Gospel—R. Thonney
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Ecclesiastes.
Chapter 12.
Read the very last verse of this book of Ecclesiastes.
For God shall bring.
Every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
Hebrews Chapter 4.
And verse 12.
For the word of God is living.
And powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight.
But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Romans, chapter 14.
Verse 10.
The middle of the verse.
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat.
Of Christ, for it is written as I live, saith the Lord.
Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God.
I have a little bit of trouble standing up here at such a distance from you all.
So I asked for a mic that could.
I could distance myself from the podium.
It is so tremendously important.
That we understand.
That we have to do with God.
You don't have to do with me.
So nobody is scared of Maine.
But it is important that you understand the message.
It's necessary for me to come down to get your attention off this platform and come up into the stadium.
Or the seats?
I may do that.
Just want you to listen.
We have to do with God.
And God is.
A being who is intrinsically holy.
And so there is no way that we can escape the question of our sins before God. You have to face the question that you are a Sinner. I have to face that question as well. We cannot avoid it.
Young people, children that have been brought to meetings.
To hear the gospel.
I was brought to meetings to hear the gospel, and I heard it from my youth on.
And I learned in time that even though I was raised in a Christian home.
That I had to do with God myself about my sins. Yes, my mom and dad were believers in the Lord Jesus.
And they taught me those things, and I didn't doubt them. But the time came when I realized that I had to make it personal.
And I had to accept him, the Lord Jesus Christ, as my own.
Personal savior. I'm not just so sure that everybody here has done that.
And that's why I am concerned.
We have to do with God.
Everyone of us before God.
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Has sinned. Sin is rebellion against God.
It is lawlessness. Scripture tells us it is doing your own thing.
Is the spirit of the age that I'm going to do what I like to do and nobody better judge me for it?
But I want to tell you that you have to do with God, and you may escape your parents.
You may escape your brethren. You may escape all those that you are accountable to here in this world.
You will not escape your God.
But God has shown himself to be, and this is the wonderful news of the gospel.
A savior God for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, O what a God he is.
And O how he has sacrificed to make possible your salvation and mine.
God takes sins seriously and it is scary to me.
To see the increasing lawlessness that there is in our country here.
It is something that is worldwide the problem.
Not only in the United States.
In Europe, in Asia, I heard not too long ago, even in a place like Iran where they profess the different religion.
They say set one out of every seven people in that country.
Are serious drug addicts because there's such an emptiness in their souls. They haven't found the answer. And it's tragic to think that here in the United States, where so much of the gospel has been preached, that there could be a person that has never really heard the message.
Members hearing the testimony of a man who was a criminal who had a number.
Of homicides to his account and he had been condemned.
To die for his crimes.
But before he died, he heard the gospel. He was about 35 years of age.
And he said before he died, you know, 35 years I passed in this country.
And before that person told me the message of the gospel I never.
Hearing the message.
Is it possible? You know what?
I see sometimes kids sitting in meeting and they are occupied with other things.
I don't know if you're listening. Maybe you are. But it is so vital that you listen not so much to me, but to what God has to say. And you've heard in this word tonight that we have read that it says that we are accountable to God.
God has made us responsible moral agents.
And you cannot escape having to do with God.
Every single sin that has ever been commanded.
Committed on planet Earth, will receive from the hand of God.
It's just punishment.
Every single human being that has ever been born.
Must meet their Creator in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You cannot avoid it. People like to deny accountability.
But the scripture is very clear that you cannot avoid it.
But God is a savior God, and God has sent his own beloved Son into this world.
The Lord Jesus Christ came here to seek.
And to save the lost He's interested in you. He wants to save you.
From your sins and from their consequences.
And so the Lord Jesus Christ, as a human being, came into this world.
And was born in a place called Bethlehem.
Oh, the marvel of it.
There he was brought into this world, the Creator of the universe.
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You know, the majority of people in this world had no clue that the God of the universe had entered his own creation.
Now the angels must have been marveling that night.
As they were out there and they saw for the very first time their creator.
Mary, his mother wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the Manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.
You know, it's interesting. Just got done with the World Cup and the celebrations that take place when the World Cup is played.
And one I was in 1994 in Bolivia with my family.
In the southern city of Dermejo.
And it was the time when Brazil won the World Cup.
And even though we were in Bolivia.
There was such celebration in Bolivia that it had the World Cup had been won by South America.
That for three solid hours there were heavy fireworks going off.
I mean heavy. That really hurts your ears.
