Gospel—E. Pilkington
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I rather chapter 5, Mark's Gospel, chapter 5.
We have in this chapter.
Something for little children, middle-aged.
And one something for older ones too.
We have the goodness of God manifested.
Two or three persons in this chapter, and the Lord Jesus the one who alone.
Could heal and set free the captives of sin, and so I'll read chapter 5 of Mark's Gospel.
And they came over that Jesus and his disciples under the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes.
And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there made him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit, who had his rallying among the tombs. And no man could bind him, no, not with change, because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains have been plucked asunder by him, and the feathers broken in pieces, and neither could any man tame him.
And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs.
Crying and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God?
I tore thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, Say, my name is legion, for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Now there was there now under the mountains the great herd of swine feeding, and all the devils besought him sane.
Sent us into the swine, that we may enter into them, and forthwith Jesus gave them leave.
And the unclean spirit went out and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea. They were about 2000 and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled and told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And 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.
And they were afraid. And they that saw told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerned the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friend.
And tell them how great things the Lord had done for thee, and hath I compassion on thee? And he departed, and began to publish, and Decapolis, how great things Jesus had done for him. And all men did marvel. And when Jesus was passed over again by the ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him, and he was nigh unto the sea. And behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue.
Jarius by name. And when he saw him, he found his feet, and we saw him greatly say, My little daughter lieth at the point of death.
I pray thee, come, and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed, and she shall live. And she has went with him, and much people followed him, and surround him. And a certain woman which had an issue of blood 12 years, and had suffered many things of.
Many physicians and I spent all that she had and was nothing better.
But rather do worse when she had heard of Jesus came in the press behind and touched his garment.
For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall behold. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she fell in her body, that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing himself the virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seeth them all, should throng in thee, and saith thou who touched me.
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And he looked round about to see her that done this thing. But the woman, fear and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole, go in peace, and be a whole of thy plate. While he had speak, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead.
Why trouble saw the master any further, As soon as he has heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the root of the synagogue deed, Not afraid, only believe.
And he suffered no man to follow him, say Peter and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh through the House of the root of the synagogue's house, and seeth the two mouth, and them that wept, and willed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado and weep?
That the amsel's not dead, but sleepeth, and they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put the mall out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel.
And them that were with him, and andereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said to her talent Sakuma, which is being interpreted damsel, I say unto thee, Arise, and straightway that Ansel rose and walk, For she was at the age of 12 years. And they were astonished with the great astonishment. And he charged them straightly, that no man should know it, and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
Well, that's a lovely chapter.
And as we think of these three in this chapter, they represent the whole human race.
And so, how lovely of the Lord Jesus. He knew all about this dear man.
Who dwelled in the terms he had these unclear and spirits within him, and you know the people, he was a wild man, they put chains on him. But you know the power of Satan was so great that those chains were burst asunder and always he went about crying there amongst the tombs. Would you like to meet a man like that?
Well, I tell you, it's just a picture of each one of us here, except for God's grace.
We could be like that.
Oh yes, sin is an awful thing, beloved. And you know, it tells us.
Your job is at 24 and 22, he says. No man is sure of life.
No, man. And there isn't anyone in this company tonight that is sure that they'll be here tomorrow, we don't know.
And so how important it is to take heed to the prophet Amos, who could say in chapter 412, prepare to meet thy God. And so, dear friends, it's so important to prepare to meet gods. You know, some of us we need we decided to come here to Des Moines. We prepared and so we wrote and told our brother that we we hope Lord willing to be here. And so they prepared lodging for us.
And we have all experienced today how they prepared for our temporal needs too, for our bodies. And I'm thankful for the spiritual food we have received too. And so this is a gospel meeting, and you know a gospel. The gospel finds a man guilty and and brings pardon in that nice it brings pardon and the gospel finds a man lost and brings salvation. And so salvation is free and it finds him helpless.
And brings a new life. And so how important it is to be born again, to have the Lord Jesus as our Savior. Well, this man here he was, He was bound with these fetters.
