? People have closed not only their ears to the word of God, but they've closed the word of God. They don't want it. They don't want it's light. They don't want to listen to it. Because the Word of God reveals what we are through and through. It reveals what we are from the inside out. It tells us what our hearts are like. It tells us what we are by nature.
It tells us things like all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.
Who can know it? My wife and I were just in England a few weeks ago and I was reminded of a little story in connection with Queen Elizabeth the first of England. As we know, Queen Elizabeth the 2nd sits on the throne as sovereign of the realm today. But many years ago there was a queen named Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth the 1St. And if you read about that era, it was an era of great vanity.
And Queen Elizabeth was a very vain lady, and as she got older.
And begin to notice as she looked in the mirror the aging process, as we call it today, and those wrinkles that began to appear. She decided that she didn't want to see herself in the mirror. And history tells us that for a number of years she did not have the heart to look at herself in the mirror. And her ladies in waiting were very, very careful to keep a mirror from her presence. It angered her when a mirror was brought into her presence.
Why did she not want to look in the mirror? Because mirrors don't lie. Mirrors tell the truth. You know, no matter how long you look in the mirror, it's not gonna change things. You can stare at a mirror all day and it's still going to give you an honest, perfect reflection of yourself in that mirror.
Where I come from, I think we're even more liberal and godless than the United States. Perhaps not quite as bad as Europe. Halfway between Europe and the United States can't have the word of God in the in the schools when my girls were going to public school, even on special so-called religious holidays, there could be nothing concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
Man doesn't want to know.
His true condition?
The Word of God tells us the truth. And so it says, And this is the Word. But you know, it says, here in this verse we read together. This is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you.
I think it was Brother John in the Sunday School this morning pointed out that word.
That the children and those of us who are older often spell in that song glad TIDINGS.
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And that word is tidings, or good news. And that's what the gospel is.
Oh, if people could just realize tonight the good news of the gospel.
They would open the pages of the Word of God and read it if they could just understand that this book not only contains.
The mirror that shows us what's in our hearts, naturally speaking.
But it contains the remedy it is, if I can put it in the illustration we're using. It's the soap and water to clean our dirty face.
It's the remedy, you know. You may stand in front of the sink and look in the mirror, but that's not going to clean your face.
But in front of you is soap and water. And you take that soap and water and you apply it to your face and you still looking in the same mirror, but now you find your face is clean, that there was a remedy. And oh, tonight the wonderful thing is there's a remedy in God's word. That is the Lord Jesus came into this world. The Lord Jesus came down from heaven. He not only walked up and down the dusty streets of Palestine.
He not only spoke faithfully to those about him, he not only healed the sick, he not only cleansed the leper, but at the end of it all he went to Calvary Cross, and there he laid down his life. There he bore my sins in his own body on the tree. There he shed his precious blood, that remedy for sin, because it is the blood of Jesus Christ his Son.
That cleanses us from all sin. It's through that blood that we have forgiveness. It's through that blood that we have redemption. We're redeemed. Those of us who know Christ not with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. You know, I am so thankful, especially in the day in which we live, where we're so aware in current events of the devaluing of different currencies and the economic woes and.
Of different countries and so on. Aren't we glad that we're not redeemed with something that changes in value? You know, when the markets closed on, I suppose they closed on Wednesday because of Thanksgiving. But when they closed here in the United States and when they opened tomorrow morning, we may find, if we were to check it out, that the price of gold and silver and the value of the US dollar against the Canadian dollar and the euro and the Japanese yen may be very different.
Just in three or four days, things change in value. And things that men once put stock in currencies that people used to invest in, They're finding that those are not the sound investments that they thought they once were. But my redemption isn't based on something that changes in value from day-to-day or year to year. The blood of Christ is as precious to the heart of God.
As valuable to the heart of God as it was when it was shed on Calvary's cross.
And when it says the precious blood of Christ, thank God, that isn't my value of it, my estimation of it, That's God's estimation. I trust that the blood of Christ is precious to every heart here. But again, I'm thankful that my redemption, my salvation isn't based on my appreciation or my value of the blood of the Lord Jesus, but it is based on God's value of the blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus.
And so we read in Romans that were justified by that blood. In Hebrews, we're sanctified by the blood of Christ. Oh, I pray that everyone here has come under the value of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the only remedy for sin. You know, we were just, again, we were just in Europe. And I'll just see how things are being shaken in Europe. The very foundations, you know, it wasn't very long ago, it seems, when the euro was so strong.
And people were turning from the American currency to the euro, but you know, people, the EUR being shaken today.
