Gospel—W. Dear
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Each and everyone to our gospel meeting tonight. We thank God for another opportunity to tell out a wonderful message. We feel we have the very best message to tell out tonight. It's the gospel of the grace of God. We're thankful to see many here tonight.
But I trust each and everyone might recognize that coming to the gospel meeting will not save your soul.
The important thing is to come 2 to one of whom the gospel is about.
And that's God's own dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. You could come to gospel meetings all your life and still go to hell. Without Christ, there's no hope. The question tonight is, have you come to Jesus?
Have you come to the Lord Jesus Christ? He alone can save, and time is short.
I would like to begin tonight with #25 #25. Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheath. Be in time.
Been watching leaves fall.
This season.
And it's not a very long time.
From the time that the leaf leaves the tree and hits the ground, it's only a short time. And when we think of our lives in the light of eternity, our lives are very short too.
And we never know.
When they might be terminated down here?
So the one who wrote this hymn?
Was burdened. There was an urgency about the message.
And he goes on in his first first fleeting days are telling fast that to die will soon be cast, and the fatal line be passed. Be in time. Be in time while the voice of Jesus calls you. Be in time. I trust tonight that you may not simply hear my voice, but that you would hear the very voice of Jesus calling to you. Come.
Come, if in sin you longer wait, You may find the open gate and your cry be just too late. Be in time #25.
Life.
Of all the God of being like a hiding of a sheep.
And the fateful Almighty God speak in time.
And you're crying just too late.
Beginning time.
Along your way you may find an open game and you're crying because to learn.
Time is like strangely by that and judge my Lord.
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To the iron of oceans, as far as I begin in time.
And your priceless soul, because.
Meaning time.
Begins.
In time, in the world of voice of Jesus calls you, it is.
You on your way, you may find no.
Pride me just till I begin time.
And and seeing #22 #22 This hymn also reminds us of the importance.
Of.
Being in time.
Because, you know, for those that reject the message here tonight, the invitation that God gives to come.
We find it's too late.
Tomorrow.
And just him says that heavenly Bridegroom soon will come.
Perhaps tonight, so trim your lamps and be ready #22.
The heavenly right.
And take her home to the world.
Straighten your hands and be happy to end your life, and you're happy to end your life and be ready for the bridegroom.
Your plans and be ready to read your last.
Time you're happy for the brighter time.
The red car shuttle and turn the battery speaks well over there can begin.
And everything he.
Drives during your lounge and be ready.
In your lives and be riding train your lands and get rid of the bridegrooms night. The righteous name for every more.
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Shall cease. Let's play.
Oh.
Tonight I would like to turn.
To a story in the gospel.
About a man who had a desperate need.
And he knew about it. He knew he had that desperate need.
And he was determined to get deliverance from that particular need that he had.
And he went to the right person. He called on the right person.
And you know who that person was? Was Jesus.
Jesus made a difference in the life of that man.
And I do believe as I look around here tonight.
The Lord Jesus Christ has made a difference in the lives of many here tonight because we all have a desperate need as sinners before a holy God.
Sin in the sight of God.
Is horrible.
It's been said that one sin in the sight of a holy God is worse than 10,000 sins put together.
Would be in your sight or mine.
And I believe the person who said that went so far as to say perhaps all the sins in the world put together.
Here once tonight.
I have in my Bible case.
Pencil.
And I don't know if I should refer to this as a pencil or not because it doesn't have any lead.
At least I don't think it does. All I can see is a eraser on both ends.
But what I like about this pencil are the words.
And this is what it says.
And I only have one pencil.
And I might say that if somebody would like to have this pencil and you can remember the words.
I'll give it to the first one that comes to me and can tell me exactly what it says after the meeting.
Now this is what it says. Life without Jesus is like this pencil. No point to it.
Life without Jesus.
Is like this pencil, No point to it.
Have you found it to be so?
There's really no point to living if we don't know the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's been said, if we have Jesus, we have everything, but if we don't have them, we have nothing.
And so tonight we're going to talk about Jesus. We sang about Him, we want to talk about him.
But first of all, we're going to read about it and I'd like to turn to Luke chapter.
18 Luke, Chapter 18.
And read the story of this man.
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Who found that Jesus made all the difference in his life?
He brought happiness and joy.
Into his life he turned his darkness, his night into day.
His misery into.
Gladness.
And he can do that.
For anyone.
Let's read Luke chapter 18 and verse 35.
And it came to pass that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging and hearing the multitude passed by, he asked what it meant.
And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passes by, and he cried, saying Jesus.
Now, son of David, have mercy on me.
And they which went before rebuked him that he should hold his peace, but he cried so much the more.
Thou, Son of David, have mercy on me.
And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. Then all the people, when they saw it.
Gave praise unto God.
What a beautiful story.
A story that brings before us.
The goodness of our God.
The grace of our God showing favor to one who did not deserve favor.
One who was down and out.
But these are the kind of people.
That Jesus had come.
To seek and to save. And who is Jesus?
He is the Son of God.
God's own dear Son.
You know God has given many gifts to man down through the ages from the beginning of time.
We discussed about the Garden of Eden and how that there in the Garden there was so much for Adam and Eve to enjoy.
They could eat if any fruit.
The guard, except for the food of the tree of analogy, couldn't eat.
And there were so many different fruits, variety of food and not all the same color, variety of colors. And there were the animals there too.
