1 00:00:00,650 --> 00:00:03,170 Now the subject that's been given to me 2 00:00:03,170 --> 00:00:07,530 is this, is God really there and what 3 00:00:07,530 --> 00:00:08,950 is he like? 4 00:00:09,910 --> 00:00:11,990 And trust that this might be a help 5 00:00:11,990 --> 00:00:14,950 especially to those who are seeking the Lord. 6 00:00:16,030 --> 00:00:18,230 For tonight we're going to read from the 7 00:00:18,230 --> 00:00:22,430 second of Corinthians chapter 5 and we are 8 00:00:22,430 --> 00:00:24,410 commence reading at verse 11. 9 00:00:26,070 --> 00:00:28,910 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we 10 00:00:28,910 --> 00:00:33,950 persuade men, because we are made manifest unto 11 00:00:33,950 --> 00:00:36,650 God and I trust also are made manifest 12 00:00:36,650 --> 00:00:38,010 in your consciences. 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,680 For we commend not ourselves again unto you 14 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:45,980 but give you occasion to glory on our 15 00:00:45,980 --> 00:00:46,620 behalf. 16 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,960 That ye may have somewhat to answer them 17 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,900 which glory in appearance and not in heart. 18 00:00:56,670 --> 00:00:59,750 For whether we be beside ourselves it is 19 00:00:59,750 --> 00:01:03,930 to God, or whether we be sober it 20 00:01:03,930 --> 00:01:08,110 is for your cause, for the love of 21 00:01:08,110 --> 00:01:09,950 Christ constraineth us. 22 00:01:11,430 --> 00:01:14,510 Because we thus judge that if one died 23 00:01:14,510 --> 00:01:17,310 for all, then were all dead. 24 00:01:18,290 --> 00:01:20,670 And that he died for all that they 25 00:01:20,670 --> 00:01:24,770 which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, 26 00:01:25,510 --> 00:01:28,630 but unto him which died for them and 27 00:01:28,630 --> 00:01:29,390 rose again. 28 00:01:31,350 --> 00:01:34,250 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the 29 00:01:34,250 --> 00:01:38,170 flesh, yea though we have known Christ after 30 00:01:38,170 --> 00:01:40,590 the flesh yet now henceforth know we him 31 00:01:40,590 --> 00:01:41,190 no more. 32 00:01:42,990 --> 00:01:46,450 Therefore if any man be in Christ he 33 00:01:46,450 --> 00:01:48,990 is a new creature or a new creation. 34 00:01:49,930 --> 00:01:53,470 All things are passed away behold all things 35 00:01:53,470 --> 00:01:54,510 are become new. 36 00:01:55,950 --> 00:01:57,970 And all things are of God who hath 37 00:01:57,970 --> 00:02:02,230 reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and 38 00:02:02,230 --> 00:02:05,050 hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 39 00:02:07,460 --> 00:02:10,880 To wit that God was in Christ reconciling 40 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:16,220 the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses 41 00:02:16,220 --> 00:02:19,960 that means counting up their sins and hath 42 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,400 committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 43 00:02:24,920 --> 00:02:29,760 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as 44 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,320 though God did beseech you by us we 45 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,200 pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to 46 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,360 God for he hath made him to be 47 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:45,120 sin for us whom knew no sin that 48 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,700 we might be made the righteousness of God 49 00:02:48,700 --> 00:02:49,960 in heaven. 50 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,080 Now the Lord will bless to us the 51 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:54,100 reading of the Bible. 52 00:02:57,870 --> 00:03:00,550 Could you imagine just for one moment that 53 00:03:00,550 --> 00:03:02,970 we were all stranded on the desert island 54 00:03:02,970 --> 00:03:08,160 and we really do believe we are the 55 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,350 only people on the island and then one 56 00:03:12,350 --> 00:03:15,290 morning we wake up and we see fresh 57 00:03:15,290 --> 00:03:21,510 footprints in the sand we examine the footprints 58 00:03:21,510 --> 00:03:24,270 very carefully and we discover it's a male 59 00:03:24,270 --> 00:03:28,760 because of the size of the footprint but 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,940 we do not know what kind of person 61 00:03:31,940 --> 00:03:35,160 this person might be is he a friend 62 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,860 or is he a foe. 63 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:43,540 We see the footprints it tells us that 64 00:03:43,540 --> 00:03:47,340 there's a man around but we don't know 65 00:03:47,340 --> 00:03:49,140 what kind of person he is. 66 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:55,980 Eventually we follow the footprints and then we 67 00:03:55,980 --> 00:03:58,360 come to a beautiful garden and we all 68 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,280 say together the man's a gardener but we 69 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:02,500 haven't seen him yet. 70 00:04:04,140 --> 00:04:06,300 Then we get a little nosy and we 71 00:04:06,300 --> 00:04:08,500 go up the garden path and we look 72 00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:11,440 through the window and we say the man's 73 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,900 an artist look at some of those beautiful 74 00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:19,380 paintings but we haven't seen him yet but 75 00:04:19,380 --> 00:04:21,720 the works that is left in the house 76 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,420 indicate that he's an artist. 77 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,080 Then one of us might be a bricklayer 78 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,700 and say he can certainly lay these stones 79 00:04:31,700 --> 00:04:37,980 beautifully lay obviously no cement but the balance 80 00:04:37,980 --> 00:04:42,480 is almost perfect and then there's a carpenter 81 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,320 with us and he says the woodwork is 82 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:52,050 almost par excellence perfect and then we go 83 00:04:52,050 --> 00:04:54,610 around the back of the house and we 84 00:04:54,610 --> 00:04:55,350 see more. 85 00:04:56,530 --> 00:05:01,270 We haven't yet met the man but what 86 00:05:01,270 --> 00:05:04,530 he makes indicates what kind of person he 87 00:05:04,530 --> 00:05:05,050 is. 88 00:05:05,790 --> 00:05:10,230 Now we must ask a question can we 89 00:05:10,230 --> 00:05:13,570 see in creation the footprints of a creator 90 00:05:13,570 --> 00:05:15,110 I think we can. 91 00:05:17,500 --> 00:05:20,820 The bible says the heavens declare the glory 92 00:05:20,820 --> 00:05:24,160 of God and the firmament showeth forth his 93 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:25,960 handiwork what does that mean? 94 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:30,560 When we look at the milky way we 95 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,340 discover and that's the kind of sphere in 96 00:05:33,340 --> 00:05:37,640 which our planet is there are roughly a 97 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:43,320 hundred thousand suns many of those suns bigger 98 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:48,530 than our solar star and when we realize 99 00:05:48,530 --> 00:05:52,770 that there are galaxies and galaxies of stars 100 00:05:52,770 --> 00:05:56,750 in fact there are so many that we 101 00:05:56,750 --> 00:06:00,390 haven't yet found a telescope that can find 102 00:06:00,390 --> 00:06:05,470 the edge of space and when we see 103 00:06:05,470 --> 00:06:09,190 those great worlds all in their own orbit 104 00:06:09,190 --> 00:06:14,110 all moving by precision then our minds begin 105 00:06:14,110 --> 00:06:16,670 to say there must be an order behind 106 00:06:16,670 --> 00:06:19,570 all this and where there is an order 107 00:06:19,570 --> 00:06:22,210 there must be a creator. 