Gospel—Francois Leger
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We would like to welcome everyone for the Gospel meeting tonight.
Maybe we could start by singing #34.
Hymn #34.
Uh, uh, I'm like, it's very nice.
Can we ask the Lord's help?
O our God and Father.
We just pray tonight.
For help from above.
For conviction, the power of the Spirit, we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
So welcome again to the Gospel meeting tonight.
So tonight I would like to talk to you about the Lord Jesus.
You know, recently I was visiting family and Dorothy and I went to a prayer meeting there.
Then a thought came from him that we sang.
That's him. Our times are in thy hands.
And then a series of thoughts came into my mind concerning the hands of the Lord Jesus.
So tonight I would like to turn to some scriptures.
Where we'll find the hands of the Lord Jesus in different aspects.
First, I would like to turn to a verse in uh, Isaiah chapter 59.
The Book of Isaiah, chapter 59.
And verse one.
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened.
That it cannot save, neither is here heavy. That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that you will not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. I'll stop there for now. We've seen this verse.
How the Lord's hand is ready to save tonight.
But you know, there is something that needs to be dealt with. It's a question of sin.
That's what we have in verse 3 here.
The Lord is saying to his people that their hands are defiled with blood.
Sin cannot entered into God's presence and God has provided for a way tonight to be safe.
And that's what we want to talk about tonight.
Want to talk about a wonderful Savior and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ?
So first of all, let's turn to Psalm 8.
There we will consider the hands.
Of the Lord Jesus.
Psalm 8 and verse 3.
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David is saying here, when I consider thy heaven, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is now?
You know we read in the Gospel of John.
That everything was made by the Lord Jesus.
You know, we read also in the epistles that the Lord sustains everything by the word of His power.
We read also that it is before all things, and that by Him all things consist. It is wonderful to consider who the Lord Jesus Christ is.
He is a creator of this world.
You know, I like the spring season, you know, when we can go in nature and appreciate, appreciate, you know, the singing of the birds, We can go and look at nature blooming. It's so beautiful. But you know, all these things have been created for the Lord Jesus.
And he is the creator. And you know, today we hear much about people saying that, you know, there is no such a thing about a creator. So these people are going against Christ. This is Spirit and the Antichrist today where people are rejecting the testimony of God and creation.
You know God has two books.
The first book is the Book of Creation.
You know the heavens declare the glory of God.
The other book that God has is the Holy Scripture, the Bible.
Let's turn to a verse in Romans chapter one.
Romans chapter one and verse 20.
We read, for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.
Even his eternal power and God had so that they are without excuse. So to the Pagan world, God is saying here, hey, I gave you the testimony of nature here.
So that you are without excuse.
So as I said earlier, God is speaking to us through the things that He has created.
But you know, we are born with a a disease called sin and because of that disease.
No, we don't see the glory of the Creator.
But you know, 2000 years ago.
In his mercy, God sent his Son into this world.
And it came down here to reveal the heart of his father.
He came down here to go to the Cross of Calvary and order that you could be saved tonight.
Let's turn now to, umm, another portion where we see the hand of the Lord.
John, Chapter 8. Gospel of John.
Chapter 8.
Maybe some of you are familiar with that account here described in Pharisees. They took a woman in adultery and they brought him, brought her to the Lord.
They tried to put a trap in front of the Lord and see how he would react.
So in verse five we see.
Conservatives.
The 7th Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses and the Law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what says thou?
And they said this, they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stood down, and with his finger rolled on the ground as though he heard them not so when they continued asking him.
He lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down and rode on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
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It's interesting here that these men are trying to trap the Lord.
But, you know, they didn't realize to whom they were talking.
Because the Lord.
Reached her conscience.
These people, you know, they were people who knew the law of God, but they were not real with God.
They were not real with him.
And you know.
The Lord found a way to reach their conscience by writing on the ground. When did He write?
Very interesting.
You know the law of God was written on stones before and years before.
But the Lord wrote something to reach them where they were in their lives.
And you know, tonight the Lord knows how to reach you in your conscience. You know, yesterday I was talking to to a man.
At work and the man told me, he said, you know, we have to take care of our aged parents and.
It's a big task, demands many hours, but you know, we must do it because I don't want to live with a bad conscience. It's just a bad conscience is very heavy, very heavy to bear.