And I'm sure we do enjoy animals.
I see boys and girls here.
And I see older ones.
And I think we all, we like to go to a zoo.
And there we see.
God's handiwork and creation.
As we see all of these various animals, their sizes, their shapes.
Their colors beautiful. We go to an aquarium, we see all the different fish.
Bright colors. Recently I visited an aquarium. I was astounded to realize how many fish there are down deep in the ocean we know nothing about.
But they have been brought up for us to observe in an aquarium and vivid colors, yellows and oranges.
And Reds and Blues and exquisite markings on these fish. And that the birds, well, you know, God has given these things to man to enjoy.
He's given us food.
He's given us health.
He's given shelter.
But you know.
God has not withheld from your eye the very best gift that He could possibly give.
And he gave that gift about 2000 years ago. The Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. God only had one son.
That one in whom he delighted.
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He was willing to give him up. He would not spare him, but deliver him up for us all.
Oh, how good God is.
We can only begin to describe.
Goodness, that's in the heart of God. It's true. We see much difficulty in the world today, Confusion. We see that which is the fruit of man's sin.
Wars, violence, corruption, it's all present in the world today.
But you know what? It's not God's fault.
No, it's not.
Whose fault is it? It's the fault of man.
Man is the one who failed.
By one man's sin.
Disobedience, sin came into the world, and death by sin, and so death is passed upon all men.
But in the midst of the world in which we live.
We can enjoy the goodness of God. I noticed there in Psalm 27 David could say he would have fainted unless he had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
So I'd like to focus tonight on the goodness of God. We have it in this story.
And I'm thankful.
Those of God's people are enjoying.
That course?
I remember visiting Amanda Hospital over there in McAdam, and he used to tell me, you know, I've had brethren come to me and visit me in this hospital and it seems like they're always talking about the goodness of God. That's really what stuck in his mind.
The goodness of God.
Well, I'm glad there was that testimony.
The Lord is good.
He's a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knows those who trust in him.
How wonderful a God we have.
Now here in verse 35 it says and it came to pass.
I'm so thankful that when I pick up the word of God.
I pick up a book.
That isn't filled with fantasy or the imagination of men.
Fairy tales.
No, what I have here in this book, I see it happened and I was just turning back to.
Previous chapters in Luke.
I noticed that I didn't go too far back, but let's say we started Luke chapter 16.
Luke 16 verse 22. We have those words and it came to pass.
Luke 17, verse 11.
And.
It came to pass.
In our chapter verse 35 and it came to pass. What about chapter 19?
Ah yes, there it is, number 29 and it came to pass.
Chapter 20.
Verse one and it came to pass.
I just emphasized dear ones tonight.
That what we have in this book.
It's history. It happened.
It's been said that history is his story.
And what a wonderful story we have here now. What came to pass? It says as he that's Jesus, of course, was come nigh unto Jericho.
And Jericho was a city that was under the curse. That was the first city, I believe, that the children of Israel were confronted with after they crossed the Jordans. And it was a wicked city.
A wicked city.
And God destroyed that city. The walls came down in a miraculous way.
But there was somebody that was saved in that city. In fact, there were more than just one say but.
Believe the first one that was saved.
Her name was Rahab.
She was a bad woman.
She was a Sinner woman.
But God saved her soul.
Because that's what God delights to do.
He delights to impart blessing to those who do not deserve it.
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He delights in the salvation of the Sinner.
Tells us over in.
Luke chapter 15 that there's joy in the presence of the angels of God.
Over 1 Sinner that repents.
Will there be joy tonight?
In the presence of the angels of God.
As a result of somebody in this hall repenting, you know, repenting is a willingness to own that I'm wrong.
That God is right.
And acknowledging.
Debt.
I can't trust myself, I can only trust in God. It's taking sides with God against myself. I believe that's what repentance is.
And this is what God looks for, repentance towards him and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh how it would delight his heart if there was one here.
That was saved tonight.
Now this city of Jericho, a wicked city that.
Was destroyed. It was rebuilt.
And I believe it was a man by the name of Heil. He had the effrontery.
To ignore God's.
Command that that city should not be rebuilt. He went ahead and rebuilt it anyway.
How many there are today? They have no regard for what God has to say.
And.
They do their own thing.
Well, you know, I believe highly suffered for it. I'm not mistaken.
His first born and his youngest.
I believe lost their lives.
In the rebuilding of that city.
But nevertheless it was rebuilt.
But it was under the curse, City of the curse. But I believe Jericho is a picture of this world.
And this world.
Is under the curse because of man's failure back there in the Garden of Eden, sin has come in.
And this world is under the curse and under the judgment of God.
But it's wonderful to see that Jesus came nigh to this very city.
And.
The Lord Jesus has come into this world.
What was his purpose for coming?
You know, we crossed back and forth.
Over the border quite often because where we live in Maine.
And.
When there are new border guards come on duty, they wonder who you are. And one of the first.
Questions that they ask often is what's the purpose of your trip, What's the purpose of your visit? And you better be able to give an answer.
I always say we're over for a visit.
Who are over to run an errand somewhere.
But there's a purpose to visit.
What was?
God's purpose in sending His Son.
What was the Son of God's purpose in coming to seek and to save that which was lost?
And so we find the Lord Jesus here nigh unto Jericho.