Gospel—L. LaBenne
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It's worth much joy tonight.
That we present the gospel.
Of the grace of God here, but it's also with soberness tonight.
For one thing, this is the last invitation, the last meeting of the conference.
And so the gospel will not be going forth after tonight here.
And perhaps.
You will hear the gospel tonight for the very last time. Perhaps tonight will be your last opportunity to know what it means to pass from darkness unto life and from the power of Satan unto God. I pray that every one of us will take seriously and listen carefully.
To what the Lord Jesus would have to say to us tonight from His precious word.
I see these dear children sitting here. He knows you all by name.
He knows all about you. He knows your sin. He knows your need.
And He wants to wash you in his blood, clean every wet, and make you fit for His holy presence.
But before we read, open our Bibles and look into God's precious Word.
I'd like to sing another little hymn here.
#17 And we have an appeal brought before us here in this little hymn as well. A question is asked, and oh, may we look at this in a very solemn and serious way. Have you any room for Jesus? He who bore the load of sin as he knocks and asks, Admission, Sinner, will you let him in room for Jesus?
Lord of glory, hasten now his word, obey, swing the hearts door widely open, bid him enter while you may room for pleasure, room for business, but for Christ the crucified, not a place that he can enter in the heart for which He died. Have you any time for Jesus as in grace, He calls again, Oh, today is time accepted tomorrow.
You may call in vain #17.
John's Gospel Chapter 11 and verse 35.
This little verse.
Is probably the first verse that many of you sitting here ever learned. I know of many children who.
When they were learning to say their verse for the first time. Not able to speak even too well. Little toddlers.
They had learned this verse, these two little words. Jesus.
Wept and how many times I have read this verse and said it and thought well.
It's an easy verse to say, easy to learn. I'm sure we've all learned it already. Just two little words. Jesus wept.
But you know, I was thinking about this verse as to what it really means.
I was thinking of who we're Speaking of tonight and who it is that tonight is looking down.
Into this audience, into the heart of each one of us. He knows what you're thinking about.
He knows whether or not you are on your way to glory, or whether you're on your way to that place of eternal judgment and eternal doom. He looks down and He yearns over your heart, over your soul. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Who is this Blessed One of whom we speak?
He is the one who upholds all things by the word of His power.
He is the one who created you and me and all things.
He is the one who has all power and all wisdom.
There's nothing that he does not know.
This blessed One, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Has never made a mistake.
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His love could not be more infinite.
Than it is.
He cares about each and everyone of you tonight.
He knows all the suffering and the pain and the disappointment. We were singing tonight.
Of Satan's delusion.
And all how our hearts are burdened as we think of what has happened in this world.
Are you being deceived tonight? Are you hearing?
Are you listening to the Father of Lies? Who would tell you that there's other things that are important?
There's other things that you should be seeking after pleasure money.
Power and fame all. Beloved tonight, this blessed person.
Of whom we are speaking with all these glories, this one of whom Peter could say, depart from me, oh Lord, for I am a sinful man. Oh, why did he say that? A glimpse of this blessed, glorious man. Oh, you know, earlier today I was visiting with a brother, and we were talking about that moment, as one used to say, the moment for which every other moment is made.
That moment when we're going to stand and gaze face to face.
Into the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There to look at this blessed one.
And to know that his love and his precious work.
On the cross.
Has brought me there to know that every word that he speaks.
Is correct.
There's many voices tonight, beloved, that are going for. There's many opinions. We Friday night, our brother spoke about the Council of the Ungodly and the danger of listening to those voices. Oh, you know, I think of a time when I was working there in California, out in Palm Springs, and it was a very hot day. And so we went into a little restaurant inside of the mall.
And it happened to be just at lunchtime when a lot of the young people were pouring.
Out of the high school, they were coming over there to eat, and I was sitting there among them and my heart was so burdened. I thought about the one who ponders the heart as he was listening to these precious young people, some of them making a lot of foolish remarks, so many of them that seemed to be without any purpose, without any goal, without any hope.
And I can't think of anything more awful.
Tonight than to be without hope and without God.
In this world.
All I remember standing one day.
Beside a young man who was taken out of a car after an accident.
And I was there when the doctor came and pronounced that there is.
No hope he is not going to make it. I remember another time. How many?
Incidents there are because we're living beloved among the tombs. It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment.