108 00:06:26,460 --> 00:06:31,240 Then we begin to examine the earth and 109 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,360 we begin to examine ourselves. 110 00:06:35,820 --> 00:06:37,900 We look at the mystery of our own 111 00:06:37,900 --> 00:06:40,640 personality and it's so deep we don't even 112 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:42,180 understand ourselves. 113 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,060 We look at man and we can see 114 00:06:46,060 --> 00:06:48,700 that in man there's a faculty that the 115 00:06:48,700 --> 00:06:52,140 bible calls the pneuma the spirit and it's 116 00:06:52,140 --> 00:06:57,410 a faculty that must worship and then we 117 00:06:57,410 --> 00:07:00,890 hear within us an inarticulate groan and it's 118 00:07:00,890 --> 00:07:05,840 the muttering of conscience and as we examine 119 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:09,640 our own complex being especially our soul our 120 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:11,920 entity what do we say? 121 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:18,960 The footprints of a creator in our own 122 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,340 bodies and in our own souls but more. 123 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,220 We begin to understand that in creation there 124 00:07:27,220 --> 00:07:30,380 are those vast things that are immeasurable almost 125 00:07:30,380 --> 00:07:34,840 and there are those small things that the 126 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:36,760 naked eye never sees. 127 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:44,040 Millions upon millions of them some discovered some 128 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,780 never discovered and then we begin to chuckle 129 00:07:47,780 --> 00:07:51,340 and say could all these things come from 130 00:07:51,340 --> 00:07:52,060 the amoeba? 131 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,940 Could they all come from protoplasm? 132 00:07:54,940 --> 00:07:59,780 Surely behind all this mysterious world of the 133 00:07:59,780 --> 00:08:04,980 infinite there must be the footprints of God 134 00:08:04,980 --> 00:08:07,420 and so we say God. 135 00:08:08,940 --> 00:08:13,780 But now comes the next question what is 136 00:08:13,780 --> 00:08:14,580 God like? 137 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:17,580 What is he like? 138 00:08:18,820 --> 00:08:21,440 Now when we look at the western world 139 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,580 we find praise God that atheism has had 140 00:08:25,580 --> 00:08:26,180 a shock. 141 00:08:28,780 --> 00:08:34,140 75 percent of the western world and almost 142 00:08:34,140 --> 00:08:39,159 65 percent of the whole world believes in 143 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:44,160 a intelligent spirit that's behind creation. 144 00:08:45,220 --> 00:08:48,320 So atheism is beginning to go out of 145 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:53,650 the window but the big problem now is 146 00:08:53,650 --> 00:08:56,990 this what is God like? 147 00:08:57,250 --> 00:08:59,850 Now there are some people who are intellectual 148 00:08:59,850 --> 00:09:03,690 and therefore they have a philosophical idea of 149 00:09:03,690 --> 00:09:06,270 God but he is the God no bigger 150 00:09:06,270 --> 00:09:07,570 than their minds. 151 00:09:09,370 --> 00:09:12,090 A God that they have invented. 152 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,060 Then there are other people and they're very 153 00:09:17,060 --> 00:09:20,900 nice people and they are very emotional and 154 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:24,880 therefore they have an emotional God therefore it's 155 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,620 a God that they have invented through the 156 00:09:27,620 --> 00:09:29,080 medium of their emotions. 157 00:09:31,940 --> 00:09:34,630 And then there are more primitive people and 158 00:09:34,630 --> 00:09:37,150 they believe that their God is the God 159 00:09:37,150 --> 00:09:42,030 of an image and therefore they will worship 160 00:09:42,030 --> 00:09:46,470 images but they are the Gods of human 161 00:09:46,470 --> 00:09:47,210 fabrication. 162 00:09:48,770 --> 00:09:51,410 Now you will agree with me dear friends 163 00:09:51,410 --> 00:09:54,270 if you are following the argument along this 164 00:09:54,270 --> 00:09:58,630 certain line that I am now proceeding that 165 00:09:58,630 --> 00:10:01,510 if there is a God behind the whole 166 00:10:01,510 --> 00:10:07,140 of creation he must be transcendent so that 167 00:10:07,140 --> 00:10:11,560 outside of time and space and can I 168 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:17,220 use language outside the immeasurable there outside of 169 00:10:17,220 --> 00:10:20,940 it all there must be the eternal God 170 00:10:20,940 --> 00:10:24,040 that looks upon matter as a small thing. 171 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,420 Secondly there must be an eternal God far 172 00:10:30,420 --> 00:10:34,180 bigger than our minds that projects himself in 173 00:10:34,180 --> 00:10:37,560 everything that he makes so that in the 174 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:44,800 tiniest germ the glory of God is seen. 175 00:10:47,930 --> 00:10:50,990 Now my dear friends this causes the mind 176 00:10:50,990 --> 00:10:53,610 to boggle but I want to show you 177 00:10:53,610 --> 00:10:56,530 now that the God that we are representing 178 00:10:56,530 --> 00:10:59,930 is not the God of our minds but 179 00:10:59,930 --> 00:11:01,490 the God of revelation. 180 00:11:05,380 --> 00:11:08,020 Now if we agree then that there must 181 00:11:08,020 --> 00:11:10,780 be a God of revelation where has he 182 00:11:10,780 --> 00:11:11,980 put that revelation? 183 00:11:12,940 --> 00:11:19,380 In the Bible and therefore in this book 184 00:11:19,380 --> 00:11:22,900 that gives us the revelation of God, God 185 00:11:22,900 --> 00:11:26,400 explains to us very carefully that in creation 186 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,160 we begin to see the greatness of God 187 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,880 can I use another word the infinite greatness 188 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,890 of God and then as we look at 189 00:11:36,890 --> 00:11:39,950 creation we begin to see the beauty of 190 00:11:39,950 --> 00:11:45,350 God especially in the floral world and when 191 00:11:45,350 --> 00:11:47,830 we look at creation and we see the 192 00:11:47,830 --> 00:11:52,150 multifarious forms of life we see the profound 193 00:11:52,150 --> 00:11:56,770 brilliance of God but we still don't know 194 00:11:56,770 --> 00:12:02,090 him we're only getting flashes of him why 195 00:12:02,090 --> 00:12:08,550 because we see this in creation then we 196 00:12:08,550 --> 00:12:11,090 come a bit nearer and we begin to 197 00:12:11,090 --> 00:12:14,270 see the justice of God in what? 198 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,400 You know ladies and gentlemen the world's justice 199 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,620 is still based upon the ten commandments and 200 00:12:22,620 --> 00:12:26,660 that was given three thousand years or three 201 00:12:26,660 --> 00:12:31,990 thousand five hundred years ago and when God 202 00:12:31,990 --> 00:12:35,030 gave us the ten commandments he gave the 203 00:12:35,030 --> 00:12:38,290 whole world once and for all a flash 204 00:12:38,290 --> 00:12:43,770 of his justice and when you see a 205 00:12:43,770 --> 00:12:46,490 glimpse of the justice of God you begin 206 00:12:46,490 --> 00:12:51,070 to see it as fire as a trumpet 207 00:12:51,070 --> 00:12:56,810 that sounds louder and louder so glorious was 208 00:12:56,810 --> 00:13:00,510 that mountain when God revealed himself that not 209 00:13:00,510 --> 00:13:04,730 even a beast could touch him the justice 210 00:13:04,730 --> 00:13:09,940 of God and then my dear friends there 211 00:13:09,940 --> 00:13:12,800 were those that were brought into the sanctuary 212 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,700 of God and when they were brought into 213 00:13:15,700 --> 00:13:19,500 the sanctuary of God by divine revelation they 214 00:13:19,500 --> 00:13:24,900 saw the exquisite beauty of God's holiness can 215 00:13:24,900 --> 00:13:28,650 I put it to you like this if 216 00:13:28,650 --> 00:13:32,090 one flash of the glory of God's holiness 217 00:13:32,090 --> 00:13:36,910 came into this room every one of us 218 00:13:36,910 --> 00:13:45,430 would be prostrated we little understand the glory 219 00:13:45,430 --> 00:13:51,980 of the almighty God now my dear friends 220 00:13:51,980 --> 00:13:55,100 I have given you very simply a resume 221 00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:58,460 of God as seen in the old testament 222 00:13:59,380 --> 00:14:01,880 we shall have another look at God as 223 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,020 seen in the new testament he is the 224 00:14:04,020 --> 00:14:06,820 same God but he is revealed in greater 225 00:14:06,820 --> 00:14:12,510 detail but now can you see now that 226 00:14:12,510 --> 00:14:17,390 there is a problem everyone in this room 227 00:14:17,390 --> 00:14:20,590 tonight I feel sure believes in the existence 228 00:14:20,590 --> 00:14:26,530 of God 95 percent of the people here 229 00:14:26,530 --> 00:14:30,150 tonight would believe in the glimpses that I've 230 00:14:30,150 --> 00:14:34,670 given concerning the glory of God but now 231 00:14:34,670 --> 00:14:42,520 there comes this problem is God knowable over 232 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,180 and over again in London and in Bedford 233 00:14:45,180 --> 00:14:47,940 where I live people have actually said this 234 00:14:47,940 --> 00:14:50,420 to me and they were perfectly honest when 235 00:14:50,420 --> 00:14:55,650 they said it we believe now in a 236 00:14:55,650 --> 00:15:02,970 divine intelligence behind creation good we believe that 237 00:15:02,970 --> 00:15:06,050 the world is kept together by the atom 238 00:15:06,050 --> 00:15:09,110 and God controls it you believe that good 239 00:15:09,110 --> 00:15:15,140 but how can we human beings know him 240 00:15:17,220 --> 00:15:20,560 one man said to me with tears not 241 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,240 very long ago he said if I could 242 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,100 know that God it would be the greatest 243 00:15:26,100 --> 00:15:30,120 thing in the universe and that's true it 244 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:35,140 would but he says I'm living in this 245 00:15:35,140 --> 00:15:39,660 little body here somewhere in the universe and 246 00:15:39,660 --> 00:15:42,340 there's a big barrier between me and God 247 00:15:42,340 --> 00:15:48,830 and so there is and that's why we 248 00:15:48,830 --> 00:15:53,280 don't know him and therefore what I want 249 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:57,200 to talk about now is the need for 250 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,240 that barrier to be removed and so I'm 251 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,920 going to speak on the need of reconciliation 252 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:07,780 being right with God then I want to 253 00:16:07,780 --> 00:16:12,100 deal with the subject the person who reconciles 254 00:16:12,100 --> 00:16:14,660 and that is one of the most precious 255 00:16:14,660 --> 00:16:18,840 subjects in the world and then right at 256 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:20,660 the end I want to take you all 257 00:16:20,660 --> 00:16:23,960 by the hand secretively and show us the 258 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:31,400 act of being reconciled to God first of 259 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:39,420 all the need about 1500 years BC there 260 00:16:39,420 --> 00:16:41,580 was a man by the name of Betheliel 261 00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:47,540 and he was a brilliant artist probably one 262 00:16:47,540 --> 00:16:52,360 of the greatest engineers that ever lived and 263 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,140 he was commissioned by Moses and Moses was 264 00:16:55,140 --> 00:17:00,360 commissioned by God to erect a mobile dwelling 265 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,079 place for God it was called the tabernacle 266 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,420 now that tabernacle had a mystery and I 267 00:17:08,420 --> 00:17:11,940 want to explain it to you it had 268 00:17:11,940 --> 00:17:14,540 a place called the holy place where the 269 00:17:14,540 --> 00:17:18,260 priest could go in a minister and then 270 00:17:18,260 --> 00:17:22,079 there was a beautiful veil and on the 271 00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:24,260 other side of that veil there was a 272 00:17:24,260 --> 00:17:27,580 place called the holiest of all and no 273 00:17:27,580 --> 00:17:33,530 priest was ever allowed to enter the idea 274 00:17:33,530 --> 00:17:36,790 of a priest penetrating that curtain would be 275 00:17:36,790 --> 00:17:41,310 completely out of this world again let me 276 00:17:41,310 --> 00:17:45,310 say it he was strictly prohibited from ever 277 00:17:45,310 --> 00:17:48,870 entering into the holiest of all why did 278 00:17:48,870 --> 00:17:55,640 God put that veil there to show that 279 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,740 there was a barrier between the human race 280 00:17:58,740 --> 00:18:02,860 and God and this is what the scripture 281 00:18:02,860 --> 00:18:07,820 says your iniquities have separated between you and 282 00:18:07,820 --> 00:18:10,120 your God and your sins have hid his 283 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:12,300 face from you that he will not hear 284 00:18:12,300 --> 00:18:17,040 now why should God be separated from us 285 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,420 shall I tell you why because he is 286 00:18:21,420 --> 00:18:25,660 three times holy and you know what the 287 00:18:25,660 --> 00:18:31,220 word holy means separate and that means the 288 00:18:31,220 --> 00:18:35,860 whole character of God is full of absolute 289 00:18:35,860 --> 00:18:42,560 intrinsic perfection and anything that's inconsistent with that 290 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:48,260 nature is separated from God beloved could I 291 00:18:48,260 --> 00:18:52,160 say this again if we caught a glimpse 292 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,560 of the glory of God we should understand 293 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:59,520 why there is a barrier now that is 294 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,580 why in the scripture God comes to a 295 00:19:02,580 --> 00:19:05,540 conclusion and when God comes to a conclusion 296 00:19:05,540 --> 00:19:08,760 it's final he's the only person that cannot 297 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:14,100 make a mistake always remember this there is 298 00:19:14,100 --> 00:19:17,340 only one person in the whole universe that's 299 00:19:17,340 --> 00:19:24,180 infallible and that's the almighty God and therefore 300 00:19:24,180 --> 00:19:27,500 my dear friends when God makes a conclusion 301 00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:30,640 it's final it cannot be added to and 302 00:19:32,010 --> 00:19:35,890 when God made this accusation if you like 303 00:19:35,890 --> 00:19:39,570 when he came to this conclusion he studied 304 00:19:39,570 --> 00:19:42,230 the whole race from the first man to 305 00:19:42,230 --> 00:19:48,180 