Tonight, we begin the actual story of the
Pilgrim's Progress.
And we're going to follow the adventures of
the Pilgrim from his leaving the City of
Destruction until he reaches the Gate, at which
he receives instructions as to how to get
rid of the heavy burden of his sin.
The Pilgrim's Progress has been classed as second
only to the Bible for several reasons.
First, it tells us about the most important
journey anyone will ever be asked to go
on.
Namely, a journey from this life into eternity.
Every person listening to me now is traveling
along the road of life every day that
he lives, brings him nearer and nearer to
the end of that journey.
And at death, he will go out into
eternity.
And the great question is, where will you
be in that eternity that follows death?
Either an eternity of joy, or an eternity
of misery, such as weeping and wailing and
gnashing of teeth?
Second, this story tells us about the most
important thing in life, namely, salvation.
First of all, from sin's penalty, through faith
in the One who came from Heaven's glory
and on the Cross of Calvary paid the
penalty of our sins by shedding His precious
blood and thus obtaining our eternal redemption.
And every soul who trusts in Him is
at moments saved from the consequences or the
penalty of his sins, which is eternal death.
Then this story tells us about salvation from
sin's power.
The Lord Jesus is now glorified at God's
right hand and He ever lives to impart
power to those who put their trust in
Him.
And in that power, in that strength, they
may live lives to the glory of that
One who made them forever His at such
infinite cost.
Then it speaks of salvation from sin's presence
at the coming of the Lord Jesus when
with the voice of the archangel and the
trump of God He will raise the dead
and rapture the living to be with Him
and like Him forever in that glorious celestial
city.
Thus this story is very, very important.
And then it tells us about the most
important people we shall meet on this journey.
Every person appearing in this story has a
name that exactly describes his character.
Thus a person named good will be a
good person.
A person named bad will be a bad
person.
If you remember this, it will help you
to understand the meaning of this palpable story
of the pilgrim's progress.
So as you go on from night to
night, remember the Holy Word of God.
Here is the dreamer lying in his prison
cell.
A brazier of coals helps to keep that
cell a little more habitable.
And as he lies upon his bed of
straw with a vest of books the Bible
clasped fondly to his bosom he has a
wonderful dream.
In this dream he sees a man starting
out from his own home with a great
burden upon his back.
His clothes all in rags.
A book in his hand.
His cry, what must I do to be
saved?
He follows the adventures of this man until
he reaches a gate at which he receives
instructions as to how to get rid of
that dreadful burden.
From that gate he goes on to the
place where he sees a marvelous sight.
And that burden rolls from his shoulders and
he sees it no more forever.
He goes on from that place passing through
two lions and enters into a beautiful castle.
From that castle he emerges to engage in
a great fight with a great enemy of
his soul Apollyon or Satan.
From thence together with a companion they enter
the great city of Vanity.
And from that city go on their way
and are caught by a great giant named
Despair who puts them in his castle called
Doubting Castle.
Finding a way of escape from that castle
they make their way onward, upward, homeward, heavenward
until they reach a river called the River
of Death.
Through that river they pass.
Step out on the other side breathe that
new air, celestial air and enter into that
beautiful celestial city where they enjoy the presence
of their Lord and their Savior forever.
This in brief is the story of the
pilgrim's progress with which we shall be concerned
during the next few nights together.
The story opens upon a man whose back
is turned to his own home.
There is a great burden upon his back.
He holds a book in his hand from
which he reads.
And as he reads he cries despairingly what
must I do to be saved?
His clothes are all in rags and he
is indeed in a pitiable condition.
Who is this man?
What is that city to which he has
turned his back?
What is that book from which he reads?
What is that burden on his back?
Why are his clothes all in rags?
And why does he cry what must I
do to be saved?
Let us try to answer these questions one
by one.
First, his name is graceless.
That is, one who is without the grace
of God.
In other words, an unsaved person.
He represents each person in this audience this
evening who has never come as a poor
lost sinner and put his faith and trust
in the Lord Jesus.
If you have never been born by the
Holy Spirit through faith in Christ, remember your
name in the sight of God is graceless
or one who is without the grace of
God.
And to be without the grace of God
is to be without Christ, to be without
spiritual life, to be without the Holy Spirit,
to be without righteousness, to be without excuse,
to be without escape from the judgment of
God if one dies in that condition.
Remember, if you are not saved, your name
is graceless.
What is that city to which he has
turned his back?
