Gospel—G.H. Hayhoe
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Where there's love and light and song.
I'm turning to that father.
After you may now be home.
From 7 still Sunland of farmers.
Darling, neither.
To our Father's House of planting.
And the Father's welcome, Tom.
Come for tiny village gathering quickly.
Are the world's best pleasing day.
Here you linger till the darkness.
You will shortly miss your way.
I still waking sadly when it is.
Killed.
Our damned cars has run.
With his station son of a Beijing.
He's lost lingers for you.
Come for Angel hosts, are you saying?
Are their sights so strangely sad?
God.
Using.
To be made forever glad.
From the world lasting delusion.
All our voices rise as one.
While we shall gossip the patient.
And self reactors come.
Shall we ask the Lord's blessing and prayer?
Our blessed God and our Father, we look up to Thee and thank Thee for the privilege of announcing Thy wonderful love and thy way of sin.
Salvation to whosoever will we thank thee for thy long-suffering patience that still waits over the world that crucified thy Son, who set away with him. We will not have this man to reign over us, but oh our God, thy heart is still full of love and grace. Thou art not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And we pray tonight.
As the gospel message is sounded out.
That in my goodness, thou wilt speak to hearts and consciences, that if there are those here tonight.
Who do not yet know thee is Lord and Savior, that they might be drawn to thee by those cords of love.
They might see their need and that they might receive the Lord Jesus while it's still a day of Thy grace. We thank Thee for the privilege of telling out the message, and we pray that it might indeed be in simplicity and sincerity. We ask Thee for Thy help and guidance. We commend the time to Thee and give thanks in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I'd like to read first of all two passages first in Proverbs chapter 8, Proverbs chapter 8, and verse 6.
Here, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things. Then if you'll turn to Jeremiah chapter 12.
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And verse 15.
Hear ye and give ear, be not proud, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he caused darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains. And while he looked for light, he turned it into the shadow of death. And make it gross darkness. But if he will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride.
And mine eyes shall weep sore and rundown with tears, because the Lords flock is carried away captive.
Well, dear friends, tonight this is a gospel meeting and the word gospel means good news. It's the telling forth of the heart of God. It's His love to those who are still in their sins, His willingness to bless, His desire that you might be saved. That's the purpose of this meeting. And I just like, with the Lord's help, to look at different scriptures that tell us about ways that God uses in speaking.
Because, you know, He desires to have our ear. He wants us to listen in order that we might be blessed. And so He has told us very many different ways how He speaks through creation, through conscience, through troubles, through all kinds of things that God uses because he wants to get your ear so that he can bless you.
You know, the very first words that God spoke after sin entered this world are these.
Adam, where art thou? That is, God became a seeking God.
And he has been seeking man ever since. Many of us in this room rejoice that he has found us with some of us. He sought us for a long time. We wouldn't listen to His entreaties of love. But he didn't give up on us. He kept on like the shepherd. He sought the sheep until he found it. And he has different ways of speaking, dear friends. And I hope tonight that you'll hear His voice.
He wants to tell you of right things. He wants to tell you of good things.
He wants to bless you, you know. And sin entered this world. It became spoiled. And all around us we see the sad results of sin. One time I was in a large audience like this and I heard a brother say, supposing everybody in this room started to tell us of the troubles that they had had in life, He said what a tale of woe and sorrow it would be. It would be almost.
Unbearable to listen to a few 100 people.
Tell about their troubles and their sorrows. And friends, the world is full of it. This world has been spoiled by sin, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. So death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, and all the tears and the sorrows that are here. But to me, brethren, the wonderful thing is just this, that when sin entered this world and spoiled it.
God said I love my creature so much that I'm going to provide a better place than what he spoiled. I'm going to open the door of heaven and invite him there, and I'm going to provide a way that he can be there at no cost to himself. And friends, that's just the gospel.
Your life has been spoiled with sin, I'm sure. I'm sure that if you alone were to tell some of the troubles and sorrows that you had had, why it wouldn't be a very pleasant thing to repeat. But all how wonderful God tonight, friend, is inviting you to a place that you can't spoil. The cost was great to Himself.