the last he knew all about the civilizations 306 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,780 from the antediluvian right to the end of 307 00:19:52,780 --> 00:19:57,680 the ages he knew every single person that 308 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,320 would ever live in this world and he 309 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:05,860 made this conclusion for there is no difference 310 00:20:05,860 --> 00:20:09,780 for all have sinned and come short of 311 00:20:09,780 --> 00:20:11,800 the glory of God now what does that 312 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,720 mean it means that we have missed the 313 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,820 mark and instead of pleasing God we have 314 00:20:19,820 --> 00:20:23,760 pleased ourselves and therefore he says the whole 315 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:28,000 of the human race has fallen short of 316 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:34,180 his glory then he makes another conclusion he 317 00:20:34,180 --> 00:20:37,800 says the scripture hath concluded all under sin 318 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:41,020 now what does that mean it doesn't mean 319 00:20:41,020 --> 00:20:43,280 to say that we've all missed the mark 320 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,300 but we're all under the power of sin 321 00:20:46,300 --> 00:20:48,780 now can I prove that to you would 322 00:20:48,780 --> 00:20:54,020 you allow me every single person in this 323 00:20:54,020 --> 00:21:01,200 room has a besetting sin a sin that 324 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:08,280 you cannot control that made you some people 325 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:12,780 it's bad temper some people it's lust some 326 00:21:12,780 --> 00:21:16,900 people it's lying some people it's irritation some 327 00:21:16,900 --> 00:21:21,320 people it's downright selfishness and some people perhaps 328 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,520 it's a gossiping tongue but everyone in this 329 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:29,600 room has a besetting sin that you can't 330 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:35,040 handle it was that poet henison who said 331 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,740 when he was struggling with his own besetting 332 00:21:37,740 --> 00:21:40,480 sin oh for a man to rise in 333 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,780 me that a man that I am might 334 00:21:42,780 --> 00:21:50,290 cease to be and he knew it in 335 00:21:50,290 --> 00:21:53,510 fact the greatest moralist that ever lived apart 336 00:21:53,510 --> 00:21:57,430 from the Lord Jesus said oh wretched man 337 00:21:57,430 --> 00:22:02,740 that I am who shall deliver me and 338 00:22:02,740 --> 00:22:05,740 therefore dear friends we have discovered that we've 339 00:22:05,740 --> 00:22:08,880 all sinned and we've all got a power 340 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:13,480 within us called the flesh which constantly sins 341 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,600 within us and drags us down so that 342 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:23,750 our sin power overcomes our willpower now God 343 00:22:23,750 --> 00:22:26,850 has done something that I believe is very 344 00:22:26,850 --> 00:22:30,950 beautiful he actually gave the world 10 commandments 345 00:22:30,950 --> 00:22:35,010 now here's the fact worked out by a 346 00:22:35,010 --> 00:22:40,670 brilliant mathematician that the average person that lives 347 00:22:40,670 --> 00:22:42,930 in Britain and I believe this might be 348 00:22:42,930 --> 00:22:47,350 the same in Australia violates the 10 commandments 349 00:22:47,350 --> 00:22:50,690 no less than 1 million times over a 350 00:22:50,690 --> 00:22:57,620 period of 30 years just imagine going before 351 00:22:57,620 --> 00:23:00,900 the high bar with 1 million offenses could 352 00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:06,500 you say not guilty my lord now if 353 00:23:06,500 --> 00:23:08,980 we violate the law of the road or 354 00:23:08,980 --> 00:23:11,260 any other law then when we're caught we're 355 00:23:11,260 --> 00:23:17,260 punished now listen to this we have broken 356 00:23:17,260 --> 00:23:19,700 the holy law of God and God only 357 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:23,040 has one punishment and that's death you say 358 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:26,520 what does that mean does it mean when 359 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:28,780 we sin he puts the gun to our 360 00:23:28,780 --> 00:23:30,820 head and that's the end if that were 361 00:23:30,820 --> 00:23:35,060 the case who would be alive what then 362 00:23:35,060 --> 00:23:39,060 does he mean by death physical death is 363 00:23:39,060 --> 00:23:41,720 the separation of the soul from the body 364 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,940 spiritual death is the separation of the sinner 365 00:23:45,940 --> 00:23:51,460 from God and that's why we don't understand 366 00:23:51,460 --> 00:23:55,780 God because we are separated because of sin 367 00:23:55,780 --> 00:23:58,820 now dear friends can I share with you 368 00:23:58,820 --> 00:24:02,360 with a broken heart the greatest tragedy of 369 00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:09,350 all because sin has separated us from God 370 00:24:09,350 --> 00:24:12,270 because God is holy and sin makes us 371 00:24:12,270 --> 00:24:18,630 unclean if we die in our sins we 372 00:24:18,630 --> 00:24:25,210 are eternally separated from God and that is 373 00:24:25,210 --> 00:24:30,490 hell and that's the greatest tragedy in life 374 00:24:30,490 --> 00:24:34,050 and you know dear friends if you'll forgive 375 00:24:34,050 --> 00:24:37,790 the tremble in my voice that makes me 376 00:24:37,790 --> 00:24:42,640 a preacher there are nights when I walk 377 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,340 the bed from unable to sleep because of 378 00:24:45,340 --> 00:24:53,420 thousands of souls perishing and that is why 379 00:24:53,420 --> 00:24:56,480 all of us need to be reconciled to 380 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:00,480 God but then you might argue but surely 381 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,640 God could do something to have sinners in 382 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,080 his presence what a terrible thing that would 383 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:13,700 be would you like the almighty God the 384 00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:17,100 very pinnacle of all holiness the source of 385 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:20,280 all truth to come down into this world 386 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,740 and bathe in the muddy pools of iniquity 387 00:25:25,650 --> 00:25:30,250 would that sound right some of you ladies 388 00:25:30,250 --> 00:25:33,610 in your kitchen there's a line of demarcation 389 00:25:33,610 --> 00:25:39,310 between cleanliness and uncleanness isn't that right some 390 00:25:39,310 --> 00:25:41,930 of you gardeners when you're doing your gardening 391 00:25:41,930 --> 00:25:45,410 there's a line of demarcation between weeds and 392 00:25:45,410 --> 00:25:49,890 cultivation isn't that right and some of you 393 00:25:49,890 --> 00:25:52,890 medical men when you're operating isn't there a 394 00:25:52,890 --> 00:25:57,430 line of demarcation between healthful bacteria and harmful 395 00:25:57,430 --> 00:26:01,830 bacteria of course there is and there's a 396 00:26:01,830 --> 00:26:05,910 line of demarcation between God who is light 397 00:26:05,910 --> 00:26:09,730 and man in the darkness and if we 398 00:26:09,730 --> 00:26:14,490 die in our sins we're lost and that 399 00:26:14,490 --> 00:26:17,290 is why all of us urgently need to 400 00:26:17,290 --> 00:26:20,550 be made