They celebrated the winning of the World Cup in South America.
When the creator of the universe came into this world, was there one firecracker that went off?
Nobody seemed to know, even though the scriptures had told where he was to be born.
And more or less the time frame that he was to be born, they had no clue.
Even the religious people that had the word of God in their hands and that could answer the questions.
Didn't have a clue that he had come.
You have the word of God in your hands. Do you know Jesus?
So the Lord Jesus came into this world.
Basically unknown. There were a few that recognized him.
There are six names of people.
That did know him.
And there must have been a few more, because a widow called Anna talked to him.
To all those who looked for redemption in Israel, that the Lord Jesus grew up.
In general.
Poverty.
He never had anything to his name down here, never records that he had his own house.
It never records that he had any animal to ride on as he went through this world.
The Lord Jesus had come from the Father's house, and there was nothing in this world that could attract.
Him, since he had known what the joys of the Father's house were.
And then came toward the end of his 33 1/2 years of life.
He was taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.
And condemned unjustly to the death of the Christ.
The worst death. You study the ways of execution.
That took place through the course of history. I don't think there is any way of execution that equaled the awfulness of crucifixion.
It is interesting to read about it, but people that were crucified sometimes lasted.
234, and sometimes the most strongest, would last even up to five days before they died.
Was the most awful and excruciating time to come.
Why did Jesus choose to come in that time frame? Because he wanted you to know just how much he loved you.
He wanted you to know how much he was willing to suffer so that you could be saved from your sins.
And so the time came when they let him out of the city of Jerusalem. His back had been whipped by that Roman scourge.
His head was crowned with thorns. His face was disfigured with the blows of the Roman soldiers.
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And though they took him outside that city of Jerusalem, and they led they.
Stretched out those wonderful hands that had dispensed such blessing in life, and they nailed him to a cross his feet, and there he was lifted up.
Between heaven and earth to hang until he died.
Oh, what an awful, awful crime. And so we know from the testimony of Scripture that he was crucified about.
9:00 in the morning, and he died about 3:00 in the afternoon. For six hours he was hanging there on those nails through his hands and his feet for the first three hours.
Min heaped scorn and ridicule on him. They spit on him.
Not only did he suffer physically, but there were the sufferings of his soul, the reproach.
That broke his heart, he said. I look for some to take pity, and there was none.
And for comforters, but I found none.
They said he said he was the Son of God. If he is the Son of God, let God deliver him now.
For he said he was the Son of God.
Did God deliver?
No, didn't deliver him.
Why not?
Didn't God love his Son?
You know why not?
The reason is for God. Southern loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten son. He loved you and he loved me.
Just that much that he was willing to give.
His own beloved Son.
We've talked about the suffering of the first three hours on the cross.
But I want to say, the suffering of those first three hours on the cross could only condemn us because that's the way humankind had reacted when their Creator came into this world, when they could get their hands on Him, they did.
Their absolute worst and those sufferings could only condemn us.
But I want to tell you about the sufferings that he suffered when it became dark at 12 noon to three in the afternoon. Let me read you a verse in Second Corinthians chapter 5.
That tells us what those sufferings were about.
In the last three hours of darkness.
That were so awful that no human eye could contemplate what was taking place.
Two Corinthians. 521 for he.
God hath made him Jesus.
To be sin for.
Who knew no sin?
That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
In those three hours of darkness.
God.
Made him suffer there.
Why? Because if there was going to be any hope for you and me.
Somebody had to pay the account that had accrued against us for our sins.
God is holy and God Forgives, but he says he is going to forgive.
Somebody has to pay the price.
Jesus knew no sin. In other words, he was completely holy.
When Mary was told that she was going to be the mother of the Lord Jesus.
She was told that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
He was completely holy.
No sin in him.
Because he was God and because he was holy humanity to.
There he hung the Holy One of God, And when God clouded the scene with darkness.
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On that cross for three hours is when God took.
Our sins and laid them on Jesus, and then took the rod of his judgment and punished Jesus.
The full force of divine judgment fell in all its fury on the hand of the Lord Jesus.
God takes sin seriously.
He cannot take it any other way.
You know, we even as Christians, sometimes don't take sins seriously.
The verse was read this afternoon.
That God says to the believer in the Lord Jesus.
Their sins and their iniquities I will remember.
No more. When it says it like that, you know what it means.
It means that one time God remembered every one of those sins.
As Jesus was hanging there on that cross, not one was forgotten.
