Gospel—J. Hyland
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With hymn #15 O blessed gospel sound. Yet there is room. It tells to all around. Yet there is room the guilty may draw near though vile they need not fear with joy they now may hear yet.
There is room. Perhaps we could stand and sing #15. Someone could please raise the tune.
And Christ whizzing.
Alone.
Did you have to ever get his room?
And all this time, he said.
There is room.
Praise everything.
Have done.
Yes, there is room.
But it is now gone. Please.
Turn to the portion that is particularly on my heart this evening. I'd like to read one verse in Mark chapter one.
Mark chapter one.
And verse one.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Son of God And then turn with me, please, to Luke, chapter 19.
Luke chapter 19 and verse one and Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus, who he was and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a Sycamore tree to see him, for he wants to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him and said unto him Zacchaeus.
00:05:13
Make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was gone to be a guest with a man that was a Sinner, that is, a Sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house. For as much as he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Well, we were singing concerning the glorious gospel, that gospel that has been going forth for almost 2000 years. It's the same message that the apostles preached in the early chapters of the Acts. It's the same message that went forth to the Samaritans in the 8th chapter of the Acts.
It's the same message that went forth to the Gentiles beginning in the 10th chapter of the Acts. It's the gospel concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And what a thrill to be able to present that blessed One as the Savior of sinners tonight, to present him in all his glory and his beauty as that one who is there on high in the glory as a Savior. You know, we sometimes sing that old gospel hymn, and we sing it often, but you know, to my own soul I never tire of singing it.
There is a Savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree, a Savior as willing to save. Now as ever, his arm is almighty, His love great and free. And here we find where we read in Luke's gospel the Lord Jesus in his pathway here. And as the Lord Jesus walked up and down the dusty streets of Palestine, his desire was to dispense blessing, and He did dispense blessing.
Every hand, if we were to go back to Mark's gospel particularly, we see this brought out there, the Lord Jesus as the perfect servant. He goes through this world in his pathway, and he shall I say I speak carefully and reverently. He never misses an opportunity to suspense, blessing, as he saw the degradation of man, as he saw the effects that sin had brought into this world on every hand, oh, what was his heart? It was a heart that desired the blessing.
Of those he came in contact with, he reached forth and touched the eyes of the blind. He dispensed blessing to those who had no hearing. He cleansed the leper we heard tonight, last night, of how, as Jesus was approaching the city of Jericho, there was one that had a real need. And did that one go away disappointed when that one cried out for mercy, was there. Mercy dispensed to that one? Indeed there was. You know, if there's someone here tonight and you're still a lost Sinner.
If you're still in your sins tonight and on that broad Rd. that leads to destruction, I want to tell you at the very beginning of this meeting, there's blessing for you tonight. There may not be blessing at 8:00. There may not be blessing at 7:30. There may not be blessing at 7:15. But all Sinner tonight at this moment, there's blessing for you. But I can't promise you another moment. It says, behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
We find too, if we were to go over to the end of Matthew 20, that as the Lord Jesus was leaving Jericho, there were two blind men and they cried out for mercy. Where they disappointed did the Lord pass them by. Even though the crowd tried to hush their cries, as it were, they said the Lord isn't interested in you.
Was he interested? Of course he was. And they received a blessing, too. But here we find the Lord Jesus as he enters this city. There is one. There is one who was seeking the Savior. Are you seeking tonight? You know, Zacchaeus had a real desire to see Jesus, and it even tells us the motive of his heart here. He desired to see Jesus who he was. Oh, I thrill when I read that. You know, there's a sad contrast between another this man and another man in the gospel.
His name was King Herod, And Herod, it says, desired to see Jesus as well. In fact, he desired of a long time to see Jesus, but he had a different motive. His motive was so that he might see some miracle performed, and we don't ever read that that was gratified that he ever saw a miracle performed. But here was one who had an earnest desire to see Jesus who he was. He wanted, as it were, to get to know this person.
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And all his heart was satisfied. As we read down the story, we're going to see that this man, unlike King Herod, on another occasion, this man received a blessing. And so Jesus enters and passes through Jericho. You know, Jericho is an interesting city, brought before us many times in the word of God. You'll remember the story well of how they went in, in the book of Joshua to conquer the promised land, and they marched around that city and on the 7th day.
Those walls came tumbling down. Jericho was a wicked city, and God not only pronounced judgment on Jericho at that time, but the judgment was carried out. Those walls fell down and none were spared save Rahab, who had put the scarlet line in the window. You remember too, the story earlier on in Luke's Gospel of the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. You know, Jericho, it seems to me, as a city that has a double connotation.
