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Mark Chapter 3 please if you go there
in your New Testament and while you are
please again special welcome to all of our
visitors here in the main sanctuary or if
you're visiting in the annex tonight.
Trust that you've already been blessed this evening
by the presence of the Lord touching your
life.
We thank God for that with all our
hearts.
Mark 3, I'm going to speak tonight on
becoming familiar with the presence of God.
Becoming familiar with the presence of God.
Father I stand before you as always in
need of a quickening and anointing power of
the Holy Spirit.
I have nothing apart from what you give
me.
I am nothing apart from what you make
me.
I'm asking you to quicken my physical body
and my heart and my mind and animate
me tonight.
Lord even the expressions that come through this
body let them be the expressions of your
heart.
Animate my voice Lord I pray for the
grace to truly disappear that you may appear.
Hide me tonight Jesus that your name might
be lifted up and truly glorified among your
people.
Thank you Lord that you still see fit
every time we meet to walk among the
candlesticks of the testimony of this church that
you've established at this time in this city.
I pray God that you give us hearts
to hear this word tonight.
I know I have your word.
I know I've been at your throne.
I know Jesus that you want to speak
something to us.
I pray God give us the grace to
hear this.
Give me the ability to speak it simply
that every man may understand it.
I ask this in Jesus mighty name.
Mark chapter 3 and verse 31.
There came then his brethren and his mother
and standing without sent unto him calling him.
And the multitude said about him and they
said unto him behold thy mother and thy
brethren without seek for thee.
But he answered them saying who is my
mother or my brethren.
And he looked round about on them which
sat about him and said behold my mother
and my brethren.
For whosoever shall do the will of God
the same is my brother and my sister
and my mother.
I want you to travel with me for
a moment tonight to a scene as if
it is a play.
Although this is a reality this actually did
happen.
But please go back with me if you
will.
Two thousand years ago Christ Jesus the son
of God is sitting in a house.
And there are people sitting around him and
outside of that house are a group of
people who are calling to him.
Now to the most who might be present
at this particular scene the people outside of
the house appear to be those closest to
him.
They are in fact the closest to him
they are his family.
The scripture tells us in verse 21 that
when his friends and the word actually in
the Greek New Testament is kinsmen.
When they heard of it they went out
to lay hold on him for they said
he is beside himself.
There are people outside of the house they
are calling to him they're calling for him.
And to all the casual onlookers this is
really his family.
As much as perhaps tonight we are considered
the family of God.
These are his blood relations.
Mary is there his mother.
Possibly James Joseph Simon and Jude his brothers
are there.
And maybe some sisters and they're gathered outside.
But they are gathering and they've come for
a reason which they most likely believe deeply
is justified.
In verse 21 it says and when his
kinsmen heard of it they went out to
lay hold on him for they said he
is beside himself.
And in the original text whether you and
I like it or not it says they
said he has lost his mind.
You know some of the early writers had
an incredible difficulty with this.
An incredible difficulty with the fact that Mary
his mother and his brothers who were the
closest physical people.
Family wise to him on the earth could
actually be outside a house where he is
calling to him.
Not really because they're seeking him as Lord.
But they really believe he's lost his mind.
Some of the early writers of this scripture
had such difficulty with this.
That one of the original parchments as it
is from which our modern Bible translations have
come.
Were so troubled by this verse that they
eliminated it.
They virtually erased it from the word of
God.
But how many know tonight you can't erase
the word of God.
No matter what you try to do it
it will still appear again on the page.
God intended it to be there for a
particular reason.
When you read the commentaries it's rather humorous.
When you read for example Hendrickson's pulpit commentary.
They don't really know what to do with
this verse of scripture.
They make excuses for Mary.
And say well obviously Mary is there because
others have convinced.
It doesn't say that in the scripture.
It just says she's in the crowd who
thought he'd lost his mind.
But they say well Mary must have been
there because he was neglecting his bodily needs.
He was as it is seemingly obsessed with
ministry going day and night.
Crowds pressing around him probably not eating enough.
And she was very concerned about him.
So here is Mary with the others outside
of the house.
As if Mary is incapable of making a
mistake.
And didn't need a savior like every other
person in the world.