Different countries in Europe are finding that their economic infrastructure isn't as sound as it once was. You know, if we were to go to a certain museum in Rotterdam or another art gallery in Vienna, we would see a painting by an artist, one of the most famous Flemish artists that lived back in the 1500s.
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His name was Peter Bruegel, very famous Flemish artist. He did two paintings.
Of the Tower of Babel 1 hangs in Rotterdam, the other in Vienna. And I'm sure if we were to bring a print of those paintings here today, you would recognize those paintings because often in a Bible where there's pictures inserted to illustrate Bible events and so on, that's the painting of the Tower of Babel that you will see, kind of a spiral shaped building, unfinished at the top.
You know what is very solemn?
We've all heard of the EU, the European Union, and there are two headquarters to the EU, one in Brussels. My wife and I just recently walked around the grounds of the EU headquarters in Brussels, but there's another headquarters in Strasbourg, France.
In fact, it's a bit ridiculous and it's a really a money waster because they have one month in Brussels and then they move everything over to Strasbourg for another month and back and forth. So there's six months each place, but it's month about it, take it. It drains the economy of millions and millions of dollars. However, to satisfy everybody. This is what they do. But what's interesting is that the EU headquarters in Strasbourg.
The main building, called the Louis Wiese Building, is built after the pattern of that famous painting of the Tower of Babel, and it looks unfinished at the top. They even have a metal framework around it that looks like scaffolding and it is purposely built like the Tower of Babel. And one of the EU officials said when that building was finished. We have purposely built this building.
To represent the unfinished Tower of Babel, because what they failed to complete 3000 years ago, we in Europe are going to complete.
Not solemn to think about how godless Christian, so-called Christian nations have become when you think of the.
Seed plot of Christianity being in Europe and when you read about countries like France and Belgium and Switzerland and all those other countries that are part of the European Community and to think how godless they have become and I might just say this in passing.
I'm in Europe at least once if not twice a year, and there is a cloud of apostasy that hangs over Western Europe that presses on my soul harder than the clouds of apostasy of heathendom, that hangover. Many other countries that I have visited, I have been to the darkness of heathendom. But, and it's a very real darkness sometimes, a darkness that you can feel, but the cloud of darkness that hangs over Western Europe and Britain.
To my own soul I find more oppressive because it is the darkness of apostasy.
And it is deeper than the darkness of heathendom. Because the scripture says, if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that? Is that darkness? A man has risen up like they did on the plains of Shinar. He's risen up in independence of God-given up the light of the Word of God-given up the light of Christianity. And you know where the Tower of Babel ended, Not ended, but you know how it where what it developed to, it developed into a system of things.
Where the king looked up and said, Is not this great Babylon which I have built, it's man in his confusion, in independence of of God. And so this is the Word, The word. The word, the word of the Lord, endureth forever. And this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you. Oh, tonight it is, I say, the gospel. It is indeed good news. And with that in mind.
Let's quote the verse again that I read in First Timothy chapter one and verse 15. This is. Remember what we said at the beginning when we have this little expression? This is it's God particularly drawing our attention to something that's vital. This is.
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Again, like the salesman, he wants to get your focus. He wants to get your attention on that product so that you'll buy that product.
And that you'll prove it's it's worth. This is a faithful saying. You know the word of God is full of faithful sayings, isn't it? God is indeed faithful. God is faithful. It tells us in another place, and God's Word is full of faithful sayings. Sometimes when the gospel is preached, we don't really our folks don't really like to hear sometimes what the preacher has to say.
But these are faithful sayings. It tells us Faithful are the wounds of a friend.
Maybe you feel wounded by being told that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Maybe you feel wounded by being told that you're on your way to a lost eternity if you don't know Christ. But faithful are the wounds of the of a friend. Wouldn't you rather have a friend that warns you about a course you were on than to have someone who would say, oh, it's just all right, and pretty soon you you're driving your car and you go right over the precipice. They didn't warn you that the bridge was out. They thought, oh, they'll see it eventually. No, that wouldn't be a very faithful friend. We like faithful friends in this life, but we have one who has been faithful and is faithful, and this is one of the faithful things, one of the many. But this is a faithful saying.
That Christ Jesus.
Came into the world to save sinners. I'm going to repeat a little story I know. It's been told in the gospel not only by myself, but perhaps by others.
But every time I read this verse, I am reminded of two men who lived in Western Europe many years ago. They lived on the side of a mountain and they worked together. I'm not sure if they were goat herders or what they did to.
