Gospel—N. Hiebert
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To extend a very warm welcome to everyone that's come to the Gospel meeting this evening.
The gospel meeting is important not because of who is speaking, but because of what we have to speak from the Bible, the Word of God.
Perhaps each one of this room has heard the gospel message many times before. We're going to present it again because someone said to me, this may be the last gospel meeting that will be preached. And if that soul, then it's very important that we all pay close attention to what God has to say to us in His Word. So before we talk about the word that God has given, let's sing a song or two. The first one being #4.
Christ is the Savior of sinners. Christ is the Savior for me. Long I was chained in sins darkness. Now by his grace I am free Savior of sinners, Savior of sinners like me, shedding his blood for my ransom. This is the Savior for me now. I trust as you sing it you will listen or read carefully those words.
And determine if you can see them honestly. Let's stand and sing #4.
Christ is the Savior of sinners. Christ is the Savior for me. Long I was king. This is darkness now by heavy rains. I like it. Save your heart, swimmer.
Now I can say.
My blessed British me for every forever. This is my life, this is the day.
Now there is no reason.
For the day.
Say.
Sir, I say everybody.
One hour.
Found for the children I only see one young person up here, but I think there's a few more out there that would enjoy singing a song for the children. How about #47 #47 when he cometh. When he cometh to make up his jewels, All his jewels, precious jewels, his loved and his own. Like the stars of the morning, his bright crown adorning, they shall shine in his beauty.
Bright gems for his crown.
Let's remain seated and sing #47 when he comment, when he come.
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The morning his right on our.
He will die. He will die.
What stands for His Kingdom? All the faith. You want all the faith.
I'm hungry here right now.
Morning place outside.
Little children, little children.
Her mother are the two well rested jewel his love and.
The stars love the horn. Good morning, his life.
Can we turn together, please, to the to Acts chapter 12? Acts chapter 12. We'll read a few verses.
Acts, chapter 12, verse one. Matthew, Mark. Luke. John. Acts chapter 12, verse one. Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church, and he killed James the brother of John, with a sword, and because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.
Then were the days of unleavened bread, and when he had apprehended him.
He put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers.
Bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the Angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison. And he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly.
And his chains fell off from his hands. And the Angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did, and he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out and followed him, and whisked not that it was true which was done by the Angel, but thought he saw a vision when they were past the 1St and the 2nd Ward.
They came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord.
And they went out and passed on through one street, and forthwith the Angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord has sent his Angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the House of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
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And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even sold. Then said they, It is his.
Angel. It is his Angel. Now I would like to look at a few verses that have the keyword that I was thinking of tonight, and I've jotted down a little note at a prayer meeting. Yet last night when our brother Ron prayed, he said something like this. Voices in the world that cause confusion. Voices in the world that cause confusion. I would like to pick up the rest of what he said.
But it hit me, the voices that are about us, that are causing confusion and buying for our time, claiming for our attention. There are many voices among us. There are many voices I should say. I want you to come this way. I want you to come that way tonight. I want you to look up and look to see what the Lord Jesus Christ has for you. Don't be concerned about those sitting beside you with this particular moment. I want you to look to what God has in His Word and to look to the Lord Jesus Christ of whom we will be trying to speak of a little bit.
This evening we begin this chapter where it says now about that time.
Here the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church, and he killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. Now we see about us a lot of things that vex us in our the city that we live close to. Just last week there was a young lady, 10 years of age, who disappeared Within 24 hours they found her that she had gone into eternity.
And the newspapers were covered with all the wonderful things that she did and was, her beautiful smile, her friends and so on and so forth. It was lovely what they said about this girl, and I trust it was true. But you know something? All those things and this wrenched at our hearts as we thought about the person who would do such an awful thing to kill a young girl. It just hurt us immensely.
And those poor parents and the three siblings, as they considered that their sister was gone, their daughter was gone into eternity. She was 10 years of age. Now, I don't know how many 10 year olds there are in this room tonight, but I want to say to you that the devil is trying to get you. He's going to vex you. He wants to take you. And if he can take your life, that is the end of the road for you.