But the reality is they thought he had
lost his mind.
There's really no getting around this.
Jesus himself said it clearly.
And I believe he spoke it from experience.
In Matthew 13 57 he said a prophet
is not without honor.
Save in his own country and in his
own house.
He knew what it was like to be
without honor.
These people outside his family appear to be
calling with concern.
But you see here's the reality.
They've become too familiar with the son of
God.
They've been with him in the house every
day.
They've seen him come home.
He's worked in the carpenter shop perhaps in
the early years with his father Joseph.
They've sat at the table.
They've talked with him.
He has been among them.
They've become very familiar with him.
As a matter of fact they've become too
familiar with him.
This is a problem that recurs not only
in this day but it recurs in our
day.
In every generation seemingly sometimes those who know
him the most are those who can become
too familiar with him.
They can come too casually into his presence.
They can become too acquainted with him being
there every moment.
And you see this is a condition that
affects those that are closest to him and
have known him for the longest of time.
Familiarity can produce a loss of awe.
You remember when you first got saved and
you came to the house of the Lord
and you were awestruck.
And you would sing a song like we
sang tonight.
I am a friend of God.
And you were just awestruck that God would
even want to be my friend.
You'd come into the house of the Lord
with a trembling in your heart.
Every time you opened your Bible it was
as if you'd found this incredible treasure that
the world seemed to be oblivious to.
But you'd found this thing.
As if you dug in the sand somewhere
and you'd found this hidden treasure.
And every time you opened the lid you
were going deeper and deeper into some incredible
gems of truth that were revolutionizing your life.
And there was this sense of awe.
First of all that God Almighty himself would
even consider you or me to invite us
into his presence.
I remember in the early years when I
first knew him.
I lived with this sense of awe.
I lived with it from morning to evening.
Sometimes I would walk down the hall in
my workplace and you know when you get
that kind of trembling feeling that just goes
through your body.
Just the sense that I would just realize
God lives in me.
Not just invited me into his presence.
But he lives in me.
He's changing me.
I would wake up in the morning and
realize that I was not the man I
had been the night before.
I was not such a magnanimous change that
everybody around is just standing in absolute awe
of how my life is changing.
But I know inside I am changing.
Image by image, line by line, step by
step.
God is changing me from the inside out.
And I lived with this sense of awe.
I remember going into the house of the
Lord and sometimes I could hardly wait for
the service to end so I could truly
worship him.
Because I lived with awe.
And it seemed sometimes, I remember in the
early years I'd walk into some places that
I attended in fellowship and everyone was so
casual in his presence.
Talking about things that seemed to indicate that
there was no sense of awe that they
were about to meet corporately as it is
in worship God.
They're invited into the presence of God.
Talking about cars and oil changes and all
types of foolish things.
And yet in a moment we're about to
as it is appear before the throne of
God.
I know this is only symbolism but we're
about to worship the one who really does
sit at the right hand of almighty God
who is the head and we are his
body.
But over time familiarity comes into the heart.
We get used to God's presence.
We get used to him always being there.
I see Mary and Jesus' brothers get up
and Jesus is just there every day.
He is going about although it must have
been hard to be a brother of Jesus.
Can you imagine?
He never tells a lie.
He never disobeys his mother and father.
And can you imagine being there and having
your mother or father say, why can't you
be like your brother?
How utterly hopeless.
That would be.
But familiarity produces a loss of awe.
I think of Mary for example who is
outside the door.
And if we believe the scriptures she's at
least in the crowd who appear to think
that he's lost his mind.
And in Luke chapter 1 verse 30 Mary
had a word.
And this word came from an angel, a
messenger of God.
And the scripture says the angel said to
her in Luke chapter 1 verse 30.
Fear not Mary for thou hast found favor
with God.
And behold thou shall conceive in thy womb
and bring forth a son and shall call
his name Jesus.
And he shall be great and shall be
called the son of the highest.
And the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David.
And he shall reign over the house of
Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall
be no end.
Now can you imagine how Mary must have
felt?
She has an absolute word that you are
about to conceive a son.
Being a virgin not knowing a man this
is going to be miraculous.
She had to know it was miraculous.
And he's not only just a son but
he's the son of God.