He could create this world by just speaking. He spake, and it was done.
He commanded and it stood fast. He only had to speak the Word, and this world came into existence. But in order to fit you or I for heaven, in order that we could be in those courts of glory where God Himself shall wipe away all tears, where there will be no more sadness, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, His blessed Son, God's beloved Son, had to go to Calvary.
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Had to take the place of the Sinner and bear the judgment of God before.
He could open the door of heaven to sinners like you and I God is light and God is love. He hates sin, but He loves the Sinner. And so tonight, as I say, I just like to speak tonight about some of those instances in God's Word where we see the different ways in which He speaks. Surely they are excellent things as He tells us what He desires for you.
This afternoon, our brothers spoke of the glorious future that's ahead for the believer.
How wonderful to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, to know that we're going to be in that home. I've sometimes thought how wonderful it'll be. I can hardly imagine it that everybody I meet in that glory and say, well, how did things go today? There will be no complaints. Everything will be perfect. No one will have any tears. However, things yesterday and how will they be tomorrow?
Friends, that's the home that the Lord is inviting you to.
But if you choose to go on in your sins, then instead of being your savior, he will have to be your judge. The one who tonight is saying, come unto me will another day assume another character. He'll have to take the place of being your judge. And instead of receiving you into those courts of glory, to say, depart from me. And this gospel meeting is a tremendously important thing because you know.
If it was a political meeting, you might be interested in politics. If it had to do with financial matters, it might have a great interest to you. But your soul is worth more than this whole world. What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Well, here in Jeremiah the prophet says.
Hear ye and give ear. Be not proud.
The Lord has spoken. Are you going to be proud and harden your heart against your Maker who hath hardened his heart against him and hath prospered friends, if you harden your heart against him, as the Prophet could say here, he said, I'll just have to weep in secret places for your pride. And I see my blessed Savior when he was here upon earth with his heart full of love and grace, healing the sick, cleansing the leper.
Blind eyes on his way to Calvary, and then at the end of his life, being so rejected and not wanted by those he had come to bless, he stands above that city of Jerusalem. And it says He beheld it. And he wept over it, and said, If thou even thou only have known the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from mine eyes.
Oh friends, the things that belong to you, if you will receive Christ, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Are you going to say no to them all? Are you going to listen to the devil's lie and reject the Savior? They often say, What have you got to lose by receiving the Lord Jesus? Your sins? Won't you be glad to get rid of them? And what will you gain? Everything that's worthwhile for time and for eternity. I've known the Lord Jesus as my Savior for many years.
And even though there have been ups and downs in life, I wouldn't trade places with anybody in this world.
That doesn't know the Savior, friends, He is his friend for this world and for all eternity. Oh, if you'd only know His love. As another has said, you couldn't help but trust him if you knew him. But you don't know him, and Satan is doing his best to keep you from knowing him too. Well. I'd like to look at a few scriptures that show us the different ways. Let's turn to Romans chapter one.
Verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his.
Eternal God, power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. Neither we're thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Well, this I perhaps could speak of as the first testimony that God gives to man, and that is the testimony of His creation.
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It says in the 19th Psalm there's no speech in their language where their voice is not heard.
You can go to the darkest place in Africa, or you can go to India, or you can go to South America and all have this wonderful testimony from God. He left not himself without witness that he did good, sending rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling men's hearts with food and gladness. Think of this wonderful creation. As someone else has said, God could have made your food all taste alike, but He's given.
A lot of variety so that we can enjoy eating. He could have made this world all one color and it would have been drab, but he's made an endless supply of color, beautiful flowers and everything. He set the stars up above so we can look up and see them there. His mighty handiwork to declare the glory of God. And are you living in a world like this and say I'm not interested in knowing anything about my creator and you're inventing an idea that.