So I would rather make sacrifice now in my life and take care of my parents than to umm to live after with a bad conscience that I didn't do the right thing.
God has given us a conscience.
Conscience is not a guide, but like a policeman, and sometimes it would remind us about things that we're doing wrong.
You know, I knew a man.
It was a radio announcer in near Quebec City.
And he was exercise about, you know, the things of the Lord, and he heard that there was a pastor there in a little town where he was working. So one day decided, he says, I'm gonna call him.
I'd like to meet with him and ask some questions.
So he found a phone number and he found him.
And so the pastor insert a phone and.
And my friend said to him, so I is it possible for me to meet you and like have some questions? He said that.
Are you married?
My friend closed the phone, fell on his knees.
Repented before the Lord.
He said, what is this? Well, this guy that I knew, my friend was living with a woman without being married and he knew that it was wrong. He knew in his conscience that it was wrong. But when the pastor asked the question, it was convinced that you know God is speaking to him, but you know the pastor was asking him this question just to know if you should bring his wife with him when he would go visit him.
Through the Lord as a way to reach us where?
We are today.
You know, I, we had a sister living at a house for a couple of days last winter as she was traveling. And no, she told us that she was brought up in a Christian home and that she heard the gospel often. She went to Bible conference at the meeting, but she said when she became a teenager, so then one night she heard the gospel.
And she was convinced by the Lord.
And then that day, she accepted the Lord as her Savior. Oh, she was happy, of course, to know that her sins were forgiven.
But there was joy in the presence of God also.
There is joy in the prison for one soul. Let's repent. So tonight will there be joy in the presence of God for one person who will come to the Lord Jesus Christ tonight? That's why we have the Gospel meeting tonight. You know, the goal of the Gospel meeting is to invite you to come to the Lord Jesus.
You don't need to to be older. You can come as you are tonight.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and as I said earlier, we all have this disease of sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 323 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, everyone of us.
There's no exception.
So we see here the Lord Jesus reaching the conscience. Let's turn to a verse now in Romans chapter 2.
Which speaks about the conscience.
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From verse 14 For when the Gentile, which have no law, 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 witness, and their thoughts.
The meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of man by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. You know, my friend, one day.
God will judge by the Lord Jesus Christ all the secrets of the heart. Do you have secrets in your heart?
Are there some things that are there that nobody knows about?
But the Lord system, you know, not one sin will go in his presence.
You know, I have many secret sins in my life, but at the age of 17 years old, I heard the gospel and I accepted Christ as my Savior. Oh, there's no more secrets now. Everything has been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Oh my friend.
Tonight can be a happy night for you to know that your conscience can be clear by the blood of Jesus Christ.
You know, recently we.
I think last Sunday we there was a man knowing itch hiking. We don't see that too often today, but you know, the man was a certain age. He had some luggage. So we stopped and we gave him a ride and uh, it was just coming from the hospital from a treatment that he was receiving there. And umm, I know I started to talk with the guy and, and the guy told me, he says, you know, I'm praying every morning and every night. I said, wow.
I was impressed.
So the man is spring every morning and every night, and he told me his prayer. It looks like a very nice prayer.
I said wow. And he said, you know, I I look at all religions and I think that the best religion is God in my heart. And that's it. I said, where are we going from there?
So we'll start to talk with a guy and, uh, so I asked him some questions. He said, you know, I was in the hospital there and then the, uh.
They start to give me some treatment at some point I said that's enough, I'm leaving the office.
In the midst of this treatment, he left the hospital.
I said to him, I said, do you have a hard time with authority in your life? He said, oh, yes, I have a hard time. Oh yes, I don't like authority. I said, OK. I told him, listen, don't you know that a Sinner is a person who says to God, I want to do things my own way?
You may think that a Sinner is a person who's doing great bad things, but a Sinner is a person who says to God, I want to do things my way.
So this man who was at the hospital for something very serious, for his help, he decided in the military and he wanted to go smoke cigarettes outside. He wanted to do his own thing.
But but this man is spring every morning, every night. But this man was not a Christian. He was not saved, or he appeared to be a religious man.
All my friends, are you praying every night and every morning?
It's a good thing to pray.