And he will be given.
Now she's familiar with history, the history of
Israel.
She knows David was a great king.
She knows that God gave the promise to
David that of his lineage was going to
come.
A redeemer as it is for the people
of Israel and eventually of course for all
of humankind.
She must be at least in measure aware
of this.
And she's given this word of God.
And not only that she's told that he's
going to reign forever.
And there'll be no end of his kingdom.
Not just a kingdom that's going to be
temporary.
It's not going to last just 33 years
or such like on the earth.
But it's going to be an eternal kingdom.
You would think there'd be a sense of
awe.
In her heart that would just simply never
leave.
In verse 35 the angel and said and
Mary asks in verse 34 how shall this
be seeing I know not a man.
And the angel answered and said to her
the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee.
The power of the highest shall overshadow thee.
And therefore also that holy thing which shall
be born of thee shall be called the
son of God.
She has conceived without the help of man.
She knows that this is a miraculous child.
She's fully well aware of this.
She's given a word the word comes to
pass.
Just like you and I.
Folks you have conceived in a sense.
You have changed.
Since you came to Christ there have been
things born in your life that you know
didn't come from the help of man.
I know there are people in this sanctuary
tonight that without Christ you'd be insane.
Without Christ you'd be a pathological liar.
Without Christ you'd be immoral and stuck in
a cesspool of immorality.
But Christ came to you.
And sovereignly and miraculously he has changed you
from the inside out.
People will say to you or close to
you how did this happen?
How did you change?
All you can say is I don't know.
I don't know I got a word from
God.
And God came and made the word in
my life a reality.
Oh folks if this doesn't produce a sense
of awe that we have the living God
who created this universe within us.
Recreating us in the very image of his
son Jesus Christ.
Then we are in danger of becoming familiar
with him.
I think of Joseph who had undoubtedly told
her the word that came to him in
Matthew chapter 1 and verse 21.
Joseph was given a word.
He was going to put Mary away when
he found out that she was with child.
But a messenger again came to him and
told him that you're going to have a
son.
And that Jesus is going to save his
people from their sins.
Now Joseph had to have told her this.
Mary knows that Jesus is going to be
placed on the throne of David.
He's going to be called the son of
the highest.
He's going to rule and have a kingdom
that never ends.
And he's also going to save his people
from their sins.
Now his brothers and sisters.
These are the brothers and sisters of Jesus.
If they had not witnessed it would have
at least heard of his miraculous power in
John chapter 2 at the wedding feast of
Cana.
When Jesus turned water into wine because there
was a need at this particular wedding.
Now we find his kinsmen the closest to
him outside the door.
Calling to him.
Feeling that it's their duty to stabilize him.
Isn't it amazing?
We've got to stabilize Jesus.
He's lost his mind.
Jesus come to us.
Come home with us.
We need you.
And it appears to be holy.
These appear to be the people that are
the closest to him.
But in reality they want to take him
home and stabilize him.
Now you'd think they were without the knowledge
of scripture at this point.
You don't have to turn there but in
2 Samuel chapter 6.
You hear the story of a young man
called Uzzah.
Now David had determined to take the ark
of God and take this ark of God
into the center of Jerusalem.
Now the ark was only a representation of
God.
And David knew that it was God's desire
that his people embrace him right in the
very heart.
Of where he longed to dwell within them.
And David heads out and there's an incredible
procession.
They are singing and the scripture says with
all of their might.
They're dancing and shouting and doing all kinds
of things.
And the ark had been sitting in the
house of a particular man who had sons.
And one of the sons his name was
Uzzah.
And this ark I don't know in what
part of the house it was in.
But every day Uzzah no doubt could go
in and view the ark.
The ark was just there.
The ark was a fearful thing because to
look into the ark you know historically meant
to die.
The ark represented the very presence of God.
The provision of God.
The protection of God.
The fighting power as it is of God
was all in this ark.
Even the Philistines the enemies of Israel were
terrified of the ark of God.
And this young man Uzzah as I can
see him getting up in the morning and
going for breakfast.
And walking in the dining room and there's
the ark of God.
And it's in the house for a season.
And he just becomes very familiar with this
ark in the house.
