Vestal YP Event: 2014
Table of Contents
Wake-up Call Part 1
Wake-up Call Part 2
Overcomers
YP Address—Bill Prost
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
On the way to all the kingdoms of this world, as He did to the Lord Jesus. Whatever it takes, He will bring you and me into *******.
I mentioned yesterday how that many young people.
Hard, and I don't say this without thinking. It felt carefully depicted to having music going on all the time and live without those, those plugged in their ears, little earbuds in their ears, listening to music, listening to something all the time. Minds have been kept going. And of course there are the more serious addictions of drugs and alcohol and all kinds of things.
It's possible and I don't want to.
Be hard on anybody here that people can get addicted to, right? And things like that. People can get addicted to all sorts of things in their lives. People can be worth a thought to be addicted to their jobs.
Whatever it might be, the devil wants to bring him to bond.
And to that extent, if that happened?
Then we are being overcome of evil.
We say all those things aren't you don't. No, they're not. They're not necessarily evil, but they push out of my life that which is most important to you and me as believers. And of course, it can be real and positive evil as we talk about some of that, a couple in the first meeting yesterday, because the devil is surrounding you and me with so much that is evil.
That pretty soon we get almost hirement to it. So we just don't realize how we are injecting, sliding down that awful slope where we become much, very much like the world around us.
That's only Application.
Be not overcome the people. Is that good enough?
Well over 100 years ago now.
Brother whom no one here will remember.
Including myself, but he's a brother that I would like to adult rather by the name of James B Dunbar, who originally came from England and who eventually settled in Canada and eastern Canada. He's very straight up near Rio Ferry there in the cemetery on what's known as the Scotts Line as well. Familiar to some who are sitting here this afternoon.
Very dear brother, he gave an address on a New Year's Day meeting.
I think it was 19108 and I read that address. You can get it if you want to take. BTT would probably still have it, but in that address he made a regard that I never forgot.
He said you and I as believers are not here merely believed because morally upright lie and then go to heaven at the end.
That's all allowing good and we should do all of that, but that is not enough. No, he said. You and I are left here.
To be living witnesses for the grace that.
I have no problem.
The few men lift it, lift it right to the end, spend it full time in the work of the Lord with much, much use of the Lord in many different places that didn't find roughing it. Used to go out and preach the gospel to the Indians in North America, slept on the ground and all the rest of it and didn't hesitate to travel. And he was well up in the 70s and 80s.
I told this story before that when he touches my heart.
We got toward the end of his life. He was ministering after the breaking of bread in Toronto, ON, and he had a crippling stroke. Rightly, this ministry fell down on the floor holding paralyzed on one side.
Several rather than drift and left when they were going to carry them out that he protested and said no, I'm not finished yet.
Stand up anymore that he sat in his feet, his mind is clear to speak to the good. And he finished what he had to say.
00:05:06
After a few minutes, he gave up the closing hidden sang most scarily.
Within a week he was with the Lord.
He was an overcomer not only in the first half of this verse, but in the second-half. He not overcome of evil.
The flat was older than evil good.
That means that not only is the Lord owing me to be able to resist being dragged down by all the evil that is around us.
But he says you have the privilege of overcoming evil.
When I was going to college.
I worked with some of the large industries in our local area during the summer.
And on at least two occasions I ended up working in the office.
And I used to be somewhat I'm used.
Like people who would come to work on Monday morning.
And not always just on Monday, either.
And they reminded me of some Christians.
Because they were sitting in the door of the office.
And you say good morning, so and so. How are you this morning?
And as they groped around the office for that cup of coffee, the answer was, well, I'm here.
Meaning that it had taken everything they had just to get out of bed and get dressed and get in the car and get to work. But don't expect too much from me for a little while, because I'm here and that's about it.
You know, we can be like that at this time. Yeah, But here.
See, we know we're going to heaven at the end of the journey.
Don't expect two months to watch it too.
That's not what the word wants from you and me.
And it finally makes a It's not what he deserves.
Many were here this morning when we remembered there.
When we think of what happened, When we think of all our Jesus.
In the words of the wind, love that transcends our eyes, thoughts he.
And her soul, our life.
Overcome evil with good. What does that mean? That means that you and Mike alone in this world is living witnesses for the name of Christ.
That means that you and I lived with Christ. That means that instead of being overcome by the evil.
Rather, we are happier seeking to bring soul into the same blessing as we are.
Or seeking to encourage other believers because some are more interested in getting up to gospel. Some are more gifted in the truth. Some are more gifted in pastoral work. There are many different gifts that God gives.
And God has something for each one of us to do.
We get that in the book of the season. Unto every one of us is given gifts according to the measure of the gifts of the Christ that is, God has given you and me and everyone here some kind of yet and a work to do that you can do better than anyone else.
Now I know one of the leaders climbed that hardness as well, but it's true, God has something for you to do that you can do better than anyone else. Now, if you don't do it, if I don't do it, the Lord will find something else. Just as you took the pound from the man that went in, kind of wrapped it all up in the napkin and did it away and gave it to the one that had 10 lbs.
A little like someone else to do that work if you and I don't do it.
Because you can do it better than anyone else, you say. How do I know it's the Lord wants me to do?
As good as but remember, you can't overcome evil if you're being overcome these things that's an that that doesn't make sense. But you can't be overcome of evil and then think you're somehow going to overcome you with good that doesn't that just.
00:10:09
Doesn't matter.
We have to go through the first part of this nurse or the second part is two of us.
And we have to realize that if we're in blindness, we have to get out of it.
Now let's go over at first, John.
There beside it says.
Fast food.
Middle of Earth.
13 I write under you, young man, and ultimately young women too.
That you have overcome the victim.
Middle of Earth 14th I have written that to the young man because he is strong and the word of God abides in you overcome the word of God.