It is the city of destruction, a picture
of this world in which we live, which
one day is going to be destroyed with
fire from heaven.
For the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his holy angels in flaming fire
taking vengeance on them that know not God
and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord
and the glory of his power.
This world, for those who are living for
it, is a city of destruction, doomed to
be eternally banished from God's presence forever.
What is that book he holds in his
hand?
It is the Holy Bible, the Word of
God, living and powerful and sharper than any
two-edged sword, a book that discerns the
thoughts and the intents of our heart.
Graceless lived for many years in the city
of destruction without realizing what he really was
until one day he began to read the
Bible and as he read the Bible he
discovered what God said about him.
He read such verses as these, There is
none righteous, no, not one.
There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way.
They are together become unprofitable.
There is none that doeth good, no, not
so much as one.
Now we know that whatsoever things the law
saith, it saith unto them that are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped
and all the world may become guilty before
God.
And as Gracious read such words as these,
he felt a burden coming upon his conscience.
And the more he read and the more
he thought about God and thought about his
own sinfulness, the greater that burden became.
He tried in many ways to get rid
of that burden, by his tears of repentance,
by his good resolves to live a better
life for the future, by attending church more
regularly, by doing the best he could, but
alas, alas, all his own attempts to remove
that burden from his back were in vain.
That burden is the burden of sin.
This is the burden that God sees upon
the back of every unsaved person.
The fact that you do not feel that
burden on your conscience only proves that the
God of this age has blinded your mind
that you should believe and the light of
the gospel should shine unto you.
Supposing there was a dead boy lying here
on the platform and I put a heavy
weight on that dead boy, would he feel
it?
You reply, no.
Why not?
Because he's dead.
A dead person cannot feel a burden.
Supposing there was a living boy on this
platform and I put a heavy weight on
him, would he feel it?
Indeed he would.
Why?
Because he's alive.
The reason many people do not feel the
burden of their sins is this, they are
still dead in their trespasses and in their
sins.
And Satan has blinded their minds lest they
should see their deep need of God's saving
grace and trust the Lord Jesus as their
Saviour.
Jesus said, come unto me all ye that
labour and are heavy laden.
Laden with what?
Laden with sin, just as graceless is laden
with sin.
So you are viewed by God as being
laden with your sins.
All those evil thoughts, evil words, evil deeds,
and wrong attitudes you have adopted toward God
are all gathered together like a great big
heavy burden.
And if a person dies with that burden
on his back, he must go out into
an eternity of blackness and darkness forever.
His clothes are all in rags.
Clothes speak of one's own righteousness.
And the Bible says we are all as
an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags.
In the sight of God all our own
goodness, if we are trusting in that for
salvation, is like a bundle of filthy rags.
No wonder therefore, as Gracious read from that
book and learned how holy and righteous God
was, how just, how he must because of
his holy character punish sin.
He filled his heart and he cried despairingly,
what must I do to be saved?
In this condition he returned to his home
and confided to his wife and to his
children.
Oh my dear wife and you my dear
children, I have discovered from the word of
God I am a lost and guilty and
burdened sinner and if I die in my
sins I shall be lost forever.
Oh what must I do to be saved?
Can you help me?
But his wife was one of those self
-righteous people.
Those people who believe they can be saved
and go to heaven without trusting Christ as
their savior.
They can be saved on the basis of
their own good works and she got quite
impatient with her husband.
She said, Graceless, ever since you've been reading
that book you've got these ridiculous ideas about
being a lost and burdened and guilty sinner
and having to meet God and be lost
forever.
I believe that this religion is turning your
mind.
Come now, you'd better go to bed.
I'll make you up some medicine and maybe
after a good night's rest you'll feel better
in the morning and forget all about these
strange notions.
And so she packed her husband off to
bed but poor Graceless couldn't sleep that night.
He was afraid to close his eyes in
sleep lest like that rich man that Jesus
spoke of in the sixteenth of Luke he
might open his eyes in hell being in
torment.
He tossed from one side of his bed
to the other crying, Day and night thy
hand is heavy upon me.
My moisture is turned into the drought of
summer.
Oh, what must I do to be saved?
How can I go out into eternity in
my present condition?
For God is holy and righteous and just
and must therefore banish me from his presence
to weep and wail forever.
Oh, what must I do to be saved?
Truly there is no trouble like soul trouble.
Early in the morning long before the rest
of the family was astir Graceless got out
from his bed began to walk outside the
city limits of the city of destruction reading
his Bible and groaning and crying and praying
Oh, what must I do to be saved?
