Jack Jurgens's Ministry Library

Ministry from Jonathan Seed Saturday morning.

[0:01] Hebrews chapter number 3. I’d like to read a few verses from the beginning of the chapter. Hebrews chapter number 3.

[0:28] Hebrews and I thought to myself, well isn’t that just so characteristic of the Word of God? Perfect continuity from beginning all the way to the end. We think right at the beginning of the message that, we heard, He’s the God that comes close, well that’s the Book of Hebrews. This is the incarnate, Son of God. This is the one who is not ashamed to call us His brethren. You think of the second point? Well, he is also the God that makes claims on us. Well, Hebrews is a book that is full of exhortation. I believe if I counted correctly, there are roughly 38 different exhortations in the epistle to the Hebrews, maybe a few more, maybe a few less. He’s the God also who keeps covenant. Well, that’s the epistle to the Hebrews. And in the epistle to the Hebrews, we see the Lord, Jesus Christ, the one who has become a surety of a better covenant, the one that is founded upon better promises. He keeps covenant as he did in the Old Testament. He does in the New and the person of his son. He’s a God who cares. Well, we see this in the, epistle to the Hebrews, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who comes. He is the one that himself hath suffered, being tempted so that he is able to succor them that are tempted. We see in the epistle to the Hebrews that he’s a, God who comes close, and I missed your last point, it was to see that He’s consistent.

[1:54] He’s consistent, He’s the same, the I Am, we could say He communicates.

[2:01] Well, we see this in the epistle to the Hebrews. He is Jesus, the same yesterday and today and.

[2:10] Forever. He’s the same. He will never change. And so it’s my desire this weekend and the few messages that we have in the little time that we have to speak, to speak to you from the, epistle to the Hebrews.

[2:41] That’s chapters three and chapter number four, chapter number 12 as well.

[3:49] He says to go deeper, and we see also in the book towards the end, not only to go deeper, but very similar to the bush as we’ve heard this morning, come closer. Not only the God who comes close, the God who comes close to us, but the God that asks us to come close to Him with boldness and with confidence that we might approach the throne of grace.

[5:04] And you’re thinking there’s not much gas left in the tank. Times are tough, times are difficult.

[5:22] Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, As also Moses was faithful in all his house, for this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as he who hath built the house hath more honor than the house.

[5:43] For every house is built by some man, but he that built all things is God.

[7:05] The setting of Hebrews was hardened hearts, unbelief, the deceitfulness of sin.

[8:34] The people be strong that dwell in the land, they said. The men went to the city. They saw the fortifications.

[9:55] There was an evil report from someone. I don’t know exactly what the evil report was.

[10:53] And you think to yourself, it’d be very difficult to leave. I wonder if that’s precisely what was happening here with these believers, a provocation to fall back, to go backwards, to go back to Egypt.

[11:58] Remember all the reasons why God can be trusted, not all the reasons that things can go wrong.

[13:12] Maybe with jealousy. It’s kind of a difficult juggle, you know, you don’t want to be too involved, but you don’t want to be too distant. Your kids are grown, they have their own children, you want to be a help, but you don’t want to be overbearing. You get complaints that you’re too involved, you get complaints that you’re not involved enough. She’s always at her house, she never comes to her house, she never babysits, she’s kind of always babysitting. You know, it’s a difficult thing for an older mother, for a mother-in-law. Don’t give up, keep going.

[14:04] Keep going. Don’t be fooled by the deceitfulness of sin. Young men, wrestling with temptation, it’s easy to give in.

[15:10] That wasn’t a captain to take them back to Egypt. They made a captain. Do you know who it was?

[16:22] The deceitfulness of sin, the hardening of the hearts. But he says here also, verse number 13, I want you to notice something about the exhortation of the writer to the Hebrews.

[17:39] Name. And while I’m doing okay, you know, kind of sitting on the couch slouched, didn’t look very enthusiastic, tried to encourage her with a few words, you know, I just feel kind of lethargic.