All just flew into place without the hand of a Creator because you don't want to have to do with him. You don't want to meet him, and yet He wants to meet you. And he's seeking you, my friend. He's seeking you in love. He's seeking you to bless you, not to punish you. Indeed, He's seeking you so that you wouldn't have to be punished for your sins, but that you might be saved. And I asked you, how are you using your creation, the his creation?
Are you just enjoying all those wonderful things of His creation and forgetting about the Creator and giving him no glory? You sit down and eat your food without ever giving Him thanks. You use your body as you like, and if anybody tells you you're dishonouring God in the way you use your body, you say it's none of their business. But God is the one to whom you're responsible. And if you read on in this first chapter.
It tells about how men abused their bodies and dishonored them.
And yet they were the handy work of God. They used their souls, their affections in all kinds of vile ways. And then they allowed their imagination to go out. And they'd rather have a philosophy, They'd rather have an idol. They'd rather have anything than the true knowledge of God. And when they did receive it, they turned their back upon it. Oh, friends, did God give up? Oh no.
He's still in his wondrous grace seeks man.
Seeks His blessing. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save. And that which is lost. Are you living in a world with all these wonders of God's creation and trying to find some other way than having to do with your Creator? You don't want to recognize Him, so you try to invent some way to do away with Him. Oh, I say, as it says in the 22nd chapter of Job.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace.
Thereby could shall come of it. I am glad I have become acquainted with my Creator.
I know him as my father, as the one who sent his son to die for me. Oh how blessed God has made himself known. Couple of men were standing on the side of a ship looking over admiring the sunset and one said to the other, Isn't it wonderful just to look at a sunset at sea? It's so beautiful.
The other one said, oh, I know something more wonderful than that.
I know the person who made the sun. I know his love, I know his grace. I know Christ as my Savior. Friend, You say, well, I admire the creation, but I don't want the Creator. And he still seeks you, my friend. He still after you. He brought you to this gospel meeting tonight, perhaps so that you'd become acquainted with him, so that you would get to know him as a Savior God, one who is able to.
Away your sins and fit you, so you can be in that home above that can't be spoiled by sin. For this wonderful world is one of the poets wrote, where every prospect pleases, and only man is vile. Man spoils it all, in spite of all the wonders of God's creation. Are you despising the testimony that He gives you as in creation, and just using your spirit and your soul and your body?
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Exactly the way you like, with no reference to your Creator. Well, He still loves you. He still seeks you, my friend, and He wants you to be blessed. Turn over to the second chapter in the 14th verse.
For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing them with us, and their thoughts, the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. Here we find there's another testimony from God, and that is.
Conscience.
Conscience. Every man, whether he's seen a Bible or not, has a conscience and knows that he has sinned. He knows that he is guilty. He may not know how guilty he is, but he still knows that he's guilty. So he invents some way of trying to save his conscience some way. Are you trying to do that? Some way of saving your conscience? Perhaps you think that religion will take care of that.
But friend, it's Christ that you need. Perhaps because you have a guilt complex, you go to a psychiatrist to help get rid of that guilt complex instead of coming to the Savior and having your sins washed away in His precious blood. The devil has all kinds of excuses, you know, and whenever your mind gets troubled. The lady was invited to come to the gospel meeting, and she said no thanks. It makes me feel too guilty.
All dear friends, the purpose of the gospel meeting is.
So that your guilt would be gone in the blood and that you'd have peace. But she preferred to turn to somebody else to get rid of her guilt complex instead of turning to the Savior whose precious blood cleanses from all sin. Oh, how wonderful those words, friends. I hope they're precious to you. One dear old preacher who was dying, someone said to him on his death.
Bad you have any doubts now? And he said I have no doubts about the value of the blood of Christ. A little boy who was a 7 years old and the doctor told his father that he was going to die. The father was quite concerned and he at last broke the news to the little boy that said that he didn't expect him to recover. And his father said but you haven't got very many sins, you're just a little boy.
The little boy looked up.
With a smile on his face, he said, Daddy, I have no sins. His father said, well, not very many. He said, Daddy, I have none. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. Isn't that better than trying to get rid of your guilt complex?
