Gospel—P. Geveden
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Wheaton, IL, August 21St, 1962 Gospel Meeting, Paul Dividend.
Our meeting with #15.
#15
oh, blessed gospel sound. Yet there's room. It tells to all around, yet there's room.
The guilty may draw near, though vile. They need not fear with joy they now may hear. And yet there's room.
God's love in Christ we see. Yet there's room greater It could not be yet. There's room. His only Son He gave. He's willing now to save all who in him believe. Yet there's room.
All things are ready. Come.
But there's room. Christ, everything hath done yet. There's room. The work is now complete before the mercy seat of Savior. You will meet, yet there is room number 15.
Oh, blessed gospel.
Joey God's house is filling fast.
Yet there's room.
Some guests will be the last.
Yet there's room.
Yes, soon Salvation's day from you will pass away.
Then grace no more will say.
Yet there's room.
We are, generally.
Time conscious?
We like to look at the timetables as we travel.
To see just where we are along the journey.
And where we shall arrive at a certain time.
Let's begin with a scripture.
From Galatians.
Chapter 4.
Verse 4 But when the fullness of the time has come.
God sent forth his Son.
Native a woman.
Made under the law to redeem them that were under the law.
That we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because your sons God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, ABBA, Father.
When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son.
Made of a woman made under the law.
You know it was through the woman.
That sin came into this world.
And at that very point.
God chose to send his son into this world, the promised seat of the woman.
To save sinners.
But more than all.
Glorifying God.
God sent forth his Son made of a woman.
Made under the law.
Now that's a little indication in the timetable.
That happened almost 2000 years ago.
And where are we tonight, as gathered here to listen again to the story of God's grace?
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The Marvelous Facts of the Gospel Just where are we tonight?
Are we in the beginning of the church age?
Are we halfway along?
Or would you judge according to the scriptures?
And the many things that we see about us.
That we're toward the very end of this day of grace.
Or if you read your bibles.
If you have listened to the word.
You're quite well convinced that the Day of Grace is about over.
We've come.
History of the Church to the very last stage.
Indicated by the seven addresses to the seven churches of Asia in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation.
We've come down to Laodicea.
Neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm.
Much to boast about, naturally, and in the flesh, according to man.
But very little that is approved by heaven.
That has the approval of Christ. So we're at the very close.
Of the Church's history on Earth.
We're right at the end of the Day of Grace.
And we find the parallel truth in the Word concerning the Kingdom of heaven and its present form.
As given to us in Matthew's Gospel.
Would you think that we're at the very beginning of that, when the seed of the word of God was first sown in the field, the world?
Oh no, you know that we're not back there in the early days.
Would you say then we're about halfway long?
Or you couldn't see that, could you?
You've heard the cry, the old bridegroom.
We are in the knowledge of the truth of the second coming of Christ.
And that cry was made.
150 years ago, perhaps?
And it's still being made. And let us make it here again tonight. Behold the bridegroom.
Go ye out to meet him.
Are you ready?
Are you ready for the coming of the Lord?
Are you ready to meet that one that is coming back to this world?
Oh, it's a bright and blessed prospect to the believer. Nowhere in the word is the coming of the Lord for his people associated with judgment.
But if you are unsaved, if you are not among those who believe in Christ.
Then judgment is connected with his return, and those judgments are severe.
Behold therefore, the goodness of God.
And also his severity. That may not be an exact quotation, but you can check on it.
In the eleven chapter Romans.
Or we could speak of the parable of the fig tree and the other trees in Luke's Gospel chapter 21.
And we know that a nation is budding across the sea.
And Israel is that nation.
That's the meaning of the fig tree.
That indicates a change.
That indicates that the Day of Grace is about over.
And that God is about to bring that people into their privileges once more and bless them.
Here on this earth.
Yes, God sent forth his Son.
Made of a woman.
Made under the law.
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You know, we think that we can do something about our salvation.
Men undertook to keep the law when it was given.
But he was unable to do it.
And the Apostle Paul, who was saved by God's grace, found out that the law made sin exceeding symbols.
All the commandments of the law came in and made the matter all the worse.
But aren't we glad tonight that we're sin? Abounded Grace? Did much more abound?
God sent forth his Son.
Does that mean anything to you? It does to me.
God sent forth his Son Jesus Savior.
And it's been my happy privilege to know him a number of years.
About 40 years ago we received the news of the home going of Mr. Blount.
That had quite an impact upon me.
Because in his meetings I had confessed the Lord as a boy.
But after that there was a getting away and then I was recalled.