[17:58] Different things. I’m not sinning necessarily. I’m not going into the things of the world, but I just find myself in a stagnant position. And we didn’t have anything brilliant to say to her.

[19:21] Exhort one another daily, while it is cold today, lest you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

[19:50] You see, the great theme of the book of Hebrews is the Lord Jesus Christ, from the beginning all the way to the end.

[20:13] But right from the beginning, we learn about Christ and His Majesty.

[21:27] How do we keep going? We consider the one who endured such contradiction of sinners so that we may not faint. How do we keep going? We consider him who is the apostle and the high priest, the one who was sent from above and came down to the earth, the one who endured the spitting and the shame, who endured the rejection, who endured all of his own family, endured all of his own nation being against him, the apostle who came, who was sent from God, faithful and obedient to his God, the heavenly calling called from above.

[22:01] He’s a high priest. He intercedes between. This would have been especially helpful for those believers who receive this letter, especially if they were Jewish, but it’s no different for us. And the priest is someone who goes between.

[22:15] They had priests. They had priests that could help them. But not one of those priests could help them in the way that this priest would help. And as he goes through the epistle, he would like to explain to them how this priest is different. He just teases us in chapter number two, towards the end, he brings up the topic. And one of the things you’ll notice about this book is that he’ll bring up a topic, and then he’ll go to the next one, and then he’ll circle around and pick it up again, and then he’ll explain it to a greater degree, and then he’ll bring up another topic and he’ll drop it and he’ll go on to something else and come back to the topic again and explain it to a greater degree. That’s one of the things that he does with the topic of priesthood. At the end of chapter 2 he’s following the storyline all the way from incarnation to glory and as he comes to the end he mentions his mercy, he mentions his faith, he mentions his sucker, but then he drops the subject. Fix it up again in chapter number 3. He’s the high priest, he is the one who comes down, who comes between, but he is Christ Jesus. He is the one who was faithful as a son. The son who became a priest. The son who was, faithful over all his house. The son who became a priest after the order of Melchizedek. The son who became a priest after the order of Melchizedek, who sits at the right hand and waits until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. And he says, look, consider this man. Look to this man. He’s gone before. He’s the pioneer. He’s the perfecter. He’s the author.

[23:43] He’s gone through it all. He’s endured it all. He knows what it’s like. He feels your pain.

[23:55] The last thing I wanna mention here is, in this little section, I’m not going to go through expositionally through every verse here in verses one through six, but I just wanted to mention this.

[24:20] Chapter three and four are difficult and I’m not going to throw my hat in the ring or nail my colors to the mast with respect to rest. Whether it’s a present rest or a future rest, I think I’m young enough to say I’ll figure that out later and that both are true.

[24:58] Moses was faithful, but he was faithful as a servant and faithful as a servant in the house.

[25:56] But dear believers, as we go through the epistle to the Hebrews this weekend, remember that most of the exhortations, the Christian life, it’s actually very simple.

Ministry from David Gilliland Saturday morning.

[0:01] For the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

[0:18] Of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters.

[1:32] And he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you.

[1:59] I, as far as I can remember, today’s date marks the death of Anne Bradstreet.

[2:09] A famous lady in this part of the world. She came from England way back in the early 1600s and arrived in the New England states. She was born into a wealthy Puritan family, was a very famous lady in her day and generation, a woman marked by great piety, feared God, brought up a family of eight children, became a very accomplished poetess in her day, and in fact she’s the first American lady, as far as I know, to have her poetry published in English. And some of her poetry is very well worth reading and is being published even to this present day. So, on the 16th of September 2023, we remember the death of Anne Bradstreet on the 16th of September 1672. She was, I think, around 60 years of age. She lived in difficult circumstances, and although she had a very affluent beginning in life, she came into considerable difficulties in poverty and hardship. On the 10th of July, 1666, her house was completely burned to the ground.

