Gospel—B. Prost
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Welcome everyone to the Gospel meeting tonight. Could we open with #14 #14? God loved the world of sinners lost and ruined by the fall salvation. Full and biased cost He offered.
Free Wall, whose wondrous love, the love of God to me, brought my Savior from God to die on Calvary. I'm going to ask if we can stand and sing this kid #14.
When the one more.
Here and I'd like to sing again. That's always been one of my favorites, 323.
323 There's a friend for little children.
You know, I've always been interested in the stories behind him, and this hymn was written by a well known fiction in the last century by the name of Albert Midlane very much.
Beloved of everyone who knew him, and he had a special heart for children, and he loves to tell children about the Lord Jesus Christ. He wrote a number of pens. In fact, if you look, you'll find some of them in our little Flock in book.
One that comes to mind thine Jesus Vine No More, this Heart of mine and so on, written by the same man, Albert Midlane. He was an ironworker. They called him an iron monger in the last century and he would have made iron railings and things like that.
One night after a hard day's work, he sat down at his desk to do some reading. And I thought later and later, and his wife said, don't think the ought to come to bed. Oh, he said, no, I've got something on my mind. You go to bed here. So she went to bed and expected that in the morning she'd wake up the two of her great surprise to get up in the morning. And he wasn't in the bed with her. So she went downstairs and there he was and head down on his hands, sitting at the table.
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Fallen asleep. But beside him were the words of this Him 323 There's a friend for little children. Well, he was a fairly young man when he wrote that. Him I think about in his early 30s, if I remember rightly. And you know that him was beloved. So many children learned to sing it. And I understand that. I think that had the story right, that something like 50 years later when he was in his 80s, he had the privilege of hearing.
How many children? Was it something like 3000 anyway?
For Mr. Abby in London, England, kind of as a commemoration of his having written that his 50 years before. Well, it's always been one of my favorites and it's kind of a long him. But let's say in the 1St 3 verses and then the last verse, verses 123 and six of 323. I hope that children will all be able to join in too. Let's just remain seated.
There's a friend.
In heaven with.
Wild Grandpa, where God?
My boyfriend boy.
Well, the real key to that hymn is found in the last verse, isn't it all? All above is treasured and found in Christ alone. And you know, it's wonderful to sing about all these things, many things in that home, a friend arrest, a home, and in some of the verses we didn't sing about a crown, a heart, a rest, and so on.
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And we'd all like to have those things, but you know, they're only found to depress, only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. What I'd like to turn tonight to marks gospel to a story that occurred when the Lord Jesus was here on earth.
Mark's Gospel, chapter 5.
I would think that many here are familiar with the script and probably at least some and maybe all of the children have heard this story. But we're going to read it together and I think we'll see how that it shows us very clearly the gospel that we're going to have before us tonight. So Mark's gospel chapter 5 and verse one, and they that is the Lord and his disciples.
Came over unto the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean shirt, who had his dwelling among the shoes.
And no man could bind him, no, not with chains, because that he had been often bound with fatters and chains, and the chains had been practiced under by him, and the feathers broken in pieces. Neither could any man came with it. And always night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tomb, crying and cutting himself with stones.
And when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, saying, Or I ran and worshiped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said.
What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most High God, by a journey by God without her neck me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is legion, that we are many, and if he saw him much, that he would not send them away out of the country.
Now there was there now under the mountains a great period of swine machining, and all the devil's besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them, and fought with Jesus, gave them leave, And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine, and of the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea. They were about 2000, and were choked in the sea, and they that fed the swine fled and told it in the country.
In the city and in the country, and they went out to see what it was that was done.
And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil, and have the legion setting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid, And they that saw told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their closes. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed, but the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
How be it Jesus suffered him not, but set unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for thee, and have had compassion on thee.
Department and began to publish in the Capitalist how great things Jesus had done for him and all men didn't mind.