And thrown into exercise before God, and things were made clear to me.
In considering what might be suitable for this Gospel hour tonight.
At the last moment of change was made.
We have heard of the homegoing of our beloved brother Aho.
And no doubt this will have an effect upon you.
And improperly it should.
And could we speak a little in response to some questions that are raised in the Old Testament?
And they wait a long time for an answer.
And we'll turn to several scriptures in the new.
As we answer these questions from the 14th chapter of Joel.
Verse four, question one.
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
Not one verse 10.
Man dieth, and waste of the wave.
Yeah man giveth up the ghost and where is he?
Verse 14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
Now turning back to verse four. Question number one. Who can bring a clean thing out of a non clean? Man tries that.
Oh yes, he does. He thinks he's capable.
He thinks that he can produce that which is suitable and acceptable to God.
But basically he cannot.
It's impossible to bring a clean thing out of a unclean thing.
And that's the reason that the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus of the necessity of being born again.
A lady on the bus was referring to her social work among the people. Oh, she said they're like onions. The author of Skins. And you'll find some good in them.
But a better illustration would be that of the egg.
Which is bad. And did you ever see anyone try to improve a bad egg? It's necessary to get a new egg.
A fresh one, and it's absolutely necessary that we have a new life.
He must be born again.
We will turn to John Chapter 3 directly in connection with that question.
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? John's Gospel, Chapter 3.
In connection with the history of Nicodemus that came to the Lord by night.
And inquired of him.
There, we read.
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In that conversation, verse six, that which is born of the flesh is flesh.
It remains that way.
Dress it up as you wish, it's still the same.
It won't do, won't do for God. And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born.
Again.
Or the margin reads from above.
All We have natural life. We have the life of Adam.
But we need that life of Christ.
That comes through faith in Him. He communicates that life to us when we buy faith, accept him as Savior and Lord, and we become a new creature, a new creation.
Though if there's one here tonight that has not been born anew, why do you wait? What's simple, You don't understand it. It comes by faith. It comes through the word of God, by the Spirit of God, in this simple acceptance of the truth of the gospel of God's grace.
The only way to receive blessing to get that new life.
Is through Christ Christ the Savior of sinning.
Then we'll pass on to question #2, verse 10. Man dive and waste of the way, ye man giveth up the ghost and where is he?
Or people like to think that they die as the dog, that everything is finished at the last breath.
They go to great efforts to disprove.
Any future existence of man?
Or the infidel.
Tries to argue that there is no God.
But if there's no God, why does he continue his arguments?
The fact that he continues to resist is the proof of the existence of the eternal God. Man has a conscience. He's responsible to God. Every one of us here tonight is responsible to God.
We're responsible, responsible to go on for our sins.
We're responsible to God as to the way He has spoken to us in sending forth his Son.
Into this world made of a woman made under the law, or what grace?
He put himself under the obligation of that law that spelled out man's condemnation.
Oh, blessed Savior, He was able to accomplish Redemption's work.
And he did. It's finished. All things are now ready. Come. There's a mercy seat, and you can come simply into the presence of God and receive blessing in your soul instantaneously.
How long did it take the thief to get into the light of the blessing of eternity? You can read that account in less than 30 seconds. His confession to the man and his confession to the Lord, a request to the Lord, and the Lord's answer to him.
Less than 30 seconds. You can read that entire passage.
Of a man that got saved, and perhaps the first man that ever knew.
Exactly where he was going after death.
Well then, to this question, let's turn to other scriptures. Man dieth waste of the way, man giveth up the ghost.
And where is he?
Or we can turn to Luke 16.
Luke, Chapter 16. There we read of two men, one rich, another poor.
And their circumstances were quite different.
But relationship to God was also quite different. Verse 22 it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom.
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Oh, what would delight.
That you more than to be associated with the warmth of Abraham's bosom, that man of faith.
The father of the faithful, the father of all who believe Abraham is even our father as we believe the gospel.
Yes, we read here that the beggar died and he entered into satisfaction and happiness.
The rich man also died.
And was buried.
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments. This is not the final thing.
We can read it hades properly. We should.
But he was in torments.
Immediately, just as soon as breath had left the body, he lifted up his eyes.
Being in torments.
So we see there two side by side.
One taken to Abraham's bosom, the other lifting up his eyes. Now he's wide awake.
And he realizes that he is in torments.
Or his tongue was parched in that flame.
He was concerned about others.
He's the beggar. Just as soon as the curtain dropped upon his history here in this world, he fared sumptuously every day, he got along well.