I encourage you, each one, to read the Word of God.
Many of you end up with plans where the Word of God is read. May be around the supper table, may be around the breakfast table, maybe both.
And that's wonderful.
But I would suggest you that's not good.
Read it for yourself. Have your own Bible. Have your own read. Read it for yourself.
Regularly have a regular time when you reach. Maybe you don't understand at all. Never mind, you'll get something out of it and the Lord will make it good to your soul.
I don't want to make a comment here that came out of a conversation I had with some young brother yesterday.
We talked yesterday about the appearance of unveiling ourselves of our good written minister read that which those who have gone before gifted dreadful, who have given us the benefit of their ability in the word and their teaching.
Yes, I believe I may suggest that God came in a very special way to bring back the precious truth of the assembly that had been lost, at least in a public way, for hundreds of years.
Read the Word of God for yourself and form your own thoughts on.
But for your own thoughts, let it form your thoughts of course, but form your thoughts as to what it means.
But then go and read our written ministry on that passage.
If you find that your thoughts line up with what the written ministry says, good.
If you find that your thoughts don't light up.
The old brother said don't just discard your own thoughts and say all the written ministry is going to be right. So I guess I'm wrong.
Say good on your knees and ask the Lord to short. Ask the Lord to make their fears.
Good advice which I can help you having followed out of economically faith for many years.
What I want to make clear is don't go the other way around.
Don't go and read the written ministry and then go to the word of God and say, well, I guess that's what it means. No, if someone.
There are young people here and I don't think I'm centering the note because there is more than one couple, but we are young people here who are very interested in one another.
And I know that the e-mail that's pretty well replaced letter writing, which was what some of us did when we were recording in our generation. We left the suit for the moment that you do get a letter from someone, someone you love and care very much about. Would you be satisfied if I took that letter unopened when I said, well, let me read it and I'll explain what?
He's trying to say here, does that go over well? I, I kind of felt sick.
That wouldn't work, but you say, no, I think I can very well understand what they're trying to say. And it is in fact my letter. I don't want it. Uh, so we use it with the app or if I put your laptop and said, oh, here's a letter. Here's a letter from your girlfriend. Uh, let me see. I'll, I'll give you a Gracie AD. I'll, I'll read it and I'll do that in a few sentences like she's trying to say, you say, oh, no.
00:15:27
You know, blah blah blah, blah blah. Thank you, of course.
Now, it's true that there are many things in God's Word that are beyond His reason.
And that's why God has given us gifts and he's given us features and he's given us written in the streets and we need to leave it because those are the words of God hurts all of these friends of the word of God.
Because you have the Spirit of God is evil. And then don't neglect your written ministry.
And there's another danger today that next and out there and this is just the same here As for some of us that are older.
Sometimes problems and difficulties arise in the ascent.
And there's a danger of pulling the written ministry off the shelves and saying, well, there's how they handle that kind of a problem back in 1886. So I guess that's how we deal with it today. Or we go to some book that has been written and it doesn't have to take back 1800, and we say yes here in Chapter 3.
Subsection C It tells how to handle this kind of a problem and that's what we do.
Or we have some questions about prophecy, so we go and pick up the book and the details prophecy and say, Oh yeah, that's what all that's about.
To read the word of God, get on your knees and go to the Lord of them first of all.
And some of us had to learn that from hard experience. If there is a problem or a difficulty, the Lord wants you and me to go to Him, first of all, not to go and see if there's precedent for some way of dealing with it.
That lifted on to the Lord as He appeared to be honest, right? So don't be glad to get the press as well. That's why I tell you that the young men are strong, because the word of God is what?
They read the Word of God. I know it's a lighting. Now. The word of God is alighting in you. That means that you're living and walking in the good. It doesn't mean that you've got a whole lot of that up here and not much down here. It means that.
You read it, meditated on it, and I tested it and walked it.
Make another comment.
Oh my God.
And I have known this to happen not only among younger brothers, but also among those they were old enough to know better.
They were going to go to the reading beep.
And maybe Ephesians chapter three was going to be taken up in the reading.
So an hour or two before the reading meeting, they started pulling all the books off the shelf to see what Garments Synopsis had their season three, and about what William Heather said about it, and what he again said about it and various other writers.
To whom they had access.
No, I can still remember every day holding thundering foam telling us.
Never minister truth to your brethren just because you read it in a book.
And that's good as like. And I have seen dear brethren do that very thing that I am describing, come to our reading meeting. And because they hadn't digested it and walked in, at the very best it came out as if something was being parroted. And at the very worst it came out exactly backwards because they hadn't read it properly and understood.
Don't read it the night before, read it a year before.
Then Mr. Then Mr.
But don't hold up on the chapter just before reading it. He wanted to bone up on the chapter. Read the chapter. Don't go and fill your lines with written ministry just a few hours before the reason.
Anyway, the word of God is very important to make you and even overcome.
00:20:07
And then going on to chapter 5.
70645 Whatsoever is born of God, overcomethable, and this is the fixture that overcome the world, even our faithfulness. What does that mean?
That means that although everything around me is trying to push me down.
I have faith that God is going to look after me all the way home. You and I have that sense in our souls.
You know, someone has made a comment that it takes only a little space to bring the soul to heaven, but that much faith will bring heavenless soul. And that is true because as you and I go on in our Christian lives, if we learn to trust the Lord for all of those difficulties and problems that come against us, we will find that He is more than equal to them, and we don't have to be dragged down by this world.
Sometimes it could get pretty rough.
Sometimes it can be very, very difficult sometimes and I may have to suffer for it.
We'll talk about a little more about that in a moment, but we don't need to compromise and be overcome by this world. Have faith that the Lord is going to look at you and in his faith that enables human beings to overcome in a space that gave those martyrs not only in yesteryear but also today.