Well, here we have a story that happened many, many years ago when the Lord Jesus was here on earth. And you might say perhaps if you're unfamiliar with this story, this story tonight, what relationship, what relevance does this story have for today? Why do I need to hear about a man who was wandering about in the cemetery and a man whom they couldn't tie up with chains or anything else, and the man that the Lord Jesus healed, What, what does that have to do with me today?
Well beloved friends, tonight you know the word of God tells us at the heart of man hasn't changed as space after asks earth to face in water. You know what it's like if you look into the still water and see your face reflected there. It says so the heart of man, the man and this precious book that we have before us tonight. I want it to be clear before each one here tonight that this is the word of God and this book that God has said liveth in abideth forever. This is the only book in the world that we can turn to.
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To find light in the middle of the darkness of this world.
The only book that we can turn to, which without fail, always tells me the truth not only about myself, but about everything else down here. Do I want to know the truth of what I see around me in this world? This precious book tells me how to make it all clear.
And so tonight we're opening What is the Word of God? And this book hasn't had to be rewritten.
I suppose that the last author of this book, if I might use that expression reverently, because God is the author of it, the Holy Spirit of God. It says a holy man of old state, that they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But the last inspired writer of this book, I suppose, died probably close to 1900 years ago, and yet this book has never had to be updated. You know, many here have attended school, some perhaps have attended college.
As you know, every year that we go.
The books become out of date and they have to be revised in new additions come out. But there's never needed to be a new edition of this precious quote because God wrote it and it's never had to be updated. And So what we have here in this precious book is relevant for today, just as it was 2000 years ago. And so this story, I believe, is important to each one of us. And here we find the Lord Jesus coming over, it says, into the country of the Gadarenes.
Who were these Gadarenes?
Well, not that it's terribly important, but you will remember that way back in the history of the nation of Israel when they crossed over the River Jordan into the promised land, there were 2 1/2 tribes that stayed on. That says this side Jordan could be on the east side of the River Jordan. They didn't cross over into the promised land. They didn't take what God had for them. They said we're quite content here. There's lots of pasture for our cattle. There's lots of place for us to dwell.
And there was tribe of Reuben, tribe of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. And so they stayed over there. And I believe these were descendants of those people. They were descendants of the tribe of Gad. They'd never fully entered into everything that God had for them. And here we find that they've gotten into difficulties. The Lord Jesus comes over to them. And what do we find there? Oh, here was a man who met the Lord Jesus as soon as he got there, and he comes out of the tombs.
And it says no man could bind him. No, not with change. Or you say that doesn't. That doesn't seem like a very nice picture. I wouldn't want to meet that kind of a man. Here was a man who preferred to live amongst the tombs, amongst the place of death. You know, we don't like to go into cemeteries. Perhaps I've known people who didn't like to go in them at all. I've been in there many times, you know, because it's not infrequent that we have to go there when someone.
Passes away. But you know, sometimes I like to look at what's written on the tombstone. I can remember being in a cemetery in England some years ago, and it was a huge cemetery, occupied a whole city block. And you know, those tombstones had a story to tell. I walked along and I saw one tombstone there that said pray for the soul of soul and soul who passed away on such a date. And I thought, oh, how sad. How sad to have a message on there.
Individual evidence, they didn't know where she was going. And here whoever had erected the tombstone had wanted care offered. But then I walked further on into that cemetery and I found what I was looking for, a place, a corner of that cemetery where all kinds of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have been buried. And I found tombstones there with things on me like this. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again.
Even so, them also which believed in Jesus will God bring redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.
And one after another verses from this precious book, which told me that the individuals in that tomb at least had known Christ as their Savior. Well, but a lot of people don't like to go into cemetery. They go there as little as possible. But here this man, he dwelt there in a place of death.
And nobody could bind him. He was evidently a fierce man. That tells us in another place that nobody could go by that way and nobody could climb up. They tried to bind him with change that says here and nothing working.