Isn't that better than trying to, some way or other forget your sins? It says in the Book of Job that if I try and forget my trouble, He'll plunge me into the ditch and I'll be all covered in mud. And dear friends, isn't it true that the more you try to get rid of it, the worse it seems to come until you throw up your hands? You don't need to. The Savior invites you. He gave you that conscience as a link with Him so that you'd feel what was hindering.
From being blessed and that you'd come to the Savior and be pardoned and be saved. So God speaks in through conscience. He surrounds you with all the wonders of his creation, and then he speaks to you through your conscience. It's interesting that both of these have the message from God quite apart from the Bible, because I've heard people say, well, what about the heathen? What about the heathen?
But God gives them those two testimonies. They have creation.
They have the testimony of their conscience. And because the heart of man is so hard, you know, I remember our brother who labored down in Bolivia telling on time that when he went down to Bolivia that as far as he knew, the infant mortality rate in Bolivia was over 60%.
That is, of all the babies born in Bolivia, about 60 of them died before they grew up at all just.
When they were tiny babies and I thought, isn't that wonderful? If we're not sending the gospel to those people? God has his own way of taking people to heaven, right from Bolivia. There may be more people going from those heathen countries up to heaven than from enlightened America. Because you know, where we've learned to value human life. Then we grow up and come to the age of responsibility.
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A baby who dies below the age of accountability goes to heaven because Jesus died.
But you who are older and able to express your own will, what are you saying to Jesus?
Are you saying no I won't have him or friend? How sad it is.
God, in His goodness and in His grace is still doing what is right. He's blessing, He's saving. He gives a testimony to man. I say, what are you doing about His testimony? You trying to deny the facts of creation? Are you trying to quiet your conscience without the blood?
Oh, don't try any longer. Come to the Savior tonight. His blood will cleanse you.
And you will go out of this room with peace in your heart. Peace. It says He made peace through the blood of his cross. It says in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Well, let's turn over to Job and we'll see other ways that God speaks. Job chapter 33.
Chapter 33 Verse.
Verse nine. I am clean without transgression. I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he findeth occasions against me. He counteth me for his enemy. He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketeth all my paths. Behold, in this thou art not just. I will answer thee that God is greater than man.
Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account.
Of any of his matters, how many people you've heard say, what have I done? What did I do to deserve this? Why did this happen to me? Well, what they're really saying is I'm not a Sinner. I didn't deserve any punishment from God. But God has a record. Every idle word that man shall speak, he shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding.
Evil and the good, that darkness and the light are both alike to him. And the psalmist said, Thou hast set my secret sins in the light of thy countenance. You can't hide anything from God. Are you striving against Him? Why do you strive against him? He wants to bless you. He wants to save you.
Saul of Tarsus was kicking against the ******.
In his grace was following him. He kept the clothes of those who stoned Stephen. But God didn't give up. And he kept on until finally that light above the brightness of the sun shone down upon him and told him that he was just kicking against the ****** of his conscience, fighting against God. But God was seeking his blessing, and he found the Lord, or the Lord found him.
Oh, what a moment that was.
Yes. And so I beseech you tonight to not take that attitude towards your Creator. He wants to bless you, He wants to save you. He doesn't want to be your judge, He wants to be your Savior. So notice what it says here, the 14th verse. For God speaketh once, yeah, twice. Yet man perceiveth it not.
In a dream, in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slum rings upon the bed, Then he opened the ears of men.
And sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose.
And hide pride from man.
Well, here's another way God often speaks. He often speaks through dreams. I've met quite a number of people. I've met boys and girls that have said no, I was saved because one night I had a dream and I thought the Lord had come and left me behind. My Sunday school teacher, when I was a boy, told me that that was how he got saved himself.
He said he had a dream, he thought he was left behind, that he opened his Bible.
And read that verse in Proverbs one, because I have called and ye have refused.
I stretch forth my hand, and no man regarded. I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh. And he really shook. And the Lord used it to bring him to himself. Oh, you say they've done a lot of research on dreams. Yeah. The devil doesn't want you to hear the voice of God. He's going to do everything he can. If you look at creation, he'll try and deny that.