But, you know, if I should die here on this platform tonight, it would be the beginning of life for me because when I was a young child, there was an aunt of mine who faithfully presented the Lord Jesus Christ in a story to me, and I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. That's a wonderful thing to know, the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. And tonight there are many in this room who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Now, there's a voice that's calling tonight, and I want to look at a few other voices that we have in various parts of the Scripture.
And I trust the Lord has put them on my heart. The first one is in Genesis chapter 27, and I should say the second one Genesis 27. And in verse 22 we read. And Jacob went, Oh, let's start verse 21. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father.
And he felt him and said, The voice hears the word voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he discerned that discern him not, because his hands were hairy. So his brother Issa's hands. So he blessed him. And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am all. We have a story in the early part of the Bible of deception.
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Of deception here was a young man that wanted the blessings that his father had to offer and with the aid of his mother they arranged a way in which they could do that. This father was very fond of good food and aren't we all we enjoy good food and he particularly enjoyed venison. And so he, the father said to his son, I want you to go and get the best deer that you can find. I want you to prepare the food and bring it to me. Well, you know there was the other son who said, well, I want that blessing and the mother was with him. I want that blessing. Now how many in this room want the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ If you want to get it through some other source.
You're not going to get it. God's Word says I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. There is no other way.
There is no other way. We hear it all the time today where people are saying, well, there's another way. There's another way of doing it. I heard a little story the other day. If someone said, well, if I struck a piece of gum in your face and I said you got gum in your face, he said when I don't believe it's there, I just don't believe it's there. It's not there at all. I'm, you know, you're just pretending.
Put your hand to your face, it's there. Take it off it's there. You have to do something now I say to you tonight you have to do something. You have to repent of your sins. There has to be an above face. It's not just something you can gloss over and say, well, I'm going to be, I'm going to have a new life. I'm going to start over again. No, God's word tells us all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Here was deception.
Here was a young man who came to his father, and the father says the voice doesn't sound right. And I want to say to you, my dear friends, tonight there are voices out there and some of them don't sound right. Some of them are not the truth of the word of God. They're false, they're counterfeit. Are you listening to them? Are you listening to them? May I suggest to you to listen to the word of God?
The Word of God is the truth.
I was talking to the gospel meeting a little smaller than this not so long ago.
And on this side of the stage, about four rows down, there was a young man sitting there and he was busy doing something else. And in my way, I tried to get his attention. It's tough to do when you're talking to a group. I try to get his attention. Couldn't do it. So after the meeting, I made a beeline over to him and said, you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
He said little bloom.
What does that mean? To me it meant no. There was number desire. It seemed he didn't want it. He rejected the word of God that was presented, not my words, the word of God that was read. He rejected it. Is there someone in the room tonight? I consulted with some tonight, young people who are in the know, young people who know what's going on. And without an exception, they all feel there are people sitting in this room tonight who are on the way to hell.
Not only to talk that way, it sounds angry.
I want you to take it as a warning. Hell is a real place. God's word tells us about hell many, many times. But God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And I don't want you to wait until the hour until you come to the Lord Jesus Christ. God's Word says now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Because there will come a day when the Lord Jesus will sit as a judge for those who have not accepted him as Savior, and he'll have to say, depart from me. Ye workers of iniquity. I never knew you well. Here was Isaac. Here was Isaac who loved his children. He loved his children. Come near, I pray thee. Come near, I pray thee.
I have five children, actually 10. They're all married, so there's ten of them. What's more wonderful to have them nearby, to have them with you and your grandchildren. Come here. I want to know that it's you. But Jesus is saying, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Oh, what a wonderful thing it is to know that your children belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. There isn't one parent in this room, I'm sure.
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That wouldn't want their children to be saved.
Dear young people and children.
You have been, you may have been able to pull the wool over your eye, over the eyes of maybe your family, but you know something, the Lord Jesus.
Knows exactly what's going on in your heart tonight. He knows whether you belong to him. Isaac didn't know who it was. He wanted his child dear to him.