I would just say too that I believe it speaks to us of this world. It's a little picture, it's a little type of this world. Because there were two things, two outstanding things that characterized Jericho. One, it was the city of the curse, and this world is under judgment. Tonight. The sentence has been passed and it says he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world by in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, as sure as we're sitting in these seats tonight.
Judgment is going to fall on this world. And the Lord Jesus feeling the imminence and the awfulness of that judgment, He said when he was here. Now is the judgment of this world. We were reading of the Thessalonians and how they had been saved from the rock that is coming on this world. What about you tonight? But you know, I believe Jericho has another connotation as well. It was the city of palm trees. It was that which spoke of ease and that which is so pleasant, that which we've had brought before us already in these meetings.
The materialistic society in which we live, the instant answer and remedy for everything the pleasant, sedentary life that so many of us enjoy. I don't mean that we despise the mercies that God has given us in a land like this. And in the land of Canada, where I come from, we're thankful for the mercies that we enjoy from day-to-day, but oh how sad when those mercies the enjoyment of those mercies, and the clinging tenaciously to those mercies.
And looking to them for deliverance keeps one from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, we heard last night that it's not many mighty, not many noble that are called not many rich. But here was a man and he was rich. The scripture tells us that he was rich, but he received a blessing. You know, I think too again of that man on the Jericho Rd.
Earlier on in Lukes Gospel, and when the Samaritan came to him and so on, and you know, I thought of that man, he we're not told that he was a young man. And I don't like to suppose into Scripture, but I have often wondered if that man wasn't a young man who looked down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, the city of palm trees, and thought, well, I'm going to go to Jericho. There is pleasure, there is easement, There are all the things that will satisfy my heart. Perhaps things like that went through his mind.
But you know, he found that it was a sad course. He ended up helpless on that road.
And he needed the the compassion and the help of another.
You know, I want to impress upon our souls at the very beginning of this meeting that not only are we born in sin and conceived in iniquity, but we are helpless sinners before God. You know, I say that because if we were to go out on the streets of Saint Louis tonight and interview folks as they passed by on one of the busy thoroughfares of this city and ask them one question, are you a Sinner? You know, I wonder if we wouldn't get an affirmative answer from most people. You know, most people will admit tonight that they're sinners, that they have done.
Wrong things.
But you know, I wonder how many realize that they are helpless sinners before God. Because it's not just realizing I'm a Sinner. It's realizing that I can do nothing to better my position before God. I can do nothing to rid myself tonight of one sin. I stand here tonight saved by the grace of God. My sins are gone, but they're gone because the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
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If you're here tonight.
And you haven't had the blood applied to your heart. If you're not saved tonight and on your way to glory, I tell you tonight, there's only one way of blessing. There was only one way of blessing for Zacchaeus, and Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. No, this is an actual incident in the life of the Lord Jesus as he walked through this world and as I said earlier, dispensed blessing on every hand. But you know, there was more to be accomplished in the Lord Jesus coming into this world.
Than just the incarnation of the sun. There was more to be accomplished in God sending his Son than just the dispensing of blessing as he walked through this world. Oh, there was something of far greater importance. There was something that was vital to the salvation of lost souls, and that was that the Lord Jesus go to Calvary's cross there, give himself in love there, shed His precious blood.
It was, I say, it was vital. Had the Lord Jesus come and live that perfect, spotless life as the one who was wholly harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, and had he returned to glory, He would be a man in the glory tonight, but he would remain alone for all eternity. But all his heart will be satisfied with nothing less than the company of those that he has redeemed with His precious blood. And I know there are many tonight who just thrill as we speak.
Of that time when we will see our Savior there in the Father's house, there will look on that lamb freshly slain. But what about you tonight? What about you in the back row? What about you, young person, boy, girl especially prayed for at a prayer meeting before this gospel hour, you who have heard the word of God so many times.
What about you tonight? Are you saved? Are you seeking to see Jesus, who he is? Do you have a desire to know that person? All his desire is to save your soul tonight.
Well, you know, as the Lord passed through Jericho, there was this man named Zacchaeus with this desire, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way. He wasn't going to let anything stand in his way. You know, I don't know why you've come to this gospel meeting tonight.