right with God but then there 401 00:26:20,550 --> 00:26:23,750 comes the awareness of being made right with 402 00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:28,570 God Isaiah was one of the greatest prophets 403 00:26:28,570 --> 00:26:31,110 that ever lived and on one occasion he 404 00:26:31,110 --> 00:26:33,770 stood upon the pulpit of wood and he 405 00:26:33,770 --> 00:26:36,670 said to Israel with his accusing finger I 406 00:26:36,670 --> 00:26:42,830 imagine woe unto Israel five times because they 407 00:26:42,830 --> 00:26:48,310 were an adulterous nation not long after he 408 00:26:48,310 --> 00:26:51,090 gave that surgical address he was in the 409 00:26:51,090 --> 00:26:54,130 presence of God praying and he saw a 410 00:26:54,130 --> 00:26:59,250 vision of the glory of God and he 411 00:26:59,250 --> 00:27:02,110 saw the throne of God high and lifted 412 00:27:02,110 --> 00:27:08,780 up outside of time and space and then 413 00:27:08,780 --> 00:27:13,480 he saw the seraphim specially created intelligence made 414 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,920 for the immediate presence of God and such 415 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,560 was the glory of God they had to 416 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:25,470 veil their faces with their wings then he 417 00:27:25,470 --> 00:27:29,230 heard the symphony and they said one to 418 00:27:29,230 --> 00:27:33,130 another in harmony holy holy holy is the 419 00:27:33,130 --> 00:27:35,730 Lord God of hosts the whole earth is 420 00:27:35,730 --> 00:27:38,250 full of his glory and the post of 421 00:27:38,250 --> 00:27:40,150 the door moved at the voice of him 422 00:27:40,150 --> 00:27:43,290 that spake and the whole house was filled 423 00:27:43,290 --> 00:27:49,790 with smoke poor Isaiah couldn't stand it and 424 00:27:49,790 --> 00:27:52,130 he fell into the dust and he said 425 00:27:52,130 --> 00:27:56,970 woe is me for I am undone I'm 426 00:27:56,970 --> 00:28:00,310 a man of unclean limbs and we would 427 00:28:00,310 --> 00:28:02,910 all feel like that if we got that 428 00:28:02,910 --> 00:28:07,410 vision ah but you say brother Peter that's 429 00:28:07,410 --> 00:28:10,030 the old testament what about the new testament 430 00:28:10,030 --> 00:28:14,190 yes there was a man in the new 431 00:28:14,190 --> 00:28:17,110 testament his name was Saul of Tarsus the 432 00:28:17,110 --> 00:28:19,910 only man that could ever say touching the 433 00:28:19,910 --> 00:28:25,530 externals of the Lord blameless on the Damascus 434 00:28:25,530 --> 00:28:28,030 road he caught a glimpse of the Lord 435 00:28:28,030 --> 00:28:31,930 Jesus who was the very manifestation of God 436 00:28:31,930 --> 00:28:35,110 the outshining of God and when he caught 437 00:28:35,110 --> 00:28:38,450 a glimpse of that glorious man he said 438 00:28:38,450 --> 00:28:44,370 that he was the chief of sinners now 439 00:28:44,370 --> 00:28:50,610 dear friends can I figuratively take you by 440 00:28:50,610 --> 00:28:53,090 the hand and lead you right into the 441 00:28:53,090 --> 00:28:57,390 presence of God one day we're all going 442 00:28:57,390 --> 00:29:01,980 to meet him and it's far better to 443 00:29:01,980 --> 00:29:06,620 discover what you're like now than when you 444 00:29:06,620 --> 00:29:10,620 stand before the great white throne where there's 445 00:29:10,620 --> 00:29:15,080 no mercy amen and if God tonight through 446 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,020 the preaching of the glory of his glorious 447 00:29:18,020 --> 00:29:21,980 character reveals to you the ugliness even of 448 00:29:21,980 --> 00:29:25,880 your smallest sins thank him because you can 449 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:30,040 never be reconciled until you know your uncleanness 450 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:34,280 in the sight of God so man now 451 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,640 needs to be reconciled and who can do 452 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,280 it well dear friends there was no one 453 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:46,390 that can do it by God there was 454 00:29:46,390 --> 00:29:51,850 no prophet there was no king there was 455 00:29:51,850 --> 00:29:55,390 no angel there was no archangel who was 456 00:29:55,390 --> 00:30:00,890 great enough and therefore we find here these 457 00:30:00,890 --> 00:30:06,850 wonderful words God was in Christ reconciling the 458 00:30:06,850 --> 00:30:10,270 world unto himself you see God in all 459 00:30:10,270 --> 00:30:13,790 his grace and mercy instead of destroying the 460 00:30:13,790 --> 00:30:18,550 world that rightfully deserved it he intervened and 461 00:30:18,550 --> 00:30:21,930 he sent his son into this world now 462 00:30:21,930 --> 00:30:26,050 who was Jesus in this narrative we are 463 00:30:26,050 --> 00:30:29,090 told two things about him first of all 464 00:30:29,090 --> 00:30:34,530 he knew no sin think of it if 465 00:30:34,530 --> 00:30:37,730 we had time to go through human history 466 00:30:37,730 --> 00:30:41,230 we would find even the great philosophers the 467 00:30:41,230 --> 00:30:47,060 great kings were all marked by failure only 468 00:30:47,060 --> 00:30:49,300 the other day i was reading about the 469 00:30:49,300 --> 00:30:53,700 confessions of 40 british prime ministers and the 470 00:30:53,700 --> 00:30:56,020 40 of them although great men many of 471 00:30:56,020 --> 00:31:02,580 them they died with depression and failure because 472 00:31:02,580 --> 00:31:04,880 they were not able to keep their promises 473 00:31:06,260 --> 00:31:09,080 when you go through the old testament God 474 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,660 gives us a portrait of great men such 475 00:31:11,660 --> 00:31:14,720 as Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and men 476 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,600 like Moses and Joshua and all of them 477 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:24,010 although great failed there was only one man 478 00:31:24,010 --> 00:31:29,460 who ever lived who never sinned and that 479 00:31:29,460 --> 00:31:33,980 was Jesus Christ and when he came into 480 00:31:33,980 --> 00:31:36,300 the world he was not only a sinful 481 00:31:36,300 --> 00:31:38,900 man but we are told in this narrative 482 00:31:38,900 --> 00:31:42,460 God was in Christ that meant he was 483 00:31:42,460 --> 00:31:46,000 co-equal with God now my dear friends 484 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:47,980 may I put it to you like this 485 00:31:47,980 --> 00:31:52,360 for someone to come into this world to 486 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,280 grapple with the sin of the world needed 487 00:31:55,280 --> 00:32:02,100 someone more than a perfect man none of 488 00:32:02,100 --> 00:32:05,000 us could ever contemplate the sin of the 489 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,060 world the enormity of it and the vulgarity 490 00:32:08,060 --> 00:32:09,840 of it would be too much for us 491 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:15,000 and therefore if Jesus was just a perfect 492 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,880 man a perfect man couldn't handle the sin 493 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:23,740 of the world so from this narrative we 494 00:32:23,740 --> 00:32:27,040 learn that God was in Christ therefore he 495 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,620 was not only a perfect man he was 496 00:32:29,620 --> 00:32:32,620 perfect God and therefore we have a body 497 00:32:32,620 --> 00:32:35,580 that's not part man part God but a 498 00:32:35,580 --> 00:32:38,220 body that has in it the harmony of 499 00:32:38,220 --> 00:32:41,880 perfect man and perfect God and that was 500 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:45,040 the greatest mystery of the universe listen to 501 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,520 the dignity of these words God was in 