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If your conscience bothers you, he will have some other way of trying quiet your conscience other than the blood. If you have a dream that God speaks to you, he'll do his best to try and get you reading something. A little research on dreams and everything to try to do away and hinder you from hearing the voice of God. Isn't that a very gentle way? I always enjoy this chapter because it talks about other things that God what uses.
To us. But the first one is something so gentle. A dream may not be pleasant, but at least it's not painful. I've had bad dreams and then wakened up to find they're not true. And how glad I was. And so a dream is a warning, friends from God. And so I ask you tonight if God has spoken to you, Perhaps some of you boys.
Perhaps some of you girls, perhaps you. I know another man. He's now with the Lord in glory.
And he had a dream that he attended his own funeral. And he said, I knew I wasn't ready, but he said I was terrified when I thought, here I am. It's not my friend that's died, it's me. And they're carrying me down to bury me. He woke up, found, thank God it wasn't true, but he turned to the Lord.
Put his trust in the Lord Jesus. Friends, God speaks in different ways. He said, Adam, where art thou? Jesus said, come unto me. He says here, for I will speak of excellent things he said here, and don't be proud because I it's the Lord that's speaking and I ask you, are you hearing his voice?
Well, you say, I don't know whether I heard his voice in the dream. Listen to what it goes on to say.
In the 17th verse, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. You know what is man's purpose? Usually just to go on in life his own way. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Yes, the natural purpose of man.
Children would just love it if parents would just let them do what they liked, but you know, that would be the worst thing possible to lead them to do just what they like. I'm glad the Lord didn't leave me to do just what I like because I would have just gone on down the Broad Rd. I'm glad he arrested me. And perhaps somebody here tonight will say, like I heard a young man say at a gospel meeting some years ago, he said to the friend who brought him he.
Glad you dragged me to this meeting. He didn't want to come, but he heard the voice of God and he got saved. And perhaps the Lord has brought you here for a purpose of blessing too, that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride. Are you so proud that you won't hear the voice of God? You're afraid to let a friend see you? Shed a tear. Friend, I want to tell you this.
You die in your sins. Your friends will see your tears.
In hell there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. And it won't come to an end either in that awful place. I hope you won't be there. And God doesn't want you to be there. That's why he's speaking to you tonight. He doesn't want you to go on in pride. He doesn't want you to go on in your own way. And it says in the 18th verse.
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. Seems to me that that refers how.
God often brings you into perhaps a very serious accident and then spares your life. Perhaps I'm talking to someone here and you were just a moment, just a moment between you and death. You were in an accident and when they came to.
See what had happened? They just marvelled that you were alive and God spared your life because He wanted to give you another opportunity.
Are you going to be indifferent to? It was a man that I knew and he had a little testament that he showed me. He had it in his tunic pocket in the war and he pulled out this when I was visiting in his home. He had he was at home and he pulled out his drawer and he said, I want to show you something. And he had this testament and he said that was right in my tuna pocket, right over my heart, he said.
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See that bullet mark? He said. That testament saved my life.
I looked at it and the bullet went right through right to the 22nd chapter of Revelation and staff to the verse.
Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely, I said, Mr. Burnett, and are you saved? He said no, No.
God saved his life, but he rejected the Savior and as far as I know he went on that way.
My dear friend, maybe you've had a narrow escape. God has kept you from perishing with a sword. God has saved you from going into a lost eternity.
And you, maybe you're still going on, indifferent and careless, just saying to your friends, oh, it was just my good luck.
That I didn't get killed in that accident. It wasn't good luck, friend. It was the goodness of God, the goodness of God that spared your life so that you'd have another opportunity perhaps. So you'd be in this gospel meeting tonight and open your heart and receive the Lord Jesus and then you will thank him. You will thank him that he spared your life and gave you this opportunity.
So here he speaks through dreams. People don't listen. He speaks a little louder. They're in a serious accident, close to death. Their life is saved.