One day King David comes and says we're
going to take this ark and we're going
to bring it into the very heart of
Jerusalem.
Now David wasn't studying the scriptures and decided
to do this according to the ways that
seemed right to man.
It was prescribed that only the Levites could
carry it and it had to be carried
in a certain manner.
But they had lost the fear of God.
There was a loss of the sense of
the awe of the written word of God.
And the instructions of God.
So they decided to carry it on an
old cart or a new cart rather with
oxen pulling it.
And as they headed out this young man
Uzzah and his brother Ahior are part of
the parade.
And the oxen appeared to stumble.
And Uzzah reached out to stabilize the ark.
And when he reached out to stabilize the
ark God killed him.
Right on the spot.
And that was the end of the parade.
The parade was over.
The Bible says that David feared God.
Not only feared him he was angry with
God that day.
And he considered what God had done a
breach upon Uzzah.
And he made a statement.
He said how can I bring the ark
home to me if this is the way
God deals with people.
But I think of this young man tries
to stabilize that which is only a representation
of God.
As if God has to be held up.
As if God is going to fall.
Can you imagine?
The God who created the universe.
By the words of his mouth.
He created a billion galaxies.
All things that exist are created by him.
Nothing that exists was created without him.
And here is little Uzzah who lives on
this speck in the universe called the earth.
Thinking that he's got to put out his
hand and give stability to God.
But now we have at the door of
this house a people who are not trying
to stabilize something that represents God.
They're trying to stabilize God himself.
You see because they felt God had lost
his mind.
Yet the human heart has an incredible ability
in its fallen nature to justify even its
deepest rebellion against God.
It's amazing how the human heart can justify
foolishness.
Now some claim that their concern was for
his personal well-being.
And as I said earlier that may be
true.
But I believe it's more than that.
You see in Mark chapter 2 and in
verse 5.
Jesus started to make some claims.
It was fine.
I suppose to come home and find that
the housework was done in a miraculous amount
of time.
Chairs seemingly made and tables made with a
craftsmanship that was perhaps known to few.
Water turned to wine.
It's fine to have a Jesus that does
miracles.
But now he's beginning to make some claims
that are coming to the ears of his
family.
In Mark 2 verse 5 he says, When
Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are
forgiven thee.
But there were certain of the scribes sitting
there and reasoning in their hearts and saying,
Why does this man thus speak blasphemies?
For who can forgive sins but God only?
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit
that they so reasoned within themselves, He said
unto them, Why reason ye these things in
your hearts?
Whether is it easier to say to the
sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven
thee, or to say, Arise, take up thy
bed, and walk.
But that you may know that the Son
of Man has power on earth to forgive
sins.
He said to the sick of the palsy,
I say to thee, Arise, take up thy
bed, and go thy way into thy house.
Now Jesus is making some claims.
He claims that he has the power to
forgive sins.
In effect, in the minds of the people
he's making himself equal with God.
But only God has the power to forgive
sins.
In chapter 2, again in verse 28, if
we follow the sequence of Mark, Jesus says,
Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord also
of the Sabbath.
I'm not going to go into the whole
scenario.
But basically he says, I'm not only the
one who has the power to forgive sins,
But I'm Lord of the Sabbath, I'm Lord
of all the religious traditions, I'm Lord of
everything.
Now he has placed himself on a collision
course with a social religiousness which would not
tolerate his words.
And his family knew it.
And I believe they feared for the safety
of God, of Jesus.
They feared for his safety.
Does he not realize that the things that
he is saying are, We agree that he
should reign.
We agree he should have the throne of
his father David.
We agree he should have a title as
magnanimous as son of the highest.
But he's making claims that are going to
get him killed.
This society cannot tolerate these words.
And so those who are closest to him,
fearing, as Uzzah did, That he's going to
fall down, somehow this is a mistake.
He's lost his mind.
Does he not realize he's going to get
himself killed?
So they come outside the house, they're calling
to him, Deciding that, listen, we've got to
take him home and reconfigure him.
Because this society is not going to be
able to tolerate this.
He's presenting himself as exclusive.
He's presenting himself as the only way to
eternal life.
He's calling himself God.
He says he has the power to forgive
sins.
They know the religiousness of their day.