502 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:56,710 Christ reconciling the world unto himself great is 503 00:32:56,710 --> 00:33:03,690 the mystery of godliness God was manifest in 504 00:33:03,690 --> 00:33:08,170 the flesh and therefore the reconciler the Lord 505 00:33:08,170 --> 00:33:13,630 Jesus was firstly a perfect man secondly he 506 00:33:13,630 --> 00:33:18,290 was perfect God and he came to deal 507 00:33:18,290 --> 00:33:22,980 with the sin of the world now my 508 00:33:22,980 --> 00:33:24,840 dear friends can I put it to you 509 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:28,620 like this if you could jump out of 510 00:33:28,620 --> 00:33:31,020 your body right now and if you could 511 00:33:31,020 --> 00:33:35,000 get where God is and if God would 512 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,640 show to you the sins of your life 513 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,120 you would have such a shock you would 514 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:46,830 never get over it we little realize the 515 00:33:46,830 --> 00:33:49,230 profusion of sin do you know the bible 516 00:33:49,230 --> 00:33:52,010 says the thought of foolishness is sin whatsoever 517 00:33:52,010 --> 00:33:54,530 is not afraid of sin he that knoweth 518 00:33:54,530 --> 00:33:56,010 to do good and doeth it not to 519 00:33:56,010 --> 00:34:00,670 him it is sin even the thought of 520 00:34:00,670 --> 00:34:03,550 lust that goes on in the mind that's 521 00:34:03,550 --> 00:34:08,889 it even bitterness that sometimes fills our heart 522 00:34:08,889 --> 00:34:13,150 that's it and if all our sins were 523 00:34:13,150 --> 00:34:16,190 accumulated and we saw them we would have 524 00:34:16,190 --> 00:34:22,760 a shock furthermore if God could take out 525 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,020 our smallest sin and if we could see 526 00:34:26,020 --> 00:34:29,760 that smallest sin as God saw it all 527 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:33,320 of us would have a tremendous shock that 528 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,880 we would never get over now that's just 529 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:42,460 an individual it's someone dealing with the sin 530 00:34:42,460 --> 00:34:44,400 of the world that doesn't mean to say 531 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,980 the sin of a generation but that means 532 00:34:47,980 --> 00:34:54,780 to say all the generations if you look 533 00:34:54,780 --> 00:34:57,700 at the word very carefully it means all 534 00:34:57,700 --> 00:35:02,040 the believing generations right from the time of 535 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,900 Adam right to the time of the last 536 00:35:04,900 --> 00:35:07,520 man that would be born into this world 537 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,640 the sin of the world now my dear 538 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:13,560 friends if you can calculate that in a 539 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:19,240 very small measure you are a genius none 540 00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:23,240 of us can measure the sin of the 541 00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:27,500 world and this is what the word of 542 00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:34,900 God says he was made sin for us 543 00:35:34,900 --> 00:35:38,040 now you will say well how can we 544 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:41,920 prove those facts in the garden of Gethsemane 545 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:45,480 just before Jesus Christ went to the cross 546 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:53,690 he anticipated the sin of the world and 547 00:35:53,690 --> 00:35:57,530 when he was anticipating and plumbing the depth 548 00:35:57,530 --> 00:36:00,350 of the sin of the world such was 549 00:36:00,350 --> 00:36:08,560 the tension his sweat was bloodline and there 550 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:12,780 on bended knees he saw this massive monster 551 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:18,640 this Everest of vulgarity the sin of the 552 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:25,680 world and he staggered and yet he was 553 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,420 willing to go through it so there were 554 00:36:28,420 --> 00:36:31,020 no surprises for the son of God on 555 00:36:31,020 --> 00:36:37,320 the cross he knew it all when he 556 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,380 was hanging on that Roman gibbet now I 557 00:36:40,380 --> 00:36:43,800 must speak in great reverence for three hours 558 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,820 he suffered before men he allowed them to 559 00:36:46,820 --> 00:36:49,220 do their ugliest worst so that they treated 560 00:36:49,220 --> 00:36:53,060 him worse than an animal and he made 561 00:36:53,060 --> 00:36:58,020 all that hatred with father forgive them they 562 00:36:58,020 --> 00:37:00,720 know not what they do and then it 563 00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:05,800 happened from the sixth to the ninth hour 564 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:09,000 in those three hours and eternity took place 565 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:19,180 God brought together that infinite mess of evil 566 00:37:19,180 --> 00:37:25,320 the sin of the world measured its judgment 567 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:30,700 and then turned all the lights of creation 568 00:37:30,700 --> 00:37:36,520 so that he would release to the world 569 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:44,040 their darkness and their separation and in that 570 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:49,240 separation God was in Christ reconciling the world 571 00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:53,380 to himself the wrath of God the righteous 572 00:37:53,380 --> 00:37:58,120 wrath fell upon the son and for three 573 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:02,940 hours he was silent and then right at 574 00:38:02,940 --> 00:38:05,640 the end when all the wrath of God 575 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:10,020 had been completely exhausted so that every sin 576 00:38:10,020 --> 00:38:13,000 of a believer had been dealt with completely 577 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:18,390 he let out the cry I could hardly 578 00:38:18,390 --> 00:38:27,720 say it tonight my God my God why 579 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:33,960 hast thou forsaken and abandoned me do you 580 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:39,540 know why can I point because he loved 581 00:38:39,540 --> 00:38:45,380 you he took your sin and bore them 582 00:38:45,380 --> 00:38:49,130 on the cross and then when it was 583 00:38:49,130 --> 00:38:52,630 all over he said finished and he simply 584 00:38:52,630 --> 00:38:55,810 meant this that the work was complete and 585 00:38:55,810 --> 00:38:59,390 therefore the Lord Jesus was made sin for 586 00:38:59,390 --> 00:39:03,090 us that we might be made the righteousness 587 00:39:03,090 --> 00:39:07,230 of God in him but that's not all 588 00:39:07,230 --> 00:39:13,270 immediately he cried it is finished then God 589 00:39:13,270 --> 00:39:17,690 went to work you can almost imagine the 590 00:39:17,690 --> 00:39:22,210 whole of heaven hilarious with divine and perfect 591 00:39:22,210 --> 00:39:29,180 joy the judgment had fallen the son had 592 00:39:29,180 --> 00:39:33,040 exhausted it so that now God could come 593 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,160 to the human family and join them up 594 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,120 to himself again and how did he illustrate 595 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:43,200 it he went straight down into Herod's temple 