[3:20] She awoke in the early hours of the morning to hear the crackle of violent flames, and she managed to escape out of her home, and she stood and watched everything just being turned to smoke and dust and ashes. As she saw the rubble begin to accumulate, she thought, that’s where the table we used to be and never sit there again.

[3:47] That’s the room where we used to have the children. We’ll never sit again.

[4:37] To say, thou hast a house on high erect, formed by the mighty architect.

[5:20] Well, fire is destructive, isn’t it? We hear a lot these days about these uncontrollable fires, that create such havoc and move at such speed and leave behind in their trail so much damage.

[6:18] It can be the fire of refinement. God can sometimes use the refiner’s fire to improve, to purify, to cleanse away the dross.

[6:59] He’d never seen the likes before. This was not a phenomenon that was explainable, naturally speaking.

[7:27] He believed in God, I think, from early day. His faith in God had been established for many years.

[8:16] Quite an emotive piece of poetry. I hope we not eat blackberries this weekend at the conference.

[9:05] Moses has taken, in the discharge of his duties, he has taken his father-in-law’s flock into the backside of the desert. He’s off the margin.

[9:55] God comes very near. He’s the God who comes close, and he arrives in strange places, and he breaks unusual sight. God hasn’t been heard for 400 years. The centuries have passed since great promises were made to Jacob and to Isaac and to Abraham. Some of those men had personal experiences with God, but God hasn’t been seen or heard for 400 years.

[11:09] There’s another tissue page, just after the book of Malachi.

[11:23] The prophetic voice is no longer heard. And just as God appeared in a common bush, just a thorn bush, in a common bush in Exodus chapter 3, and He broke the silence of four, centuries and appeared in an unusual it all again. There’ll be four centuries of silence and suddenly God will shatter the silence of those years and he will reappear, not now, in a bush, flesh and blood in the poverty of Bethlehem’s manger. This is the God who comes close and he becomes involved in the human situation and he reaches right down to where we are, and he meets us at the point of our need.

[12:47] He’s just mentioned three times at the end of the chapter.

[13:34] In Exodus chapter one and in Exodus chapter two, God is invisible and he is inaudible. When you When you get to Exodus chapter 3, God is mentioned 21 times.

[14:44] He’s not mentioned once in Exodus chapter 2.

[14:50] How many times is Jehovah mentioned in Exodus chapter 3? Seven times.

[15:38] Have they been persecuted into the dust of the ground and disappeared from being a people at all.

[16:25] Moses is obviously fascinated by the presence of God, by the flame of fire in the bush, and he goes to go closer to see this, take just a little bit of, God says, no, stay, just enough.

[16:48] The great man Moses now stands unshod in the presence of God, and he keeps a safe distance.

[17:03] This God who comes close is now the God who makes claims, and he tells us where to go, and he tells us what to do, and he tells us how to act. And I say, Moses appreciates its, holy ground. You’re well aware of the fact this is the first time that the, word holy appears in its adjective form in the Bible. God is now coming close, but he doesn’t want Moses to take undue liberties, and he has a claim upon Moses’, attention. It says, when God saw that he turned aside to see. He has a claim upon on Moses’ attitude, the sense of awe in his heart.

[18:18] He died on one of our crosses, and the body of his son lay in one of our tombs.

[19:03] Just to lose a sense of awe and a sense of reverence, just to lose a sense of what is appropriate for the presence of God. And I think Moses is going to learn. There will be further claims and further demands that will be made in the book of Exodus, but Moses is already learning that in the presence of God you stand with unshod feet.

[20:20] He said, I know, Moses, I know that it’s a long time since I spoke to your great-great-great-grandfather, Abraham. I know it’s a long time, and I know that the centuries have passed by.

[20:33] And I know that the delay seems to be endless and interminable. But he said, I haven’t forgotten, you know. He said, I made promises all those centuries ago to Abraham. I reaffirmed those promises to Isaac, and I confirmed them with Jacob. And he said, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And he said, when I make covenants, I don’t revoke them.