But there is one prayer tonight.
That could save you.
It's to say to the Lord, Lord, I'm a Sinner.
I need to be safe.
I recognize, Lord, that only your sacrifice on the cross, only your bloodshed, can wash away myself.
That prayer will say.
So this man after we talk a little bit.
He left his way, but he heard the gospel. The seed was sown to his heart.
Maybe the Lord will use this little conversation to reach Him.
So let's turn to another portion now in Matthew chapter 8.
We will see the Lord acting and and mercy there.
That is Matthew chapter 8.
Starting with verse one.
When it was calmed down from the from the mountain, great multitudes followed him, and behold, there came a leper, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt.
Dog can't snake me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand and touch him, saying, I will.
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Be thou clean and immediately is leprosy.
You know, to, uh, to be a leper on those days was a, was a very miserable life.
You know, we're reading the Old Testament in the book of Leviticus that a person who was a leopard, when he would walk on the street, he would say unclean, unclean.
And it had to be part of this phase, had to be covered.
And this man had to live in seclusion alone. He could not live with the rest of the people.
And surely this man must have been, must have been a beggar. I remember in West Africa, coming down the plane there, I was struck the first time I went there to see how many people were leopards there and missing, you know, fingers and begging for money.
And this man here?
Although there was a great multitude following the Lord.
He said I need to come to the Lord. So he came in the presence of the Lord. You know we have seen earlier in John eight that the religious leader, they left the presence of the Lord 1 by 1.
Their conscience for accusing them. They could not stand in the presence of the Lord.
But here that man came the way he was as a leper, which is a picture of a sinful person. He came to the Lord the way he was. And you know, it's interesting, buddy, what his request was. He says, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean or the Lord is able tonight.
And you can do it.
Because He has provided, you know, a sacrifice that has fully glorified God concerning question of sin.
So tonight you can come to him and receive forgiveness.
So this man lived in misery.
But the Lord welcomed him.
Whoever you are tonight.
You may come to the Lord, he says. I will in that comment. To me I will in no wise cast out.
Thing of diversity. We should read it Gospel of Matthew again, Chapter 11, verse 28.
The Lord Jesus says, Come unto me, all ye that labor in our Avi laden, and I will give you rest.
You know money can buy you a good mattress, a good pillow, but will never give you rest.
Only Jesus can be arrested in your conscience and your heart.
Come to him.
You know I came to the Lord at 17 years old.
And I have only one regret.
And my regret is that I didn't come earlier.
All those wasted years.
Let's turn to John, chapter 18.
We're gonna start verse 4.
Jesus is in the garden now.
And he will be arrested soon by the religious leaders.
We face a trial.
So we're gonna read. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, Umziki, they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he. And Jesus also with Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
As soon then, as he had said unto them, I am He.
They went backward and fell to the ground. I'm going to stop there for a minute. It's interesting here they come to arrest the Lord, and you just mentioned I am He and they all.
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The Lord had created the world with his mouth.
By one expression they all fall down.
You know the Lord Jesus was a willing victim. He went there willingly to the cross of Calvary.
By obedience to His Father's will and because of His love for you.
For me let's continue here verse 7 then ask you them again, Oh Msiki and they said Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he if therefore you seek me, let these go their way.
That this that the thing might be fulfilled, which is, take of them which thou giveth me.
Have I lost them? Then Sam and Peter, adding a sword, drew it and smote the High Priest's servant and cut off his ear right here. The servant's name was March Marcus.
Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into thy sheep, the sheep the cup which my Father had given me. Shall I not drink it?
Interesting here that.
Peter wants to defend the Lord.
And he did not do the right thing.
Because the Lord has to go to the cross.
So it hurt a man there with a sword.
And you know, the last miracle that the Lord did here on the earth was to repair a mistake of Peter.
Peter was he wanted to do good things for the Lord.
But not with the right spirit.
It's interesting the Lord would use his hands.
And to repair the mistake of this disciple there.
Let's turn to Matthew 27.
Starting with verse 27.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall.
And gathered unto him the old band of soldiers. They stripped him.
And put on him a scarlet robe.
And when they had planted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head in a Reed in his right hand, and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail King of the Jews.
And this appeared upon him, and took the Reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him.