But now it's reversed and he's the beggar wishing only a drop of water.
To cool his tongue in that awful place of torment.
Then let's turn to Philippians for a word of comfort.
For a word concerning those that believe in Christ, Philippians chapter one and verse 23.
There we read by the pen of inspiration the Apostle Paul writing.
Under the direct.
Control of the Spirit of God.
He speaks of his life, of how to live his Christ.
And that he was in the street betwixt 2 verse 23 of that chapter one.
Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better? Which is very far better.
Or it goes to that length.
The Apostle having faith in Christ, knowing that his sins were forgiven, knowing that man in the glory was ready to go. He was anxious to go, but he had his responsibilities to fulfill here.
And he was in a straight betwixt the two. But he knew quite well, very well, certainly so that to depart and be with Christ was far better, very much better.
Oh, that's a word that we can rest upon.
My father, six months in the hospital, said.
It takes faith to say it.
But it's true.
It's good enough to die upon.
Oh yes, it gives you confidence in that last hour, that last moment.
And then it lets sin of this will not turn to it. Second Corinthians, chapter five. There we read of the believer that he is absent from the body present with the Lord.
That answers it, doesn't it? You don't have to reason about what takes place when a Christian dies.
Absent from the body is and present with the Lord.
Now let's notice something of those who do not believe, we've seen.
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In Luke 16, the case of a rich man that he lifts up his eyes in torments. Let's notice a verse in the first Peter Peter's first epistle.
And Chapter 3.
There, we read.
Of souls that lived a long time ago.
Verse 19.
Perhaps we ought to read verse 18. For Christ also hath suffered, have once suffered for sins, the justice for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by the Spirit.
By which also he went and preached under the spirits in prison the spirit of Christ in Noah warned those souls before the flood of the impending judgment. And now we find them here a long time afterwards shut up in the prison House of the damned.
Does that mean annihilation? Does that mean ceasing to exist when you die?
Never. Never.
And then let's turn over to the Book of Revelation, chapter 19.
And there we read of the damned, and of two that were especially damned.
And that were cast alive into the lake of fire, verse 20 of chapter 19, and the beast was taken.
And within the false prophet, these two wicked men.
In the end time.
The false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them, that had received the mark of the beast, and then that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Oh, what a terrible end to these men who assumed the greatness here in this world.
Won the head of the revived Roman Empire.
The other the head of.
Revived Judaism.
These two. This pair, This wicked.
Hair are taken and cast alive into the lake of fire.
Then we noticed something else too.
That an Angel came down from heaven, Chapter 20, having keyed the bottomless pit.
And a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil and Satan, and bound him 1000 years.
And cast him into the bottomless pit. That's not the final thing for him yet, but he's restrained for 1000 years during the millennial reign of Christ.
And after that rain, that glorious time on the earth is loose to little season.
And he goes out to deceive the nations again.
And then we find something else in verse 10 of that 20th chapter.
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.
Where the beast and the false prophet are They've been there 1000 years.
Does that spell Annihilation? Does that tell us that we cease to exist when we close our eyes in death when we leave this world? No, it doesn't. There they are, 1000 years later, tormented day and night, forever and ever.
Aren't you glad that we're not that far along?
That we haven't read that yet on the timetable, but it's on there. Oh yes, just turn it over a little bit and you'll see your destiny. You'll see the end of rejecting Christ.
You will see the consequences of not believing the gospel.
A solemn thing it is.
To get into the presence of God in that day of judgment, it's better, it's important, it's vital that you come into the presence of God now. While there's access to the throne of grace, the Great White Throne in the 20th chapter, there's no throne of grace there. There's no blood on that throne. Oh no, it's the time of judgment.
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Then let's notice the other question. If a man die, shall he live again?
John chapter 5 perhaps would answer that. Let's notice John's Gospel chapter 5.
Two or three verses there, as the Lord speaks and gives the word that is needed at the moment in connection with what had taken place. And here we read.
In verse 28, marvel not at this.
Marvel not at this, but the hour is coming, in which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice.
That's resurrection. That's hearing the voice.
And shall come forth.
They that have done good under the resurrection of life, that's the character of the first resurrection.
And they that have done evil under the resurrection of damnation or judgment. That's the character of the second. In Revelation, we learn that there's 1000 years between the two.
And let's notice also in connection with this, a statement in First Thessalonians Chapter 4. The dead in Christ shall rise.
We will not see all of it. It's true either way.
All wonderful is God's word. The dead in Christ shall rise.
First, that is, before the living are changed, the dead in Christ shall rise.