Maybe if we were to take the time and interview some of you here tonight and say, why did you come to the Gospel Meeting in this building? Maybe there would be a variety of answers. Maybe you've come because you were invited by a friend. Maybe you've come because you had no choice. You were brought by a praying mother and father. There may be a variety of reasons why you're here tonight, but I know one thing for sure. God has brought you to this room tonight so that you can hear once again.
God's offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I want to impress upon our hearts tonight. There's no other way of blessing.
No other person, no other thing that we can put confidence in for our eternal salvation.
You know, men have put confidence in many things through the ages. They put confidence in power, in money, in gold, in jewels, whatever it may be. But you know, men are finding out in this day and age that those things they once put confidence in are being shaken, and that which they once felt secure in investing in, they don't feel so secure anymore. What about you tonight? What are you basing your soul salvation on tonight?
Well, Zacchaeus wasn't going to let anything hinder him from seeing the Lord Jesus. You know, I believe it's interesting to notice that as the Lord Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, we don't ever read that he passed that way again. I wonder how many opportunities you've had to be saved. Zacchaeus had one opportunity to see Jesus. Was he going to let it buy? Oh no. How many opportunities have you let by?
If you were to count back and justice, make an estimate, an estimation of how many times you've heard the gospel in your lifetime and not only being brought to a gospel meeting like this, but many of you have heard the gospel in your home from the very early days of your childhood. Timothy was reminded that from a child he had heard the Holy Scriptures that were able to make him wise through faith, which is in Christ Jesus, and I appreciated what a little girl said one time.
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When she was asked when is the best time to be saved, You know, usually people say now, and that's a good answer, but that's not what this little girl said when she was asked what is the best, when is the best time to be saved? She said. The first time you hear about Jesus, wasn't that a good answer? The first time you hear about Jesus, What about you tonight? Is this the first time you've heard about Jesus?
I wonder if there's anybody in this room that can say that, that this is the first time you've heard about Jesus. You've heard the gospel many, many times. You've heard it over and over and over again. But what have you done with it? Can you say tonight in your heart that Jesus died for you? You know I live not too far away from what is called the Great Lakes, not too far away from Lake Ontario, if you were to drive about an hour S from Smiths Falls.
You would come to Kingston, which is on the shores of Lake Ontario and those Great Lakes.
Are full of ocean going vessels and large ships and even today there's a lot of freight moved on the Great Lakes. And you know, I was impressed with a story that took place some years ago on Lake Erie was in connection with a ship called the Swallow. It was a ship that carried tar.
And they were making a voyage from Detroit, MI to Buffalo, NY and the pilot of that ship, his name was John Maynard. He had piloted that ship for many years. And as they were plowing their way through those waters towards Buffalo, a fire broke out on the ship. And you can imagine the concern that would cause a ship that was hauling tar and that fire was they tried to bring it under control.
But it only got worse and worse. They realized the hopeless condition of the ship, and there was John Maynard holding the wheel steering that ship, and they were only about 45 minutes out of port.
The passengers and the crew of that ship moved to the front of the vessel because the forward motion of the vessel into the wind kept the smoke and the heat from coming too close. But John Maynard was at the back of the ship. He was there at the helm, and he was holding on to that wheel, guiding the ship.
And the captain called back to him and he said, how many minutes to Buffalo? He said About 45, he said, Can you hold on? He said, by the grace of God, I'll try. A few minutes later he called back. And he said, How many more minutes, 20 minutes.
A little later on, he called back. How many more minutes? 10 minutes. Those were the last words that John Maynard ever uttered. Because that smoke, those smoke, that smoke and flames had swirled up around him.
And as he answered the captain for the last time, his clothes and his beard were catching on fire. But you know, he held on to that ship. He guided that ship into port, and every other person on that ship was saved. But John Maynard died. And if we were to go to Buffalo tonight, to a graveyard in that city, we could go to a spot in that graveyard. And there is a monument with these words on it from the grateful passengers of the Swallow.
To John Maynard. He died for us. How grateful they were. They knew that another had died to save them from that burning ship and from the cold, frigid waters of Lake Erie. What about you tonight, we're not talking about a burning ship. We're not being saved. Talking about being saved from some catastrophe here in this world. We're talking about eternal issues. Tonight, we're talking about hell. We're talking about the reality of coming judgment.
We're talking about you in your sins tonight. Oh tonight. I wish I could tell you how much God loves you. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. I said there was a prayer meeting before this gospel hour, and there were many in that prayer meeting who poured out their heart on behalf of the gospel. And you, Sinner, were specially prayed for. And maybe there's someone in this room tonight and they're praying for you by name as the spy.