And you know, such was his strength Satanic, that he could break these feathers in pieces. But I want to say tonight, dear friends, you're not saved that you are holding with the chords of your sins. Proverbs chapter 5 tells us man is holding with the chords of his sins. I believe it's verse 33.
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Many years ago and talking to children in our home where we had a Sunday school every Lord's Day afternoon.
I felt led to speak on this about man being hold with the course of his sins.
And I wanted to just illustrate really what it meant. And so I took my oldest boy, who was perhaps about 10, and I took some black cotton thread and I wrapped some cores of thread around his arms and his body.
And then I said, can you break those cords? And of course, the children cheered them on, and he struggled.
Broke them, Yes. Or only just a few. But then I kept on whining those cords around him.
Line them around because you know one sin. If you commit one sin, it doesn't stop there. One sin leads to another.
And that's how Satan deceives men and women.
Or you can give up that habit, but just continue a little longer and enjoy yourself.
Well, I say there's no pleasure in sin. And so we wrapped a few more chords around my son and he struggles. He got rid in the face, but he could not break those courts. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break those chords. What did he need? He needed someone else to set him free, and we did that. We set him free just by using a pair of scissors, which was easy to cut those cords.
But my friend, if you're wholesome of the course your sins, there's only one power that can set you free. But first of all, you must be willing to be set free. And I telling those here in this company tonight who are not safe, are you willing to let the Lord Jesus set you free?
All this man here, here, he was in the tombs and you know, the Lord Jesus, he had the power to heal him as well as the love willing to heal him.
I want to illustrate. Sin isolates people and my friends. If you continue in your sins, the Lord Jesus says where I am, you cannot come.
And there is an eternity.
And if you spend eternity and a lost eternity, I want to say you're not going to enjoy company and fellowship. It won't be there. No, it's only wailing a national teeth there in that place that God has prepared for those who reject his Son. And so.
We see this man, he's always crying day and night in the tombs, crying, cut himself with stones.
But when he saw Jesus afar off, oh, what did he do? He read and worshiped him. Oh, that man realized he was in the presence of the Lord. And you know, the Lord he had already said to Satan to come out of him and.
That man was set free. But you know those those demons wanted to enter into the swine? Well, there were many, many hundreds of swine there.
And the Lord gave them permission to enter the swine, and they ran down the Cliff.
Inclined into the theme, were killed. I wonder about that. But you know, God's people were not to have swine. They were not to eat swine, No, under law.
That youth could, could not eat that with God's permission. It's an unclean animal.
Well, we're not under law today and I'm thankful because I do enjoy my bacon when I have breakfast.
We're not under the law, rather grace. Man under law failed. He failed completely. And I say if there's any here in this company trying to earn your salvation by doing the best you can and keeping the law, I want to say you can't do it. God tried man of the law and he failed utterly.
The very day they asked for the law, they broke us before Moses got back down amongst the people with the Law. Those tables of stone they were worshipping, Isles going on in wickedness. And So what did Moses do?
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Did he enter in there with the law? No, he threw them down and broke it.
If he had gone in there with those tables of stone, those people would come under the judgment of God.
And God allowed those tables of stones to be broken. And you, my friend, can break the law.
Just like the children of Israel. And you need a savior, and that's the Lord.
Jesus Christ.
Well, here in our story we find that the Lord cast out these demons.
And the heir of the swine? And they were choked in the sea. Now what about this man?
He says. And going down this chapter.
Verse 18.
So let's notice verse that people.
And verse 16. And they that sought told them who?
How it befell to them that was possessed with the devil. I also concerned the swine, and they began to pray him to depart all of their coasts.
Now isn't this awful? Here are the people who lived in that general area would danger living there with such a wild man. They would sooner have that man there and their sins than the Lord Jesus.
And they asked the Lord to depart.
Depart. Oh, I hope no one here asked the Lord to depart from them.
And so sin isolates, and this man dwell along.