Gives them the strength and the courage.
How do you suggest that the name of Christ?
I think the figure is fairly accurate that there are probably close to 200,000 believers that give up their lives every year in this world today. The name of Christ.
And many more that suffer serious persecution. I knew two of them in northern India.
One young woman got a little hard tonight and fellowship at the Lord's Table, but her family working there and they forced her into a marriage with a young man who was a Hindu and she could do nothing about it.
And he refused to bow down to the hinge of God. He murdered and burnt the hostel over her head so that the police would simply write it off while the house caught fire. It was only a mud. But of course when they came that big and it was just written off, the out of the house caught fire and she referred to the fire. That was it. And everybody knew very well but.
Another young man that I didn't know personally.
But he heard the gospel from those gathered to the Lord's name in northern India, except with Christ as the Savior, rightly Savior, and all through his family, and told him that he accepted Christ as his sake.
Ten days later, he too refused to bow down to Hindu gods and he was murdered and the house was hurt down over his head.
Another young man in the same area, except that Christ as a savior at the age of 13. His father was so intense Adam that he chased him out of the house with an axe and the only reason the boy was being killed was that he could run faster.
Spent $24.00 up with a tree until his father got tired of waiting for him to come down and eventually some of the brethren came there and helped him to escape and get away.
Going on in many places that you were lying or nothing about them.
We can overcome the earth with our faith.
But what I want to talk about, especially this afternoon, is the time that remains. I'm going to have to be free.
Is overcoming that the Lord Jesus left us as an example.
To see that, turned to the third chapter of Revelation, to the address of Laodicea.
Where are we flying at home?
Revelation chapter 3 and verse 21.
To hand overcome.
And there are overcomers in that are addressed in every church. In Revelation 2-3, we go at time to talk about the hospital, but in every case there's an address.
00:25:13
For the overcomer, because God makes sense there to be overcomers, and he wouldn't tell us to be overcomers if it weren't helpful to do something.
To hand it over now till I burn it. To sit with me and my throne. And there it is.
Even as I also overcame and have sat down in my car in this church. He never hear them. Hear what the spirit under the church.
Now, in the other six assemblies addressed here, the overtime is in connection with the condition of things in the Church itself.
But here there's always different twist on it.
Because when we talk about the Lord Jesus having overcome.
If we think about it for a moment, he could not, and we speak randomly have overcome in a conviction of things in the Church of God, because when the Lord Jesus was here on earth, the church was not even torn was it wasn't formed until he'd gone back to heaven and the day of Pentecost came and the Spirit of God came back.
So the church was not performed and the overcoming in connection with the Lord Jesus that is referred to here is not an extraordinary traditional things in the church.
Assuming it's very significant as that is brought in and later see it because notice there was a condition in the Church of last year which needed to be overcome, a condition of good morning and that's a serious thing to be neither cold nor hot, neither hot door that which is good.
Or coal, and our coal toward that to be this kind of.
There's a whole brother that came from Europe and he said people can get very fishy by very fishy lush, wishy washy.
Just neither here nor there.
And we can get to do that way today.
The overcoming is more basic to overcome the land of the sea and state of states.
And that's why the Lord Jesus destroyed it.
I would suggest that there are two references.
And the lights go on. Jesus so overcome. And I'd like to look at them in the time of three days. The first one is in luma left, so let's turn to that.
Luke's dog for chassis, Alabama.
Luke 11, verse 21.
With a strong bad arm that Satan.
Keep of his towel left. This world is good there in peace.
But when stronger than he should come upon him and overcome him.
Take it from him, all his armor for any trouble.
Oh Lord Jesus is the stronger one that comes and took away all Satan's armor from.
When did that happen?
I would suggest that that happen.
At the beginning of the Lord Jesus ministry during the temptations in the wilderness and I'm assuming that you are familiar with that we won't turn the foot suction. I think no Remember beginning of the Lord's ministry that the Spirit drove him into the rivers and for 40 days it says didn't eat anything.
And then the devil came to test it. And test it.
By suggesting 3 different things here. First of all, well, you're hungry. Well then why don't you just command that these stones be turned into bread and yet something?
And he said, taking an optical pinnacle of the temple, well, turn yourself down because you know it says in the in the word of God that in the angels will in their hands, they shall bear the outlets at any time they'll actually put against the stone. So pour yourself down and then finally be offered Satan author Satan offer the Lord all the kingdoms of this world is set.
00:30:21
You can have them all if you'll fall down and where should you knee?
I'm going to ask some young person here to give me the answer.
How did the Lord Jesus answer the devil in all three cases? What was the way that He answered the devil? How did he deal with those temptations? Anyone wanted to meet and tell the rest of us?
How he did it?
All right, Did you catch that quarter? You scratch it, holding your Scripture. Thank you. He didn't get into an argument with him. He didn't get any kind of discussion going. He simply quoted the word done. And Satan was a little silent and he had to walk away. It says it was Devil departed from them. We'll see. The devil's beaten.
Every time Satan had tried that on a man before that man.
So that woman has come, has taken the sensations, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the side of light, as John details, is imprisoned, thistles. Those three things have been used by Satan right from Adam on down.
Do you remember the same news that on Eve the persuaders, they could have forbidden truth? And he used those lots to manipulate sinful man in whatever way he wants. And here was one on No, those temptations had no effect.
Award He will take the Lord. Jesus wants you and me to overcome the same way.
And the point I wanna make to use and to me today is that the basis for overcoming, and this is kind of a repeat of what we said yesterday, but it's important we're getting the same message from a different point of view and with the Lord Jesus as an example.
Because the Lord Jesus.