They know the venom of the religious leaders
of their society.
They know he's on a collision course with
death if he keeps on this particular pathway.
And in their hearts, just like so many
that are familiar with him today, They say,
oh Jesus, is it not more reasonable that
you make yourself a little more palatable to
the masses?
Why do you have to be so exclusive?
Why do you have to say these things?
All you do is anger people.
Come home with us and let us help
you.
Let us instruct you.
Let us reconfigure you a little bit.
Help round out some of the rough edges.
There's got to be a way to say
this without offending so many people.
And isn't this where we are today?
So many who are considered his family coming
to the house of God get embarrassed at
Christ.
Embarrassed at his words.
Embarrassed at his exclusivity.
Embarrassed by his cross.
Embarrassed by his blood.
Can you see them apologizing outside the door?
Can you see Mary and his brethren?
All you know he's tired.
He's been neglecting himself.
He's just obsessed with this ministry.
We know what he said.
But good people and those who follow religious
traditions go to heaven too.
God knows when they die if they're good.
Today we have entire groups claiming to be
his family.
But they're removing the cross.
They're rejecting the blood from the theology of
God because it's too violent.
It's too restrictive.
It's too exclusive.
Calling to him.
Coming to the house and calling to him.
But ashamed of his words.
Ashamed of the things that he had to
say about himself.
Ashamed of his mission.
Which was a violent mission.
It was an exclusive mission.
It was a mission that sent him to
a cross.
Undoubtedly, Mary and the others feared that Jesus
might be killed by a people who'd not
be able to conform him to their own
perceptions of God.
They would have known that the end of
his road was a cross.
And the rage of a religious crowd who'd
rather destroy the very image of God than
bend their knees to his lordship.
And that's where this world is today.
They would rather destroy the image of God
than bend their knees to the lordship of
Jesus Christ.
But I remind you that one day every
knee is going to bow.
And every tongue is going to confess.
You see, beloved, the cross is violent.
It is violent and you can't escape it.
But in the cross we see the passion
of a holy God.
Pouring out his wrath on his own son.
That you and I might be saved.
You see, if you only see the violence
and don't see the passion, you've missed the
message.
And many today in the church of Jesus
Christ are trying to eliminate the violence.
And in eliminating the violence they have lost
the passion.
It's the passion of God that sent his
son to a cross.
It's the passion of God that caused him
to become a man in the first place.
It's the passion of God that sent him
on a collision course with his own fallen
creation.
Because he was not willing that any should
perish but that all should come to the
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
He didn't hold back.
He didn't try to sanitize his message.
It was exclusive.
He made it exclusive.
Because there's no other way you can be
saved but through the shed blood of Jesus
Christ.
It's violent.
And beloved we must never run from it.
We must never be embarrassed by it.
It's violent the cross.
But it's the violence of a man who
would dash in front of a speeding train
to save an insane man who was bent
on suicide.
It's that kind of violence.
It's the violence of someone who would cast
himself into frigid water.
Knowing that certain death awaited him so that
some who had fallen in through their own
carelessness might be saved.
It's the violence of a man on a
narrow mountain ridge in order to save a
man who was gripping on in his last
moments of life.
It's the violence of a man who would
kill his own son to get to a
complete stranger not even sure that that man
would take his hand.
It's that kind of violence.
It's a violence so passionate for your soul
so filled with the love of God that
the human mind cannot comprehend it.
God killed his own son not even sure
that you would take his hand.
So much he loves you.
And his own son came to fulfill his
will knowing that the end of his life
was a cross.
Knowing it was to endure the wrath of
his father and the separation from God his
father that he had never known for all
of eternity.
It's a love so beyond our ability to
understand it.
It's a passion that despises the shame.
And one day sits at the right hand
of God with his own redeemed.
It's the passion of a Christ who didn't
turn.
In his journey.
He didn't try to sanitize the message.
That there was only one way.
That you and I could be saved.
He had to endure the wrath of God.
Jesus hears these people crying.
Outside of the house.
Come to us.
He knows why they're there.
He's God.
He's omniscient.
He knows everything.
He knows they've come because they are fearing
that he's lost his mind.
He knows that they're trying to prop him
up.