That's a statement of the scriptures, and let's turn now to the 15th chapter First Corinthians.
First Corinthians chapter 15 And there we read of the resurrection.
And Christ risen from the dead. Verse 19. If in this life only we have open Christ, we have all men most miserable.
Verse 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept.
Verse 23 but every man in his own order.
Christ, the first fruit afterward, they that are Christ at his coming, verse 49. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we're in that image here tonight in our natural bodies.
But oh, in the resurrection we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
We'll be like our risen Lord.
Like him, fully conformed to the image of God's Son.
Oh, what a day. What a prospect lies ahead of those that believe in Christ.
Now what hinders us from getting into the presence of God?
Let's turn to the 32nd Psalm for a lesson. Psalms, Chapter 32.
There we read of one who had been in sole trouble.
And that's a good kind of trouble to have.
And tonight.
It would be a good thing if you could not sleep because of your soul trouble.
Because of your sins.
That you ought to be sensing and feeling their terror before a holy God.
Oh, let's notice this Just a glass of water has fallen here.
And justice? Think of what it will mean when the water of life is no more available.
It's all gone, none remaining. But now the invitation is whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely.
Oh, won't you drink of that life giving stream tonight, right now, at this moment here in this 32nd Psalm, This man is in trouble, he says. I kept silence. Verse three. My bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
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For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me.
My moisture is turned into the drum of summer and sealant.
That's a good punctuation word.
All We like periods and comments in the school room, but here's a word that punctuates this story.
Very importantly, Cela, stop. Think it over. Think about where your sin will carry you. It'll get no better. Why? This man couldn't improve. He couldn't contain his sins. He couldn't solve the sin problem.
Why? He had it with him, and it was heavy upon him, and he tried to contain it. He tried to cover it up. He tried to keep, but his bones waxed over through his roaring his groanings all day long. Sin makes you miserable, and all that you might feel the weight of it because of your responsibility to God.
For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me. My moistures turned into the drought of summer.
Oh, how barren now unfruitful.
How dissatisfying is sin and his final result is?
Death and after death, the judgment. So it's time to consider it. It's time to think of where your sins will take you. They'll take you into the pit. They'll take you into outer darkness. They'll take you into that lake of fire. Where the devil and where the false prophet and that beast off the devil and his angels.
Well, it takes a long time to get up to this point.
Oftentimes.
Because we resist it, we try to keep away from it. It's the last thing that we want to do.
We don't want to acknowledge our sins. That makes nothing of us, but it's the necessary thing that we should do.
And you'll never get blessing in your soul until you do acknowledge your sins, until you do confess those sins, until you come to the Lord.
And make a living personal contact with him about your sins.
All that's necessary.
And it doesn't take long to get into the light of the word, into the joy of his blessing.
Oh no, we find that woman.
In the 7th of John going to the Pharisee's house.
And though she bathe, the Saviors speak with her tears, tears of repentance.
She kissed his feet out of attachment to his person.
And she broke that expensive box of ointment and anointed.
Not merely his head, but the scripture there says that she anointed his feet.
Oh, she took that low place.
And there in the presence of that religious element.
There in that House of the self-righteous Pharisees.
This nameless, thinner woman confesses the Lord, perhaps not with words. She wasn't ashamed of him. There was attachment to the person of Christ. There was appreciation of the Savior.
Oh, it's a serious thing, my young friend, to fail in the appreciation of the Son of God.
The Lord of glory.
Jesus of Nazareth.
That lowly savior.
He was willing to go to the cross. God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law, and he went to the cross and died.
So that you might have that invitation here tonight again come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Oh yeah, that's the cost of that invitation.
And this woman responded to the person of the Savior.
Have you Have you slighted him? Are you going on in the pursuit of those vain pleasures?
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That you have in this short life.
And what about Peter in the 5th chapter of Luke?
Oh, he'd been at his work.
He was a fisherman and he knew the seas, he knew the Nets, he knew the boats, he knew his helpers and he knew everything about his occupation.
And perhaps you know a great deal about what you're doing, and about that with which you're occupied. And the Lord tells Simon to let down his Nets.
And he said we've toiled all night and have taken nothing. And you know, that's the result of our toils toil as we wish. We'll never take anything.
It's impossible.
The law came making requirements of man, but it didn't supply any strength and it did not supply an object.
Christ came. He required nothing. He.
Went to the cross and died for sinners. Oh, it's a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
To save them from the power of sin to we find in other scriptures.
But what brought Peter into the presence of the Lord? He was astonished.