And his right as God could have told Satan simply to go away and he had the power to do that. And that wouldn't have got you immediately. The Lord did that. He served as an example for you and being.
He used the word for all and again to get back with the boy. I want to make you and me today is that one of the major ways that God would have you and me to overcome the lay of the sea and state in the church survey.
Is to overcome. First of all, her left reflects the left of the eye, and the thrives handsome. That strongman is still that Satan is doing his work. I never saw exemplified so much as I did in the Kingdom of Bhutan, a little country north of India, but I persuade him to understand. Two things struck me first of all.
I never felt the power of the devil so strong in any other place that fit into the world.
But equally true that the country was in peace. Everybody got seemed to get along with everybody else little children. But then every adult was safe. Couldn't believe it. We were told strangers and everything located them off the wooden make up to us. They they started we can do it. They wanted to roll them wrong on the tracks. Didn't know who we were. We were in a strange city. We worked with anybody just traveling there. They wanted the shifting for.
So it didn't matter at all. No one had ever told them to be worried about strangers.
Municipalities must, good Sir, your peace along the sea that has its way. Take your chisel, keeping things on the level of the way.
But now stronger than he has done.
He's taken from Satan all his armor and which is trust.
You know, if you and I are going to use so where to go? You choose and have the victory over safe and we can overcome in the same way, said the Lord Jesus. Yes.
One other overcoming John's Gospel, chapter 16.
00:35:04
Last verse verse 33.
These things I have spoken unto you, that we might have.
Yeah, this is overlooked each other. Circulation, Circulation. Let's see a good cheer. I have an older cup of work.
When does that overcome? Now all that was a drunk.
That was at the cross.
The Lord Jesus overcame the world because of Satan, using this world through everything he had, if we could say it forever. Dear the Lord Jesus, He drew everything he had upon working.
The Lord Jesus overtake.
But how did you overcome by divine power? You could say to his disciples that I I could even now afraid of my Father, and you impressively send me more than 12 pieces of angels.
But then how much?
How about the morning? First time I accept you. What was the Father's with?
It came and overcome it, but here in the apex as well, my weakness and defeat. He won the knee and promised brought all our clothes beneath his feet. By me. God, yeah.
That's your fast and lying to breakfast. You and I can be overcomers only by accepting that in the world we will have privilege.
And that's not anything. But her relationship is not easy to endure. And there are many believers today who are sort of coming under and saying this is too much. And in foreign country, some are getting into the persecution.
So that's not coming to some of the assemblies in northern India because of the threat of persecution.
Some here in North America are giving us the precious proof of God because the pathway is too difficult. I talked with your brother back home many years ago who left over some difficulties in his local center, and when I questioned him about it, he said I really missed the breaking of bread. So he said I just wanted to go somewhere where there was peace and quiet.
I don't know how long that's going to last.
For the 40 years, the more you and I want to be faithful to the Lord. Rather in the world or even among fellow believers, they're going to find that there's tribulation because the world has invaded the Church of God.
It's about 390.
The Lord Jesus says there's a reward. You'll get to stick with me in my throat.
Even as I also overhear.
Pickle. It costs him overtime.
You're OK by doing the father's growth the actual when that also dilemma face the **** Father glorified lady and that settled the issue.
I went through now the Lord says I'm not promising you to use that. That's why we get more difficult if the Lord leads us to your love.
He is good here. I have overcome the Word, and you and I can be overcome spiritually.
Well, who has that invoice 181 one 81181. Thank you.
Favorite news?
No, OK.
Let's say another thing.
That's when I didn't wish it's going on by the living room.
And they come on top of our feeling. That's why I'm going to go out of the car together.
00:40:41
Yeah. Can you please let me check?
It again and then there's a Firestone power and quality. I don't know how to do this. Under power upon the Lord will grow the light.
Umm, your life and God bless you and I'm feeling that we do.
Let's murder my daughter's grave and shouting right? I'll turn through and never leave her in the morning without my sins, when I'm proud to come and knock the sun.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
I guess I'm not gonna overtime. So we're just closing straight. The loving daughter's father in the destiny now.
Ensure we have Netflix performs concerning the question of any local company.
And our God, we realized that strength is not enough, but rather indeed in thee, our Lord Jesus Christ. For thou hast overcome before, and thou hast satis an example.
We pray that for Thy blessing on Thy precious Word, we thank You for the time we have had together over the weekend. But now we go back, as occurred, to real life. Now we go back to the difficulties, the tribulations, and the various things that will certainly seek to drag us. We pray them for help.
For they care over those of us that will be traveling, and for that rich blessing on each one.
Were we asked at all in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Only Christ can Satisfy
Gospel—Jonathan Boulard
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
The Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen.
But seeing, uh, one more pin and that's, uh, echoes a great symbol.
That's right, right near the back tip #376.
I trust.
That some here will notice soon. It's a it's a beautiful hymn.
And uh.
I I trust we'll be able to sing it and enjoy the sentence of it this evening.
Is there anyone who can confidently start this?
I can start it, but I'd prefer if there's one who could confidently start it.
Now have I seen thee and found thee, for thou hast found thy sheep. I thy lover would follow I straight as I love regime thou drink in my heart.
In the Earth.
I have no rest and no sweetness and thunderstorm.
S.
To be on my heart whenever I'm unfolded as to come to the golden sun.
We're mine all and dark blame.
Linda and my joy be done.
Forever. Dramatically.
By cross and by far shall be the more in the sun and the sweetness and we can let you ever do me.
That one is the glory.
Another language thing has done. I wanted my claim and like I go inside and all the time now.
And what's going on just by the rejected?
That was going to be his father got my.
And I will go deeper and help. Glory Thou welcome, that's me to thine.
