Gospel—Jim Hyland
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We're going to pray a moment and ask God's help before we have something from the Word of God, our blessed God and Father, how thankful we are for that Amazing Grace that sent the Savior of sinners into this world. We're thankful for everyone in this room who has come to know the Lord Jesus as their Savior. But we're burdened to think that there may be those who do not know Christ, those who are on their way to hell and not on their way to heaven. So we pray that they'll help us to listen and to take in the message that you have for us this evening.
And we pray above all that no one would leave this facility lost and unsaved. Tonight we ask thy help. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. I want to share 2 portions of the word of God tonight. Just two portions. 1 portion. We've had those of us who've been here for these meetings. We've had much of it before us, but I'm going to reread it in First Corinthians chapter 15.
First Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 3.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the 3rd day according to the scripture. Going to read one more portion in First Timothy.
First Timothy chapter one.
And verse 14.
The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. 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. You know I am thankful that this evening as we seek to present the good news of the gospel in the few moments that are allotted to us.
That we don't have to base what we're saying tonight on theories. We don't have to base what we're saying tonight on speculation. That we can turn to the word of God and know that it is true from cover to cover. And I want to just stress this before we start that when we quote the word of God tonight, the Word of God is truth, Thy word is truth, and it is impossible for God to lie.
There are many theories in this world. There are many philosophies, There are many theologies. But we want to base what we say tonight on the authority of God's living word. And so we find that the apostle Paul writing to these folks in Corinth long ago, he confirmed the simple message to them, the message of the good news of the gospel, that Christ.
Jesus had come and that the gospel could be summed up in these short simple statements that he died, He was buried, and he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures. Yes, the Lord Jesus came into this world. He came into this world born in Bethlehem's Manger. He grew up a boy in Nazareth and then at about 30 years of age, he began to traverse the dusty streets of Palestine.
Dispensing good and blessing on every hand but all, there was more to the story to be accomplished than that.
The Lord Jesus then, according to God's perfect timetable and what had been prophesied.
In the Old Testament, he went to Calvary's cross and there he died.
There he gave himself. And I am thankful that tonight I can stand with the apostle Paul, who later recorded these glorious words, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I am thankful that I can say that Jesus died for me. We want everyone in this room to be able to say that, to leave this room and say with confidence and assurance.
That Jesus died for them. But let's for a moment back up.
Why did Jesus have to go to Calvary's cross and to die?
Well, the answer is very simple. The wages of sin is death. That's a quote from Romans. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It takes us back to the very beginning of man's history. Here in this world. We're not long after Adam and Eve were placed in that beautiful garden called Eden. Satan came as the tempter.
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Tempted Eve she took of the forbidden fruit and gave to her husband. And they ate. And it tells us that by one man's disobedience sin entered, and death by sin so death passed upon all that for that all have sinned. Every one of us born into this world are born sinners.
True, I know there are people who will try to counteract that, try to shut it off and say no. I even heard of a man who came to a friend of mine's house.
And he said, oh, I'm not a Sinner. I've made mistakes, but I'm not a Sinner.
The Word of God. The truth of God is that we are all sinners, born sinners into this world and it isn't long till that sinful nature comes out in practice. We've all done wrong things, but thank God. The message is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save, not good folks.
But sinners, I am so very thankful for that. But let me tell you a little story. I have the privilege, as was mentioned, of going down to the Caribbean, and they give me tremendous opportunities in the schools there to preach the gospel. And I have a friend and brother in Christ who travels with me. Missionary friend. He's from Saint Vincent. That's an island just north of Grenada.
Just off the, uh, just out from off from Barbados.
But Mr. Seymour tells an interesting story. His name is Garvin Seymour, and we go from class to class often in the schools, and we have tremendous opportunities to preach the gospel. But Mr. Seymour in his younger days was a teacher himself and a principal, and he often tells the children in the schools this story, and I suggest that it illustrates very well the gospel in connection with the Lord Jesus going to the cross.
And giving his life one day. Mr. Seymour had said to his students there is 0 tolerance if the homework isn't done. He was having some problems with homework in his class not being done 0 tolerance and the penalty for homework not done from now on is 4 lashes with the strap, 2 on each hand.
Well, the children all went home that night, and the next morning when he checked the homework, he was very surprised to find that a girl by the name of Maureen had not done her homework. Mr. Seymour was a little surprised because Maureen was normally a good student and he was a little concerned because Maureen was a small, frail girl. He really didn't want to have to give her four lashes with the strap, but he had to do it.
And so he called Maureen up to the front of the classroom, pulled the drawer of his desk open, and took out the strap.
She held out her hands, trembling.
One lash on one hand, the other hand whack 2 lashes. By this time Maureen was really shaking and crying, and in her shaky voice she said. Mr. Seymour, would it be possible to take my other two lashes later in the day? Well, Mr. Seymour was very relieved, actually, to, uh, grant her her request.