Presently as he read these words appeared It
is appointed unto men once to die and
after this the judgment.
As Gracious read those words his heart paled
within him he realized as never before how
lost and guilty and helpless and hopeless and
hell deserving he was and from his soul
came that cry again and again What must
I do to be saved?
At that moment a man named Evangelist was
passing by and hearing the cry of Graceless
he hurried in his direction and inquired Who
are you?
and why do you cry What must I
do to be saved?
Gracious answered My name is Graceless I'm a
poor burdened sinner from the city of destruction
the face of all evil I've learned from
the word of God that I am a
sinner and as such one day I must
die and after death I must meet a
holy God and I dare not contemplate death
and eternity It fills my heart with dread
and with terror Oh, sir, can you tell
me how a poor lost burdened sinner such
as I may be saved?
Evangelist answered Yes, I can tell you I
was once a poor lost and guilty sinner
like you burdened with a load of sin
All my prayers and tears and good works
and religious rites and forms and ceremonies failed
to remove that burden but I came to
Jesus I believe He bore my sins and
died for me and through faith in Him
the burden of my heart rolled away and
now it is my joy at the command
of the Lord Jesus to point other souls
to Him that they too may lose the
burden of their guilt and then Evangelist gave
to Graceless a piece of paper on which
were written the words Flee from the wrath
to come but Graceless inquired Whither can I
flee?
Evangelist pointed in a certain direction and said
Do you see that gate over yonder?
Graceless shaded his eyes and replied No, I
cannot see that gate Well, do you see
that light?
Yes, I see the light Well, continued Evangelist
follow that light go in its direction that
will bring you to the gate and at
that gate you will receive instructions as to
how to get rid of your load of
guilt Now you will notice that Evangelist did
not attempt to take the burden from Graceless
shoulders No Evangelist no Christian can do that
Evangelist of course illustrates any person saved by
God's grace born again by God's Holy Spirit
whose delight it is to point souls to
Christ All Evangelist did was to point Graceless
to one who could take away his burden
That's all we can do is to point
you to the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world and who
is able to say to the uttermost every
poor guilty sinner who puts his faith and
trust in Him That light illustrates the word
of God Thy word is a lamp unto
my feet and a light unto my path
As we follow the light of God's word
it will bring us to the gate which
speaks of Christ who said I am the
door by me if any man enter in
he shall be saved and shall go in
and out and find pasture Now what did
Graceless do when he heard those instructions?
Did he say well I'm not going to
get excited about this I'll start off maybe
sometime next week No indeed He realized behold
now is the day of salvation Behold now
is the accepted time He realized that tomorrow
is unknown boast not thyself of tomorrow for
thou knowest not what a day may bring
forth The moment he heard that there was
a way of salvation from the burden of
his guilt and from the consequences of his
sins he did what every burdened guilty sinner
should do which I trust you will do
tonight He began to flee from the city
of destruction and as he began to run
in the direction of that light all the
people came out to see the fun My
how they laughed at him Some tried to
detain him by force Others sought by ridicule
and threats to retain him Even his wife
and family had no sympathy with him His
wife said oh Graceless don't leave me for
this journey It's just a wild goose chase
No one knows whether he can be saved
or not in this life Graceless replied I
have learned my dear wife that I am
a sinner in the sight of a holy
God and if I die in my sins
I shall be lost forever I must flee
from the wrath to come Come with me
for you too are a sinner She replied
I am nothing of the kind and if
you are determined to go on this journey
you shall go alone neither I nor the
children will go with you and though it
almost broke Graceless heart to leave his wife
and family behind he remembered that scripture If
any man loved father or mother or wife
or children more than me he is not
worthy of me and so Graceless ran for
his life This is what will happen when
you begin to flee from the wrath to
come Your friends and your enemies alike will
do their very best to detain you to
hold you still in their grasp The devil
will do his utmost to blind you still
further to the dreadful fact of your need
of a saviour and of the wonderful saviour
to be found in Christ but do what
Graceless did turn your back upon the city
of destruction and flee from the wrath to
come In order to shut out the cries
of his enemies and the pleadings of his
friends Graceless put his fingers into his ears
and as he ran he cried Life!
Life!
Eternal Life!