Make him a little more appealing to the
masses.
He knows it.
In the original text one of the commentators
says that he turns to the people in
the house with irritation.
It's his own family outside.
They should know him.
It seems sometimes that the people of the
world are completely at ease with the claims
of Christ as they're presented.
It seems to be his own family that
have so much trouble with it.
Isn't that the way it is in America
today?
We see his own family coming to the
house calling his name but just absolutely offended
with his words.
And trying to create this sanitized Jesus that
everybody will find easier to accept.
And one commentator at least says he turns
with an irritation.
There's a sense of irritation in his voice.
He said, behold your mother and your brothers
are seeking you.
And he said, who is my mother?
Who are my brothers?
And he looked around about on them which
sat about him and said, behold.
My mother and my brethren.
For whosoever shall do the will of God.
The same is my brother and my sister
and my mother.
You see here's what I see as the
sense of this verse.
He's saying I'm on a journey.
I'm on a journey.
And my journey is to do the will
of my father.
And I'm speaking for him and I'm making
a clear declaration.
Of the gospel.
That is according to God.
And whosoever is not ashamed to come with
me on this journey.
This is my mother.
These are my brothers and sisters.
They're not ashamed of me.
They're not ashamed of my words.
They're not ashamed of the cross of Jesus
Christ.
They're not ashamed of his claims of exclusivity.
They're not ashamed of the blood.
They're not ashamed of the violence.
Of God's wrath that he poured out on
himself to save a sinner.
They're not ashamed of Jesus.
They feel no need to make apology for
him.
And in fact they are on the same
journey.
That he is on.
In some measure to be despised and rejected
by a society and even a church age.
That is ashamed of Jesus Christ.
They're ashamed of his words.
They're ashamed of how he has presented himself.
And feel the need to take him home.
May you and I never, never, never, never.
May we never.
Lose the sense of awe.
At who Jesus is.
May we never become familiar and casual and
careless.
In his presence.
For Times Square Church.
My heart's cry is God help us.
God help us to preach the gospel.
God help us to live the gospel.
God help us to walk with Christ.
God help us to go into the workplace.
And when everybody snickers and sneers at the
exclusivity of Christ.
We're not ashamed of it.
This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness.
But to we who are saved it is
the power of God.
Never ashamed.
Remember Jesus said if you're ashamed of me
and my words.
I will be ashamed of you.
Before my father.
In heaven.
This is speaking about the claim of Christ.
Who Christ is.
He met with us tonight again.
He always does.
He walked the aisles as we worshipped.
And you could sense the pleasure of God.
I guess the question.
I have to ask my heart.
Yours.
Are we too familiar with his presence?
Why are we calling to him?
Are we calling because we want to walk
with him?
We want to as he invites us.
Take up your cross.
Follow me.
As I follow my father.
Or are we looking for some kind of
a sanitized Jesus?
A little more easy to digest.
I don't know about you.
But I'm going with him.
I'm going with him.
If you are not saved tonight.
I want you to know that God passionately
loves you.
He.
Allowed fallen men to.
Spit on.
Kick.
Mock.
Beat.
And bruise.
Beyond human recognition.
His own son.
Because it was the punishment that you deserved.
And I deserved it.
For our rebellion against a holy God.
The things that we have done.
That according to the law of God.
We should spend eternity in hell.
Apart from God.
And deservedly so.
God would be completely just.
But he's a God of great love.
And.
We can't really see that love until we
see the cross.
The cross is the expression of God's love.
There is no greater expression of God's love
than the cross of Jesus Christ.
Where we see God doing something that.
To our natural minds is almost inconceivable for
God to do.
He had never been separated from his own
son.
You and I don't even understand the word
never.
But he had never been separated.
You look in the scriptures and Jesus.
Is identified as the one who was daily
his delight.
The one who was.
Co-creating everything.
As part of the triune and the inseparable
God.
Inconceivable that God should pour his wrath out
on his own son.
Only a love that you and I will
never comprehend could have allowed God to do
that.
Could have made him do that.
If I were God I probably would have
just.
Just taken this whole thing and this whole.
World and just blown it into space somewhere
and started again.
And that's what you would do too.
If you're honest tonight.
Why should you.