And so Christ came to bear the sin of many all. May I ask you?
Each one personally tonight, where will you spend?
Eternity, eternity. This night may be the last night that God will ever give you the opportunity. The appeal may be going forth, as we've said already, for the last time.
But I was driving along in Huntington Beach, CA and I stopped at a stoplight.
And a placement was next door and I could hear his radio and.
I heard the message that there is a drowning down at the water and at that time I thought, well.
I had a little time on my hand, it was about a mile away and so I drove down.
And kind of followed the message of what I had heard on his radio and I thought I'd stand away and perhaps it would be an opportunity, opportunity to hand out a gospel tract or two. Because, you know, death is a very real and solemn speaker.
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I got to this very sober scene.
And there on the beach was a group of people standing and waiting. There was one young man who was crying uncontrollably, probably about 18 years of age.
And I watched the swimmers out there, the lifeguards, as they were looking for this person who was under the water.
Under the water, probably for about 1/2 an hour.
Finally, they brought him to shore.
And they laid him down there, and again there was a doctor there.
I looked at that young man who looked so healthy. He had such a strong build.
He looked like the kind of person that was having a lot of fun in life.
He was having a good time.
But it was over.
Tonight you may be called as the rich man.
You may be called into the presence of the Lord.
I pray that tonight you will say, Lord Jesus, I am a Sinner and I want to be saved. I want to know thee. Tonight is my own personal savior. Oh, you know, I've talked to so many who have said, oh, if you knew how bad I am. I just feel like it's no use.
Oh, don't let Satan's lies deceive you in a way like that.
Perhaps I can just tell one more story. Not just a story.
This is something that happened about 4546 years ago.
Years ago.
Back in Detroit, MI, I was working at a grocery store.
And there was a young lady of probably about 12 years of age that used to come in.
She had real pretty blonde hair and she was one of these happy little girls that was just enjoying life so much. But I got the message that she had been in an accident in a car and I thought, oh, how awful that is. I can't believe that this girl is dead. And so on my own, I knew where the Funeral Home they had said. I walked over to that Funeral Home and there were very few people around at the dime.
But there is a young man. I walked up to that.
To that little girl's body. And I looked at it.
And I stood there in absolute disbelief.
She's really gone. She's gone into eternity. And where all again I say, where will you spend eternity?
Now to get back to this very solemn verse.
We've been speaking about the Lord Jesus as to who he is. We've been speaking about his power.
And his love and his wisdom.
This one who delighted the heart of the Father, all he could say, this is my beloved son.
In whom I have found all my delight.
And it's our privilege tonight to find our delight in him.
1St as Savior and then as Lord.
What a scene we have before us here, dear ones, tonight, Jesus.
Wept.
Perhaps we could turn to another verse in Luke. Luke 19.
Where we find the Savior weeping again.
He was at a funeral here where he was weeping.
Even though he knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead.
He was weeping. I would like to go into that in just a moment. Why was the Savior weeping?
But here in Luke 19.
Let's read first verse 28. And when he had thus spoken, he went before.
Ascending up into Jerusalem and verse 41.
And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it.
If we would turn to Matthew 23, we would find there that the Lord Jesus is weeping.
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We might say, and he's saying all Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets.
How OFT would I have gathered thee as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings?
But ye would not, Ye would not.
Oh, is there anyone here tonight that is listening to the Father of Lies?
And therefore we must say of them.
You would not. You would not.
All as I look into this audience tonight, I think of how the blessed Savior had compassion on the multitude.
And there I think of those solemn words in lamentation. Is it nothing to you?
All ye that pass by, can it be that with anyone here?
That we find a precious soul who is not sobered with the fact.
God is speaking.
God who now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. A God who so loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him.
Should not perish, but have everlasting life all.
Do any of you have trouble tonight? Is there sorrow in anybody's life?
Sitting here tonight, I dare say that if I would take each family here tonight.
That it would make me weep, The hair of the suffering and the sorrow.
And the pain that you've gone through.
Is there anybody that is exempt? I was talking to a young lady.
Not too long ago.
Whose mother had committed suicide and she was on the verge of taking her life and she said there's no reason for me to live, she said. I'm ugly.
And nobody likes me. She was about 25 years of age.
And my husband is leaving me.
And I don't have any reason to live.
Oh, what a privilege it was.