The one great consuming ambition with Graceless was
to have eternal life Let this be your
cry too Shut out from your mind all
intruding thoughts and concentrate on the great business
of striving to enter in at the straight
gate for wide is the gate and broad
is the way that leadeth unto destruction and
many there be which go in thereat but
straight is the gate and narrow is the
way that leadeth unto life and few there
be that find it Two men one named
Obstinate and the other named Pliable came to
the wife of Graceless and said Mrs. Graceless
don't you worry about that husband of yours
we'll run after him and bring him back
again I wish you would sob Mrs. Graceless
he's been a good husband to me and
a good father to his children it's only
since he began to read that bible and
talk with that man named Evangelist that he's
got all these queer ideas of going on
a journey oh I wish you'd follow him
and convince him of his folly and bring
him back again we'll soon do that said
Mr. Obstinate and so Obstinate and Pliable ran
after Graceless very soon they caught up to
him for Graceless couldn't run very fast on
account of the great burden on his back
when they caught up to him Graceless inquired
what are you following me for we've come
to take you back where you belong where's
that why in the city of destruction oh
no replied Graceless I don't belong there any
longer I've turned my back on that city
for over that city there hangs the wrath
of God which abideth on all those who
reject Christ as their saviour no no my
fair companions fare you well I will not
go with you to dwell I mean with
Jesus Christ to dwell let me go as
he turned to go Obstinate inquired what you're
going to leave all your friends and all
your comforts behind all your pleasures what are
my comforts what are my friends what are
my pleasures retorted Graceless if they are enjoyed
under the wrath of God which may fall
at any moment that great cloud long delayed
because of God's mercy may fall in unparalleled
fury upon that city of destruction no no
I must go on my way and besides
added Graceless I'm going to a place where
all is joy and bliss and peace where
the streets are paid with gold where all
the redeemed walk in fight where the patriarchs
and the angels are where Christ is the
lord of that city where there's no more
curse no more sin no more death no
more pain no more sorrow no more parting
I'm going to an inheritance that is incorruptible
and undefiled and that fated not away preserved
in heaven for me I must go on
my way obstinate said the pliable come on
let's leave this fool to his folly I
see we'll never persuade him to go with
us but what Graceless had said about the
beauties and the glories of heaven intrigued pliable
and he stammered if you don't mind obstinate
maybe I'll take a little walk with Graceless
along the pathway what?
stormed obstinate two fools instead of one be
persuaded by me pliable let's go back home
Graceless said pliable you come along with me
for what I have you too shall have
for the same lord over all is rich
to all that call upon him and so
obstinate as angry as he could be stormed
back again to the city of destruction and
Graceless and pliable went on their way as
they walked along pliable inquired eagerly what did
you say I would get if I came
with you brother you shall walk on streets
of gold real gold?
real gold me?
yes you oh goody goody wouldn't it be
lovely walking on streets of gold what else
am I going to get brother you're going
to wear a golden crown no yes real
gold?
real gold me?
yes you oh my imagine me walking down
the golden streets with a golden crown on
my head what else am I going to
get brother you're going to play on a
golden harp no yes real gold?
real gold me?
yes you oh imagine won't that be grand
walking down the golden streets with a golden
crown on my head and playing on a
golden harp what else am I going to
get brother you're going to see all the
patriarchs you're going to see all the holy
angels you're going to see all the martyrs
all the prophets and the apostles better still
you're going to see the king in his
beauty and the lamb that is fairer than
day where there is no darkness no sadness
no pain no crying no popping my exclaimed
you may be homesick to get there quick
come on let's run I'm sorry I can't
run replied graciously I've got a great big
heavy burden on my back do you notice
any difference between these two men what is
the main point of difference ah I hear
you say one has a burden on his
back the other has no burden what is
sending graceless on his way the fact that
he's a needy lost and guilty sinner and
he wants to get saved what is sending
pliable on his way the beauties and the
glories of heaven he's not concerned about the
matter of his sin in the sight of
God he's not thinking about his lost and
guilty state all he wants is a nice
vacation in heaven at God's expense to play
on the golden harp and wear a golden
crown and walk on golden streets while they
were talking about the beauties and the glories
of heaven and not looking too well to
their feet they did not notice at this
particular point there was a great big bog
called the bog of despondency right in front
of them now into that bog they both
fell headlong and when pliable came out of
that bog with his mouth full of mud
he was in a rage he cried huh
where are we now brother graceless graceless replied
alas I do not know I had no
idea of the existence of this bog and
then pliable began to be sarcastic putting one
of his feet out of the bog it
made a noise like this pew pew and