As God remembered those sins and laid them one by one on, and the full fury of divine judgment, that must be satisfied, so that you and I could have forgiveness of sins.
That judgment fell in all its fury on Jesus.
For three solid hours, he hangs there.
There is no sound from that Sinner cross.
From that suffering savior.
But at the end.
The 9th hour or 3:00 in the afternoon, there's a cry.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
The God that had been his strength and stay.
The God whose will he did to the utmost, forsake him there.
To pay the price of our redemption.
He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him.
And with his stripes.
We are healed.
Then he cried.
It is finished.
All that judgment that was rightly against us is guilty sinners.
Was paid for in full by the Son of God.
On that cross somebody has put it this way.
And I think it's beautiful to think about it.
Many sacrifices were offered in the Old Testament time.
Many one sacrifice of peace offering that Solomon offered.
At the dedication of the temple consisted of.
22,000 oxen.
And 120,000 sheep.
Did they ever settle the question of sin?
Never.
They only pointed ahead to another sacrifice.
But when Jesus hung there, that judgment.
Was consumed by the sacrifice in all the other cases.
The sacrifices were consumed by the flames.
But in this case, the sacrifice consumed the judgment.
There is therefore now no condemnation, no judgment to them that are in Christ Jesus.
Oh, how wonderful to know that.
The work of Christ on the cross is finished. It is finished.
And then he bowed his head.
And said further into thy hands I commit my spirit.
And he died.
The creator of the universe.
Made man.
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Died as the price of our redemption.
What an awful, awful cost.
Yes, God takes sin seriously.
You may say I haven't seen that bad.
But you know, one lie is sufficient.
To hold you out of that celestial city for all eternity.
You will never enter there if your soul is stained.
With just one single lie.
God takes sin seriously.
After Jesus died, a soldier pierced his side.
And outflowed blood and water.
You know Jesus.
Suffered many wounds in his body.
And I'm sure that blood flowed out of those wounds.
But it never speaks about the blood that flowed out of any other wound.
But then one.
The one that was made in his side after he died.
Outflowed blood and water. Why is that important?
Because that wound showed that he had given the ultimate price he had paid for our sins with his own life. His precious blood was shed to seal it, that there was no more life in that body hanging dead.
On the cross?
Oh, what a price was paid.
Yes, God takes sin seriously.
After three days, Jesus rose from the dead.
And after another 40 days.
Of showing himself.
Alive he is with his disciples. At one time he appeared to 500 rather than at once.
No question that Jesus rose from the dead bodily.
Yes.
They handled him. He ate and drank with them after his resurrection.
He is a living man.
And after 40 days of being with his disciples down here.
One day outside the city of Jerusalem to the east.
The Mount of Olives. He was there with his disciples, and he was carried up into heaven.
There is a man in the glory of God.
Oh, what joy it is to be able to tell it.
Look up into the glory. There's a man sitting there.
In highest glory.
A man of flesh and bones.
In the glory of God, and it is because of his presence there.
That we can say to everyone that believeth you shall.
Obtain forgiveness of sins through faith.
In his name.
We ask that if you haven't done so yet, that you would repent of your sins.
And believe in the Lord Jesus. You know, repentance is important. Sometimes we think we're not that bad.
And you know what?
We need to repent.
I remember that in my own case.
Sorry, I've been brought up in a Christian home and not exactly that bad. I haven't gotten out on the messy side of life.
I had to repent.
I am just as bad as the worst criminal in the United States of America.
No deference, God's word said, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
And those sins of yours have to be accounted for. They will be accounted for.
We can't force you to accept the Lord Jesus as your savior.
But we can tell you that there is no other way.
Of being saved from the judgment that's to come.
And we have to mention that before we.
Get to the end of this meeting.
There is judgment to come.
God is a righteous God. And if you refuse to accept.
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The way of salvation that God has so graciously provided to all mankind without any exception.
Whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely.
You can come tonight, right there where you're sitting, you can open your heart.
And accept Jesus as your savior.
To them that received him, he gave the right to become the sons of God.
To them that believe on his name.
But if you choose not to accept that offer of mercy that God is making.
Today, you must be accountable still for your sins.
And if you refuse that, you will appear before God in judgment.
The judgment day is getting close.
There are indications in this world.
That we are getting down to the wire.
The Lord Jesus said before he left this world. I will come again.
And we who are believers are expecting him at any moment.
You say, Oh, you're just a small group of Christians.
But it is a joy for me to tell you.
That majority of Christians in the world still hold to.