He felt his arm, he said. The arm is that.
Of Esau.
But the voice is Jacob's.
Be careful what voice you're listening to. Let's go back to Acts chapter 12.
Verse three and because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter, although.
Then were the days of unleavened bread, and when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
The world loves to ridicule the Christian.
Young people, I know that. I've been to school. I know what it's like. You're ridiculed for your stand for the Lord Jesus Christ.
I know what it's like to be mocked in an office.
Where some would say if you want to have a revival meeting, go to somebody else's office.
I've said that many times about this fellow that I knew. He's an eternity now.
He's an eternity now. I don't know that he ever accepted Jesus as his savior. This is a serious issue that we talk about tonight. It's not something guys. It's not something we can fool around with.
It's not something we can fool around. This is serious stuff.
He wanted to put everybody in prison that spoke about Jesus, and here it says he took pleasure in taking Peter and he killed James.
The man of this world does not want religion.
And yet he wants a little bit of it.
What we have to offer is not religion, but the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because the Bible says the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. That is the word of God. That is the truth. That's what we're Speaking of tonight, the truth of the word of God. Now you know in Luke chapter 23 and verse 23, we have a number of voices that were very persuasive and let's read it 23rd chapter of Luke verse 23 and they were instant with loud voices.
Much louder than my voice, Loud voices requiring that he might be crucified.
And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed, and piloted sentence that it should be as they required. And He released unto them Him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison whom they had desired. But he delivered Jesus to their will.
Crucify him.
In about half an hour, there's going to be some noise starting up in this room.
And there's going to be a lot of people going out of the exits.
If there's someone that leaves this room tonight and still hasn't accepted Jesus as savior.
You're a murderer.
You say, isn't that a little tough? So the word of God says you're guilty of the murder of the Lord Jesus Christ and God will hold you accountable.
Will you dare to leave this room without accepting Jesus as Savior?
God's Word tells us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God sent not a son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Saved. Wouldn't you like to be saved, You know, a number of years ago?
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When I was still working, he's going back about 20 years, we were on a trip to Prince Edward Island and the host said we could go on a fishing trip. While I'd never been fishing in the Atlantic and I probably should never have gone. But we went out fishing in the Atlantic and we went way out until we couldn't see land anywhere except lots of water in the cold Atlantic off the East Coast of Canada. And while we're fishing, we noticed something different. There was a different tone to the motor on that boat.
And all of a sudden, it stopped. The next thing we noticed was the pilot saying mayday, mayday. What does that mean? What does that mean? Danger. We need help. We're three miles from the shore. Our engine's dead, and we're taking on water.
You know the end of the story because I'm here, but there was water coming in the boat and there we were with buckets trying to empty the boat.
We're from the Prairie, so, you know, a lot of water in the ocean isn't there. And we weren't just too sure what was going to happen. But, you know, it's a wonderful thing to be a Christian because you could pray.
Well, as it turned out, there was another boat about a mile away and he came to our rescue and we climbed over the side of the boat and we were rescued. We were saved, we were saved. We got to the shore. We didn't get any fish, but we got back to the shore safely tonight. There may not be any fish that will come as this gospel is preached, but I trust that the Word of God, as it is sown, as it is presented, will speak to you. Getting back to what these voices, they cried, crucify Him.
Crucify him. And I would hate to think that there is one boy, girl, young person, older one, who will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ have to say to him, you heard the gospel.
I don't know anything about you and I'm going to be turned into hell.
That is real today. The man of the world wants to try and smooth that over so it doesn't mean anything. The word hell is used so loosely.
Till nobody is even shocked at it, including many Christians aren't even shocked by the word hell.
But you know the devil is clever, and he wants you to become accustomed to all these words.
He wants you to become accustomed to the things that are happening here, and then you too will join in the chorus as they did here. Crucify Him. We're all guilty, but there's many in this room who've said I'm a Sinner, Lord Jesus, I'm a Sinner, save me. It's that simple.