then he inquired I suppose this is one
of the golden streets you told me I
was going to walk on pulling some of
the weeds out of his hair he said
huh I suppose this is the golden crown
you told me I was going to wear
and the golden harp I was going to
play if I can get out of this
bog alive you can have your heaven and
your golden streets and your golden harps and
your golden crowns and everything else I am
going back home to the city of destruction
where at any rate I wasn't plastered with
mud like this and pliable gave a desperate
struggle or two and climbed out to the
side of the bog nearest to his own
home and scuttled back where he belonged to
the city of destruction pew pew when he
got back my what pun they made of
him oh they said so you decided to
come back from the celestial city and how
did you like the golden streets how did
you like your golden crown how did you
like your golden harp come pliable give us
a tune on your harp of gold and
they made him the butt of their jokes
but by and by bit by bit pliable
returned to his old companions his old pursuits
his old pleasures the old places of amusement
and what do you think he called himself
he called himself a backslider when all the
while he had never been a frontslider alas
there are many like this pliable began to
sneak around until gradually bit by bit he
was received back again into favor with the
people of the city of destruction lots of
girls and boys and men and women in
meetings like this as they hear about the
beauties and the glories of heaven have a
desire to become pilgrims but they do not
count the cost they do not count the
cost companions his old pursuits his old pleasures
the old places of amusement and what do
you think he called himself he called himself
a backslider when all the while he had
never been a frontslider alas there are many
like this pliable began to sneak around until
gradually bit by bit he was received back
again into favor with the people of the
city of destruction lots of girls and boys
and men and women in meetings like this
as they hear about the beauties and the
glories of heaven have a desire to become
pilgrims but they do not count the cost
they do not admit that they are lost
in their guilty state and in their own
strength by their good results they determine they
will turn over a better leaf and become
a Christian they take the evangelist's hand in
theirs they sign a card maybe they put
up their hand for prayer and they imagine
that this makes them Christians but alas when
persecution arises when difficulties come then they go
right back where they truly belong back again
to the world because they were never truly
saved by God's grace never really born again
by the Holy Spirit of God but graceless
did he want to get out of the
side of the bog nearest to his own
home not he he wanted to get as
far as he possibly could from the city
of destruction but alas he could not get
out of that bog in spite of all
his efforts he sank again and again sometimes
up to the neck sometimes up to the
knees in spite of all his efforts he
could not extricate himself from that bog of
despondency now the bog of despondency as its
name indicates illustrates those desponding fears and doubts
that fill the heart of the convicted sinner
and sink him into despondency and darkness and
doubt and despair for instance the devil suggests
to a poor sinner you're too bad to
be saved what does that do sinks him
down into the bog of sorrow and doubt
if the devil can't get him that way
he'll say even if you do come to
Christ he won't receive you that sinks the
sinner further still into that bog of despondency
if he can't get him with that doubt
he will say and even if you do
come to Christ and he does receive you
by and by you'll give it all up
and you'll be worse than you were before
and all these doubts combined with the evil
reasonings of a sinner's wicked heart of unbelief
all tend to sink him into the bog
and the mire of doubt and darkness and
despair as Graceless struggled but in vain to
get out of that bog presently he saw
a man whose name was Help come down
to the side of that bog Help inquired
who are you what are you doing in
that bog of despondency Graceless replied my name
is Graceless I'm a poor burdened sinner from
the city of destruction I was sent on
my way by Evangelist and while following the
light which he said would lead me to
the gate I together with a companion pliable
by name fell into this grievous bog he
has gone back again to the city of
destruction but I do not want to go
back there I want to get out of
this bog but I cannot all my efforts
are in vain could you assist me that
is why I came replied Help give me
your hand and Help reached out his hand
and Graceless took Help's hand in his and
with Help's assistance he was lifted out of
that horrible pit and that miry clay now
Help illustrates the promises of God whatever your
difficulty or doubt may be as a convicted
sinner there is a promise in the word
of God that meets your need and will
deliver you from that particular doubt for instance
if the devil is saying to you you
are too bad to be saved here is
a promise for you this is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners
do what Graceless did just as Graceless could
not be helped out of that bog unless
he had taken Help's hand in his so
every convicted sinner must grasp with the simple
hand of faith the promises of God and
as he does so he will be lifted
out of that particular doubt if the devil
is saying to you if you come to
Christ he won't receive you here is a
promise for you Jesus said him that cometh