And do they hear his voice? God speaketh once, yay twice. Yet man perceiveth it not. He says, oh it was just luck, just that I it wasn't my time to go all friend. It was the voice of God. The Lorde voice crieth unto the city.
The man of wisdom shall see thy name, hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it?
He speaks through sickness. Notice the 19th verse. He has chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain, so that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. His flesh is consumed the way that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yeah, his soul draws near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
God speaks through sickness.
Just before I left to come on this trip, I had the pleasure of going to the hospital and visiting a man who don't even say for three months.
He was apparently in good health and his wife enjoying what men would say, a good time as far as this world is concerned, living in his sins. And then he got an incurable disease. He went to the doctor and the doctor told him, I'm afraid we can perhaps delay things a little bit, but I'm afraid that we can't spare your life.
He knew it was the death sentence, so to speak, and he knew he wasn't ready.
And God, in his goodness and mercy, spoke to his soul, and he was brought to know the Lord Jesus. It was a happy experience to visit him. He was glad that that sorrow had come in his life. God didn't want to have to speak to him that way, but he had spurned everything else. And at last God brings him right as it tells us here, right down to the point where he knew that his life was having a way. And he had.
Opened his heart and heard the voice of the Savior put his trust in him. His wife was sitting there. She'd been brought to the Lord through too. And I'm sure that when I meet that man in glory, because I am going to meet him in glory, He's going to say Gordon. I'm so glad that the Lord put his hand upon me. I wouldn't listen in any other way, but He brought me to Himself.
I talked to a man some years ago down in Kentucky.
Sitting in a wheelchair with a broken back. And this was his comment to me. He said God had to break my back to save my soul. And there he sat in that wheelchair singing the Lord's praises like someone wrote a little poem. A shattered wreck of my enjoying now a chair to sit and sing the whole day long to him who placed me there.
Content a shattered wreck to be, because my God it pleased with thee.
Going to wait and reject him until he has to speak louder and louder.
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He speaks in creation all the wonderful things, the good things that he gives you. He gives you a conscience and you try to dull your conscience or sear it. He speaks you in a dream and you say, well, I have to do some research about that. So then he scares your life and you say, oh, that was my good luck. And then you get sick. Are you still going to refuse his loving voice?
He is still going to say no to the Savior. Notice what it says here in this 23rd verse. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one another thousand, to show unto his, unto man his uprightness, then He is gracious unto Him, and Seth deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom.
His flesh will be fresher than the child's. He shall return to the days of his youth. He will shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy, for he will render unto man his righteousness. He looketh upon man. And if any say, I have sinned and perverted that which is right, and it profiteth me not, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
Lo, all these things worketh God, oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
Well, here's the other way. God has a messenger, a messenger. And what does this messenger say? Turn over a new leaf and try and do better. Keep your chin up and don't feel too down. Oh no, the true messenger doesn't do that. The true messenger tells the person to be upright, to tell God just what he is.
So not to say I'm going to turn over a new life because a new leaf, because turning over a new leaf will never remove the past.
It says, you know, God requires that which is past. A man 80 years old told me, he said when I was young I lived a sinful, wicked life. But I think I've lived a pretty good life for quite a few years. Do you think God will forget the past? Said no, not unless it's under the blood. Not unless it's under the blood. Oh no, my friend, it's no use. And I wouldn't be a faithful messenger if I stood here and said.
Just turn over a new leaf and live better and join a church and do some good deeds. It'll help outweigh the bad ones on all friends. What is the upright thing for you to do to look up to God and acknowledge what you really are? Tell Him that you have sinned. That's what God is listening for. Two men went up into the temple to pray.
The one man told God what a good man he was, that he was better than most of his fellow men.
And nothing happened because God knew all about him. But the other man says he wouldn't lift up his eyes to heaven. He just smiled on his breast and said, God, be merciful to me. A Sinner friend, will you take your place as a Sinner tonight? Will you just acknowledge that you're what God says you are, a Sinner, a lost Sinner, and your road to a lost eternity to be banished from his presence? Oh, you say, I don't like that. I don't like to.