I'd like to just pause for a moment here. If we can consider verse 4 here. Umm, And just as we're seeing it, it's, it's very poetic and beautiful. It's a little difficult to understand perhaps, but just consider this as we're saying it's, it's such a precious, precious sentiment.
The heart passes under the water.
And dying for one that is far now Lord in his glory for sin and.
For the love of resilience, his heart.
On and on and is on the behavior.
Oh, raindrops come down from 111 blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Oh wow, there's no celebrate deep thighs, but it's not a treasure in love.
The whole man was so rarely somewhere and I'll put him in. He had very nice land.
Himself when he's a man.
522 let me go again.
Do you need all thy have acorn, and all thy judgment?
Life can blow, beloved, I forgotten for nothing more, not in for another insult for God's. Why it is not one.
00:05:08
Do you know when blind later I waned me he nobled in my hands and might be.
The total of my measurements I wrote.
No, no, I'm glad I paid.
A black sand and ocean. The fire.
Was to fall downward, it seemed.
Yes, yes, yes. Again, I was 70,000 nursery nursing and I come after me.
Now.
It's my desire this evening to present the Lord Jesus Christ.
He's a wonderful savior.
And it's, it's so precious to consider him, to have him before us. This, this verse is, uh, verse four, this hymn, the heart and after the waters, it's, uh, my opportunity to see the heart is another, another word for deer. Umm, and Heber Bay, we've had quite a bit of snow this winter and they've been forced out of the forest because they couldn't get.
Around in the Bush, too much snow. They couldn't.
Could move through the through the snow. There was so much so we've had the opportunity to observe them this winter in Hammer Bay.
And they're always at the water. You, you see them in at dusk as, as, uh, as the light is fading and it seems like almost every day they're out on the lake and they're, they're out of the water. They need the water.
The heart and is after the water, the dying for life that departs. I think each one of us have.
Have some, uh, have some experience with this?
Life is a precious thing and it's and it's value.
And those those who are dying will often, often do just about all they can to preserve their life a little bit longer, and that's natural.
But here this is this is nothing compared to what we have the Lord in his glory for sinners, far eclipsing any of those desires of those those first two lines.
The Lord in his glory for sinners, for the love of rebellious hearts, and each one of us here in this room, we have a problem.
It's called.
We can, uh, we can read a few verses here just to to paint the picture as it is.
The word of God we read of God being a loving God, and we see him in his glory for sinners, for the love of rebellious hearts. But there's a problem and this no gospel meeting is is complete without presenting this problem. Let's turn to Romans chapter 3.
And there's there's a verdict that is passed here in Romans chapter 3 and we'll read part of this verdict.
Romans chapter 3 and we'll start at verse 10 and I'd I'd like to I'll emphasize as we read all and the word all occurs a a number of times.
And the word none and and along those lines. This is this is very exclusive and and pointed these these these verses. So Romans chapter 3, verse 10 as it is written, there is none righteous no, not one. There is none that understand that there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way they are they are together become unprofitable. There is none that do it good.
No, not one.
Just that phrase. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. And the picture, The picture gets even more bleak as we go down.
Let's, let's read, uh, verse 19. Now we know that what things, however the law says that say it to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. This is the position that sin has played each one of us in that all the world may become guilty before God. And then verse 23.
The last part of verse 22 Says for there is no difference.
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No difference the these are these are easy terms to understand. This is this is simple. This is basic when we when we hear the word non.
That's that's pretty obvious that I don't count.
If, if none, I, I don't fall into a group. If, if, if there's no one who is, uh, 12 feet tall in this room, it's, it's, it's pretty obvious, but not, not one of us fits into that category. None. There are none in this room who are taller than seven feet. Not one of us. There is none righteous. No, not one. All have sinned at every single one. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This is where each one of us.
This is where we start out and it's it's critical that we realize this all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
We have offended a holy God, we have done that which is displeasing in his sight. And it says in Romans as well, the wages of sin is death.
And that's that's true physical death, but it's also true separation from God for all eternity. It speaks about how being prepared for the devil and his angels.
But it also speaks in the Bible of health.
Being the place where those who refuse Christ, who embrace their sins that we've been reading about.
Where they replaced it says in in Revelation chapter 2021. Perhaps we can turn there.
Uh, out of Revelation chapter 20?
And we'll read a few verses here. This is a incredibly solemn scene.
Just.
Consider what is what is being presented here.
Revelation chapter 20, verse 11 This is.
This is where all those who have sinned.
We'll end up.
With with one exclusion. So let's let's read about this and if you've sinned, if you've done wrong, what you've already read all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This is this is where you will stand but for one exclusion, which we'll consider.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the heaven or the earth? And the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.
I think each one of us have, uh, have had the opportunity to observe fire. Umm.
It's, it's an interesting, interesting phenomenon. We, uh, up where I'm from, we collect brush and, uh, branches and general garbage over the course of the summer and we put it all in one big pile. And then in, uh, in the early part of the winter, we'll light it up. And that, that pile, the intensity of that heat, if I, if I was standing right here and the edge of that fire was at the far end of the wall, I cannot even face that fire. I cannot even.
Get that fire, it is too intense and it is too powerful. I have to either turn my back or walk further away. And that's an in in a terribly poor illustration of what we're observing here, far more powerful, far more, far more intensity than a than a little pile of, of, of brush and.
Branches going up in smoke. This is. This is far far.
Far more magnificent. And there's no there's no escape that earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no place for them. So this is this is the scene that is presented and I saw the dead.
Small and great stand before God and the books were opened.
And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works, And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and whosoever.
Was not found written in the Book of Life. Was cast into the Lake of Fire.
This is the portion of those who are sinners.
Except for that book of life that we we've seen a few times. But this is.
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This is the position, this is a solemn thing.
We are incapable of of graphing what is being said here and fully appreciating.