unto me I will in no wise cast
out take hold of that promise plead it
and you'll be delivered from that particular doubt
if the devil is saying to you if
you do come to Christ you won't be
able to hold on and by and by
you'll give it up and you'll be worse
than you were before here is a promise
for you Jesus himself said I give unto
my sheep eternal life and they shall never
perish neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand take that promise by faith
and you will be delivered from that particular
doubt whatever the difficulty is there is always
a word from God which when grasped by
the hand of faith when believed and received
and acted upon will deliver you from that
doubt and save you from the bog of
despondency as gracious continued his journey following the
light presently he saw a man coming toward
him who looked very nice from a distance
but not too good near at hand this
man's name was Mr. worldly wise man and
as he looked at graciously inquired in a
very superior tone who are you walking in
such a burdened and sighing manner gracious answered
my name is graceless I'm a burdened sinner
from the city of destruction I'm on my
way to the gate to receive instructions as
to how to get rid of my burden
I'm to follow the light Mr. worldly wise
man inquired burden gate light what do you
mean who sent you on your journey anyhow
please sir a man named evangelist ah said
Mr. worldly wise man with a scornful smile
hmm so he deceived you too, what do
you mean deceived me why don't you know
that that man evangelist is nothing but a
religious fanatic he has had no theological education
all he does is to send people on
a wild goose chase to a gate that
doesn't exist and to follow a light that
will only blind you oh I wish you
had met me before you had met him
I would have given you some real advice
advice based on a long experience in the
wisdom of this world but alas alas I
feel so sorry for you however did you
get the idea you have a burden on
your back gracious replied I got it from
reading this book, the bible ah said Mr.
worldly wise man, I thought so why don't
you realize that book can only be understood
by learned people like me, poor simpletons like
you, reading that book get all sorts of
queer ideas I'm afraid it's affected your mind
and you don't exactly know what you're doing
oh I feel would you like some real
good advice advice based on a long experience
in the wisdom of this world and he
spoke with such assurance as though he knew
what he was talking about that poor gracious
was taken in and said yes I would
like some good advice well said Mr. worldly
wise man think it all about what evangelist
told you, don't try to read that bible
anyhow, you can't understand it unless people like
me interpret it to you think it all
about that gate and that light you see
way over yonder that hill called Mount Sinai
yes sir, well make your way in that
direction and when you get there you'll meet
a friend of mine named Mr. Lawyer he'll
give you the right kind of instructions as
to how to get rid of that burden,
there now I'm sure you'll be very glad
that you met me you have been greatly
honored in listening to my expert advice and
what do you think gracious did gracious followed
the directions of Mr. worldly wise man turned
his back to that light that he had
been told to follow turned his feet from
the narrow path to the path that led
to Mount Sinai did he do the right
thing or the wrong thing we'll learn what
happens when a poor guilty sinner instead of
going to the gate turns his feet in
the direction of the law and the demands
of the law represented by Mount Sinai presently
when gracious came to Mount Sinai great mountain
it was seemed to be all on a
smoke, from the top of that mountain, incapped
with clouds there came flashes of lightning, followed
by terrifying peals of thunder and as gracious
stood there a great earthquake shook that mountain
and it seemed to him as though the
whole mountain would fall on top of him,
his burden increased tremendously and as he stood
there terror stricken he heard the sound of
a trumpet from the top of that mountain
and these were the words he heard thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart with all thy soul with all
thy strength and with all thy mind and
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself as
gracious heard those words his heart sank within
him alas, alas he cried I have not
loved God with all my heart and soul
and mind and strength, I have not loved
my neighbor as myself I have broken God's
holy law oh what shall I do what
shall I do then came the sound of
another trumpet which uttered these words of holy
scripture cursed is everyone that does not do
all the things that are written in the
book of the law and when gracious heard
that his heart paled within him out from
that mountain there came a great flame and
smoke poor gracious was hard put to avoid
those flames that came licking at him as
though eager to devour him alas, alas cried
poor graceless I place myself under God's holy
righteous law which demands what I cannot give,
it demands perfection and I cannot give that
perfection, oh what shall I do, what shall
I do and he fell down upon his
knees out came a great flame that almost
devoured him and there lay poor graceless groaning
and crying and praying until presently he heard
footsteps and looking up who should he see
coming down the mountain but evangelist evangelist had
a stern look in his eye presently he
put the question to graceless are you the
man I saw outside the city of destruction