They took the robe off from him and put his own raiment on him, raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
You know, we saw earlier all that the religious world, the religious leader, it took the Lord Jesus and.
They brought him for a trial. The Lord went there willingly, and here we find the Roman world here represented and how they despise the Lord Jesus.
It's interesting in all that.
The Lord had said to Peter.
To another gospel. Don't you know, Peter, that I could call my Father and you would send 12 legions of angels defending?
You know it's striking.
That some people have made some calculation and like allegiance could have been like something like 5000 soldiers.
So many young people are good at math here.
You know, 12 Times, you know 5000 and we read and the story of Hezekiah and the Old Testament, that one Angel.
Killed 145,000 persons.
Could you imagine all the?
The power that was available there just by talking to his father.
But no, no.
Endure all the hingomi there. Endure all the shame.
Because of His love for you and for me.
What a savior.
OK, you know it is said here in the portion that we just read that?
The this guy is in like as a king and mocking him and they put that on his right hand there.
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I read as a scepter.
Could you imagine that one day all these people, they will bow, they need before the Lord of glory?
Oh, tonight, my friend.
Tonight is the night to bow the knee before the gracious Lord.
Because one day, every knee will bow before him.
But for some, it will be too late.
Tonight.
Is the day of salvation.
As I look at this scene.
You know, after that they, they took him and they crucified him, they pierced his hand.
You know these hands, they only did good.
You know, we read an Azaria that the hands of the people, of the people of God, they were stained with blood. But for the Lord Jesus, everything that he did was pleasing to his Father. It was perfect and everything.
But they crucified him.
I've enjoyed the thought that you know what retained the Lord on the cross.
Was not necessarily the nails.
But again, obedience of his Father, and his love for you and for me.
What a gracious savior.
You know, I would like to turn to another verse now in umm, Psalm 22.
The Bible is such a wonderful book.
You know, in verse 16 we read.
Psalm 22 and verse 16 we read for dogs of capacity, the assembly of the wicked of enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet.
This was written about 1050 years before it happened.
The Bible is such a wonderful boy inspired by the Spirit of God. When David wrote that he was led by the Spirit of God's writer.
But you said, why was he crucified there?
Let's read the first verse.
We read My God, my God, why as thou forsaken me?
Why are thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring?
Verse 3.
Is the answer of that question.
But thou heart holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
The reason why the Lord endure.
All these sufferings and the suffering I want to talk about now is that three hours of suffering when the largest Christ was on the cross and there was darkness over all the earth.
During that time.
The one who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
It was because of God's holiness that the Lord Jesus was being forsaken there.
It was not for things that he had done, because he was without sin.
But it was because of your sin and mine.
God's holiness, God will not accept in His presence once sin.
God has provided a perfect sacrifice to satisfy His glory concerning the question of sin.
Let's turn to another verse in Zechariah.
Chapter 13.
The second last book of the Old Testament.
Zechariah, 13.
And verse 6.
This was written about 400 years, 450 years before Christ, and again written by the inspiration Spirit of God.
The Kariah 13 verse six. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thy hands?
Then you shall answer those with which I was wounded in the House of my friends.
Oh, this will be said one day when Israel will be restored, but you know, the Lord Jesus was wounded.
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In the House of France he came to his people.
And they rejected him.
You know, it has been said I've enjoyed the thought that there is one thing in heaven that is man made.
Only one thing.
It's it's the mark in the hands of the Lord Jesus.
It's what he endured.
So that it could be your Redeemer, my Redeemer.
I see our time is passing. Now let's turn to a verse in the in the Luke 24.
That's Luke 24 verse 50. And he let them help as far as battalion, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
And it came to pass, while it last time it was parted from them and carried up into heaven, and they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
And work continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Here is a risen Christ.
The Lord Jesus has been risen. God has been fully satisfied with the work of the Lord Jesus, that He raised him from the dead, and He has also risen for our justification for those who would trust in Him.
You know, the Lord lifted up his hand and he blessed his disciple. Oh, the Lord wants to bless you tonight.
It is a little storied that is being told has happened in Scotland.
There was a a man who owned buildings and then he had a tenant, a poor lady, and she was late to pay her rent.
And umm, yeah, she was a bit late, you know, maybe a couple of months. So the landlord one day came to the door.