Of one standing in the presence of such power and magnificence.
And being judged for what they have done. And that is the result. That is the final result of pin.
And yet.
It it it I I said it was it was my my desire and delight to present the Lord Jesus this evening. And unless we realize the position, the Selemnity that how awful our position is here in our sins, we can't appreciate the Lord Jesus for who he is and what he's done so just that that him that said.
The Lord and his glory for sinners, for the love of rebellious hearts. We talk about God being loved. That's what the Scriptures say. God is love.
And so he does not do these things willingly. He does not judge the small, the dead, small and great willingly. It's his last resort. Right here, right now. There is an offer, there is an escape, even though all are guilty, even though all of sin come short of the glory of God. Let's go back to Romans chapter 3.
Romans chapter 3:00 we we thought that for all of sinned. Verse 23 all of sinned and come short of the glory of God.
But then something new comes in.
In justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. These these are difficult, difficult words, difficult phrases to explain. Perhaps another verse that might be more simple would say believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
When we when we see that we are sinners.
That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You can't. You can't hide behind dad and mom. You can't hide behind. I've done some good things. All is everyone. All has been. It includes everyone.
But as that verse said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, Thou shalt be saved. What does that mean?
We read in other places in Romans. Let's uh, let's turn a little, uh, a little further on here. Romans chapter 6, verse 23.
This part of this verse was quoted. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The blood I'm quoting the verse the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
God has found a ransom, He has made a way that you and that I, though a Sinner can be reconciled, can be brought back to God.
And it's, it's a gift. The gift of God is eternal life. So no more the fear of that judgment, but the gift of God, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And how did he do that?
There's a verse that tells us for he that is God made him the Lord Jesus, for he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin.
That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Those sins that we have committed, that scene that was painted, that great white throne and different ones being judged for their sins, that punishment for those sins that you and I have committed.
If we ask.
The Lord Jesus to wash our sins away. He'll take them.
And He, through his own self, bore our sins in his own body on the tree. The Lord Jesus became a man. He was a man here on earth. The eternal Son of God became a man.
God became man and walked in the sea.
And he took those sins, if you'll accept him, and bore them on the cross. It says as far as the east is from the West so far.
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As we separated our transgressions from us, I I think I misquoted that. Umm, but those fins that are laid on the Lord Jesus that you can ask him to wash away.
Those sins that will condemn us to hell.
If we accept that offer of salvation, He will.
He will wash our sins away and make us clean.
And fit for his presence. And so the rest of that verse, verse four of that hymn that we sang called back all the days of the ages. So why did he do this? Call back all the days of the ages? There are scientists who take all sorts of bizarre guesses at the how old the earth is. I frankly don't know either.
Call back all the days of the ages you can. All raindrops come down from above.
I don't think even any of your children here.
Could count how many drops of water in this cup? You can estimate it. I'm not quite sure how many drops are in this cup.
I don't know, maybe 5000 somewhere in there like.
It'd it'd be out there. It might even be more call back.
All raindrops come down from above. Scale this up a little bit. You, you have no hope. You cannot do that. This is impossible.
All flowers of summers departed.
I don't know. I, I mow lawn sometimes, umm, I'm assuming some here have you see dandelions and you can, you can sometimes see a lawn just covered with dandelions and you try, you try wedding them all out or picking them all out. You spend most of the day doing that. Call back all flowers and summer's departed. It's impossible. So the hymn writer is saying try all all three of those. Go ahead and do that. You can. You got a good chance of doing that.
But think not to measure His love. The Lord Jesus, why He became sin for us, is His love.
And that's that's why it's our our, our delight, our privilege this morning, this evening, rather to speak of the Lord Jesus and presenting to you. It was his love for you that he was made sin, that he took the punishment that our sins deserve.
That was why he did this love.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, the Son of God who loved me.
And gave himself for me.
Versus could could be multiplied, but it was because he loved us.
And so this offer is presented this evening.
It's not, it's not an open-ended offer. It's not an indefinite offer. This, this offer has a time limit. And I know, I know some of those who are younger here, it's, it's hard to appreciate the time passes. I, I remember.
I don't remember names, are you Quincy?
You're you're Quincy or you're totally. I'm sorry. How old are you, Toby? Eight. You're 8.
I think I might have been six or seven. I remember I was sitting in a chair and my grandparents basement.
And, uh, I was feeling young and healthy and strong.
Thinking this is what I was thinking. You know what, no one's ever lived to be 1000 thousand years old, but I'm going to and I, I, I sat there thinking I'll just keep getting older and older and older and then I'll be 999 and I'll just try really hard. I'll be 1000 and I'll be the first one. And it's you may not think that way. You may be smarter and I don't know what you are, but it's easy to easy when we're young just to think.
Time. We've got lots of time.
But you know what we don't? We're not guaranteed another minute.
Not even a minute, 60 seconds.
The the clock does that quite a few times in a day. We're not even guaranteed that it says behold, now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation.
There's a time limit.
It speaks in, it speaks in. I think it's Ecclesiastes where a tree falls. There shall it lie if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ, or even if you neglect? How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation if you put it off?
And you die in your sin. You will see that scene, that in Revelation chapter 20, that great white throne, you will see it, and you will be.
Standing there with no excuse in the presence of all mighty God. And so it's it's essential.
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It's essential that you.
You accept that, yes, that that precious gift from the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who loved you and gave himself for you.
It's it's so essential.
And so you can't you can't do any of those things and not him that we're we're reading out call back the days of the ages. All raindrops come down from above, all flowers of summers departed, but you have even less chance of measuring the love of the Lord Jesus for you. Let's read a short portion about the Lord Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. We'll see his love.
For different ones and it's.
It's so wonderful to have the Lord Jesus before our heart to see who he was.