yes sir answered graceless in a faint voice
are you the man that I told to
go to the gate yes sir are you
the man I told to follow the light
yes sir then what are you doing here
did the light lead you to this place
no sir then how did you come to
be here and gracious replied I met a
man named Mr. worldly wise man who told
me sir that you were nothing but a
religious fanatic that you didn't know what you
were talking about that you had no theological
training and that you only lived to send
poor fools like me on a wild goose
chase and I foolishly believed his words and
I was led astray and now I find
myself under this dreadful mount Sinai the ten
commandments pondering out their demands that I cannot
meet and then pronouncing a curse upon me
because I cannot fulfill all the commands that
God has issued in his holy law oh
sir I'm afraid this mountain will fall on
me and kill me is there any hope
for me evangelist answered sternly you deserve to
die right now poor gracious almost passed out
on the spot oh sir have mercy on
me oh please please let me have another
chance I've learned my lesson I've learned that
by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified in the sight of God
oh sir will you help me evangelist with
a more kindly look in his eye more
loving note in his voice gave to gracious
his hand and said rise up and remember
from now on pay no heed to anyone
who seeks to turn your feet from the
path that leads to that gate to mount
Sinai that man worldly wise man has never
been born again by God's spirit he only
has the wisdom of this world which is
foolishness with God and when the world in
its wisdom knew not God it pleased God
by the foolishness of preaching to save them
that believe for the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness but unto
us which are saved it is the power
of God that man worldly wise man is
an enemy of the cross of Christ he
has no time for Christ and him crucified
and tries to lead sinners to a path
when they shall be justified by their attempted
obedience to the commandments that God has given
in his holy law pay no heed to
him for remember by grace are ye saved
through faith not of works lest any man
should boast and then he gave instructions as
to what to do return to the place
from which you were turned aside pay no
heed to anyone from this time on who
seeks to turn your feet from that path
that leads to the gate keep your eyes
on that light and that light will bring
you to that place where you'll receive instructions
as to how to get rid of your
burden of guilt and then evangelist pissed graceless
and my how glad graceless was to escape
with his life he learned the lesson that
I hope each one here will learn and
that is this that by the deeds of
the law no flesh can be declared righteous
when God gave the law he knew when
he gave it that no one would ever
keep that law then why did God give
that law in order to show us how
far short we have come of all his
righteous demands all have sinned and come short
of the glory of God but alas many
poor sinners try to save themselves by an
attempt to keep the ten commandments but the
more they seek to keep those ten commandments
the more they realize that the law demands
what they cannot possibly give and only condemns
them brings them into the place of death
here is Mr. Lawyer doing his stuff look
at these burdened sinners as they come to
him one poor burdened sinner inquires oh Mr.
Lawyer can you tell me how to get
rid of my burden of sin and Mr.
Lawyer replies oh yes do the best you
can to all the people you can in
all the ways you can as often as
ever you can and who knows maybe one
of these days you may turn up in
heaven for the day of miracles is not
yet over another man comes to him oh
Mr. Lawyer what must I do to get
rid of the burden of my guilt and
be fit to meet a holy God Mr.
Lawyer replies well try to keep the ten
commandments all this advice of course is utterly
in vain no one will ever be saved
by keeping the ten commandments for in the
first place each one of us has already
broken many of those commandments and the breaking
of even one of those commandments is the
breaking of the whole law of God for
God did not give ten laws but one
law consisting of ten commandments and he that
keepeth the whole law and offendeth in one
point the same is guilty of all presently
Christian came to the place from which he
had been turned aside my how glad he
was once more to see that kind light
shining he followed the direction of that light
and as he walked presently away ahead of
him he saw a gate as he approached
this gate he heard whizzing noises just like
that he didn't know what caused that noise
he was to learn later on what it
was but by now he came close to
that gate above that gate he saw the
words knock and it shall be opened unto
you and so gracious knocked a voice inquired
who is there gracious answered I'm a burdened
sinner from the city of destruction I was
sent from there by evangelist who told me
sir you would give me instructions as to
how to get rid of my burden of
guilt may I come in and then a
man named Goodwill came to the gate with
a smile of welcome on his face holding
out his hand he said welcome graceless in
the name of the Lord Jesus him that
cometh unto me I will in no wise
cast out take my hand and as gracious
took Goodwill's hand and was about to step
across the threshold of that gate Goodwill jerked
him in so forcefully that gracious inquired why
did you jerk me like that you little
knew your danger as you stood outside that
gate danger what danger do you not know