Someone concerned about your lost soul. But all I want to tell you tonight, there's someone far more concerned about your lost soul than anyone in this room.
There's someone who loves you far more than Mother, loves you far more than Father, loves you far more than whoever brought you to this Gospel meeting. And that's the one who provided A Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one of whom we read the Father sent the Son.
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To be the Savior of the world. You know, when it says the Father sent the Son, doesn't that touch our hearts? More than if it had just said, God sent Jesus, the Father sent the Son His only begotten Son, The one who never grieved his Father, the one who did always those things that pleased his Father, the one in whom was the delight of the Father, and yet he sent him here into this world. We've been speaking in these meetings of God being a giving God, but all tonight.
We can say in the language of Scripture, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift was ever a gift given, like the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that unspeakable gift. Well, here we find Zacchaeus again, back to our story. The Lord Jesus enters and passes through Jericho. And as he's passing along, Zacchaeus, who was a little man. He wanted to see Jesus. But there was a great crowd. Now I realize this was a physical crowd. Here it was a great mass of people.
Many of them were following the Lord Jesus, no doubt to get some blessing in a temporal way, no doubt out of curiosity, but here was a man who wanted to see Jesus who he was. He wanted to know the person of Christ, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way, even a large crowd. And this man couldn't look over the crowd. I wonder what the enemy is using tonight to crowd into your life to keep you.
From coming to the Lord, I wonder what he's using. He may be using any number of things. He may be using friends.
He may be using business, He may be using material things, something that is crowding into your life and keeping you from coming to the Lord. Sometimes we sing that old gospel hymn. Have you any time for Jesus? He who bore the load of sin as he knocks and asks admission Sinner, will you let him in? Have you any time for Jesus, time for pleasure, time for business? But for Christ the crucified not a place that he can enter in the heart.
For which he died. And what does Zacchaeus do? All he runs ahead of the crowd, and he shinnies up that tree, and there I suppose he thought, he could hide in the branches and the leaves of that tree, and no one would see him. Perhaps, But he knew the Lord Jesus had to pass by on that very spot.
And there he could look down and get as he thought at least a glimpse of the Lord Jesus. Think of the desire of Zacchaeus. Think of the desire of his heart to see this one. Oh, there was the desire in some heart here tonight to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. All that you have the desire of Zacchaeus. I can't create that desire in your heart. Only God can do that. But all my prayer is tonight that you would have such a desire to have your sins forgiven and come to Christ.
That you wouldn't rest, that you'd be like Zacchaeus, but apart from all the seemingly, the seemingly hindrances, all the things that were there in his way. That you would come to that one who wants to bless you? Who wants to save you. Tonight Zacchaeus climbs up into this tree and all. What a surprise he must have got as the Lord Jesus passed that way. Did the Lord Jesus know where Zacchaeus did was? Indeed he did.
He knew that Zacchaeus was up in that tree, and he knew the desire of the heart of Zacchaeus. He looks down tonight, and he not only looks on the outward appearance. That's the way man looks. I only look at your outward appearance tonight. And as I look up and down these rows, I can see whether you're paying attention. I can see the way you're dressed, but I don't know the thoughts and intents of your heart. God. Only God knows the thoughts and the intents.
Of your heart tonight. He looks down and he looks into that heart.
He knows if that heart is still stained with sin or he and he knows too if it has been washed in the precious blood of Christ. You know you can go out of this gospel meeting and shake hands with someone at the door, and they may ask you if you're saved. And you can say yes, and you can go out, and you can fool Mother and Father. You can fool the people at meeting. You can fool your friends, but you can't fool God. All things are naked and open.
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Under the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
You have the opportunity tonight to be saved, to come to the Savior. You have an opportunity, like Zacchaeus, here to see Jesus. Are you going to pass it by?
You know, man is really a gambler at heart, isn't he? He likes to take chances. And those who are older will forgive me if I tell a little incident for the sake of those of us who are younger here. You know, in the summer months, we have the privilege of going up to Maine and New Brunswick and presenting the gospel from day-to-day in different areas to the boys and girls. And you know, one time, and I know some of you have heard me tell this story before, but you know, one time we were having breakfast, my oldest daughter and my wife and I.
In the camper that we were staying in while we were having meetings in a place called Vanceboro ME.