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You say, what does all that mean? Oh, my friend, this man was under the power of the devil. This man was under the power of the devil. He had an unclean spirit in him. Will you say what does it mean? As if I'm in that condition? I'm not, I'm not possessed with an unclean spirit. Perhaps not, but there are certainly people today who are in that category. But my friends, what I want to bring for you tonight is that if you're not saved, if you're not redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
Then whether you know it or not or realize it or not, you are under the power of Satan. You know there are only two masters in this world. You're either under the headship and mastery of the Lord Jesus Christ, or you're under the mastery of the devil. And it always amazes me when I see men and women and boys and girls too, going through this world who think that they're free agents, doing as they please. And all the while, that tells us in Second Corinthians that the God of this world.
Who's the devil that's blinded the minds of them which believe not, that's the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ is the image of God should shine under them. And how many there are today who are in that condition and don't realize it.
You know, there is there is such a such an individual as the devil. He's a spirit. You can't see him, but he's just as real. And yet many people today refuse to believe that he even exists. And I think sometimes the devil must be very pleased with that because, you know, a few 100 sabotage.
A company, what would be the best way to do it? The best way would be for them to think that there was number problem and that such an individual would never do such a thing. But that was that. There is no such person existing. I knew of a man who robbed the bank once, but he robbed it in a very clever way because he was a very high employee in the bank and he had access to those bank vaults and he arranged for one of his friends to come in and buy a very careful method.
Arranged to transfer large quantities of cash out of that bank vault.
And when it would be found out, his comment was they'll never suspect me. And evidently they didn't. He was too high up in the bank. They never suspected that he would do it. And so he got away with it at least twice. Anyway, beloved friend, the devil is deceiving men and women today. And one of his best, his best method is to persuade people that he doesn't even exist. And so make no mistake about it, there is a doubt. And if you're not under the shelter of the blood of Christ.
He is guiding me, guiding you where down that broad Rd. which leads to destruction.
It couldn't bind this man with anything, not even with the changes. And you know, many people today would like to try and reform them, the old nature, They'd like to try and make a better world. I've talked to lots of people today who would like to try and work toward a better world, who would like to try and all they say if only we could educate people more, if only we could provide enough facilities to meet the needs of the poor, if only children could be brought up in a proper environment with.
Love and kindness and a proper home instead of being brought up in degradation and sin. Oh, then we wouldn't have the drug problem today. We wouldn't have immorality and all of these things. We wouldn't have fact. We wouldn't have ghettos in the big cities.
Make no mistake about it, you can't bind the old nature in your heart and mind. Know the Word of God says that the heart is deceitful above all things and are desperately working.
There's only one thing that can bring.
You and the blessing if you're not saved and that is the finished work of Christ. And if you're not saved, then this man.
Is a comparison to you. You can be compared to this man because you're under the power of Satan. And notice verse five and always night and day, he was in the mountains and in the king crying and cutting himself with stones. Oh, he not only did harm to others, but he did harm to himself.
How many people there are today that are doing that? How many people there are today that are harming themselves with alcohol? How many people there are today that are harming themselves with drugs? How many people that are harming themselves with many other things? Oh, perhaps you save way than a minute.
We live in Pella, Iowa. We don't need that kind of a life in this community. We don't carry on in this way. We're more respectable than that. They'll tell us that we're ruining ourselves with drugs and alcohol and nicotine and all of these other things. Yes, there are people in the United States who do that, but don't put us in that category, beloved friend.
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As face actors to face in water, so the heart of man to man.
I grew up on a farm.
We kept chickens so that we knew what rotten eggs were. And you know, if you had or I had two rotten eggs in my hand, one in each hand here, and I took one of those rotten eggs and dropped it on the floor and smashed it. Oh, it would be immediately evident that that was a rotten egg, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it? You'd want to get out of this room, you'd say that's an awful smell. Oh, dear. Don't. Don't do that again.
Could I take the other one?
Can't smell anything.
Why? It's just as rotten inside, and anyone here that knows anything about eggs knows There are ways of telling an egg is rocky without smashing it. There are ways of telling that it's rotten, and I could tell you whether that egg was rotten or not.