It's that simple. Many of you have been broader than a Christian home. You have heard it, but you may not have done anything about it. Have you accepted Jesus as Savior? Is nothing as beautiful as to see your children and your grandchildren say I've accepted Jesus as my Savior? Do they know what they're talking about at six? Yes, they do. Yes, they do. And do you know what you're talking about by saying I'm going to do this?
I'm not going to listen.
He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Acts, chapter 12, verse 5.
Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison. Allow me, allow me to.
Take a little bit of different viewpoint of these verses for the sake of the purpose of this gospel meeting. Here was a man who loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and he was bound for the gospel.
On the authority of some young people that are sitting in this room right now, there are some here who are bound with the chains of sin.
They are sleeping between soldiers who are keeping them and the door of the prison is locked.
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There's no escape. There is no human escape. There's only one way of escape.
And that is to accept Jesus as Savior. How can we escape? How can we escape him if we neglect such great salvation? There is no other way, my friend.
There is no other way, I had a friend of mine said at the office many years ago. He said I'm going to start a new religion. I said, what's wrong with all the old ones? What's wrong with all the old ones?
He said my religion, hey, this isn't my word. This is the word of God that we're talking about.
The truth of the word of God that brings us to our hearts. And here was a man who was paying the price, but he was paying the price for the Lord Jesus Christ. When you accept Jesus as Savior, will everything be honey and roses? No, no 1000 times, no. But there's an eternity.
Wonderful. We're going to be with Jesus and eternity. That's what my little brother said. Don't cry for me 10 years of age, I'm going home.
Going home, he went home to be the Lord. He was happy.
The key is, Are you ready to go home?
Or are you going somewhere else? An awful place called Hell? Well, this man Peter was asleep.
I choose to think that Peter really wasn't too concerned what they were going to do to him.
Because he knew that no matter what man did to him, God was on his side.
And he could say, if God be for us, who can be against us?
Let's turn to First Samuel. Just read a verse or two there. First Samuel, chapter 24.
And.
Verse 20. Chapter 24. Verse 6.
Nine. And David said to Saul, King Saul, Wherefore herest thou man's words, saying, Behold, David, seeketh thy hurt? Verse 16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice? Is this thy voice, my son David?
And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
Are you wondering about the voice of the Lord Jesus that you heard time and time again?
Dear young children, you have come to Sunday school, you have sung these beautiful little hymns, the one that we sang tonight. When he cometh, when he cometh to make up his jewels into the tent where a gypsy boy lay one door and only one. Jesus loves me. This I know. Around the throne of God in heaven will many children sing a little child of seven and so on, you know, beautiful songs.
You've been brave and been the first one to put up your hand to say the memory verse. Good for you.
Wonderful. You're there, you're with it.
Then you come out to the permitting with mom and dad. Wonderful.
Great. You've come out to the reading meeting with Mom and Dad. Wonderful. Thank the Lord for your mother and dad for doing that. You come out on Lord's Day morning and you sat there while there was a cup on the table with wine and a loaf, and you saw what was going on. Good. I'm glad you did that.
All that means absolutely nothing if you haven't accepted Jesus as Satan.
We tell our Sunday school children when they come, we ask them, why are you coming to Sunday School? Why do you, why do we want you on Sunday school to teach you about the Lord Jesus Christ? And what a wonderful thing that I can tell you that some of those children have accepted Jesus as Savior. They know what it's all about. Not maybe as intelligently as you do, but the point is they know Jesus as Savior. Like one young fellow when he just says that to me. Mr. Hebert, the angels are having a party for me tonight.
Oh, I thought you that was so wonderful to hear that. I've told you that story before probably, but to me it's such a wonderful story to think that that young lad understood that he was saved.
And the angels of God were rejoicing in the presence of the Lord with a wonderful thing that is. And my friend, young person, if you accept Jesus as Savior now there's going to be great rejoicing in heaven. Here we find that King Saul was chasing after the future King David and he wanted to kill him because he knew that David was going to be king and he would no longer be king. But we find that when David said I was in that cave where you were in.