And you know, as we were ready to head out for the day and pick up the children, we saw a large white cat coming across the yard. We knew that cat pretty well. We'd seen it many times. We knew to whom it belonged. But as that cat came closer, we noticed that in the jaws of that cat there was a very large chipmunk. And as it approached the camper, we noticed that that chipmunk was very much alive.
And my wife is a little more tender hearted than I am, and so she decided she was going to save this chipmunk.
From certain death. And so she went outside and she grabbed that cat as he approached and she made that cat drop its prey. She released that chipmunk from the jaws of that cat from certain death. There were trees all around the camper. I thought that chipmunk would surely go up one of those trees as quickly as possible and get on its way and out of danger. But to our consternation, that chipmunk went about 6 or 8 feet from that cat.
And it turned on its back legs and it gave that cat a frightful scolding. And you know what happened? It wasn't very long before that chipmunk was back in the jaws of that cat. My wife went out and released it again. We thought, surely this cat will, this chipmunk will make its escape. Now the same thing. It wasn't very long till it was back in the jaws. And I think it happened three times. And finally my wife went out, released the chipmunk and brought the cat in. We watched that chipmunk as it stayed around looking for.
The cat. And finally when it realized the cat wasn't coming back, it went off on its way. And you know, as I watched that incident.
I thought, how foolish of that chipmunk. That cat's jaws meant certain death to that chipmunk. And yet there are boys and girls and young people, and perhaps men and women, in this very room tonight who have had warning after warning from the heart of a loving God. You've been told to flee from the wrath to come.
You have had a Savior presented to you. You have been told of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.
Are you like that, chipmunk? Are you playing with danger? I sometimes tell about three young men who came to a gospel meeting we were holding. And afterwards I said to them boys, is it worth taking the risk and saying we're going to be here tomorrow and have another opportunity and put off salvation tonight? You know what they said to me? I tremble to tell you what they said to me. They said we'll take that chance, we'll take that chance.
In contrast, we find Jonah going to deliver that message of doom to guilty Nineveh and the whole city was saved. They repented of their sin and the judgment didn't fall at that time. Here we find a man and it's true. There was a crowd. There was a great Press of people. It's true he was little of stature. There was 1 hindrance after another. It's true he was rich, but he didn't let those things bring him from coming to the Savior. You know, when Charlemagne went out to conquer.
He used to force Christianity on his those he conquered, he would have them forced into the waters in baptism, and outwardly he would force Christianity upon those that he conquered in that way. But you know, Charlemagne came to the end of his life just like the other great lead all the other great leaders in history. He died. But he had made requests that when he died he'd be buried in a posture suitable for a monarch. And so he was buried sitting on his royal throne with his sword in his hand and an open Bible.
On his knee. And you know the centuries went by, and one of the emperors that followed him finally had that tomb opened. And you know, as they went in and saw the skeleton of Charlemagne, that sword having fallen to the ground, that royal crown still on his head, they looked at that open Bible on his knee, and his finger was pointed to that verse that says, what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world?
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And lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange?
For his soul, Isn't that a solemn thing? There was a man who had obtained power.
A man of wealth. And yet in death his first his finger pointed to that solemn statement. And here was a man, Zacchaeus. And he wasn't going to let those things hinder him in coming to the Lord Jesus. And so the Lord Jesus came. He came to that very spot under that tree, and he looked up. Oh, think of it. The very Son of God, the one who had come into this world in loneliness and grace, come down from the courts of glory, come from heaven itself.
And there he stands under a Sycamore tree, and he looks up, and he calls Zacchaeus.
By name.
It must have startled Zacchaeus to think that the Lord knew him by name, but he called him by name. And tonight God looks down, the Lord Jesus looks down, and he knows your name. He's interested in you, He's interested in your blessing, He's interested in your soul salvation tonight.
The Lord had a message for Zacchaeus, just as he has a message for you tonight. And what was that message for? Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus. Come down.
Is that what it says?
Make haste and come down. You know there's an all, There's always an urgency connected with the gospel message. And that's what I want to try in my feeble way tonight. To impress upon your soul. Don't put it off. There's someone here whispering in your ear, the enemy of your soul. And he's saying put it off, get saved. But don't do it tonight. Wait, do it later on March 15th, 44 BC.
Julius Caesar got into his chariot at his home to travel to the state capitol and as he was getting in his chariot, a letter was thrust into his hand and a warning given. Read this immediately.