Smell anything? Why, there's a shell around it. And supposing you said to me, well, I don't believe that egg is rotten. I could I could prove it to you perhaps by dropping it. But I venture to say that there are many people here who would say, oh, don't do that. We'll believe you. We can tell that it's rock. Don't smash it, my friend. If you've been brought up under good circumstances and in a good home, it's quite possible, quite possible that maybe you have been kept from much of the gross sin degradation that exists in this world.
And we can be thankful for them. We can be thankful that we've been brought up in homes where some of those things weren't common and weren't even allowed.
We can be thankful for parents that kept us from all of these things. We can be thankful for our community, where perhaps the standards of right and wrong in a measure are maintained. Yes, thankful for all. Beloved friends, Let's never fool ourselves into thinking that we're fit for the heavens as well. Let's never fool ourselves in the thinking that we're fit for the presence of God. Because in the day when the Lord Jesus was here on earth, there were those.
Took that attitude there were those that took the attitude that they were good enough the way they were and the Lord had to say to them they that are whole about the economic position that they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. But then in God's Word, in Romans chapter 3, it says.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
I can well remember. I'll tell this story for the children. One time we had a Sunday school picnic back in Hamilton. And this was a long, long time ago, at least 2530 years ago. And the man who was speaking to the children, he said, I wonder if there's anybody here that has told a lie and lots of hands. Well.
He said, is there anyone here that's never told a lie, Any boy or girl here that's never told a lot? And one boy, about six or seven years old, he put his hand on the speaker, said he looked at him. You, you, you never told the law. You never said anything wrong, never told anybody something that wasn't true. No, no, I don't. I didn't. Well, you know, I felt sorry for that boy because it so happened that his mother was sitting beside him.
His mother come to the Sunday school picnic and the man who was speaking, he said, well, son, he said, I don't know whether I think we ought to ask your mom beside you, you know, if that's true. I don't know whether to whether to take that just from you. Let's ask your mom. So he said, mother, he said, is it right what this boy says that he's never told a lie?
And I'll never forget his mother's answer. She just kind of smiled because he just told one more. He just told one more. He told lies. Of course He had it. So have we all. And you know, one act of disobedience was enough for God to put out him and Eve out of the garden of Eve, beloved friend, tonight, in all seriousness, one act of sin on your heart is enough to keep you out of heaven. It doesn't have to be something gross that we've been talking about.
One hour of sin.
Well, what happens here? Verse 6? And when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of the most high God, I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me now.
Oh, you know, if man didn't recognize who the Lord Jesus was, the devil always knew who he was. The devils always knew who he was. My friend, the devil knows who the Lord is. It tells us in the book of James. Thou believe us in God.
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You as well. The devils also believe and tremble. And maybe there's someone here that trembles tonight when he thinks of a holy God and God's judgment for sin, because God is a holy God and he must judge sin. Maybe there's someone here that trembles. The devil's tremble too, but they don't get saved. That doesn't save them. Oh no, these here in this man, these devils, they try.
Oh, no, these here in this man, these devils, they tremble. They knew who the Lord was. They knew that there was a power there that they couldn't resist. And beloved friends tonight, let me tell you that when it comes to Bob, you have a responsibility and you can't get away from it. These devils know that there is a coming day when God will judge them. They have no illusions about that. But how many men and women there are today who are going on headlong as at work and paying no attention to the fact that they have a responsibility toward God?
I've heard people talk like that. They say why? I don't have to have any responsibility toward God. I can do what I want.
That we can't do what we want because God has placed us here in this world for his pleasure and his glory. And we've all sinned and we have to answer to God for our sins. And you know deep down in your heart that someday you do have to answer to God for the way you live your life. You can't get away from it. You can't get away from the responsibility you have toward God. But all what it says here in verse eight is nice. For he said unto him.
Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
The Lord Jesus only had to speak the Word. There was power there to cast out an unclean spirit. The Lord Jesus had only to speak the Word. And all my friends, tonight the Lord Jesus has finished the work on Calvary's cross. He's accomplished redemption. All you say, if I'm a Sinner, what do I do? Oh, Paul and Silas said to that jailer in Philippi believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Do you realize that you're a Sinner before God?