Could you conceive.
Of having an ant colony at home.
A little aquarium with a pile of ants
in it.
You reach in one day.
And they all start biting your hand.
And you know they have to be destroyed
because of what they've done.
But instead of destroying them you kill your
own son.
It's something like that.
But it's much deeper than that because God
created us out of his heart.
Which is a heart of love.
Inconceivable to God.
That he should have to cast us into
eternity away from him.
For all of time.
So he takes the punishment of our sin.
Upon himself.
Not even sure.
That you would take his hand.
Could you imagine.
You imagine if you end up in hell.
People that are here tonight think about this
you end up in hell.
And you were here.
And God stretched out his hand to you
and you had a choice and a chance.
To go to heaven.
You had a chance to be forgiven your
sin you saw clearly the love of God.
You understood what the cross was all about.
But in your heart you said oh ho
hum.
This is not the Christ.
That I came to hear about.
I came to hear about a Christ who
makes me successful and prospers me.
Gives me my slice of the pie of
status wealth and power in society.
I didn't come to hear about a Christ
who killed his own a God who killed
his own son.
That I might have eternal life.
And so you'll you'll you carry on on
your shopping journey to find a Jesus that
is palatable to you.
But the Christ you're hearing about tonight is
the Christ of the Bible.
This is the Christ of Scripture.
And he holds his hand up to you.
And offers you forgiveness.
He offers you forgiveness.
I can't fathom having been in this church
and ending up in hell.
I can't fathom it.
For all of eternity remembering this night.
When God held out his hand.
And you refused him.
And instead you chose to drown.
You chose to let the train hit you.
You chose to fall off the cliff.
When all the time God's hand was stretched
out to you.
To give you life.
I pray with all my heart tonight.
Pray with all my heart.
That if you're going to go to hell
it better not be on my watch.
I pray with all my heart.
Pray with all my heart.
That you have the sense to realize that
God is speaking to you tonight.
The sense to realize that you can be
forgiven your sins.
And know that you're going to heaven.
Oh but if I receive Jesus.
I mean my family's going to laugh at
me.
People on my job, I go to the
construction site tomorrow.
They're just going to say, oh you're one
of those crazy Jesus nuts now.
Who are my brothers?
Who is my mother?
It's those.
Who do the will of God.
There's no easy way around this.
There is no palatable Jesus folks.
I'm afraid for society.
That is dying in its sin.
There is no palatable digestive Jesus.
The gospel is still the gospel.
I would be a liar if I told
you tonight that you receive Christ.
And you'll be rich, wealthy and happy.
You just might be rejected, scorned, despised and
hated for years to come.
It is certainly possible.
But you will be in heaven when this
is all over with God.
I'm going to ask right now.
Right now.
And in this church we never ask anybody
to bow your heads and close your eyes.
If you're going to receive Christ, you do
it publicly.
You do it openly.
Because if you start this thing in a
closet, you're going to stay in a closet.
I'll tell you something.
Jesus died on a hill with a loincloth,
apparently naked as per his generation.
Shamed for all the world to see.
And he did it for you.
The least you can do.
If you're going to receive him, you can
do it publicly.
It doesn't matter who's on your left and
who's on your right.
Christ died for you.
And when you receive him, you do it
publicly.
I did it publicly.
I came down an aisle in a church,
not quite this big, but fairly large.
There was only two of us, I believe,
that day.
But I didn't care.
I was going to do it publicly.
Give my life and thank God.
That's all I can say.
Thank God to this day.
Thank God.
If you're a sinner tonight.
And you're not sure that you're going to
go to heaven when you die.
Matter of fact, after tonight, you're fairly sure
you're not going to go.
And you'd like to know that you're forgiven.
Raise your hand.
Do it.
Go ahead.
High.
All over the sanctuary.
Raise it up high.
Balcony.
All over the place.
Raise it.
Keep it up.
Now, for those who raised their hands, we
have many people in the balcony and the
education annex.
I know there are some of you there.
For those who raised their hands, we're going
to stand.
I'm going to ask you to come forward.
I'm going to pray a prayer with you.
I will not ask you to do anything
stupid.
We will not embarrass you.
This is about eternal life.
I'll just simply pray a prayer.