That God allowed.
The speaker.
To bring the gospel before her.
Today, that young lady has heard the word of God.
Her name is Becky and we're going to see her in glory all What a precious thing it is to realize.
That's a night we need to get our eyes off of the speaker.
And have them on the Lord Jesus Christ. God is working tonight. He can work with or without us.
But all he is working. He has something to say to everyone of you, say or Sinner. He has something to say to us, and that sometimes it's through suffering. We had referred earlier in the reading meeting to the time when Joseph's brethren.
When Joseph spoke in Genesis 42, he spoke roughly to his, to his brethren. When they came, he had disguised himself. But then if you go over another chapter, you'll find that he has to get away from them. And you find that this, this type of Christ, Joseph is weeping because he yearned over his brethren. Perhaps we should turn to that for a moment. Genesis 43.
And the 30th verse.
And Joseph made haste for his bowels. His heart did yearn.
Upon his brother, and he sought where to weep, and entered into his chamber.
And wept there, all you know, I think of the blessed Lord Jesus as he sat weary on that well of Sikar.
He had walked all night and now he was he had a.
Precious woman on his heart, all you might say, she was the kind of woman that.
Who would want to talk to her?
All beloved, tonight I hope that we can so get into the presence of God that we can feel his presence here, the presence of the Lord Jesus here with us tonight and find ourselves like Job of old. Who could say mine? I see a Thee and I abhor myself in dust and ashes. Have you seen him tonight? By faith, beloved friend.
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Have you seen the Savior in all of his loveliness?
Have you seen the nail prints in his hands? Have you heard his precious words?
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Oh the Lord Jesus himself, beloved, tonight is speaking to your heart. He is yearning over you. He's yearning over this poor Christ rejecting world. He is not welling that you should be lost. These shall go away into everlasting punishment where there is weeping.
And wailing and gnashing of teeth. All little poems as.
What horror shall roll, or the godless soul as it awakes of all hope bereft? There is a day coming when the last call will go out, and perhaps it's tonight for you. And then to wake up and to realize that solemn that, to hear those solemn words depart from me. I never knew you all, beloved tonight.
If you knew the Savior.
If you knew the love that led him to the cross to become the willing victim.
And there to go to that cross, and cry those solemn, solemn words, all were words more solemn ever uttered in this world than the words of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, as he hung upon that cross and cried, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Why art thou so far from hearing me and the words of my roaring?
These words are so solemn.
At best, we enter into it so feebly what it meant for Jesus.
That blessed perfect one to be made sin.
What it meant for him to have the stroke upon stroke of God's holy wrath.
To fall upon him, and there to bear my sin.
In his own body, on the tree all what a savior he is.
And so we do find that sometimes God speaks in a way.
That we feel a lot of pain.
Perhaps I can illustrate.
This precious truth in this way.
And I would pardon a personal illustration here.
But when my youngest son was five years of age, we had gone to a little.
Restaurant to eat and we were visiting with some of our brethren who were with us.
And he got away from us and he ran across the street.
And then he was going to run back and justice, as he was about to run back, I noticed.
A car who was going way too fast. The car, the driver was wrong.
He was wrong, but if my son had run out in front of that car, he'd probably been dead.
And so I said, Jeffrey, stop.
Jeffrey was not used to hearing me talk that way to him.
I spoke rather roughly to him.
But can I tell you that it came from a father's heart?
That's what I want to illustrate.
Oh, do you realize that he is not? He does not willingly afflict the children of men.
But all you know, I've enjoyed this thought lately, and this is for both St. and Sinner alike.
Adversity and suffering gives opportunity.
Someone used to say, and I've enjoyed it so much, what was it that brought out the loveliness of Christ?
Oh, it was the suffering and the reproach that he bore.
All what a savior he is how do you act how do I act when somebody.
Says something bad about you behind your back.
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Or when somebody hurts you.
Always think of that blessed Savior, that perfect One, whoever delighted the heart of the Father.
We find him saying there on the cross, Father, forgive them.
For they know not what they do.
All what a heart and tonight the Lord Jesus is looking down into your heart.
Oh, what will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be. Someday your soul will be asking what will he do with me? What will he do with me?
I remember hearing a little poem and I don't know the story real well, but maybe just enough of it to illustrate a point here.
The name of it is a shattered wreck, and I understand there was a young, healthy man who was rejecting the Savior.