And so they arranged that she would come in at noon hour and she would take her further 2 lashes.
Mr. Seymour was sitting at his desk during noon hour having his lunch and correcting papers, and he looked up and Maureen and her friend Caroline were coming toward him. Caroline was a bigger girl, they were very close friends and as they approached the desk, Maureen said Mr. Seymour, Caroline has agreed to take my further 2 lashes.
Well, Mr. Seymour, who loves the Lord Jesus and knows the story of the Gospel so well.
I was a little surprised at this at first. He'd never heard of a friend of someone agreeing to take their punishment for them. But he thought, why not? And of course, it immediately reminded him of the Lord Jesus. And so Caroline held out her hand and wah, that's three lashes. The other hand and what 4 lashes administered. Caroline took half the punishment.
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For her friend Maureen. And as Mr. Seymour tells us, they went hand in hand out of that room, greater friends, closer friends than they'd ever been before. But you know, it reminded Mr. Seymour, and it reminds me of the Lord Jesus, because the Lord Jesus, my precious Savior, he went to Calvary's cross. And he didn't just take half the punishment for me, He didn't just take half my lashes.
But the Lord God laid on the Lord Jesus all the punishment for my sin.
The Lord Jesus bore my sins in his own body on the tree.
Not just half, not just part, but the Lord Jesus there in those hours of darkness he took the punishment for my sins. But I wonder if you can say the same thing.
You know, there are so many age groups in this room. There are children who've heard the gospel many times. There are young people who've heard it many times. There are young people, perhaps, who haven't heard it very often or not at all. There are older ones in this room. But, you know, the gospel is for all. It's the same message for the children who've heard it many times as it is for the older ones. It's the same message for those who are perhaps hearing it for the first time.
As it is for those like myself who grew up hearing the gospel message.
But the question tonight is, are you saved? Can you say that the Lord Jesus died for you, So the Lord Jesus for my sins in his own body on the tree?
And all the sins of those who will put their trust in him. And then a moment came.
When he bowed his head and he laid down his life, he gave up his life in a way that no other person ever has. Or can he lay down his life for us.
Later on a soldier came along and with a spear pierced his side, and it tells us forthwith came throughout blood and water, of which blood the Scripture says, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. I am glad for the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. When I was growing up we often sang a hymn what can wash away my sins.
And of course, the glorious answer is nothing but the blood of Jesus. You know, there was an evangelist one time at a meeting very like this, and he was trying to impress upon his audience the importance of the blood of Christ to wash sins away. And there was a young man who thought he was pretty clever. Sometimes young people think they're pretty clever. But, you know, he stood up and he started to Heckle the preacher. And he said to the preacher, I don't understand.
How can blood wash sins away?
Well, the preacher thought a moment, and then he realized there was a glass of water on the podium from which he was speaking. And so he picked up the glass of water. And he said to the young man, I'll ask you a question.
How can water quench thirst?
Well, the young man thought about it for a moment and then he said, I don't know, but I know it does. And so it is with the blood of Jesus. I can't tell you how it happens, but I know in my own experience that it did happen. And I know there are so many here that you can talk to after the meeting and they will tell you that there was a time in their life when they came to know the Lord Jesus as their savior.
And experience the power of the blood of Jesus to wash sins away.
They took the Lord Jesus down from that cross. They put him in a tomb as had been prophesied.
But you know, as we read in our verse, we find that he rose again.
The third day according to the scripture.
I have opportunity to be in Trinidad.
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In the lower Caribbean, often, you know, Trinidad is really a Hindu country. It's really a Hindu government. They celebrate all the Hindu holidays and so on and justice about on every corner, it seems there's a Hindu temple.
I have had the opportunity to go to Muslim countries and countries where something other than the light of Christianity prevails. But you know what is unique to Christianity is we have a living savior, not dumb idols or not a person who once lived in this world and is in the tomb. Mohammed is in the tomb, Buddha is in the tomb. All the other so great call, so-called great religious leaders that have.
Risen in this world over the centuries are in the tomb, and people will spend great amounts of money and make great sacrifice to visit those tombs.
We have a tomb too in Christianity, and there were some ladies and others who came early to that tomb on the resurrection morning, but they didn't find a body there. They had a confirmation.
He is not here. He is risen. Come see the place where the Lord lay. Because tonight, as we present the Savior of sinners, we're not presenting a Savior on the cross, nor are we presenting a Savior in the tomb.
You know, there was a an evangelist one time and he was in one of the villages in eastern Canada, and he was going from door to door with some gospel tracks and telling people who would listen about the Lord Jesus. And he came to one house and he asked the lady if she'd like to read a gospel tract about the Lord Jesus. And she said to him, oh, by all means, I often look at him. Well, the evangelist was surprised. He'd never had a response like that.
And so he questioned her. You often look at him. Oh, yes, she said. Come into my house and I'll show you. And she took him into her house. And there on the wall was a cross with a figure of a man to represent the Lord Jesus on that cross.