It's.
It's a privilege unlike any any other privilege just to consider him.
To have him before us, that portion is found in.
Matthew 14.
That I'm considering.
And we'll see just just a little bit of the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ and his concern for for different ones.
Matthew, Chapter 14.
And we'll start at the.
Start at verse 15.
When it was evening, his disciples, This is the Lord Jesus who is being spoken of, and he had disciples who were with him. His disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time has now passed, Send them all to away, that they may go into the villages and by themselves. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart.
Give ye them to eat.
And they say unto him, We have here but 5 loaves, and two fishes. And he said, Bring them together to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves and the two fishes.
And looking up to heaven, he blessed and braved, and gave the lobes to his disciples, and the disciples to his, to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up of the fragments that remained 12 baskets full, and they that had eaten for about 5000 men, besides women and children.
So here we've we've read an account about the Lord Jesus Christ.
That one who we've been been speaking about a little bit. That one who made the sacrifice for our sins. So here we read.
An account when he was here on this earth, because he lived as a man, He walked in Israel, in the land of Israel, walked about, and he did these very things.
And so here we see that there is different ones. They were following him and uh, they kept following him and kept following him and they didn't have any food.
And that's, uh, that's a definite problem.
And so here is his disciples, verse 15 They say this is a desert place. And the time has now passed. Send the multitude away that they may go into the villages and by themselves Vittles. And did you know that this world is a desert? You can, you can look out here and you can see trees and you can you can see grass and snow or rain. But this world is a desert. There is nothing. There is absolutely nothing.
In this whole world.
That will will feed you. And what I mean by feed you is is satisfy you, you have longings, you have needs.
And this world is a desert.
I'm, I've read stories about, uh, different, uh, adventurers and different ones who have gone through the desert and perhaps you have two just sand everywhere.
And you can't eat sand it, it doesn't do you any good.
Just no. Nothing to eat, no, no sustenance does you no good. And that's what this world is. You have that need. You have that problem with sin.
And it's like you're in a desert, there's nothing for you. You can try. You can try eating sand or rocks or.
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Any number of things, but it it won't do it. People try all sorts of things in this life.
Make a try money. There's lots of people working very hard to get lots of money, but that doesn't satisfy. That still leaves you hungry. And you can, uh, you can see that without looking too, too terribly hard. You can see that in the, in the world that we live in, I have the opportunity to associate with a number who have.
More money than I could I could even count in a lifetime. And many of them are, uh, are unhappy and chasing. Buy another boat, buy a bigger boat. Buy another cottage to put your boats in. Buy another cottage to.
So, and, and they just keep going and no satisfaction in that people can try to, to hold power. You see, uh, people running for presidency and running for elected office, just maybe power will do it.
That doesn't do it. They, uh, they get stressed out. They, uh, they never seem to, never seem to acquire their goals to achieve any happiness. People will try any number of things, but this world is a desert.
There's no food.
But the Lord Jesus.
He has a heart for those who are hungry, a heart for those.
Those who have a need, come unto me, all ye that are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That's what the Lord Jesus wants to do. And so verse 16, he says they need not depart. You don't have to run all over this world looking for some food. You don't have to do that.
Give ye them to eat.
So what do they have? They say unto him, We have here but 5 loaves and two fishes. The Lord Jesus he said feed them. No I I don't have much. I.
I I I've quoted a few verses. There's a lot of verses in the Bible. I don't have much. I can't explain much.
But the Lord Jesus said, give you them to eat just just a little bit. I can, you can you can listen to a verse like John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him.
Should not perish.
But have everlasting life, just just a little loaf, a little fish here. And that's what the Lord Jesus he wants this evening.
He wants you to be fed and just start out with a little bit here. And so the Lord Jesus says he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass and took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and brave and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And so here this food, it wasn't very much.
I've I've been stumped so many times by so many different questions. I don't have very much, but I seek to present to you a little a little low here. Maybe part of the fish.
If you have questions, you can ask. If you're unsure of things, you can ask and and perhaps we'll try and give you a little bit more efficient.
If things are unclear, if you're unsure.
Receipts present food to you this evening. And so here it says the disciples, they took that little bit of food. Can you imagine 5 loaves? Let's imagine there's just little things and, uh, three small fishes. You divide that by 12 and you have children in, uh, doing division in math, you get some pretty small pieces. When you divide 5 by 12, it's not even a half.
And then, uh, you divide 3 by 12, you get a quarter. So each disciple roughly 1/2 loaf of bread and a quarter of fish. Of a small fish. This isn't very much.
But it was presented, it was used what was had.
What they possessed was used.
And so here it says verse 20, they did all eat and were filled and this is a miracle. This this doesn't, this doesn't work. The math doesn't work. You can't divide and divide and divide and still have enough you. You can't.
But with God all things are possible. And so just just a little piece if if you're unsure of many things, but if you know that you are a Sinner and that you, you long to have those sins washed away, you long to be clean and to be happy. You long to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior if you just take that little bit, even if you don't understand much.
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Just ask the Lord Jesus to wash your sins away.
That you wouldn't have to stand at that great white throne, that you wouldn't have to pay the judgment for your sins, but that you could be in heaven with the Lord Jesus just a little bit. The miracle happens, You'll be filled. You can keep eating and eating and eating. And those of us who are saved, we're still eating. And if you ask anyone in this room who knows the Lord Jesus as their Savior and is seeking in any measure.
To please him, you ask them.
Are are you happy? Is the Lord Jesus good enough? Does he? Does he feel? Does he satisfy?
I guarantee you they will say yes, he does. You will be filled. This world has nothing. Even after we're saved, this world has nothing to offer. It's a desert.