And these people who asked the Lord departed, were blinded by sin. They sooner have their sins than the Lord. Now we know this in verse 18 the Lord is going to go to the other side. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devils prayed him he might be with him. Howbeit he has suffered not, but said, go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord had done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. Well, this is something, for each one in this room is not safe.
I hope that the night, if you're not saved, you'll accept the Lord and go home and tell your friends what the Lord had done for you. Oh, I want to say, there is a special joy when you confess the Lord. I'll never forget the day I got a letter from my little girl. She couldn't write, but she could print. And she was away on Hollywood with her mother and brothers. And I was back in the city working and I got this letter.
It brought joy to my heart.
Would you like me to tell you what that letter said, Dear Daddy?
Nice way to begin a letter. Dear Daddy. Today I've saved. We were told in Sunday school that the Lord may come today, and if we're not ready, we better get ready today or we'd be left behind.
And so she confessed, the Lord she saved.
Well, that made me happy.
Do you ever come to my home? You asked to see that letter and I'll show it to you. I have it hanging up. I framed it and it's there in my study.
Oh, I treasure that letter. A little girl now. She's a mother of five children growing up.
And so, how precious to confess the Lord. You'll never know the joy till you do confess. And it may be the means of somebody else getting saved. Well, we're going on our story. The Lord told this man to go home and tell how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion on thee.
Maybe I shouldn't tell you this, but many years ago I was in Pella.
And as on, my way to California to get to the conference had never been to California.
And now I visited, been at Des Moines for the conference, been at Pelham, Sully, and the next morning I was to leave where California. To get there in time.
But you know, I just felt a little something uneasy about going.
And when Leo said, I'll see you in California.
I said maybe you won't. I'm a little exercise.
And unknown to me, Leah told the brethren and Sully, and they prayed for me. I might have the Lord's mind. Well, I was glad of that. Well, that night I woke up during the night.
And I had this verse come to my memory. The Lord just seemed like the Lord just saying go home to thy friends.
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And tell them what the Lord has done for you. But I want to go to California.
So I went to sleep.
The second time I woke up. And again the same verse that the Lord told this man Go home to thy friends and tell them what the Lord had done for thee. But I'd rather go to California, so I went to sleep the third time. The third time I woke up.
And the third time the same verse came forth between me. Go home.
You know what, I thought of two in scriptures testimony and three is abundant testimony. And I said, Lord, I'll go home.
Well, you know, that was one of the happiest times of my life because I went home. The Lord didn't say get home tomorrow or next week, he says go home. So instead of going West, we went east and all the little assemblies that we visited.
Brought joy to my heart.
And when I got home, then I found out why the Lord was sending me home.
Yes, you know we need to obey the Lord when He speaks to us. And if we don't obey.
We're going to suffer results.
And so when I got home, I found out the Lord was speaking to my son, Robert.
He had been home one year from Hong Kong and he was telling him to go back.
And if I had gone to California, I wouldn't have seen him for another two years.
I had a happy two weeks with my son.
Oh, God makes no mistakes. And when he sticks to us, let's take heed. Now I'm speaking to those who are saved, but all for those who are not saved. Oh, I want to tell you that the heart and love of God wants you to be saved too. He wants you as one of His children. And if you're one of his children, then you can pray and you can ask for God's blessings on your life and for guidance too. And so this man was told to go home.
And so he was obedient. In verse 20 he departed and began to publish in the capitalist how great thing Jesus had done for him. Now we go down on the story a little bit. We come to this woman.
But in verse 22 we have a man named a ruler named Jarius.
He met him and he fell at his feet. And verse 23 He begged him. He besought him greatly. My little daughter lies at the point of death. I pray thee, Come and lay thy hands on her, and she may be healed and she shall live. That's faith. Oh yes, that's faith. Come and lay your hands and she shall be healed. There was faith. And dear friends, Without faith it's impossible to please God. No. I like Romans 5 verse one. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ. And you won't get it any other way than through him. And so this man, he besides the Lord to come to his house, lay his hands on her, and Jesus went with him. Now he's on his way to this man's house. But there's a woman there that has a need to. And this woman, you know, she has spent all her money on physicians and she had this disease for 12 years. And I think that was.