That's where I had to come to. And many here in this room have had to come to that point where they realized that they were lost, guilty sinners before God. And I tell you that you will never come to Christ until you realize that you have no hope without Christ. You'll never come to Christ until you realize that you're a Sinner, and not only a Sinner, but a lost sin. A lost sin. That's not very nice, is it? That's not very nice. We don't like to hear that. I didn't like to hear that.
Because we all like to think that we can at least do something to help ourselves, but we can at least do something to get back to God. We may feel that we have sinned and that yes, we need God's help, but we like to feel that we can do something that all we have to come to the point.
Where we realize that we can do nothing, nothing. This poor man knew that he could do nothing. He knew that he was under a power which was greater than he, the power of the devil. And there was only one who could deliver him from him. And beloved friends, tonight is only one who can deliver you from the power of sin and from the power of the devil, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. But you know, if I might say it reverently, the Lord Jesus could cast out a devil by one word of his power.
But it wasn't easy for him to be able to put away your sins. It's not easy for the Lord Jesus to put away your sins because it cost him his death on the cross, because the Lord Jesus is death on Calvary's cross.
Think of that. You realize tonight that there is someone who loved you about.
We used to visit in the detention home and travel for many years. It was what we were what was turned to maximum security detention center.
And in that center were juveniles, boys and girls.
Who were there?
Because they had committed serious crimes, done very serious things, and we used to see boys and girls who were guilty of just about everything. They are even heard. And it was a very sobering thought to sit across the table and talk to some of them. And we used to put it up to them. You're going to have to stand before a judge pretty soon.
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And if they were fooling around, they sobered right up. Yes, we do. Yeah. Next week. What are you going to do?
Well, best we can, I guess.
Lawyers going to present our side of it and the judge will hear the prosecution side and then he'll make a verdict. And sometimes we would say to them, but what would happen if the judge had seen you do what you did? What would happen if the judge had seen you do what you were charged with? What that ****? Well, no hope then, No hope of getting out. Then they fell straight. They knew it was a serious matter. And so we would bring before them the fact that they had to stand before God someday.
That they had a responsibility before God, but that there was someone that had loved them enough to die for them. We used to ask them, have you got a friend that would trade places with you here on this detention center if you ask them to? And some of them would say, yes, I think I've got a friend good enough that would trade places with me. But suppose you had to stay here five years. Would somebody trade places for you with you then?
No, I doubt it. And supposing you were going to be here all your life, would somebody trade places with you? No way. No, I don't have any friends that have ever sat for me. And supposing that you were going to be executed and supposing that there was such a penalty.
For the crime you've committed, is there anybody that would stand up there and die instead of you? Although nobody would do that. We told them that the Lord Jesus Christ that loved them enough to die for them. My friend, he loved you. He looked down through the ages of time and he knew that you would be born, that you would be a Sinner along with all the rest of us. The Lord Jesus said I'm going to die for that individual too.
And so there's enough power in the blood of Christ to put away every sin.
That you've committed, isn't that blessing? Is there someone here tonight that will come to Christ and be saved?
Well, what happens here?
Verse 10.
And they besought him, or he besought him much, that he would not send them away out of the country.
Now there was there nigh under the mountains a great herd of swine feed, and all the devils beside him saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into that. And forth with Jesus gave them leave, and the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swan.
And the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea. They were about 2000 and was choked in the sea.
We might wonder at this, why did the Lord Jesus allow this to happen? Why did the Lord Jesus, he didn't have to permit them. He didn't have to allow these demons to go and enter into the swine. Why did he do it? All? My friends, I believe the significance is this. He wanted to test those people. He wanted to test them.
You know, he could have healed the man and sent the demons away and said go away out of this country. He could have done that, but he didn't. They asked him if they could enter into the swine and the Lord Jesus allowed them in order to test people as to whether they would rather have Kim and that man in his Wakemont.
Instead of having those heard of 2000 Swan.
Now, we might mention something here, just so that we're clear about this. I don't believe that the Lord Jesus took any pleasure in seeing 2000 pigs run down and get drowned.