The pre tribulation Rapture of Christians at one moment to the next.
All who are true believers are going to disappear from this world.
That would happen at this moment. Are you going to be left sitting there?
The judgment of God.
I plead with you.
To think it.
Says the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.
With the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever.
Be with the Lord. That's what we're expecting to happen at any moment.
But at that part of his second coming, Jesus is coming only to the clouds, and he's going to catch away.
All those who are real believers.
After that, Jesus is going to come back to set his feet down on planet Earth.
Because no one is going to escape meeting with Jesus.
Every one of us must give account of himself to God, and if you do not accept what Jesus has done on the cross to save your soul, you yourself will give an account to God in the coming day.
There are two major judgments in Scripture that I want to point out just before we close this meeting.
One is the judgment of the living.
And the other is the judgment of the dead.
You will not escape even if you die and your body is buried.
You will not escape. You must meet with Jesus.
You cannot escape him.
Oh, how we plead with you to come to the Lord Jesus in saving faith tonight, if you haven't done that yet.
Young people, children, think about it, come to grips with it. It's a matter, it's a personal matter that you yourself must face.
Want to read then in?
The Judgment of the Living. When that takes place. There are many verses that we could read, but I'd like to read in the Book of Revelation.
Chapter 19 How it's Going to Happen When Jesus Comes Back Again to This World.
Because he is going to come.
Remember we said that he went back to heaven from the Mount of Olives?
That's the very place where his feet are gonna touch down again.
On this world, the Mount of Olives.
Let's read here in Revelation chapter 19 and verse 11.
I saw heaven opened.
And behold, a White Horse.
And he that sat upon him was called.
Faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge.
And make war? Isn't that solemn?
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He's going to make war. You know why?
Because this world still hates him.
Been over to.
Europe number of times these last few years.
Especially visiting Spain.
They tell me that Spain.
Approximately 50% of the people are atheists.
When you mention God, it's like you said a dirty word to those people. They hate us so bad.
One time I was there and I saw a man who was selling lottery tickets.
And as I went by his little table, I left a little gospel paper on his table.
And I walked on.
He came running after me, he says. Sir, Sir, take this, I don't want it.
He could have thrown it away, but he wanted me to understand that he hated it.
Dean Rule, who lives in Ecuador, goes to Europe quite often.
Especially to the country of Holland.
Because he's connected with flower growers.
And exporting flowers to Europe.
Said that in the country of Holland.
100 years ago.
97% of people were found in churches on a Sunday.
Today it is only 3%.
People have turned away from God.
And there is a man.
Quite probable that he is alive in the world today.
That when Jesus comes out of heaven.
As we have read here, is going to get his armies together to fight against Jesus.
That's why it says in righteousness he doth judge.
And make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns.
And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name.
Is called the Word of God and the armies which are in heaven.
Followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth gaut a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations.
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron.
And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness.
And wrath of almighty God, and he hath on his vesture, and on his thigh name written.
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And I saw an Angel standing in the sun.
And he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven. Come, and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses.
And of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men both free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the beast that's this man that's going to go against Jesus when he comes out of heaven.
And the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war.
Against him that sat on the horse, and against his army, and the beast was taken.
And with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he had deceived them, that had received the mark of the beast.
And that worship his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, with whose sword proceedeth out of his mouth.
And all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
No, friend, if you refuse Jesus, you will meet him when he comes.
To execute judgment. And without any question, the judgment that's just ahead for planet Earth is the worst judgment that has ever fallen on this planet. Oh, how we plead with you to get right with God.
Our time is gone, I meant to mention. Read the verses concerning the Great White Throne judgment.
When this world will be at an end?
Going to disappear and all that's left in space is a great white throne and him that sits on it.
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From whose face the heaven and the earth fled away?
And the dead are raised to stand before him. No, you will not escape, even though you die.
Even though you have your body burned and your ashes scattered, you will not escape.
He's gonna call you back in resurrection to stand before God.
And to be judged. And it says, Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast.
Into the lake of fire, and as a soul it stands there, because all those who stand there will be condemned to a lost eternity for having rejected the Lord Jesus as their savior. And as they are cast into the lake of fire, as light fades into eternal, everlasting darkness, the last face they see will be the face of Jesus sitting on that throne, the one who died so they wouldn't have to go to that awful end.
Where do you stand with Jesus?
We plead with you.
To think about it seriously, to not put off one moment more receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour.
For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead.
Thou shalt be saved. Let's pray, Father.