that the devil has built a castle within
bow shot of this gate and whenever he
sees a pilgrim about to escape from his
clutches by crossing the threshold of this gate
he sends his evil men to the top
of that castle with their bows and arrows
if perchance they might shoot at that person
and prevent him from taking that step which
will deliver him from the devil's arrows and
then gracious remembered that whizzing noise he had
heard and he thanked God for his escape
from the devil's arrows let's think a moment
of the devil's arrows one thing is perfectly
certain the devil doesn't want any person here
to be saved he doesn't want anyone here
to come to Christ who said I am
the way the truth and the life no
man cometh unto the father but by me
who said I am the door or the
gate by me if any man enter in
he shall be saved the devil doesn't want
anyone to be saved you can depend on
that and whenever he sees a poor burdened
sinner about to escape from his clutches he
fires these arrows at him and many a
soul almost persuaded to be saved was struck
by one of the devil's arrows and was
lost when he was almost saved there was
a king named Agrippa who listened to the
apostle Paul preaching to him and he said
to the apostle Paul almost persuaded thou me
to become a Christian but alas one of
the devil's arrows struck him and he never
took that step which would have delivered him
from Satan's arrows you will see three arrows
in this picture one on the left one
on the middle and one on the right
the one on the left we shall call
the arrow of laughter this is an arrow
that the devil uses with great effect whenever
he sees a boy or a girl about
to take that step and put his faith
and trust in Christ as a burdened sinner
he says listen if you become a Christian
you trust Christ as your savior your friends
will all laugh at you you lose your
popularity folks will make fun of you they'll
ostracize you they won't want your company anymore
you lose your place in society don't become
a Christian they'll laugh at you is this
true?
yes indeed your worldly friends may laugh when
they hear that you trusted Christ as your
savior and confessed Christ as the lord of
your life and that from henceforth you are
through with the world let them laugh thousands
of people have been laughed into hell but
not one as far as I know has
ever been laughed out of that dreadful place
the person who fears the laugh of a
worldly companion more than the wrath of God
revealed against sin is foolish indeed don't let
the devil cheat you out of your soul
with the arrow of laughter the next arrow
is the arrow of pleasure the devil will
say if you come to Christ if you
receive him by faith as your savior and
own him as the lord of your life
you'll have no more fun no more pleasure
you'll be sad and unhappy for the rest
of your life praying and singing psalms all
day long all the joy of life will
be gone and you'll be miserable and unhappy
for the rest of your existence on earth
is that true?
no it's not true it's a lie there
is no pleasure comparable to that pleasure that
comes from knowing Christ in his presence there
is fullness of joy at his right hand
there are pleasures for ever more while the
child of God does not obtain his pleasures
from the world he gets the true pleasure,
the lasting pleasure that comes from knowing Christ
as his savior, God as his father the
holy spirit as his indwelling comforter, the word
of God as his infallible guide Christians as
his heaven born, heaven bound heaven bent companions
and the celestial city as his eternal home
the third arrow is the most successful of
his arrows oh yes says the devil it's
quite true that your name is graceless that
you're a burdened sinner that if you die
in your sins you'll be lost forever it's
quite true that God loves you, it's quite
true that the lord Jesus on Calvary's cross
in infinite grace allowed God to put all
your sins on him in order that he
by his death might satisfy all the claims
of divine justice it's quite true that if
you come to Christ as you are a
poor guilty lost sinner believe that he loves
you and died for you and receive him
by faith as your savior and own him
as the lord of your life you'll be
saved it's all true but there's plenty of
time how old are you now?
you reply I'm eight you better wait till
you're nine how old are you?
I'm nine you better wait till you're ten
how old are you?
I'm ten you better wait till you're eleven
how old are you?
I'm eleven you better wait till you're twelve
and so he gets people to put off
the matter of their soul salvation to a
more convenient season which very often never comes
there are thousands of souls in hell who
intended to be in heaven they intended to
put their faith and trust in Christ and
be saved by God's grace but alas alas
they kept putting it off putting it off
putting it off and suddenly death came in
before they were ready ushered them into an
eternity of blackness and darkness forever God has
only one time he's prepared to save you
and that is now the devil's clock is
either too fast or too slow either he
tells you there's plenty of time or he
assures you it's too late but God's time
is now behold now is the accepted time
behold now is the day of salvation do
what grace has did right now take your
place as a lost and burdened and guilty
helpless hopeless hell deserving sinner believe Christ on
the cross died for your sins trust him
by faith as your own personal saviour own
him as the lord of your life take
that step of faith and you will be
delivered from the devil's arrows may he grant
it for his namesake amen