I think I'm not as bad as other people, but friends, why compare yourself with other people? It says they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. Be just comparing yourself with another. What good would it be for two men in jail to compare themselves one with the other?
They're both there bearing the penalty of their crime. No use comparing themselves with the other man and friend. There's no use doing that.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We just acknowledge this to God. He's listening to hear you say this tonight. Have you ever said it? King Saul said it to David one time. He said it to Samuel one time, but he never said it to the Lord. And maybe you say, well, I know I've told other people. I know I'm not perfect. Friends, have you ever got into the presence of God and told God that?
Sinner, you are a lost Sinner on your road to hell. Have you taken that place, friends? That's what repentance is. That's what repentance is. Do you know what repentance means? Repentance is a change of mind. And I want to tell you this, that you've got wrong thoughts about two things. You've got wrong thoughts about God and you've got wrong thoughts about yourself. If you're not saved, you don't know how much God loves you, and you don't know how holy He is if you're not saved.
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And you think you're not as bad as God says you are until you believe what he says?
And repentance is that someone has said to take sides with God against yourself, to acknowledge that what God says about you is true. When you go to the doctor, you know the doctor can diagnose your condition. You go to him because he knows more than you. And I went to God and he knew more than I did because I've forgotten some of my sins, but God hasn't until I accepted the Lord Jesus, and then he could say.
There are sins and iniquities. Will I remember no more? Dear brother used to say the work of Calvary has affected the memory of God. What a grand thing it is to know that God can blot out your sins and put them all away in that precious blood. Well, the messenger tells him that it says.
The Lord says I have found a ransom. Friends, you don't have to find a ransom. God found it. You know who it was, was his own son says in Timothy he gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. The Lord Jesus came down and you say, well I'm going to try and do the best I can, but God rendered to me his righteousness.
My own, the brother said. My own was only filthy rags.
But God rendered to me his righteousness, and listen to this lovely verse. He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. If you will take your place as a Sinner, God will place you in Christ, and Christ himself will be your righteousness.
Then you can say, as it says in the Epistle of John, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.
Because as he is, so are we in this world. And so you can know that. You can know that blessed assurance for yourself. And so it says.
All these things worketh God, oftentimes with man friends. I'm nothing myself but a Sinner saved by grace. God speaks, as it says, in different ways. I have the privilege to be a messenger for him to bring his message to you and to tell you.
That he loves you, that he has found the ransom that your soul needs, says he gave himself a ransom for all that precious Savior was a ransom. He paid the price and he paid it in full. And now when you come to the Savior, will you receive him? Well, let's turn over to Hebrews chapter one and.
Hebrews chapter one.
First, one God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time passed under the fathers by the prophets.
Have in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the world's, Who, being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins.
Sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Well, as I said, friends, I'm just a poor messenger at best. But God spoke by his Son. The Son of God came down into this world, that one who always did his Father's will and walked through this world perfectly. And all his heart was so full of kindness that he healed a second. He cleansed the lepers, and he opened the blind eyes.
And then he went to Calvary, and by himself purged our sins. Oh, there's none less than God's beloved Son who could meet the claims of a holy God and become your Savior and mine. Oh, friend, I ask you, God is speaking to you tonight through his son. I'm just a poor, feeble messenger, but God's Son came into this world.
The manager in the place where I used to work.
And tried to say a little feeble testimony to him about the Lord. He said, you know, I'm interested in what's going on in the world today. I'm not interested in what happened 2000 years ago. I said 2000 years ago the creator of this world came down, walked through this world. That was the most important time of its history. And friend, that Savior went to Calvary.
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By himself purged our sins.
Oh, surely God has accepted the work that He has done. If I tried to do it, it would be imperfect because I'm an imperfect person. But my salvation was accomplished by God's own Son, and he died for our sins. He was buried, He rose again. He's at the right hand of God. And as I stand here talking to you, there's a living Savior, and it says Christ died for our sins. He was buried, He rose.