Let's say these people, they, they were half full and then they said, oh, here's some sand and some rocks and some who knows what in the desert. It just doesn't work. They have to keep eating that food. But they were all filled. And the Lord Jesus Christ, he is enough to fill and to satisfy the heart.
And so here, every single one of these, these ones, there's 5000 men beside women and children, a huge multitude. They had all eaten and they were all filled. The only ones who weren't filled, I don't know that there were any, but if anyone went away hungry, it was their own fault.
The Lord Jesus, He wants to feed your soul. He wants to satisfy the heart with Himself.
I am that bread which came down from heaven. And so here this whole multitude was filled, and they went away. And this is this is this is a tremendous thing. And that this is my desire for each one in the audience here this evening that you would be certain that you would be certain that you.
How this bread from heaven that that you have your sins washed away, that you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. If you're unsure if you have questions asked, this is this is something that is simple. I I'm thankful I was saved when I was I was three years old. There's not there's not much that you can do when you're a three-year old that'll that'll affect your life for a long time.
You you can't reason very well.
You think you're going to live to 1000 and all these things?
But this is something simple even a three-year old can do even younger.
And realize that they have sinned, that they have done what is wrong.
And ask the Lord Jesus to wash those sins away so that they wouldn't have to be punished. This is something that's simple.
And so here these ones were fed.
So that's, that's the gospel that was on my heart. I just have maybe a few minutes here to present to those who are saved. I, I trust that most here are saved. Let's just turn, turn over. Some of you won't even have to turn over a page in your Bible. Let's turn to Matthew chapter 15.
And let's just read a few verses, verse 32 and 33 here.
Then Jesus called Matthew 15 verse 32. Then Jesus called his disciples unto him and said, I have compassion on the multitude because.
They continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, unless they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness?
As to fill so great a multitude.
We can pause here on on my Bible. I can read parts of both accounts without flipping any pages.
Here, these different ones, they were fed, not only did they have some food, they were all filled and there was food leftover. And I, I'll, I'll apply this to salvation.
And so if you're saved, you know.
That you've had your sins washed away and you've you've had that feast. You've feasted on the love of God and on that.
That tremendous provision, a tremendous feast that God has given to you at His expense.
And so you've, you've been filled, but it's easy to forget. And so here the disciples, I don't know if it was a couple of days, a week, a month, perhaps others would be able to, to give you the the timing. It couldn't have been terribly long. But here the same situation is presented.
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There was there were those who needed to eat and.
They couldn't. They didn't know what to do.
And.
If we're.
We can be filled with Christ. I I have no, no intention of preventing from this that we can lose our salvation because that the word of God says, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and I give unto them eternal light and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands. That's not the point I'm trying to make here, but it's possible after we're saved if we leave the Lord out of our lives, if we say I wanna try something else here. I wanna do this, I wanna do that do the other. I wanna advance my career.
So I wanna do really well in school. Nothing wrong with those in themselves necessarily, but if we leave the Lord Jesus out of our lives.
Your receipts are in the exact same problem and they have no idea what to do. So what? What's the answer?
It's, it's similar to the situation, umm, verse 34, Jesus said unto them, how many loaves have you? And they said seven and a few little fishes. And so here it's handed out to the multitude again and they're all filled.
Yes, if I haven't been walking to please the Lord, closely following him, if I've gotten distracted, I'm gonna get hungry again. And what's the answer if not trying to eat dirt is not trying to find food in the desert? Because there's still, even if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, there still is no food in this world. It's a desert.
You won't satisfy that that hunger after God.
By by looking in this desert place, that's not how you're gonna be filled. You're gonna be filled by feeding on price, by considering him.
And by eating that food which he provides, I am the bread of life. And so here they all sat down. They were all filled. And so I, I just present that to your heart as it, as it's spoken to mine. It's easy to forget what satisfies us in this world. It's easy to forget what brings that peace and that joy which every believer is privileged to have. It easy to forget that.
And to turn to other things, and to lose that joy of our salvation, and to lose that lose that sense of the Lord's love for us.
But the answer is not to, not to turn to other things, to go back to the Lord again and to feed on Christ and to have him before our hearts. And so I, I present that to those of us who are saved, if there is any, any longing in our heart, if, if we feel like we're chasing after things and you're, you're, you're striving, you're reaching for things, you're not happy. You want to be and you're trying this and trying that. It will not work unless it's Christ, it will not work.
And we're guaranteed that by the authority of the Word of God.
And so here they're all filled. And I I trust that each one of us this evening, if you're a Sinner, if you have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, that you would do that this evening.
It's something that's so simple, even a child we we sometimes sing that him, a little child of seven or even three or four may enter into heaven through Christ the open door.
And so it's, it's my desire if you're unsafe, if you're still in your sins, that this evening you would ask the Lord Jesus to wash those sins away.
Just you can use those exact same words, Lord Jesus, wash my skin away. It's it's not something that's complicated and he will and it'll have an effect on your whole life. But then after we are saved, just to realize that the only food for that new nature which we have is going to be Christ. And that is the only thing that will continue to satisfy.
And continue to.
'Cause that those, those desires of our hearts would be fully satisfied in Christ. So let's close in prayer.
Our loving God and our Father.
Please bless thy word that was read and that was presented.
These 'cause that our, our hearts, each heart here would see beauty in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That any inner sins would see in the Lord Jesus, that one who loved them, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
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That they would accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior, as their substitute, and that they would have that rich beast that that was provided at such a cost for Jesus. And so we would ask for this. We would ask for thy blessing on the gospel wherever it goes out. We would ask you for those that are saved.
That we would feed on Christ.
Realizing that that is still the only place where there is contentment and joy to be found in this desert world. And so we would ask these things, Lord Jesus, in my name for thy glory.
OK, bye bye, bye bye.