596 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:49,100 and the priests were all busy ministering and 597 00:39:49,100 --> 00:39:52,840 suddenly they saw the curtain being split from 598 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:56,560 the top to the bottom and then they 599 00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:01,060 looked into the holiest to signify there was 600 00:40:01,060 --> 00:40:03,520 a way right into the presence of God 601 00:40:05,020 --> 00:40:10,040 and the door is open but more on 602 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:14,660 the third day the resurrection day God went 603 00:40:14,660 --> 00:40:18,980 down into that dark sepulcher and in mighty 604 00:40:18,980 --> 00:40:21,720 power forgive my excitement but I can't say 605 00:40:21,720 --> 00:40:27,800 this quietly raised him from the dead he 606 00:40:29,500 --> 00:40:31,940 raised him from the dead in a different 607 00:40:31,940 --> 00:40:34,760 way in which the Lord Jesus raised Lazarus 608 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:38,460 from the dead because he died again when 609 00:40:38,460 --> 00:40:41,480 he raised the Lord Jesus from the dead 610 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:44,140 he raised him in such a way that 611 00:40:44,140 --> 00:40:48,120 he would never die again and there's a 612 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:50,580 man in the glory that lives in the 613 00:40:50,580 --> 00:40:55,720 power of an indissoluble life raised from the 614 00:40:55,720 --> 00:40:58,640 dead and when God raised him from the 615 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,600 dead he was saying look I'm raising the 616 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:05,000 reconciler the one that can make people right 617 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,360 with him but there's something more than that 618 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:12,980 he not only rent the curtain not only 619 00:41:12,980 --> 00:41:15,900 did he rent the grave but he's rent 620 00:41:15,900 --> 00:41:20,930 the heavens the same one that died on 621 00:41:20,930 --> 00:41:23,510 the cross the same one that was raised 622 00:41:23,510 --> 00:41:27,630 has gone through principalities and powers and there's 623 00:41:27,630 --> 00:41:30,230 a man in the glory that sits upon 624 00:41:30,230 --> 00:41:36,610 the unshakable throne and all power has been 625 00:41:36,610 --> 00:41:40,930 given unto him and that living Christ is 626 00:41:40,930 --> 00:41:47,680 the great reconciler and dear friends can I 627 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,160 say this to you from my heart tonight 628 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:54,160 he longs to make you right with God 629 00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:59,020 just as you sit there now what about 630 00:41:59,020 --> 00:42:03,240 the reconciliation the act first of all the 631 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:08,080 proof you know when you get right with 632 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,820 God and you're really right with God in 633 00:42:10,820 --> 00:42:13,780 the Bible way it will transform your life 634 00:42:13,780 --> 00:42:17,360 this is what it says if any man 635 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:21,360 being Christ is a new creation old things 636 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,760 pass away all things become new we're going 637 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:29,900 to have our 50th wedding anniversary when we're 638 00:42:29,900 --> 00:42:34,460 here and you know I met my wife 639 00:42:34,460 --> 00:42:39,080 when I was 19 or 20 and I 640 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:43,790 met her in a Bible reading fell in 641 00:42:43,790 --> 00:42:48,970 love with her and I hadn't been with 642 00:42:48,970 --> 00:42:51,070 her for six months when I was being 643 00:42:51,070 --> 00:42:55,690 changed I used to hate a white stiff 644 00:42:55,690 --> 00:43:02,880 collar I used to hate dark suits I 645 00:43:05,020 --> 00:43:09,600 had no time for good music but would 646 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:11,820 you believe it I was only with her 647 00:43:11,820 --> 00:43:14,180 for six months and I love the white 648 00:43:14,180 --> 00:43:19,390 shirt I love the dark suit in fact 649 00:43:19,390 --> 00:43:23,010 I bought one at Burton's and some of 650 00:43:23,010 --> 00:43:24,690 you have been in the old country will 651 00:43:24,690 --> 00:43:28,810 know that and would you believe it I 652 00:43:28,810 --> 00:43:34,270 started to enjoy handles you see what caused 653 00:43:34,270 --> 00:43:39,530 the transformation I met my dear dear girl 654 00:43:42,250 --> 00:43:46,250 when you're made right with God here transform 655 00:43:46,250 --> 00:43:51,990 you friends and we'll see how he transforms 656 00:43:51,990 --> 00:43:54,590 a man in a few moments you see 657 00:43:54,590 --> 00:43:57,590 he puts you right in Christ we'll talk 658 00:43:57,590 --> 00:44:00,390 about that one night but that simply means 659 00:44:00,390 --> 00:44:03,090 you become a child of God and when 660 00:44:03,090 --> 00:44:05,670 you're right with God and you're in communion 661 00:44:05,670 --> 00:44:09,070 with God and with his word the transformation 662 00:44:09,070 --> 00:44:14,810 takes place but then how is he going 663 00:44:14,810 --> 00:44:19,950 to bring that transformation through preaching and this 664 00:44:19,950 --> 00:44:22,830 is what the apostle says we are ambassadors 665 00:44:22,830 --> 00:44:25,710 for Christ as though God did beseech you 666 00:44:25,710 --> 00:44:28,090 we pray you in Christ's stead be you 667 00:44:28,090 --> 00:44:30,610 reconciled to God now what does that mean 668 00:44:30,610 --> 00:44:37,320 God takes up a poor sinner he breaks 669 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:43,600 him he cleanses him to use Bible language 670 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:47,840 he saves him reconciles him then he gives 671 00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:50,840 him a gift and then he gives him 672 00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:54,820 a love for souls and then he gives 673 00:44:54,820 --> 00:44:56,960 him the ability to speak but it's all 674 00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:00,580 of God and this is the job of 675 00:45:00,580 --> 00:45:03,980 the ambassador to get alone in the sanctuary 676 00:45:03,980 --> 00:45:06,320 and say Lord you know everyone that's going 677 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:08,640 to be there tonight I don't know give 678 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:13,640 me the message of God and until he 679 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:18,660 gets God's message and then he comes to 680 00:45:18,660 --> 00:45:22,180 the people and he says one thing thus 681 00:45:22,180 --> 00:45:26,080 saith the Lord and he gives you as 682 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:29,440 clearly as he can this great message be 683 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:32,500 reconciled to God but it's more than speech 684 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:38,460 not only does that man convey the message 685 00:45:38,460 --> 00:45:43,100 of God as his ambassador he conveys the 686 00:45:43,100 --> 00:45:49,910 compassions of God the love of Christ constraineth 687 00:45:49,910 --> 00:45:51,610 me said the apostle do you know what 688 00:45:51,610 --> 00:45:54,970 that means it's got hold of me like 689 00:45:54,970 --> 00:46:00,360 a malarial fever knowing therefore the terror of 690 00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:02,480 the Lord he had got a glimpse of 691 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:04,660 the holiness of God and that had gripped 692 00:46:04,660 --> 00:46:07,560 him and therefore here was