The third day, and there he is. God has exalted him to his right hand, as the Scripture says, to be a Prince and a savior. He wants to be your savior tonight. He wants to be your savior. God spoke through the prophets. He speaks through poor creatures like me, but he spoke by his Son. You look at me and you say, Oh yes, I know preachers and they're not perfect. That's true.
But I'm not trying to sell myself to you or present myself to you.
One time in the DL, Moody was walking along the street and there was a man and he was drunk by the side of the street and someone said, Moody, there's one of your converts. He said he looks like one of my converts. Dear friends, when God saves a man, he saves his soul. He's able to save and he's able to keep what a Savior he is. Yes, we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves.
Your servants, for Jesus sake. Well then it tells us too in John chapter 16. John chapter 16.
In the seventh verse, nevertheless, I tell you the truth, It is expedient for you that I go away, right? If I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you, and when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin.
And of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they believe not on me. Of righteousness because I go to my Father and you see me no more. Of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged.
And the Lord Jesus had accomplished redemption. He went back to glory. He seated at the right hand of God, and he sent down the Holy Spirit. And for those of us who are believers, he sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. He's our comforter. He abides with us forever. He'll never leave one of his own. But to the world, He's something else. He's a reprover.
A teacher asked her girl and son of the girls in the Sunday school class to read.
This chapter and I asked them what they had learned about the Holy Spirit. One of them who was not a believer. He said he's not a comforter to me. He reproves me and friend. Perhaps the Spirit of God is speaking to your heart tonight. The scripture says my spirit shall not always strive with man. And if tonight.
He's catching a hold of your coat sleeve, as it were, and saying, won't you come?
If you feel inside that the Spirit of God is stirring a feeling, are you going to?
Spurn those strivings of the Spirit of God as he speaks to you of righteousness and of sin and of judgment to come, and you say I won't listen. I won't listen. Oh, I plead with you tonight.
While the Spirit strives, yield and take your place at the side of the Savior.
He may not always strive with you, He may not always. I heard a man, his wife told me that after the gospel meeting, he made this comment to to his wife who was a believer. He said he almost got me tonight and yet he went out unsaved old friends, I plead with you, don't go out of this room refusing all these different ways that God speaks. He loves your soul.
He couldn't do more to win your heart than he has already done.
He couldn't have done more to meet your need than He has already done. Because let me say it again, the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. And tonight you can come. Tonight you can know Him in a new way. Know the Spirit of God, not just as a reprover who makes you uneasy about your sins.
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But who sheds abroad? The love of God in your heart fills you with gladness and rejoicing.
That you can sing like the young people do. You ask me why I'm happy and I'll just tell you why.
Because my sins are gone. Oh friend, are you going to say no to the Savior? Perhaps in some way we've learned tonight the different ways that God speaks. And yet how many are still refusing God, beseeching man, refusing to be made forever glad? The last chapter in the Bible, God couldn't close his word without saying.
And not him, not hear us say come, let him. That is a first come.
And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely, God couldn't close his word without giving a last invitation. Oh, what wonderful grace, my friend. But I, I must say that if you refuse all these ways that he speaks, the very one who tonight is saying, come, who's putting, as it were, his arm upon you and saying, won't you come?
We'll have to say that the Great White Throne.
Or in that awful day of judgment, depart from me. He cursed into everlasting fire. You're making a choice tonight, my friend. You may say, well, I'm not. I'll think it over. But you are making a choice. You're either an acceptor or a neglector or a rejector. A friend. Which is it going to be with you? I remember talking to some children.
School a good many years ago and I spoke about those 3 verses. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
Now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him. So I said, everybody here is either an acceptor, or a rejector, or a neglector.
And I was glad when one girl raised her hand and she said I'll be an acceptor. I hadn't met that girl for many years and just a very short time ago I met her and I was so glad to find it was real. She had truly received the Lord Jesus as her Savior that night in the little hobby class. Oh friend, will you be an acceptor tonight?
God is going to record your answer inherits judgment, Hall, it was said.
What shall I then do with Jesus, which is called Christ and God records the answer. I hope your answer will be I'll take him tonight as my Savior.