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Yes, my friend, we're all in the same place. We were all shaping inequity. And if you read in Isaiah chapter one, from the top of your head to the bottom of your soul, your putrefying sores and everything that's absolutely rotten. There's nothing good in US. And so saw when he heard David's voice, he said, is this thy voice, my son David?
All let's be careful for the purpose pious.
Squeaky boys, people that try to lead you astray.
Not only that, he wept. The king cried.
Don't be deceived by that. The enemy uses all kinds of ways to deceive you.
Not going to deceive you tonight.
If you're not saved right now and the Lord Jesus should come.
You're on the lost, on the road to a lost eternity, at the end of which is.
HELL.
If you've accepted Jesus as Savior, you're on the road that leads to the glory to heaven where Jesus is.
You know, my mother died a number of years ago in the family had asked me to speak at the funeral. And I think I knew my mother pretty well. She grew up in a Mennonite community.
Where the truth of the Word of God was not really known too well.
And my mother was under conviction. She was concerned because something wasn't right. So she went to a preacher and she said Mr. Preacher, he spoke in the German language.
I need to know about God.
Now here's the Here's what he told her. My mother told me this herself, she said. Where he said, I want you to be, to go home and be a good girl and all will be well.
Wow. Bad, bad situation. Wrong turn, dead end, exit. No, that's wrong. That's wrong. I was able to say to the friends of my mother at that funeral that my mother found out that that wasn't good enough. She couldn't be a good girl. You know, my daughter, I only have one daughter and four boys, but I had a daughter. And sometimes being the first one, you tend to be a little tighter on things, you know? Anyway, she would get her into trouble sometimes and we would have to exercise some discipline reluctantly.
And I can recall the painful wailing of my daughter. We hadn't even punished her yet. I'll never do it again. I'll never do it again. Is that what you're saying? Never do it again? Yes, you will. Yes, you will. But one thing I pray you will never do again, and that's leave a gospel meeting and still be lost.
Still be lost.
What's it like to be lost? That same daughter I was telling you about One day we were in an apartment store, which was very young, just able to walk. She never walked. She always ran and always ahead of us. And she went into an elevator before we got there and the doors closed. We could hear all the way up. We hear all the way up. She was lost, and she knew whether she was screaming.
That's what the Hell's going to be like, only much worse. Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, and that elevator ain't coming down again.
Pardon the grammar, it will never come down again. There is no second chance. I don't care what people are telling you today, there is no second chance. God's word is abundantly clear. For those that have heard the gospel, they will not have a second chance. Let's see if I can find the verse for you.
In Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
Verse seven. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, which with all power and signs, and lying wonders, and with deceivableness of unrighteousness, and them that perish because.
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Here it is, here it is the word of God. Now, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Tough words, tough words iron my words. I didn't write this book that.
Is the word of God.
Acts chapter 12 verse 7 And behold, the Angel of the Lord came upon him, and the light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, rise up quickly, and his chains fell off from his hands.
God's Word tells us in First Thessalonians 4, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain, we being Christians, those who have been redeemed with a precious blood of Christ, shall go up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. All the voice of the archives as a powerful voice, the dead in Christ will be raised. It's so powerful.
Will you go or will you remain behind? Our brother was up here this afternoon and he was speaking about empty seats.
I would like to see every one of these seats empty.
When the Lord comes.
When the Lord comes.
You dear boys, girls, young people, beloved young people, keep praying, please.
Do you know Jesus as Savior? Do you realize that what we're telling you is the truth? This is going to happen very, very soon.
There are many sitting here that I know personally are going.
My wife is one of them, I'm another one of them, and many others.
But I don't know all of you.
I do know that there's some in this room that are not saved and the Bible tells us awake thou that sleepest. Are you sleeping? Do you get sleepy sometimes? Don't get sleepy in the gospel meeting. I have to confess I get sleepy sometimes in a meeting after a good meal.
Oh, God's Word is speaking to you. Listen to that voice. It's calling to you.
Acts 12 Verse eight. And the Angel said unto him, Gird thyself, bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith in him, Cast thy garment about thee. And here it is, Follow me.