And one day on his horse, he had a very serious accident.
And he became Maine and saw this little poem was written by him.
Go something like this. A shattered wreck am I? Oh, I see so many dear young people here tonight. I hope everyone of you know the Savior.
And you're healthy.
A shattered Rakamai enjoined now.
A chair and full of life, I sit and sing to him.
Who placed me there? Contempt. A shattered wreck to be.
Because my God, it pleasantly he caught and clipped my once strong wings.
And now he Stoops to hear me, and it is good for me to.
Soar these palsy limbs above to Him whose purpose I adore, whose every act is love. And so I say tonight, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Every breath of air that you breathe, every step that you take, every joy that you have experienced, all I think of the goodness of God that has given us so much to enjoy.
The food that he's given us.
The weather, the beautiful scenery and all these natural things that we enjoy. How we could go on and on with this.
But He's given us many things to enjoy, and yet a man will go on. And you know God has to say to a young man remembered now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not are the years drawn nigh, when in which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. One thing that is very striking to me as I get older, two things I might say. One of them isn't that time goes by so quickly.
So quickly.
Oh, what a what a solemn thing it is. Time is going by and all of a sudden this feeling that young people so often have that I just, there's nothing that could happen to me. I'm healthy. I'm going to plan for the future. I'm going to tear down my barns and I'm going to build greater.
And so we go on thinking that nothing can happen.
And then we get sick, something happens and we find out.
That word know that we are vulnerable all as I said, I'll say again, we're dwelling among the tunes and when I see the focus that Satan would have the father of lies that would have us the things of this scene that soon must pass away.
Oh, how solemn it is. You remember that little track? Many of us have read it, perhaps entitled Misdirected the story, as I remember, it's been a number of years ago that I read it, but.
I believe it was a mother and her son were directed by the conductor of the train to get off at the wrong place on a very, very cold and snowy day, and after he had told them to get off the plane, had made the train, had made a quick stop and was on its way, he realized that he had made an awful mistake. He let them off in the middle of the wilderness.
And when they were able to get back to these people, this mother and her son.
They were found frozen to death, an awful mistake because they were misdirected.
And you know, I thought about those dear young people sitting there at those tables in Palm Springs.
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And listening to some of their conversation and this thought burdened by heart so much that they were so many of them were misdirected. They knew nothing about the Savior. Perhaps many of them had never heard the gospel before. But in that same city there is a dentist that I know who one day invited me into his office and said, I would like to introduce you.
And what he wanted to introduce me to was a false religion, a cult.
And he wanted me to become part of this. And as we talked together, the opportunity was there to present to him the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners. And he said all I believe the Bible. I believe the Bible, but I also believe that he had a couple other books there.
He had a book by a man who said he had had a vision.
In New York and he had these special spectacles that he would wear that would help him to understand. I mentioned this because Satan is sitting and laughing, the father of lies.
And finally, we were able to turn to Isaiah 10 and verses 43. Perhaps we can turn to it for a moment.
Yes, verses 10 and 11 of Isaiah 43. And we read these two verses to him. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord and my servant, whom I have chosen, that ye may know, that ye may believe.
That ye may understand.
Know, believe and understand. Understand what? That I am He.
And before me there was number God formed, neither shall there be after me.
I even I am the Lord and beside me.
There is no savior.
This poor misdirected dentist.
Looked at those verses.
And he said there must be some mistake. There must be some mistake.
Let's look at it.
More carefully. So we read it again.
He believed in many gods. He said that he was going to become God someday.
All beloved here tonight. I hope that no one will be misdirected by.
The father of lies. And you know, it's a very solemn thing tonight to know that all the powers of Satan.
Are opposed to one word being said tonight that would give honor and glory.
To that worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This man right now said I have to write and get more information that will help me because I don't have an answer.
For this verse, Oh I pray for him. And what is it that keeps a man?
From coming to Christ. What is it that is keeping you tonight if you're not saved?
Or perhaps some friend that you know at school. All you know, I think of what it will mean when the Lord Jesus comes.
There are so many sad cases where some have disobeyed the precious principles of the Word of God.
And there is an unequal yoke in marriage. One is taken and one is left.