And the in knock at the door.
So the woman, she looked through the window, the landlord's coming. So she went and she hid herself in the house.
She didn't want to meet the landlord. She was afraid.
So the the landlord talk again.
And uh.
He said, well, I guess maybe she's not there, But he said maybe. I thought I see something inside the house, but I'll come back in that time.
So one day.
In the little town where they live, the landlord met the lady there.
And, uh, well, the lady was so embarrassed to see the landlord.
And the landlord said to her, listen, I went to your house the other day and I knocked at the door and nobody answered. But I, I thought I said someone in the house. She said, well, I, I was there, but I had no money to pay.
I didn't want to meet you. I I was afraid.
The landlord said to her, listen.
I know you're going through a trouble time now in your life.
I had a bag of food to bring to you. Why did you hide?
This man, the landlord, was coming to bless us, Lady, but Our Lady was afraid.
Because she knew that there was a death that was not paid.
Oh, tonight the good news is that the Lord is knocking.
Is not requiring something from you. He wants to offer you free salvation.
Because the price has been paid on Calvary Cross.
Would you accept the gift of God tonight?
I have a little something here.
What is this?
How do you call that?
At present could be colleagues also.
I have two guests here.
And, you know, I'm very glad that we're invited to come here and.
Such a such a nice time and I would like to offer.
These gifts to a specific person tonight.
I'd like to give one to Tori.
All right, that's it.
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No, I dragged him in return for a long distance. How many hours? 20 minutes?
In town, which I guess I'm just awful to work in the Liverpool here.
One of the companies is very important.
What?
In closing, I'd like to read a verse.
In Ephesians chapter 2.
Call.
And verse 8.
You know, I had on my heart since, uh, as I said, a couple of weeks, the uh, subject of the hand of the Lord.
And Friday morning my wife said to me I read something interesting in Christian's calendar.
So that verse was.
Explained, you know by.
The writer of the little page of the calendar. So I'll just read the verse here. For by grace are you saved true faith.
And that not of yourself. It is a gift of God.
You know.
Salvation is by grace. It's a great gift of God.
The hand of God is presenting that gift, and faith is the end that receives it.
You know, I would have liked to give a gift to every young one tonight, but it was not possible. But you know one thing.
God tonight is willing and able to offer the gift of forgiveness, eternal life to everyone that will believe.
We just need to to reach out. I hate to receive it.
Our time is up.
There was a gospel preacher.
Many years ago.
We said to the people to whom we preach.
I'll give you one week to think about it.
And that was a Sunday night.
And they said next week.
I'd like you to take it. That's it. I'll give you one way to think about it. That was fair. One week.
Seven days.
But you know what happened that night? That gospel preacher was in the city of Chicago.
And there came a big fire.
City and many of the people that were there at night perish in the fire.
They did not have time to think about it.
So tonight I'd like to say.
That today is a day of salvation.
Don't say at the next gospel meeting I will take a decision.
It may not be yours, you know, there's a solemn story that I heard from a lady one day. It really spoke to me very loudly about the importance of.
Of the moment.
There was a man who was a pilot for Air Canada, was working in the Toronto area and it was transferred to Montreal. So the day of the move came and so he took two of his daughters with him by car.
To come to Montreal, traveling on the 401.
And his wife took the plane with the youngest kid.
So the, you know, it's about maybe 5 hour rides, so it would stop at the rest areas and at some point there's two sisters. They were sitting at the back, they said.
Why don't we change seats? You know, like I'm tired. Just look at the cars. I'm like, you know, look on the other side.
So they were sitting in the back of the car, so the rest area they just changed seats.
OK, good job. And after you left the ramp there to go on the 401, a big truck came.
Hit the car.
The father and one daughter were killed instantly.
And that woman said, you know, I don't understand why.
But it should have been me there because for a good hour or so I was sitting on that side and then we had just changed 2 minutes before.
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You know, it's just solemn. We don't know what tomorrow reserves for us.
So tonight.
Is a night to come to the Lord Jesus Christ? If he had not done so, let's pray.
Well, our God and Father.
We just pray tonight for conviction by the power of His Spirit.
And we just pray that you would.
Reach the heart and conscience tonight.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.