He said I don't have time, and he stuffed it into his cloak. He rode off to the Capitol, and as he descended from his chariot to enter the Capitol, you know what happened. He came down under the blows of the assassin. He didn't have time for the warning. He didn't have time for that message that was so graciously thrust into his hand. If he'd only opened that letter and read it, it might have saved him from death on that occasion. How many people are there in this world tonight like that?
How many are there tonight who don't have time for the gospel message? How many are there who have had warning after warning and are still going on lost, guilty and in their sins? You know there is a day coming, and it's not far off. When there won't be any more Gospel meetings in the city of Saint Louis. When there won't be any more Gospel meetings in the town of Smiths Falls, where I come from. When there won't be any more gospel meanings in Des Moines, IA.
Or Pella, or Grand Rapids, MI, or wherever you might come from. Tonight, there won't be any more Gospel meetings in this world, because the door will be forever closed. Every believer will be gone. We spoke of the coming of the Lord this afternoon in the reading meeting, and many hearts here, thrilled as we spoke of the imminence of the Lord's return as we looked up and we realized that the Lord is coming at any minute, that He's going to fulfill that promise made in John 14.
I will come again. But what about you? Did you kind of squirm when we talked about the Lord's coming? Did you kind of look at the clock and wish well, I wish 5:00 would come and we would close our Bibles and go on down for supper? How about it tonight? Do you squirm when we speak about the coming of the Lord Jesus? Do you squirm when we quote a verse like this? When once the master of the house hath risen up and shut to the door? Then they'll become they'll come and they'll not.
And they'll say, Lord, Lord, open unto us.
Will that door ever be opened again? Never opened again. The opportunity is gone. The gospel messages no more. What about it? Tonight, I wonder. I want to challenge your heart. Tonight I want you to think about this. I wonder what would happen if the Lord Jesus were to come before 7:50 this evening.
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If he were to come in the next 7 minutes, where would you be? Would you be one of those who are changed in a moment and caught up to be with the Lord Jesus and to meet him in the air? Or would you be one who was left in these seats to look around mother and father gone, perhaps everyone else gone in the room and you left behind you who had a praying mother? You who had a praying faithful father.
And you're left behind. And you know what has taken place sometimes said that when Elijah was caught away to heaven and in a whirlwind, who was it that missed him? It wasn't, shall I say, the general public. It was the sons of the prophets.
Isn't that a solemn thing?
You, the son, the daughter of a Christian mother and father.
And you look around. You look around at an empty room, at empty seats, at empty chairs. You'll pardon another personal experience, but I remember returning from Newfoundland some years ago, and a brother had very kindly offered to drive me to the airport in Stephenville from Corner Brook, which is about an hour's drive. And someone else came along with us, another brother. And so there were three of us.
And I said to this brother that had offered to take me to the airport, I said, well, I usually like to leave plenty of time.
Especially when we have a long drive like this. And so he quite agreed with me and we left in plenty of time to catch my flight. And we were whizzing down the highway and all of a sudden from underneath the vehicle we heard a loud bang. And you know what happened? And we knew immediately too. We'd had a flat tire and so we pulled over to the side. Well we thought 3 fellas, no problem to change a tire. We've got extra time and we can still make the flight.
So one of us jacked up the car. Another took the tire off. We put the spare tire on.
We let down the Jack and to our dismay, the tire we put on was just as flat as the one we had taken off.
But you know, sometimes folks in Newfoundland carry tire pumps with them. And we thought, well, we can hail some cars and surely someone will have a tire pump. The brother whose car it was said it must be just a slow leak. It's been in the car, the trunk all went winter and we can pump it up and we can still get to the airport. We began to hail the traffic as it went by. No one had a tire pump. I kept watching the clock as the hands of my watch move slowly around to the hour of departure. Finally we were able to obtain a pump and we worked the three of us as fast as we could.
We got that tire pumped up to what I felt was a safe level. We jumped in the car and that brother drove as fast as he dared while I held on to the dashboard.
I realized we were 15, already 15 minutes late for the flight. But it's just a small airport in Stephenville. And as we pulled up to the traffic light at the entrance gate, one of them who was with me said there's the tail of your plane, it's still here. And as we stopped for that red light, I watched the tale of that plane turn as that plane began to taxi out to take off for Ottawa. I don't know if you've ever had an experience like that, but it's an awful sinking feeling. I stood on the sidewalk and I watched that plane with an empty seat on it.
Go out and taxi down the runway. Turn around, Rev his engines and thrust and go into the air. Turn towards Ottawa.
I went into the ticket counter. The airport was pretty well empty by this time.