[21:00] And I don’t forget about my promises, and I don’t go back upon my word. He said, you can trust me, you can trust me, that the promises which I made then, I’m coming down now, after centuries of delay to fulfill those promises. You say, well, I don’t know. Does God keep his promises? Does God really fulfill his promises? I think there’s something significant in those three titles. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. Those are the promises. Those are the very features of God that guarantee that he will keep his promises. The God of Abraham is the God of Revelation. The God who revealed the promises is the God who will keep them. Behind those promises, there comes all the authority of the everlasting God. The God of Abraham is the God of Revelation.

[22:26] Out of the deadness of Sarah’s womb, Isaac was born. When everything seemed to be humanly hopeless and beyond human, the possibility of life.

[23:09] We believe that Jesus died and rose again. Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

[23:50] Has moved the horizons of possibility to the resurrection side of the grave.

[25:08] And he can bring us back, bring us back. That’s why we believe the promises for Israel will be fulfilled, because God will see to it that the nation that rejected his son and have become exiles across the globe and have been evicted for centuries, they will, Jacob-like, do the cycle and be brought back to their own land.

[25:48] As the God who makes claim, as the God who keeps covenant. He also revealed himself to Moses at the bush as the God who really cares.

[26:49] The detailed circumstances of our life. It’s not even that God heard their prayer. I don’t think they were praying so much. He heard their cry as those dear people groaned.

[28:19] And has respect and see, He’s a God who visits. He’s a God who visits.

[29:06] He’s the God who comes close, and in the dusty sand of life’s desert experience.

[29:14] He can come right down to where we are. He’s the God who really cares, and He knows all our sufferings, and all our sorrows, and all our burdens, and all our pains. He’s the God who makes claims upon us in our lives. He’s a God who keeps covenant and will fulfill his promise.

[30:35] Will shine into different corners of our lives. And one here and another there and up yonder and from front to back and left to right. That every believer will.

[30:46] Hear the voice of God speaking through his word. We’ll not do the talking, just, sit down quietly, take off your shoes, stand in his presence with reverential law, and may God speak.

[31:01] And we quietly listen to hear what God the Lord would say. He said, Lord, he says, who am I?

[31:25] The Lord says, Moses forget about it. He says, it doesn’t matter who you are.

[32:37] Or should it be translated, I will be what I am? Or should it be translated, I am what I will be?

[33:14] And he says, what I will be is what I am. You know, you could have people in life, and maybe 40 years ago, I’m speaking to some of the older believers, they were a tremendous help to you, and they were encouragement, and they were a great support, and a great strength, and they brought you on, and saw you through many difficulties, and you’re indebted to them, but they don’t help you very much today.

[34:00] He said, Moses, a thousand years down the way, I will still be what I am.

[34:55] That may just arise. What a great God we have.

[35:41] Just a sense of God. In most of our minds, God is far too small, maybe even in Moses’ mind.

[36:31] You say I thought God would dwell in the lofty cedar? Yes. You say I thought that God would dwell in the mighty oak? Yes.

Ministry from David Gilliland Friday night.

[0:00] Privileged to be here again, a joy to be here, and good to share together in the exercise of prayer in light of the conference.

[0:48] A high mountain, a part was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And we have Moses and Elias. Verse 4, Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make here three tower- knuckles, one for thee, and one for Moses, one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and.

[1:17] Behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased here, ye him,” and so on. Now back to the Old Testament, to the book of Lamentations, just slipping in there after the long prophecy of Jeremiah and Lamentations and Ezekiel, just right into the middle of the book of Lamentations and chapter 3. Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul. Therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust.

[2:27] If so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him. He is filled full with reproach, for the Lord will not cast off forever. But though he cause grief.

[2:37] Yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

[3:01] And verse 1, just for context, “‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

[4:22] Word, beneficiary of the Midland Park Conference 2023, that we’d all be the better of, we’d be advantaged.