And while it's true she understood that the Lord Jesus was taken down from the cross, buried and rose again the 3rd day, yet it had never really hit her that hard, as the evangelist explained.
To her once again, the Lord Jesus is not on the cross. The cross is empty. The work is finished and thank God it is the Lord Jesus is no longer in the tomb. He rose from the dead the third day according to the scriptures.
There's an old hymn we sometimes sing Some of us. It's one of my favorites. I grew up singing it. There is a savior on high in the glory, A Savior who suffered on Calvary Tree. A savior is willing to save. Now, as ever, His arm is almighty, His love great and free. Do you know my savior? Are you on your way to heaven? Because I also want to point out to you in all faithfulness.
That when we leave this world, it's not all over. That when we draw the final breath we are in the conscious sense of one of two places, The conscious sense of torment, like a man the Lord Jesus told about who lifted up his eyes in hell. Or we are in the conscious sense of the enjoyment of the Lord's presence, absent from the body and present with the Lord. You know, sometimes.
I hear people say, well, I'm going through hell on earth. I'm living hell now. You know, people who say that have no idea what hell is.
Again, I I like my my illustrations and stories and I know I repeat them often. But I remember reading about a man who was, uh, the Stoker in a glass factory in one of the communities here in the in the United States. And he was his responsibility was to keep the fires going in the furnaces so that the glass blowers could do their craft and and make glass objects.
And one day there was a preacher passing the glass factory, and the doors of the factory were open.
And he could look into one of those furnaces and he just stood there mesmerized for a while, looking into the seething flames of that glass furnace, that glass blowing furnace.
Not realizing that the Stoker was around, he said aloud. What must hell be like?
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Later on that evening he got a knock on his door, and he was surprised to see the Stoker from the glass factory. And this Stoker had a reputation in the town of being an ungodly man, having no time for Christ and Christianity of the gospel.
And the Stoker said to the preacher, I heard what you said today in the door of the glass factory, and I do not want to go to hell. I want to be saved. And he came in, and the preacher was only too happy to sit down and explain to him the gospel message. Hell is a reality. The Lord Jesus talked about it many times when he was here in this world. But oh, tonight the good news is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
So that we don't have to go to hell. There will be nobody in hell who will be able to blame God or anybody else. They will be without excuse. And as you go out of this room in a few minutes, if you go out of this room still on your way to a lost eternity called hell, there's a day coming when you will remember the verses that we have read and quoted. The Lord said the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day.
You'll remember a verse I'm going to quote now. 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. Maybe you've heard that before, I don't know. But you've heard it now. But if you go to a lost eternity, you will remember that verse, but it will no longer be directed at you as to a point of refuge and salvation. That verse will rise in judgment of you, because you'll realize that you heard the word of God and had opportunity.
The verses that we have read and quoted tonight, you will remember in a lost eternity. But all I say again, the wonderful thing is that Christ is the Savior of sinners, and I always rejoice when I have opportunity like this to stand before a company and confess Him again as my Savior. I know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. I've known him as my Savior for 50 some years.
And all the joy and peace he gives for the path of faith through this world. And then to know that there's a happy day coming when I'm going to be with him. And before I close, I want to impress one more truth upon us. I'm going to quote from the book of James. A simple phrase the coming of the Lord draws near.
Simple phrase, but true. And we want to impress upon our souls that when the Lord Jesus comes, I can't tell you when he's coming.
But I know he's coming soon and when he comes there will be no more opportunity.
To get saved.
The door to heaven will be closed in that way and closed forever. The invitation tonight is come unto me. Those who knock on the outside of the door in a coming day, who are too late, we'll hear these words. Depart from me. Come unto me tonight. Depart from me if you reject the message and the Lord comes, or you leave this world.
Without Christ. Oh, tonight, our prayer is that you won't leave this room until you know the Lord Jesus. I'm going to tell you before I pray how simple it is because I think sometimes people come to the end of a gospel meeting and they say, well, how can you really get saved? I'm going to pray. If you don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, all you have to do is speak to him quietly in your heart. He hears what's in your heart even if you don't utter one word aloud.
And in your heart just confess that you've sinned. But tell them you want to be saved. Tell them that you want to accept that gift of eternal life through the work of Calvary, the blood of Christ. And I can assure you that if you do that, by the time I'm done praying, or before you will be saved, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And if you don't understand, there are just so many like myself in this room tonight who would like to speak to you after who perhaps can open the word of God, and maybe even in simpler form.
Explain the way of salvation. It's a thrill to our souls to do that, and it's a thrill to our souls when we hear of another one who comes to know Christ as their Savior. Let's pray our God and Father, so thankful again for the Lord Jesus, the Savior of sinners. We pray for each soul in this room. We know that every soul is precious in my sight. We pray that Thou work and that they might be saved tonight. We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for his glory.
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Amen. Maybe we could just sing one verse in the chorus of Jesus Loves Me.
Yeah.
Yeah.