I said to the man behind the counter. I said I've missed my flight, haven't I? He said yes you have. He could see that my hands were black from changing a tire. I put my ticket on the counter and I said to him, can I get a flight tomorrow?
I'll never be able to describe what went through my heart as he looked at that ticket and handed it back and said your ticket is no good for tomorrow.
And as I stood there and looked into the face of that man, I thought of people.
Who have had opportunity?
To come to the Savior and they put it off and put it off and put it off, and finally the door is closed and there's no more opportunity.
Well, the story didn't end there. The man saw my distress and he saw that I had a legitimate excuse. He said something very interesting to me. He said, you know, I had a similar experience just a couple of weeks ago. He said I know what it's like. And so he said I will change your ticket and you can get a flight tomorrow and I won't charge you for an extra ticket. A 24 hour delay, a little inconvenience, but I did make it back to Smiths Falls.
00:45:24
But all again, I think of those who are left behind.
When the Lord Jesus comes, oh, there will be no second chance. There will be no more opportunity to come to the Savior. What did Zacchaeus do in response to the invitation of the Lord? He made haste and came down. Did he delay? Oh no. There's an invitation going out from the Savior tonight, and it's make haste. It's come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden. And I will give you rest.
You know, it's just as if the Lord Jesus tonight is bending low from heaven with his arms outstretched to pick you up in your need. Just like that's the man who lay in the ditch. The Samaritan came where he was, and he picked them up and he poured in oil and wine and he set them on his own beast and came, brought him to the end. Did the man have anything to do with his being picked up in that ditch? Did that man have anything to do with his being brought to a place of blessing? No. And you have nothing to do with your salvation tonight.
It's all been done. It's all been done. The work is complete. We present a Savior who died on Calvary's cross, shed His precious blood, but we present one who's living tonight. You know, sometimes I wonder when the gospel is preached, if we make enough of the resurrection, there's one who's living tonight, and he's presented to us as one who's at the right hand of God, one at the place of power.
And whose arm is not shortened that he cannot save. I know some of you have heard me tell this little story recently.
But, you know, I enjoyed reading about two missionaries who were over in India, I believe it was. And they were on one of the busy thoroughfares in one of the big cities in India. And down the street there came a great commotion and a great crowd of people. And when they made inquiry as to what was going on, they were told that a bone of Buddha had supposedly been found and it was being carried in a box down the road. And there was great rejoicing among these people as they followed this supposed bone of Buddha.
Down the road. And you know the two missionaries watched it for a while and then when they were alone, they talked over the incident. And you know they were struck with the contrast between what they had seen and what they said would have happened if supposedly a bone of the Lord Jesus had been found. Because they said it would not have caused great rejoicing amongst the Christians. It would have caused great sorrow to find a bone of Buddha and those followers of of Buddha rejoiced. But if a bone of Buddha, I speak carefully.
Are a bone of the Lord Jesus. I speak carefully. Was found supposedly found tonight. Would it cause great rejoicing amongst Christians? Oh no.
It would cause great sorrow, because it would be as it were the proof that the Lord Jesus hadn't bodily risen from the dead. But all I want to tell you tonight that the Lord Jesus came forth. The tomb is empty. Are there anymore glorious words than those that were spoken to those early at the sepulchre? He is not here. He has risen. Come see the place where the Lord lay. The Lord Jesus appeared to his own, and he said, handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bone as you see.
May have There is a savior tonight. And I suppose the fact that we present a risen savior tonight sets Christianity apart from all the other, shall I say, great religions that are preached and propagated in this world tonight. There's many people in this world tonight and they prayed to a dead man today. There's many people who have honored the tomb of someone who's in the grave tonight. But all we point to an empty sepulchre. We point to a risen savior because the resurrection.
The Ascension and the glorification of Christ are God's. Amen to the work of Calvary. They are the proof that God has been satisfied with what has was accomplished at Calvary's cross, and God has raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand. That's the precious Savior we present tonight. That's the precious Savior into whose face I'm going to look Perhaps this very evening. Perhaps this very evening. He's going to call us to himself, and we're going to look into his blessed face.
What about you tonight? Are you going to look into his blessed face in the Father's house?
00:50:03
Or are you going to wait for that time when you will look into his face, but you will see him not as a savior, but you will see him as a judge on the throne. And the books will be open so that there's no mistake about it. The books will be open and your name not found written in the Lamb's book of life.