But to make it clear, they had no right to be keeping these pigs a day, because the pigs were unclean under Jewish law and they were to eat them. They were an unclean animal. That was the law in the Old Testament. It isn't true under Christianity, but in the Old Testament that was part of the law that they weren't to eat pigs. They were an unclean animal. And so they had no business keeping these swine, whether they ate them themselves were not told, or whether they just kept them and sold them to others.
But at any rate, they had no business keeping them. But aside from all of that, the Lord Jesus wanted to test them. Which would you rather have this man in his right mind, this man with all of those demons cast out, this man no longer living in the tombs? Or would you rather have your business, your pigs? We're living in farm country here where there's lots of this that goes on. And you know, God tests us sometimes. He tests this world as to which they would have.
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Because if the Lord had come along and merely healed this man, cast out the demons, sediment, his right mind, everybody I think would have said, well, isn't that wonderful? Isn't that wonderful that this man doesn't bother us anymore, that he doesn't break the chains and cause so many problems? They would have been happy with that. And if the Lord Jesus were to come into this world anywhere to offer a salvation which relieved man of all the pain and suffering in this world and relieved all of the sin and degradation.
Oh, they were more than willing to have that, but oh, when that?
Act of healing that man. Allow those demons to cause disruption in the course of this world.
But it caused men to lose money and lose their business. Older than the heart of man made a choice. The heart of man made a choice. The beloved friend tonight, if you accept Christ as your Savior, it may cost you something. Oh, it may cost you something. But is anything worth? Is anything worth the price of your precious soul for all eternity? If we turn over your few chapters in the same gospel in chapter 8, we could read these solemn words.
What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world?
And lose his own soul. And so God tested these people. And God may test you to find out what's important to you. You know, if you want to have Christ, it may cost you something in this world. God never promises the Christian and easy pack, but he promises him glory at the end and his company with us. And so when these 2000 swine ran down and were choked.
Then it says in verse 14 And they that fed the swine fled and told them in the city and in the country, and they went out to see what it was that was done.
Excuse me, and notice the reaction when they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion sitting and clothed in his right mind. And they were afraid, And they that saw told them how to be found him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine, And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. Oh, man would rather have his own business.
He would rather have his herd of 2000 pigs rather than Christ, an old beloved friend. We're living in America and the land of prosperity. We're living in a land of plenty. And it seems there are many in this favored land who would rather have business, material things rather than Christ, beloved friend tonight. Which is it going to be? Oh, it says they were afraid. Isn't that solid? They were afraid.
I know a story of a man.
Who used to go into a certain business to do business?
And he told another man, he said, I don't want to go into there to do business anymore. I don't like to go in there and have to deal with those people. He said that man behind the counter, he's got a testament in his pocket. He's got a testament in his pocket. And he said if you just give him the the slightest opportunity, pulls it out. And he said, I'm more afraid of that testament than I would be of a gun.
The other night, on Monday evening earlier this week after the gospel meeting at the Des Moines, Tim Cedar and I were walking out across the parking lot to our car and we came across a group of young people standing around there, probably about 15 of them mixed. Your boys and girls looked a little bit perhaps on the tough side, and they called out to us. They said, hey, what are you guys doing? You've been to a party or something? Oh, no, you haven't been to any party. You're too well dressed for that.
So Tim and I started walking over to them and as I walked over, I reached into my bag that I had there and pulled out a handful of gospel tracts. All one of them said, what are you reaching for a gun? Oh, I said no. I said, I we've been to something better than a party. I said, let me share it with you. I tell you, those tracks were better than any gun. They took one look at them and they went in all directions this way and that way. I managed to give out a vote, two of them.
Two of them took them and they read them. I saw them reading them with the rest of the mall all. And the more I went closer, the more they edged away. And the Bible closer they went faster. All those tracks, they didn't need a gun. Those tracks were better than any gun. Ah, they were afraid, oh beloved friends, afraid of what? Afraid of the grace of God. Afraid of the grace of God. Man would rather have your sin and misery and degradation rather have his party, rather have everything that goes along with it rather than half price. And it says here they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
00:45:21
As much as said, we're quite OK, just just just go away. Just go away. Don't, don't, don't make any more waves in our society. We're doing quite all right.