That the time that that little girl was born.
Yes, he had that dreadful disease all those years and she said to herself, if I can just touch.
His garment I'll be healed. That's faith. And so she bent down and touched the hem of his garments, and immediately she felt in herself that she was healed of that disease and that wonderful. And now?
You know, the Lord knew all about that woman.
And he said he turned around. Who touched me?
All the disciples said, Lord, you see all the most **** around you. You're saying who touch you. Why a lot of people are touching you, yes, but not with the hand of faith. No, not with the hand of faith. The Lord knew about that woman. She had a need, and he was the only one that could meet that need. She came to the right person. And all dear friends, if you haven't come come to Jesus, he's waiting so patiently for you to trust him.
I remember a dear old man and Newfoundland and dear old man. The Lord waited for 92 years.
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He was 92 years old when the Lord took him.
And when he was 70, I entered that house.
And as I opened the door and walked in.
I said, can I read the Bible to you? He said yes. He invited me to sit down and I said are you safe? He said no, what I want to be.
But I'm too bad a Sinner. Oh dear friends.
There's not too bad for the Lord Jesus. I like what Paul says to Timothy. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all expectation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Yes, sinners.
Not good people, sinners.
That dear man, 92 years. I don't know how many times. Every time I went to that village, I called on that old man.
And so the years passed away.
He's 92.
And he got infection.
The amputated one leg and they told them they're going to have to take the other leg off to save his life.
And now he realized the end is near.
And right on his bed he cried out. God immersed me a Sinner except the Lord, and he was saved.
And I was told when the nurses came in the first words, nurse, I'd say when the doctor came in. Doctor, I'm saved. Everyone, that whole surrounding villages all knew that dear old man.
A reputation of a wicked old man was saved by the grace of God. Oh yes, it is a faithful saying. Beloved ones, Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners. And if you take that place, why, you'll find you have a Savior who is willing to save you, well, this woman.
She did touch the hem of his garment, and also she was healed, but the Lord says, Who touched me and now?
Why did the Lord want her to tell who touched him? I wanted to say she hadn't told him she had lost a blessing. And I say that there's one here tonight that accept the Lord your saving you don't tell anybody you're going to lose the blessing till you do confess with your lips the Lord Jesus.
Oh, the first verse I ever remember memorizing John 316 and the next verse was Romans 10 and 9. Do you know that verse? I'm sure you do.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart God has read from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Isn't that lovely? Whosoever believeth on him shall be saved, And so accept the words of the Lord Jesus. And so hear the Lord Jesus said to her.
Who touched me? And she came and told the mall the truth, Yes.
She told them all the truth. Oh, there are no doubt things in her life nobody else knew about. Perhaps. Perhaps they did. But she told the Lord Jesus, Oh, my friend, that's the one to go to. Not to your best friend, but to go to the Lords deals yourself.
And so she came trembling and fell down before him and told the mall the truth. She didn't hold anything back. She told them all the truth. And now?
She hears from his lips those precious words. Daughter, daughter, thy faith that made the whole go in peace, told the Lord the truth.
She wouldn't have peace.
You wouldn't have peace. Oh, you have to be healed that disease.
Because she had faith, but you had never heard those lovely words, daughter.
Daughter.
Go on. Peace. Behold, I plague. Well, now we wonder maybe about this ruler of the synagogue's house. Time is going by and there's his little daughter, very sick. He's dying.
And now there comes people.
From his household.
And they said your daughter is dead.
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Pretty hard news to take, isn't it?
Here's the Lord, the one that can heal, stop her from dying.
Now he delayed, and his daughter has died. What happens? Oh, the Lord encourages him. He says to him, Be not afraid. Be not afraid. I like those words. Be not afraid. Only believe, Only believe.