a man gripped 693 00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:09,980 by the fear of God and the love 694 00:46:09,980 --> 00:46:14,340 of God and when he preached it wasn't 695 00:46:14,340 --> 00:46:20,580 a lecture in that man's body was the 696 00:46:20,580 --> 00:46:24,600 compassions of God and he leaned over that 697 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:27,960 platform as though God was kneeling down before 698 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:31,800 those who were not reconciled pleading with them 699 00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:34,600 to be reconciled to God and he gave 700 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:40,590 them the very feelings of God dear friends 701 00:46:40,590 --> 00:46:43,010 may I say this to my Christian brothers 702 00:46:43,010 --> 00:46:45,690 and sisters we need a new army of 703 00:46:45,690 --> 00:46:51,300 preachers you know I remember as a boy 704 00:46:51,300 --> 00:46:55,340 hearing men like Ruben Scammell, Fred Elliot, Ivory 705 00:46:55,340 --> 00:46:58,240 Elias and those men when they stood up 706 00:46:58,240 --> 00:47:00,960 and preached sometimes wept all the way through 707 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:09,760 the meeting and hundreds were saved and oh 708 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:13,100 dear friends tonight I do not want to 709 00:47:13,100 --> 00:47:16,340 give you an icy cold sermon I want 710 00:47:16,340 --> 00:47:18,860 the feelings of God to be within me 711 00:47:18,860 --> 00:47:21,520 so that when I preach I beg with 712 00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:24,760 God for people to be reconciled to God 713 00:47:27,680 --> 00:47:33,140 oh how vital that is and then there 714 00:47:33,140 --> 00:47:37,800 comes a moment when the spirit works and 715 00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:41,380 God puts a circle all around a particular 716 00:47:41,380 --> 00:47:44,140 soul and he says in a meeting like 717 00:47:44,140 --> 00:47:50,800 this you've sinned you're guilty if you died 718 00:47:50,800 --> 00:47:55,360 tonight you would be lost forever Christ died 719 00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:59,040 for you and he wants to save you 720 00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:04,020 and then the act comes you take one 721 00:48:04,020 --> 00:48:07,080 look at the glory of God and you 722 00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:09,460 look at your sins and you say something 723 00:48:09,460 --> 00:48:14,740 like this Lord I hate sin I love 724 00:48:14,740 --> 00:48:19,650 your holiness I want to turn to God 725 00:48:19,650 --> 00:48:23,130 from this sin once and for all you're 726 00:48:23,130 --> 00:48:28,800 nearly there then you look at the reconciler 727 00:48:28,800 --> 00:48:33,420 the lovely Lord Jesus crowned with glory and 728 00:48:33,420 --> 00:48:36,160 honour and you remember it was that one 729 00:48:36,160 --> 00:48:40,020 that bore your sins and you stretch out 730 00:48:40,020 --> 00:48:42,800 a figurative hand of faith and you say 731 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:45,960 something like this Lord I can't pray very 732 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:49,500 much but I'm just going to ask you 733 00:48:49,500 --> 00:48:52,420 now to forgive my sins and save me 734 00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:57,280 and the word of God says this whosoever 735 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:00,400 shall call upon the name of the Lord 736 00:49:01,260 --> 00:49:07,210 shall be saved and in that meeting you 737 00:49:07,210 --> 00:49:12,270 could meet him tonight that seeking saviour the 738 00:49:12,270 --> 00:49:15,890 reconciler who longs to save you who died 739 00:49:15,890 --> 00:49:18,790 to save you wants to take you into 740 00:49:18,790 --> 00:49:21,970 the presence of God and plead the cause 741 00:49:21,970 --> 00:49:25,210 of his death and God will willingly reconcile 742 00:49:25,210 --> 00:49:28,890 you and there's no power that then can 743 00:49:28,890 --> 00:49:33,570 separate you from him it was in a 744 00:49:33,570 --> 00:49:36,850 meeting like this where God's spirit was moving 745 00:49:36,850 --> 00:49:42,090 that one man stayed behind in Ireland and 746 00:49:43,850 --> 00:49:46,370 it was in a large tent in Newtonards 747 00:49:48,580 --> 00:49:52,380 I shall never forget this and he said 748 00:49:52,380 --> 00:49:56,080 very nervously would you show me please how 749 00:49:56,080 --> 00:49:59,200 to be saved that means to be reconciled 750 00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:03,860 and I was going through the scriptures showing 751 00:50:03,860 --> 00:50:06,620 all have sinned and he was nodding as 752 00:50:06,620 --> 00:50:10,340 me the wages of sin is death yes 753 00:50:10,340 --> 00:50:13,360 I realise I need to be saved I 754 00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:15,660 was showing him how the cross died on 755 00:50:15,660 --> 00:50:18,060 the cross for his sins and he wanted 756 00:50:18,060 --> 00:50:20,240 to save him and I was showing him 757 00:50:20,240 --> 00:50:23,000 from the scripture whosoever shall call on the 758 00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:25,320 name of the Lord shall be saved and 759 00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:27,980 then he interrupted me and said Mr Brendan 760 00:50:27,980 --> 00:50:32,100 if you don't mind could you tell me 761 00:50:32,100 --> 00:50:35,360 all that afterwards I want to get saved 762 00:50:35,360 --> 00:50:41,480 now right now and he dropped on his 763 00:50:41,480 --> 00:50:45,940 knees and he called out in a loud 764 00:50:45,940 --> 00:50:50,060 voice Lord would you save an old sinner 765 00:50:50,060 --> 00:50:57,430 like me and the Lord saved him and 766 00:50:57,430 --> 00:51:01,940 the Lord has blessed him could I point 767 00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:08,490 is there one like that tonight right now 768 00:51:08,490 --> 00:51:12,410 then we'll have a time of quietness and 769 00:51:12,410 --> 00:51:14,810 just thank the Lord right now let us 770 00:51:14,810 --> 00:51:33,380 pray as we 771 00:51:33,380 --> 00:51:36,320 are bowed in the presence of God should 772 00:51:40,580 --> 00:51:47,610 there be any tonight and you see that 773 00:51:47,610 --> 00:51:52,410 you're separated from God because of sin you 774 00:51:55,580 --> 00:52:04,820 see the danger if there should be someone 775 00:52:04,820 --> 00:52:08,420 who sees tonight that Christ on the cross 776 00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:13,340 bore that sin and the judgment in his 777 00:52:13,340 --> 00:52:21,050 own body on that cross at Calvary and 778 00:52:21,050 --> 00:52:24,430 through that death God can forgive you and 779 00:52:28,240 --> 00:52:30,540 if you see tonight you want to turn 780 00:52:30,540 --> 00:52:35,800 to God from sin put your back upon 781 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:40,040 a selfish life so that your life comes 782 00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:44,700 under the control of the Lord and you 783 00:52:44,700 --> 00:52:47,500 can see that there's a reconciler the Lord 784 00:52:47,500 --> 00:52:52,740 Jesus who was made sin for you that 785 00:52:52,740 --> 00:52:55,360 you might be made the righteousness of God 786 00:52:55,360 --> 00:53:00,040 in him then friends come just like that 787 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:04,620 man did in eugene arts and in the 788 00:53:04,620 --> 00:53:08,360 quietness of your heart call upon him right 789 00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:14,860 now just give you one lovely scripture the 790 00:53:14,860 --> 00:53:18,760 Lord says him that comes to me I 791 00:53:18,760 --> 00:53:24,290 will in no wise cast out just come 792 00:53:24,290 --> 00:53:29,390 and trust the Savior now to forgive you 793 00:53:29,390 --> 00:53:30,230 and cleanse you