In Psalm 95 we read the words.
Today if you will hear us, what? His voice harden not your heart, you say. How do I know his voice?
You'll know it. You'll know it. The Lord Jesus speaking to you tonight. Don't wait right where you are. I have the responsibility of telling you that you must do it now. Don't wait till the end of the Gospel meeting.
The Bible tells us that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. You know it's so simple. Sometimes it's so simple that it's hard to explain. The words are clear. Beloved young people, beloved children and older ones.
Don't take a chance. You may say well, but I've been told this for so many years. Hey look, I just turned 65 last month and I've been told this for 65 years.
I praise the Lord that for 60 years I've been saved.
For eternity I will be with Jesus, with my mom and dad.
My little brother.
My father-in-law, my mother-in-law, who'd gone ahead be with Jesus forever.
You say, well, how can you know this for a certainty? Well, I think in First John we read about that, don't we? First John Chapter 5, it says there.
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Verse 13 These things have I written unto you, that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may.
Perhaps know no, it just says know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Oh, how wonderful it is that the voice of the Lord Jesus speaks through His Word, the Bible.
It's wonderful to go in a hotel room and open the drawers, which we always do, and check to see if there's a Bible there. And it's the word of God in every room in this great, wonderful country, almost every room, I dare say there's a Bible and it's in beautiful shape.
It's in beautiful shape.
Not a bunch on the page, most of them.
What does your Bible look like?
What does your Bible look like? Has he got some smudges? I hope so. Read it. Read it, my friend. If you're a Christian, read it.
A grown grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I speak to you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't neglect the reading of the Word of God.
Acts chapter 12, verses 9:00 to 12:00. They went out, followed him, whisked not that it was true which was done by the Angel, but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the 1St and 2nd Ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord, And they went out and passed on through one street, and forthwith the Angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord has sent his Angel, and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people, the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the House of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
Praying you know the same book, Chapter 9, it tells us about another man who was who hated the name of Jesus so much so that he got authority to put her to prison. All they were Christians and something happened. Verse three of Chapter 9 of Acts. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth and heard.
Voice saying unto him, Saul, John, Mary.
Why persecute us on me? Oh, my name is John. I'm not persecuting. Oh yes, you are. If you're not a Christian, you're persecuting the Lord Jesus because you're spitting in his face. You're saying crucify him. You're guilty.
Saul could have said no. Just a minute.
I'm not doing that.
But he didn't. He recognized what he was doing. He was touching.
Christians, they belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and he said Paul is hard for you to kick against the ******.
That was the chief of sinners.
That man accepted Jesus Christ. He said, Who art thou, Lord? That was his first question.
And then he said, Lord.
What do you want me to do?
You say that's quick, he made it in the boat face and you can do that tonight. You can make that decision and you will instantly be saved. But you have to confess that you're a Sinner. You have to confess that you have sinned, that you deserve to be in a lost eternity.
Saul called him Lord.
End of his history of the destruction of the Christians, he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. He heard that voice and he accepted it while in verse 13. Getting back to Acts 12, we read there.
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
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I am knocking as Peter did.
On the door.
I said to my wife as I just before I came on the platform, I said two things. Jerk.
So, honey, keep praying. My knees are shaking. Keep praying. The other thing I said, I wish you could have been down in that room where there were men on their knees crying to the Lord.
For some that are lost in this room praying, and there are young people who I just spoke to before the meeting that are sitting in these seats right now, they're praying for you.
It's not a one man gospel, there are many that are. Praying for you my friend. Don't.
Don't. Don't reject the Lord Jesus. Don't reject that knocking.
Rhoda.
Hearken.
Rhoda Hearkened Revelation 3 and 20 says If any man hear my voice, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and Sup with him, and he with me. That's a promise, that's a guarantee. That is the word of God.
Rhoda hearkened. Would you hearken like Rose did? That's her name. I believe Rhoda means Rose, Would you hearken?
Would you listen? Would you pay attention? Would you come and open your door to the Lord Jesus Christ in this case? She says in verse 14. And when she knew Peters.