And he suffered no man to go in, say Peter, James and John the brother James.
And he come into the House of the ruler of the synagogue and see if the two months and then that we have, yes, there's a lot of wailing going on there in that home, a lot of whaling.
But the Lord Jesus put them all out. Yes, he put them out.
And they laughed him to scorn. They said she's dead, but he says.
She sleeps.
And so.
You know, when a Christian dies, we don't think of them dead. We just single them as asleep in Jesus, sleep in Jesus, well, this little girl was sleeping, but in the eyes of the others, he was dead. Naturally, she was dead.
And so he put them all out, and they laughed in the scoring. But notice verse 41. And this is so precious. He took the damsel by the hand and said under her talesta Kuma, which is being interpreted. Master, I send the arise.
Damn, so I say after thee arise.
Oh, do you think a little girl, Rose? Ah, yes, but he took her by the hand.
How nice to have the Lord hold your hand.
And so the dance floor arose and walked, for she was of the age of 12 years. And so there we have that dear woman.
With that uncurable disease for 12 years, she spent all her money.
But to no avail. Oh, I want to tell your friends, salvation cannot be bought.
By you and I.
Salvation is a gift.
And I want to say this. If there's one in this company that refuses God's gift, I have no guarantee that you'll have another opportunity. No guarantee. No guarantee.
I think of some boys.
In Nova Scotia.
Where Brother Norman Berry had a gospel tent, a big Gospel verses, and I was there helping them.
And there was a car went by some young men and they were laughing and mocking at the gospel text. Oh no, they weren't going to come into that. Maybe.
And so they went, tearing down the road.
I'll tell you what happened. It didn't get very far.
They hear the culverts and were killed instantly.
When the police got there, two were dead.
And the other one had seemed to have a little life.
And the place will pick him up in his arms.
Any other 3 words?
Gone God.
He was gone.
All I say is a solemn thing to mock the gospel, a solemn thing to reject the gift of God that cost him beloved friends, his own dear Son.
And as we think of Calvary's cross, my friends, if you can read that story of the Savior's love for you.
And not have your heart touched. I can only say this as you have allowed sin to harden your heart. Sin will do that. And so here.
We find that the Lord healed that little girl.
Now there's something else I like about this.
He tires them. They tell no man, but he commanded the parents to give her something to eat, something to eat. And I say this, that brings me, for some of us who are saved, a responsibility when someone confessed to the Lord to give them some food.
I don't mean the kind of food we had downstairs, but I mean the word of God. The word of God is food for your souls. And I say this, if I didn't eat my natural food, I wouldn't have strength.
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And I say this.
If I neglect this book, I'm not going to have any spiritual strength to confess my Savior's name.
Oh, I say he's worthy, He's worthy of our all. And so this is a faithful saying, the word of all acceptation that Christ Jesus come in the world safe centers. Oh, that's a precious verse.
How about it? Are you going to accept God's gift?
I want to tell you what Romans 6 and 23 says The wages of sin is death.
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Remember, a gift is only a gift when you accept it.
And I challenge each one tonight. I asked you, Will you accept Christ as your savior? If you haven't done so, will you do it tonight? Oh, I say this. Then there's something else you can do.
The apostle says, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Thanks be unto God.
Have you ever thanked God for the Lord Jesus?
I'll tell you this much if you love him.
That's the best way to begin a day.
Reading this words and praying and thanking God for the Lord Jesus.
But don't stop once.
You know, we eat three times a day, and I say we need this word three times a day too.
What? You can read it as much as you want. They don't neglect to read it and thank God for the Lord Jesus.
He's so precious and your soul is so precious to him. Friend, He wants you.
To be with him in the Father's house. And so will you come tonight.
That we sing the closing.
#2 on the hem sheet.
Come to Jesus, gently calling ye with care and toil, oppress.
With your Guild, however 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, no utter to its weary soul, is come. I love those that Word come.
And I say this is a very important word.
And if you have heard the Lord say, come, oh, I can say you better come.
You better call.