Make a living. But they work together on the side of that mountain for many years. They had a little cabin there that they lived in, and the years went by and they got on in age and one morning they woke up and one of them was really gasping for breath.
And his friend became concerned. He came to his bedside and he said, are you OK? His friend said. I don't know, I I seem to have a problem I I might be having a heart attack, he said I might be dying.
Said. Can you go down to the village below and find me a preacher?
Strange, isn't it? Men will push all that aside in the good years when they have health and strength. They don't have time for those things, but they they face eternity. All of a sudden they want a preacher.
His friend said, well, I'll try. He didn't really know a preacher, but he said I'll try.
And so he left their cabin, and he started down the mountain to the village below.
He got close to the village. He thought, What am I going to do? I don't really know a preacher, but he did remember.
An elderly lady sitting on her front porch as he had passed so often.
Reading her Bible in her rocking chair with a smile of contentment on her face.
And so he decided that rather than try to find a preacher, he would go and talk to this lady.
Surely she would be able to come up and help his friend, and so he came to her home. And sure enough.
There she was sitting on her porch reading the word of God. And so he stepped up and he said, excuse me, lady, he said, But I've seen you reading your Bible so often and I've got a friend in a cabin up on the mountain and he seems pretty sick today. I think he might be even dying. And he sent me down to get a preacher, said, I don't really know a preacher, but he said, could you come up with your Bible and read him something?
From the word of God, you know that elderly lady? She looked up that mountain.
She shook her head. She said my days of walking up the mountain are long gone. I just can't make it. Oh, he said. What am I going to do? I can't go back to my friend without something from the word of God, she said. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you one verse of Scripture, and you take this verse of scripture to your friend. And if he receives the message of this verse, he can die in peace.
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And this is the verse she gave him. Christ Jesus came into the world.
To save sinners, she had him repeat it several times. She wanted to be sure that he got it straight. And he finally turned and started up that mountain trail again towards that cabin, over and over again, repeating to himself. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. But you know, he got close to the cabin and he got a little troubled, He thought to himself. You know, I've known my friend for many years. We've worked together.
We've been companions here on the side of the mountain and I just don't know if I can walk in and tell a dying man he's a Sinner.
And so he opened the door and his friend was really gasping. He said, did you get a preacher? He said no, but I got you a verse from God's word, the Bible.
He said Christ Jesus came into the world to save folks.
His dying friend said. Say that again.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save folks.
Dying friends started to weep, he said. I must have heard that verse somewhere before.
Maybe in my youth, Because he said I thought it should have said sinners. Oh, I wish it had said sinners. If it had only said sinners, I know it meant me and I could die in peace. His friend was now beside himself. He got down on his knees beside the bed. He said it did say sinners, but I didn't want to walk in here and tell you you were a Sinner. But it really did say sinners. He convinced his friends that this was indeed the truth of the verse and his friends.
In those life giving words.
And in his dying moments, he received the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, recognizing that he was indeed a Sinner.
But that there was a savior for sinners as we were singing, and he took the message of that verse to his soul.
And it wasn't very long until he was absent from the body and present with the Lord, till his spirit had winged its way from that cabin caught to the courts of glory. And oh, today you can go away from this meeting knowing that the Lord Jesus not only died for sinners, but he died for you.
I know I've said this many times, but I'll never forget it as long as I live. 2 little girls about five years of age who came to some gospel meetings that we were holding, I suppose some 30 years ago in a place called Truro NS. And those two girls had come on a number of occasions. 1 little girl I knew was a believer. She knew the Lord Jesus is her savior and she brought her friend. And one morning that little friend.
After the morning Bible hour, Didn't want to leave until she knew.
That she was saved and I will never forget as those two little girls five years of age.
Left that building later that morning, hand in hand, and the one who had been saved, and the one who had just got saved, the one who had been saved said to the one who had just been saved. Now you can say that Jesus died for you.
2 girls of five years of age, understanding that the Lord Jesus had died for them, that the Lord Jesus was their savior. And so this is a faithful saying, but it's not only a faithful saying. It's worthy of all acceptation or in our language today, it's worthy of acceptance. Have you accepted the truth of this faithful saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners? He came into the world, but you know he's not in the world today.
It's true, he did come. But notice its past tense here. When the apostle Paul penned these words to this young man named Timothy, it was past fact it had taken place. But where was the Lord Jesus? When Paul wrote these words to Timothy? The Lord Jesus was no longer in this world. The Lord Jesus was no longer on the cross.
The Lord Jesus was number longer in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. No he had risen from the dead.
Because what a glorious fact of the gospel this is that Christ died.