Don't come and cause trouble here, my friend. Tonight, if you're accept Christ, you'll be swimming against the current of this world, because this world is satisfied with itself. But this world, if I might say it very kindly, is like that. Very big. Before you say don't put me in, don't compare me to other kids, my friend. It makes just about as much sense to reject Christ as it was for that herd of pigs to run violently down that hill into the sea and were drowned.
And that's a picture of the end of this world because this world is heading on to judgment. And this world sometimes reminds me of that herd of pigs. You know, I don't know that much about pigs, but we used to keep them on the farm. And if you've got a herd of pigs going in One Direction, they just go. And that's what happened with these pigs. They all ran down there and into the sea and drowned before they knew what was happening. And you know, the devil is blinding men's minds today so that they are running a big herd and each one thinks the other one, well, it must be all right because everybody's doing that.
And the devil says that's just fine. But meanwhile, there's the Lord Jesus Christ there. He wanted to save. He was there with all his power to bring before them the way of salvation. I said no, no, They began to tell him. They began to pray him to depart out of this. What is your attitude tonight, beloved friend? If you're not saved, what are you doing? Are you willing to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior? Are you willing to say that whatever it costs, it's worth it?
Now I want to be clear about this. It doesn't cost anything to be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ gives it as a free gift to you. But I say that it may cost you something in this world because you're going to be swimming against the current of this world. If you accept Christ as Savior, you'll find that this world is going in the other direction. But wouldn't you rather be going in the right direction? Even if everybody else was going in the wrong direction, wouldn't you rather be going the right way?
Even if everybody was going wrong, oh, wouldn't it be nice to be going the right way?
I went the wrong way on this trip a little while when I was up in Michigan. I don't know how it happened, I've never had it happen before, But I got turned around and I was heading straight back east instead of going West the way I wanted to go. And I'm very thankful that I had a road map with me. And very quickly I was able to decide that I was on the wrong road and I got turned around and got going in the right direction.
My friends, God has given us a road map. He's given us His precious word to tell us that there is one way to be saved in one way only. And wouldn't I have been foolish to say, well, I don't need this road map, I'm sure I'm going the right way. I would have ended up right back on the border of Canada instead of on toward Iowa here where I was headed. Well, let's believe what God says. Never mind what others are doing. Never mind if someone is going in the wrong direction.
God says you believe what God says and get going in the right direction.
Notice here what happens verse 18. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with.
Oh, you know, if you come to Christ and are saved, the first desire of a soul is saved is to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't want to be in the tombs any longer. He didn't want to dwell in that cemetery. He didn't want to do harm to himself or to other people. He wanted to be with the Lord Jesus. And you know, when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ and know him as your Savior, then your first thought is to want to be with him.
Want to be with him to enjoy his company?
Well, we can enjoy this company in an individual way, because even though he isn't here bodily as he was, His presence will go with every believer, and you can have a real sense of his presence with you in every step of the way. But you'll notice here that in verse 19 it says, How be if Jesus suffered in none, but saith unto him, go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and that had compassionately.
00:50:05
You know, the Lord Jesus could take us each one to heaven right away, as soon as we were saved. Why doesn't He do that? Why as soon as we were saved, doesn't the Lord take us up to heaven there to be with Him? That would be wonderful. It's what we would want, isn't it? Of course we would.
If we really know what it is to know Him as our Savior, and we know anything at all about the wonderful place that He's going to take us to, then we want to be here. But He doesn't do that. He leaves us here, some for a short time, some for a long time.
What for? Oh, it tells us here. Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord have done for thee, and have had compassion on thee.
That's why the Lord Jesus that leaves us here, as you often said before, He doesn't leave us here just to leave good, morally upright lives and to get on in this world and to do well down here and then go to heaven at the end. No, He leaves us here as living witnesses and testimonies of what He has done for us. Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? This is what He's leaving you here for. Have you been on the receiving end of God's compassion?