All to leave your partner for all eternity or to leave your child for all eternity. All you know, I remember hearing about a dear young lady who knew the Lord Jesus as Savior. And she went to the hospital and she went to her father's side. He was dying. And she said, oh daddy, please come to the Lord Jesus. I don't want to say goodbye to you.
For all eternity, never see you again. How many there would be. You know one of the saddest things, beloved brethren.
That, I know is for any of us to have a child who does not know Jesus as Savior.
And I know of cases where some have died and there are feeble little remarks that are made such as, you know, I think maybe maybe he was a Christian because on his deathbed he said this or that all I pray that like the little hymn says tonight that you will decide for Christ tonight and God's salvation free thy sins deserve eternal death, but Jesus.
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Died for thee.
And tonight the cry is going out that whosoever will may come and drink of the water of life. Really all what a message we have to tell, what a story we have to give. And God delights, You know, we sang in our first little hymn that we sang hymn #2 Those very solemn words. And I think of what a scene is before us here. Come for Angel hosts are musing or this site.
So strangely sad.
Oh, it is a sight that is most unbelievable that God is beseeching.
The God in whose hand thy breath is the God who set his Son into the world.
To save sinners, the God who this very night, and in this very room.
At this very hour is speaking to your precious never dying soul.
He is beseeching.
Yet man is refusing.
Oh, and then I think, what is it that he's refusing, refusing to be made forever glad. Oh, you know, during these days of these meetings, is there any feast? Is there any blessedness like what we enjoy as the children of God as we open up his precious word?
As we think about Christ.
As we listen to those precious principles of His word, you know, I was thinking of some of the things that we're saying in connection with that. And what is it that keeps a man from coming to Christ, as we started to say?
It's his own rebellion of heart. It's his lack of submission. Oh, do you know that?
This book that we hold in our hands. Oh, it struck me one day.
So often I've said this is the word of God. One day I thought.
This is the word of who?
Or may it be impressed upon our minds that it's the word of God?
Oh, it's the words from our precious savior.
There's not one error in it, you can't pick up another book.
Like this?
This book will give you, as someone has said, light amid the darkness, truth amid error, error wherever you look. Oh, how much there is, how much I hear daily as I go to work and as I visit with people that I meet their opinions. I recently got out my dictionary and I, I looked up that word opinion, and here's what it said. An opinion is a judgment.
Or belief based upon insufficient evidence to produce.
Certainty.
It's quite a contrast with what we have, isn't it? We have that of which we are.
We have convictions about I know the apostle Paul could say whom I have believed.
And am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
There is no doubt. There is no guesswork here.
We have his precious word all when I see the instability all around.
On the part of man, I love to think of that one in whom I can rest.
And you can rest a night in Him as your savior.
The one who we read of is the same. All he is the same.
Perfect evenness in him. The same yesterday, today and forever.
And all before I close. I cannot close without just saying this.
Perhaps I'll read it, and perhaps we can turn to it. John 14.
John's Gospel, chapter 14.
You know that after the Second World War, MacArthur had.
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He had been in the Philippines.
And it was after Pearl Harbor he made a promise to all the Orient.
These people were.
You might say we're just hanging upon the words that he said, He said I will come again.
I will come again. Well, let's just read John 14 and verse 3.
Let's read from verse one. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.
I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am.
There ye may be also. Yes, I did not want to close without bringing before us that glorious hope.
That moment for which we wait, when we're going to gaze into the face of our precious Savior.
Even so, come Lord Jesus. Oh, Are you ready?
Is there someone here tonight?
Who is still lost and in their sins?
I'd like to do something very, very solemn to me tonight in closing.
Like to sing hymn #27 But I'd like to make a special request as we stand and sing this hymn.
But if you are not saved, that you will be honest about not singing these words because you Can't Sing them truly and as you're singing, beloved.
Will sing and weep.
And then we're going to ask the Lord.
To pray for your precious, never dying soul.
These things are real.
These things are all important.
More important than anything else.
My God, I have found the thrice blessed ground where life and where joy and true comfort are found. Hallelujah.
Thus that word is the same in every language. It means praise the Lord, Hallelujah, thine the glory.
Hallelujah, Amen, Hallelujah, thine the glory, Amen and Amen. May we stand and sing this hymn together. Only those who know the Savior. And I would just say this, if there's someone here who is troubled about their sins, all I would encourage you.
To talk to someone tonight, let's get this most important matter settled. No for all eternity.
My God.