He was buried and he rose again the 3rd day. It's vital to understand and accept the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, because if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain.
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And you are still in your sins, but thank God he was raised again.
For our justification. And God has given witness testimony to all men in that he hath raised him.
From the dead because the resurrection and the ascension of Christ their gods. Amen to the work of Calvary.
Two very vital things that Christ rose from the dead, and that after there was ample testimony given to his own.
That he had bodily risen from the dead, appearing even to about 500 brethren at one time.
His feet eventually left the mount of Olives, and the cloud received him out of their sight, and they saw him no more. And God has proof of his satisfaction, has seated him at his own right hand. You want proof that God is satisfied with the work of the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross? Just look up my faith and see where he is now. The one that Stephen the martyr saw. I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
You want confirmation that the Lord Jesus is risen? Stephen gives us.
That confirmation he saw him standing there as Stephen Drew his last breath, gave his last testimony, and was stoned by those who were so angry and those who were Christ rejecters.
At that, at that time, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. But tonight there's a Savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree. A Savior is willing to save. Now, as ever, His arm is almighty, His love great and free. Oh come now to Jesus, that dear loving Savior receive him this moment and peace shall be thine.
No, I've had the privilege for many years now in many of the islands, but especially in the Bahamas.
Of going from school to school each January and presenting with pre arrangement.
A simple gospel message to the student body. By the grace of God, I have estimated that some years I have been able in two weeks.
To address some 24 to 26,000 students in different islands in the Bahamas, namely Nassau and Freeport. Some of those schools are huge. 1500 students gathered in a courtyard to hear the gospel and then I'm I'm able to leave something for those young people to take home. At the end of the day, if I address 12 or 1500 students in a courtyard, the administration would like me to leave 12 to 1500 something so they can all take.
A gospel tract or a messages of love or a wallet, calendar or something. Home at the end of the day, tremendous opportunities. And when I go to the Bahamas in January, I try to put together some simple gospel message that relates in some way to perhaps current events, perhaps the geography or history of the Bahamas. Something that we can use and apply from the Scripture to make it simple.
For the young people have opportunity to speak to children and young people anywhere from five years of age.
Right through secondary school, and I remember one year as I was on the Air Canada flight from Toronto to Nassau, I was praying and really exercised about what I would, uh, use to present the gospel that year to the students in the Bahamas. And as I was praying about it, I reached out and took the In Flight magazine from the seat pocket in front of me. And as I I kind of idly thumbed through that In Flight magazine, I noticed an article.
And an advertisement for a new museum that had just opened in Nassau, Bahamas.
This museum is called the Pirates of Nassau Museum.
And as I read the article, something just seemed to nudge me and say when you get to Nassau, take an hour or two and go to that museum and see what they have to offer. And it was very, very interesting. I must say. It's very well done. And it's like a wax museum. There are different displays and they take you from 1 display, from 1 display to another. And there are there people there dressed in period costume who will give you a little rundown and commentary.
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In connection with the display and the pirates that they are portraying. And there were many, many pirates, many notorious pirates who plied the waters in and around the Bahamian islands.
There were even lady pirates, 2 very famous ones. Anne Barney and Mary Reed, very famous women pirates, ruthless pirates. But I suppose the most famous of all is Blackbeard. But you know, as I listen to those commentaries and went on my way, I thought of this verse. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Because what I realized in listening to the commentaries concerning those pilots.
Those pirates that were in and around Nassau and the Bahamas at that time, I realized those pirates only came to that area for one reason, to get something for themselves. And they didn't care how they got it. They didn't care who they murdered, who they plundered. They didn't care about the residents of those islands. They were there to get something for themselves. But oh, I was thrilled to be able to stand up in front of those schools of children and tell them.
That while the pirates of Nassau came to Nassau and the other islands to get something for themselves, there was a man who came into this world, not to get, but to give, to give his life at Calvary's cross, to give his precious blood shed there, and as a result from the heavens, to give the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Just as a little sidelight, I'll tell you a little story in connection with Blackbeard. You know, Blackbeard with no, no legend. His name was Edward Teach. He was born somewhere around 17 or died somewhere around 1718, and he was a ruthless, fearless, uh, pirate.
And as the story goes, on one occasion he said to his men on board ship we're gonna create a hell for ourselves. We're gonna hardly imagine such a thing. But he forced his crew to go down in the hold of that pirate ship with himself, and they set brimstone, afire and some other mixtures of acid and so on. He closed the Hatch and they set that that those fires.
And the deal was that they were to see how long they could stay down in their.