And why did he say that he was a sinful man?
He said that because he hadn't believed the Lord, the Lord had told him to let down the Nets, and he let down one net. He didn't fully believe the Lord and unbelievers. An awful thing.
Or that's one of the sins that's great. Perhaps one of the greatest or the greatest sin is the unbelief that is in the human heart.
That is exercised in the rejection of Christ. Oh, do not reject that blessed one here tonight. But this man paused. He stopped. He said, Cela, And now he says, I acknowledge my sin unto thee.
And to mine iniquity have I not hid?
In the first part of the chapter, man is hiding from God.
He was covering up.
But now he comes to this point, he realizes his need and that he can do nothing for himself.
He comes to this point and he's ready to confess his sin.
As we read in the rest of the verse, I said, I will confess my transgression unto the Lord.
It comes to a happy moment, to a vital moment.
To that which was necessary, he made the decision. He found out his need. Now he decides to do something about it.
And he's ready to confess his transgression to the Lord.
Now, do you suppose it took him a long time to get the matter settled?
In the paper the other day, there was an article about a company that got an answer from the courts in this land after 18 years of litigation.
Waited 18 years to get an answer.
Do you suppose this man had to wait for a year? For a month? For a week? For a day? For an hour?
How does it read? The very next sentence reads thou forgave us the iniquity of my sin?
Sela, think about it.
Forgiveness without any strings attached. Forgiveness free and full.
Forgiveness from the Lord.
And he's thinking it over, saying see long.
And then he recommends it to others as we recommend it to you here tonight.
For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be found, time when thou mayst be found, That's now he may be found tonight. Oh, yes, right now.
Or we may not be found tomorrow.
Tomorrow a sun may never rise for your blessing.
This is the time and for this.
Shall everyone that is godly pray? The only way to be godly, to be upright, to be without guile, is to get into the presence of the Lord about your sin.
That's the way. That's the only thing that you can do.
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Get into the presence of the Lord and then we see here.
Now he says in verse 7, Thou art my hiding place. Oh, he found a refuge.
He'd found a hiding place, a person, the person indicated in the 32nd of Isaiah. Thou art my hiding place.
And though we'd hear tonight, many of us know something of the sweetness of that hiding place.
That wonderful place of refuge and shelter from the storms of coming judgment. Thou shall preserve me from trouble. Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
Sheila.
Oh, he thinks now he was in his troubles then he confessed. Now he sing. Can you really sing tonight?
Can you sing songs of Deliverance? Can you rejoice?
In the knowledge of the Savior's love, can you join God through the Lord Jesus Christ?
Can you rejoice in hope of the glory of God? Can you rejoice as the apostle and again rejoice? Oh, there's gladness in knowing the Savior. There's gladness, there's happiness when that burden is removed.
Why not have it removed now?
O Come to that blessed sea.
It won't come to him now and if you refuse to come to him.
And leave this world unprepared. You will be brought into His presence.
Oh yes, you must be brought into judgment, and Revelation 20 indicates that to which we shall refer. Revelation chapter 20. And I saw this dead, small and great stand before God.
There you'll be.
The dead, small and great, standing before God.
And no place to stand.
The heavens and the earth are fled away, and you're left there, exposed.
To the judgment of God throughout all eternity. Why? Because your name is not.
Found in the Lamb's Book of Life.
You fail to come to Christ. You did not respond. You resisted the gospel. You rejected Christ.
And your name was not enrolled in that book.
There you will find it omitted.
And you will have to pass away into outer darkness, and it'll be just like the man that came to the wedding without a wedding garment.
And he was asked why he was found in there without any wedding garment and he was speechless.
Speechlessness.
But all tonight, come to the Savior, come to that blessed one.
The door of Grace is open.
A year there is room.
Yet there's room.
And in closing.
A lettuce thing again.
That number, 12 as was sung last evening, just as I am.
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, thy love I own has broken every barrier down.
Now to be thine and thine alone. O Lamb of God, I come. Will you decide for Christ tonight? Why not respond? You see the seriousness of rejecting Christ, of sliding his person, of not believing him, and of being finally cast into the lake of fire.
All be sure that all is well with that soul of yours.
That inner man, that soul of you.
He wants to forgive you. Everything is done, and he's ready. Come to the Lamb of God #12.
Just as.
I am.
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We ignore.
Blood to.
Just.
As I am.
Oh boy.
Yeah. Oh, my name.
I'm a world crazy.
Will have gone far.
Gluing.
Because.
Just.
I am my Lord.
My Lord.