What?
Not no voice. Jesus is calling you by your name.
He knows your name.
Many years ago we had a chairman of the board.
Who was in charge of about 3500 employees He could step into the elevator and the chances are that if there were 12 People in the elevator, he would know the names of seven of them. Unusual, isn't it?
Why? He loved people, but he didn't know them all. No more.
But he knew some of them. Jesus knows everyone's name, first, second, third, fourth, and last name. He knows everything that you've done. He sees you very clearly. He sees you tonight. He's looking into your heart. He knows whether you've accepted him as your Savior. He knows whether you're saying, I'm not going to listen to that man. I'd rather talk to my friends. Pay attention to the word of God, my friend, don't.
Reject it.
She knew his voice, but opened not the gate. Is there anyone here that knows the voice?
I'm not going to do it.
I've got my friends in school.
They'd make fun of Maine.
I've got a career ahead of me.
I like my car.
I like my boyfriend.
I like my girlfriend.
I've done some bad things in my life.
I haven't been to a gospel meeting for a long time, but I'm back again.
So you're going to keep the door shut?
Tell you something, you can do that.
You have the power to do that.
But do you realize that with that decision comes some very serious consequences?
How about hell? Forever. Weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth. No rest forever and forever, you say. How can that be? I don't know.
God has prepared that for the devil and his angels, but all those that reject the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, all those that reject Jesus and what he did and across the Calvary are doomed to go into a lost eternity.
There's a few other verses that we could read, but I think we'll stop there. I just want to say.
That.
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Verse 16. Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
He didn't stop knocking.
There may come a time when Jesus will stop knocking at your door.
If that happens, you are in deep trouble.
I don't know when that happens or if it happens even today, but let me save you simply.
This.
Jesus Christ came into this world born a baby in a Manger. Jesus Christ had to come into this world because man sinned in the Garden of Eden.
Man could not walk with God in the cool of the day because they had sinned.
They disobeyed by eating of the fruit that God had told them not to eat.
You say say that again, just because they stole some fruit, didn't even steal it, they disobeyed God, that's a sin.
That's a sin.
God could no longer walk with his own creation.
So he said Jesus into the world. Jesus walked in this world.
A perfect man.
Absolutely, totally perfect. The Lord Jesus could not sin.
He was the perfect man. He walked the scene. He did wonderful things and miracles. That won't save you either, by the way.
Jesus died on Calvary's cross. You and I were guilty.
Now being with a gang that said crucify him and nailed him to that cross.
Jesus died. They took the body of Jesus and laid it in a tomb.
His mother wept. Others wept.
Jesus gave up his life.
But you know, before they put him in the tomb, there was a soldier that came along and he saw Jesus was dead already, and he took his spear and pierced his blessed side, and out came blood and water. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
Jesus was put in the tomb.
Jesus rose from the dead. He's alive today. He's my savior.
He is waiting in glory, a real man in heaven. He is waiting for the moment when there will be that shout and the dead and Christ will rise first. There will be a lot of activity in the cemeteries of this city.
And if you and I are still alive, we're going to be caught up with them. You see, that sounds a little fantastic. Absolutely. It's fantastic. It's wonderful, it's glorious. That's my position and that of many others here. He's coming. He rose from the dead. And then we find subsequently he went to heaven. But before he went to heaven, he said something beautiful. If I go away, I will come again.
That's about the shortest words you could get.
I will come again and receive you to myself.
He's coming.
Repent. Accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Just one short.
Hymn #1 and that second verse it says, almost persuaded. Come, come today.
Almost persuaded. Turn not away. Jesus invites you here. Listen to his. Here's the word. Voice so clear now, falling on thine ear. Come, wanderer, come.
Almost persuasive.
Now.
Do we?
Almost.
Persuade.
Rise to receive.
Now some soul to say.
Go Spirit.
Go thy way.
Some more conditions.
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Almost.
1St way.
Turn on away.
Jesus.
In my experience.
Let his voice go clear.
Now All in all.
I come.