And to see who was the most fit for Hell. And Blackbeard prided himself in the fact that he was able to stay there the longest. One by one, those men had to leave, choking and coughing.
And he stayed the longest and he boasted from that point on.
That he was the most fit of any of his crew to go to hell.
Solemn, isn't it? You know, Hell is no laughing matter. Hell is a reality and those who go to hell. It tells us that it is the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. It tells us that it's a place where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth, where there was a man who went there who wanted one drop of water to cool his tongue. He simply wanted momentary relief.
From his situation, he never got it. You know, sometimes when I'm in the tropics it's so hot and so humid that I think if I could just open a can or bottle and get one blast of cold air, it would be feel so good. Just some momentary relief.
My comfort is that in a few days or a few weeks, I'm gonna be on an air conditioned plane out of there. But you know those who go to hell, there won't even be momentary relief. There will be the realization that it is a fixed state of things.
And there will be the realization that there isn't so much as a drop of water for momentary relief. What a solemn thing. Let me read again the verse I read in John in John chapter 3, because it goes along with what we're saying in connection with with judgment. And here we have the very words of the Lord Jesus himself in John chapter 3.
In verse 19. And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. You know, it tells us of the Lord Jesus that the light shone in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. You know, you can hardly take in that imagery because no matter how dark a room is, or somewhere in this world, you can go down into the heart of the earth.
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And no matter how dark that cave is, how some light is going to penetrate. If you have a candle, if you light a match for a moment, there's gonna be a penetration. If you have a Lantern or a flashlight, there's going, it's going to penetrate that darkness. But when the Lord Jesus came into this world so deep was the moral darkness that existed in this world, it says the light shone in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.
And not only that, but they rejected the true light, and it only brought down condemnation.
It sealed the doom and the judgment of this world, and especially when they took that true light and set away with him. Crucify him. They took him out and nailed him to a Roman cross. They said we won't have him.
Judgment hangs over this world. He's appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained. But more than that, as we've been saying, there is a judgment that is so final and so severe that it is called the second death, and that is to be taken and cast from the presence of God forever, from the presence of the Lord Jesus for eternity.
Into that place called the lake of fire. That place called hell. But oh, as we have heard already in these meetings, that place was not prepared for man. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. And that's why tonight the gospel is still going out. The gospel is available. You know, some of us were saying before this meeting with the things that are happening in this world, it can't be long until the Lord Jesus comes to claim his church to take every blood bought St. home.
But you know, I said as we discussed the matter. God is a lot more gracious and patient than I am.
God is a lot more gracious and patient and long-suffering than any of us in this room, long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And so we read in John 17. And this there's that expression again. And this is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent. We've come to the end of this meeting.
Do you know God is your Father? Do you know Him in relationship? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Are you the possessor today of eternal divine life? Have you accepted that gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord? If you have not, then, as I say, you're condemned, you're you're on your way to hell, and if you leave this world as a Christ rejecter.
I say you will experience what is called the second death, but I want to end by reading one more portion of scripture.
This is really on a personal note and as to personal testimony. Song of Solomon, chapter 5.
Song of Solomon chapter 5 and the last part of verse 16.
This is my beloved and this is my friend.
I thrilled to read these words.
I want to say again the one we have presented tonight.
Ever so feebly, perhaps, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is my beloved.
He's my precious savior, and I'm thankful that he is.
For many years, almost 50 years now, I've known the Lord Jesus Christ.
As my savior, this is my beloved. I'm thankful, and it's only by the grace of God. But I'm thankful that at least in some measure, he's dear to my heart. He's precious.
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I love to be able to present him as the savior of sinners because he is my beloved. He's precious.
And this is my friend. This is the one that has cared for me in spite of myself for almost 50 years.
He is my friend. I wouldn't want to trade places with anybody that isn't a Christian. He holds my hand. He's a friend. As it says in Proverbs, that sticks closer than a brother.
You know, I have one brother.
And while I love that brother very much, I rarely see him. In fact, I haven't seen him since my mother's funeral. He's gone his own way. He's chosen a pathway.
That is very different from what I desire for him. But I have a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He's there. He's promised never to leave me, nor forsake me. When I've got away and gone my own way, he's come after me. He hasn't left me. He holds me by my right hand as the as the Psalmist said, thou hast told me By thy right hand thou guide me with my thy counsel, and afterward receive me the glory.
Oh Christ, Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is my beloved.
This is my friend. Can you say this is my beloved, This is my friend. I hope that no one will get out of these seats without being able to say that as those who are washed in the blood of Christ, the possessors of eternal life and on their way to glory, let's pray our God and Father.