And God says, you go and tell others what I've done for you. And you know this man did it. What does he do in verse 20? And he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him. And all men do marvel. Why did they marvel? Oh, because they said here's a man that nothing would cure. Here's a man that we couldn't do anything with.
But the grace of God is doubtful. Beloved friend, it's the finished work of Christ that'll make a change in lives. I can remember a story that occurred many years ago here in a large American city. We're a well known preacher of the gospel who's long since with the Lord. Harry Ironside was preaching the gospel on a street corner and there were a crowd of Christians with them and as he had finished the his speaking that night.
And they'd sung a few hymns over the middle of the crowd that was listening. A tall, distinguished man, well dressed and saw on, stepped up to Harry Ironside. And out of his pocket he pulled a piece of paper and handed it to him in the presence of all those people for him to read. So Mr. Ironside took it out, read it out loud. I challenge you to debate with me at the Science Hall at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. The subject.
Agnosticism versus Christianity.
Now, for those that are younger here, a person who's an agnostic, he says, I don't believe in anything because I just don't know. I don't know whether the Bible is true or I don't know what's true or where everything came from or who made this world. I just don't know. And this man was evidently an agnostic.
I challenge you to debate with me at the Science Hall at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon the subject agnosticism versus Christianity. Well, Mr. Iron Site immediately said you went up and he said I thank you. He said I am very interested in this challenge. I'm very interested. I accept this challenge, but permit me to put one condition up. He said. You know when a man is going to debate something.
You're going to try and show to me the value of agnosticism, and I want for my part, to show you the value of Christianity. But he said a man ought to be able to bring in some evidence that what he is preaching works. So he said, Sir, for your part, I'd like you to bring two people tomorrow to your debate. You bring two people, men or women, it doesn't matter. But I want you to bring two people who were in the depths of degradation and sin, who were leading sinful lives that everyone knew about.
And when you told them about agnosticism and how wonderful it was that the preaching of agnosticism has lifted them out of that state of things. A man who was perhaps a drunkard or a thief, or a man who beat his wife and never could hold down a job and all these things, he said, I want you to bring a man or two men, or two men or two women, or any either one of each, but people to whom agnosticism has lifted from the depths of sin and made them good citizens of society so that everyone can look at them and say.
Look at what agnosticism can do. And he said, for my part, he said to support the value of Christianity, he said, and he turned to someone beside him and he said, how many can we get? We're all one man said, I know at least 40 from my neighborhood. And another man said, well, I'll bring another sixty. Well, there you go. Mr. Ironside said, I'll bring 100 if you can bring 2. If you can bring two people to support agnosticism, I'll bring 100. That can show you the value of the finished work of Christ.
00:55:25
Well, there was no debate.
The man, he went.
Left away. Why? Because he couldn't even bring 2 to support agnostic. Oh beloved friends, there's only one thing that will bring souls to Christ. There's only one thing that will change lives. There's only one thing that will make a change in the heart of man. You need a new heart, and only the Lord Jesus Christ can give it to you. Only God can give that to you through the finished work of Christ and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son.
Sponsor us from all sin.
Well, our time is up. May God bless His word to us and we pray that if there's anyone here that is not under the shelter of the blood of Christ that you have come to him tonight. Maybe there's someone here that says, I don't quite understand it all. It's not too clear to me.
Oh, if there's someone here that doesn't understand and you'd like to talk about it afterwards, there are plenty of people who would just love to sit down and chat with you about these things. It's so important to get this question settled. Maybe there's a boy or a girl here who isn't saved. Oh, wouldn't it be nice if you got saved tonight? Wouldn't it be nice if you came to Christ tonight? Let's sing that hymn on Christ the solid rock. I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.
#7 I think it is.
Yes #7.
My hope on nothing less is built than Jesus and the blood he spills. I dare not cross the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on his blessed name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand. Let's stand and sing #7.
My whole good morning.