You will be taken and bodily cast into the lake of fire forever and ever and ever. You know, when I arrived here yesterday afternoon, the clock in front of me and the clock behind me had not been put up yet. There was 1 clock in this room.
One clock in this room, it's over the door as you leave, and that clock has no hands. And you know, as I looked at that clock, I thought, isn't that what eternity is?
A clock with no hands. You know, for those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we've enjoyed these these happy 2 days of meetings. But you know we're governed by physical hindrances. We're governed by time. The meetings come to an end. If we're left here tomorrow, the meetings will come to an end and we will return to our homes. But all when we sit down. When we sit down around the Lord Jesus to enjoy Him for all eternity. When we're there with all the hindrances removed and we enjoy in a deeper and fuller way the unsearchable riches of Christ.
It'll be just like a clock with no hands. But you know, there's a solemn side to it too, because those who wind up in hell in the lake of fire will be there for as long as those of us who are in heaven are with the Lord Jesus. Now I think that's one of the most awful things about hell is that there's no hope. There's no hope. There are no clocks to tick by the hours. There are no calendars to check off the days.
Time means nothing, and forever and ever and ever. It will be the blackness of darkness forever, and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Well, very quickly we find that Zacchaeus comes down. And was he disappointed? Oh no, He received a real blessing. He received the Lord Jesus, and he received him joyfully. And I just picture he and the Lord Jesus going off to the House of Zacchaeus, and what happy communion they must have enjoyed that day as the Lord Jesus sat down in the home of Zacchaeus.
How many things the Lord Jesus must have had to tell Zacchaeus of the blessing that he had been brought into. We've enjoyed something of that at these meetings. We've had before us the blessings of salvation, the blessings of being in Christ and that which lies ahead at the end of the journey. Oh, what a day it was for Zacchaeus. It was a new beginning for this one who had received the Lord Jesus joyfully. What about you tonight? Are you going to make this a new beginning in your life when Israel was redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb?
The word to them was This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. They were no longer under the authority.
Of Pharaoh and of Egypt, a type of Satan in this world. They were brought into a place of blessing now, and God was going to provide for them and bless that people and bring them into the good of their inheritance. What about you tonight?
Are you saved tonight? You know, I wish I could save you tonight, but I can't.
I can't save you tonight. Only God can save your soul. But you know we have a precious verse to end here.
For the Son of Man, verse 10 is come to seek and to save.
That which is lost, You know there is someone here. There is someone tonight who has come to seek and save. He is seeking and saving tonight. Dwight Al Moody was preaching in the city of Chicago from this very story, and he felt that there had been perhaps little effect as he had tried to impress upon his hearers the importance of salvation and coming to the Savior. And as the service was drawing to a close, a young boy was brought to the platform.
This young boy had been separated from his father in the crowd of people. And so, Mr. Moody, seizing the opportunity, he picked up the young boy and he held him up for the crowd to see. And this boy seemed rather unconcerned as to the fact that he had been separated from his father. And so Mr. Moody said to the crowd that he said, there is a father in this crowd who is more anxious to find this boy than this boy is to find his father. The son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. He's seeking for you tonight.
He desires your blessing. Maybe there isn't an anxious thought in your heart tonight. I weep for you if there isn't. But I know one thing. God desires your blessing. I know one thing. The Lord Jesus came to seek and to save you, whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely. I like what a little girl said when she was asked the definition of whosoever will. She said Why that means you and me and everybody else. Isn't that nice? You and me and everybody else.
00:55:28
None excluded tonight. And you can't go out this room tonight and say the gospel wasn't for you. You can't go out of this room tonight and say the way of blessing, what isn't open for you? You can't go out of this room and say the gospel is not for me because the gospel is for you. Tonight. God's desire is for your blessing, just like he desired the blessing of this individual, this one in this vast crowded city. Zacchaeus singled out for blessing. So God tonight is singling you out for blessing. Are you going to come tonight? Just come to him, confess that you're a Sinner.
Accept God's offer of salvation, I said. Zacchaeus received him joyfully, but there was a greater joy. You know when you're saved, if you're saved tonight, there's going to be joy in your heart. But I tell you, there's going to be joy unparalleled in the presence of the angels of God. There will be joy beyond all joy. If you come as a repentant Sinner tonight, if you put your faith and trust in Jesus, it's true you will rejoice. But oh, there will be rejoicing in the presence of God tonight.
That's how much he desires your blessing. Come, don't stay away. The Lord Jesus is holding out his hands, saying, Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Let us pray. We thank the.