And when you pray it with me, you're
going to know that you have eternal life.
Now, please, folks, as we stand, those who
raised their hands, come meet me right now.
Make your way here.
And we're going to pray together.
Then I have a second altar call.
So please hold still the rest of this
church.
This is a momentous time because angels in
heaven are rejoicing.
A fine young man, just a fine young
man.
Thank God.
Thank God you're coming.
Thank God.
Make your way here.
In the
balcony, there's still more people making their way
here.
That's the greatest decision you'll ever make in
your whole life, sir.
I don't know if you've got children at
home.
Do you have children at home?
No.
Well, if you did, you'd be the best
dad they ever had.
There'd be a gift tonight.
You're going to be a wonderful man of
God.
I just see it.
God's going to touch your life.
All of you here, this is the beginning
of a new life in Christ.
To know your sins are forgiven.
To know you're going to go to heaven
when you die.
Hallelujah.
God bless you.
Welcome.
In spite of your struggles, you're welcome.
Jesus will help you.
He'll set you free.
He'll give you a brand new life.
Thank God you made a good decision.
I'm not trying to embarrass you, but you
made a good decision tonight.
Oh, bless God.
Can we just thank him now?
Can you just take a moment to pray?
Oh, Jesus, thank you.
Oh, God, I praise you.
I thank you, Lord.
Thank you.
We bless your name.
Bless your name.
Hallelujah.
We give you praise.
Jesus, son of God, thank you Lord.
Thank you mighty God.
Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, God.
Thank you.
Thank you, Jesus.
You wonder why we're so excited.
You know, the Bible says the angels in
heaven are rejoicing right now.
I know you find it hard to believe,
but it's true.
They're rejoicing over you because God died for
you.
He died for you.
He died for you to give you everlasting
life.
We're going to pray a little simple prayer.
And this is there's nothing mystical or magical
about this prayer.
It's just me helping you to understand what
it means to be saved.
If you pray this truly from your heart,
the Bible says that God will give you
the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is
God.
He will actually come and live inside of
you.
It's what he did for me years ago.
And you will have an ability to cry
out, Father, to God.
I know that's a hard thing for many
of you, but you will.
God says, I will.
I will be the cry in you.
You'll know you're a child of God.
You'll know you're forgiven in heaven after you
pray this prayer.
There's a gentleman here.
You've got to be 65 at least anyway.
There'll be no record of all your sins.
No record.
Now, you could have been in jail.
You might have a rap sheet and long
as your arm, but there'd be no record.
It's gone.
The Lord says, I will.
I will cause myself to forget.
It'll be gone.
Covered.
That's when you hear these.
When you hear us say in the church,
your sins will be covered in the blood.
That's what it means.
The shed, the shedding of Jesus blood on
the cross is the covering.
It's the price.
It's paid.
The debt is fully paid.
God says, I accept this sacrifice of my
son, and you have believed that he died
in your place.
Therefore, I accept you as I accept him.
It's really that simple.
Hallelujah.
Pray with me.
Will you?
Jesus, I'm a sinner.
Jesus, I'm sorry that my sin sent you
to a cross and you suffered a terrible
death in my place.
I don't want to live in sin anymore.
I want to live a life that will
bring glory and honor to your name.
Amen.
I also thank you that you loved me
so much that you were willing to die
for me, that you might have me back
with you again for all eternity.
I believe, Jesus, that you are the son
of God.
I believe that you died to pay the
price for my sin.
I believe on the third day you rose
from the dead as living proof to me
that my confidence in you is not in
vain.
You will also receive me.
You will make me alive again, and you
will receive me one day into heaven where
I will live with you forever.
Tonight, I believe that at this very moment,
because of your word to me, I am
saved.
Say it again.
I'm saved.
Saved.
I'm saved.
You can shout it.
You can cry it.
I'm saved.
I'm saved from my sin.
I'm saved.
I'm a new person in Christ.
I'm saved.
Hallelujah.
I'm saved.
It's going to get down deep with you.
You're going to understand that I'm saved.
I'm not going to hell when I die.
I'm going to heaven.
I'm saved.
Saved.
I'm saved.
Hallelujah.
This is the conclusion of the message.