[4:41] A lot of things not beneficial, a lot of things injurious. We live in a world where many things are inimical to spiritual health, many things would bring us down and do us damage, but there are certain things that are good.

[4:57] And said the apostle in Matthew chapter 17, it is good for us to be here.

[5:55] You think of the many places where we might be, a Friday evening in a modern world, all, its pleasures, all its allurements.

[6:30] This is where we might go and might be and might have been, but we’re here.

[7:05] It’s good to have challenges in your teens. We don’t want cotton wool Christians.

[7:15] We want Christians that are made of sterner stuff, stronger material. We don’t want to mollycoddle younger believers. It is good for a man to bear the yoke, and it’s you.

[8:41] Do you cultivate the habit of personal prayer, quietly slipping into the sanctuary of God unseen, by the public glare of human eye, and open up your soul just to the blazing light of God’s sanctuary and find the very interior of your being illuminated by things that can only be enjoyed when you come close and you draw near.” There’s a summit that’s worth remembering.

[9:16] He said, it’s good for us to be here on the mountaintop, a summit that is worth remembering.

[10:11] They didn’t arrange the meeting. I know there’s a lot of work and planning and thinking goes into the arrangement of the conference, and our brethren have done the best in exercise before the Lord.

[10:39] And after six days, it’s almost…I don’t know that it was a Sabbath. I couldn’t prove that, but it was certainly a Sabbath experience. After the six days, we might say, and a working week, the Lord said, gentlemen, it’s time to go to higher ground and to get a taste of better things.

[11:33] I tell you, these men got a glimpse of the glory of Christ such as they had never seen before.

[12:10] It eclipsed anything that these men had ever seen, boats and fish and nets and villages, and clowns and Galilee.

[12:43] I hope we’ll all say that. And it is such an unveiling of the beauty of our glorious Lord.

[12:52] That we’d feel ourselves to be treated to a feast of celestial blessedness just to see the glory of Christ and to grasp something of His dignity and His deity and His distinctiveness and What is royalty?

[14:18] Never mentions them.

[14:24] Thirty years later, the only thing that Peter remembered was the glory of Christ.

[15:23] That’s what Peter talked about. That’s what Peter talked about when he came to write his second letter.

[16:16] In fact, he just had told these disabled at the end of the previous chapter, take up your cross and follow me. And he said, I’m going out to be spat upon and to be mocked and to be vilified and crucified.

[16:35] Don’t talk about those things. Don’t, we don’t, don’t speak like that, Lord.

[17:48] What was the purpose of it all? Well, there were a number of purposes, And one of them was this, this great meeting, it was just a miniature of glory yet to come.

[18:58] It’s a little miniature of heaven, and you enjoy the praises that we’ve already been singing about, and you enjoy the fellowship of saints, and you enjoy the atmosphere of the Lord’s presence, and Christ is worshiped, magnified, and glorified, and you say, it can’t get much better than this.

[19:59] It prepared them, it fortified them, it strengthened them, it fitted them for things which they didn’t know were ahead, but the Lord knew. And He gave them an experience, that just put within their souls a veritable body of spiritual strength equipping them for the road ahead. Maybe that’ll be true at the conference here this year as well, that some will hear a word from the Lord. I don’t know what’s around the corner for me, but the Lord does.

[20:31] Nor do you know what is around the corner for you or your family. We can leave it all in His hand.

[21:55] You don’t want young people, it’s tough, you don’t want young people to have to face difficulties.

[22:56] That doesn’t come with older year. You don’t travel too far in life until you become set in your way. And when you become set in your ways, really, really, when all is said and done, there won’t be much improvement. That’ll just be it. But an earlier day, the branch is still supple, or supal as you might say, and it can be shaped when it’s just a young branch. If it grows too long and becomes too strong and too stiff, it won’t be easy to shape. So it’s good, it’s good.

[24:25] It will develop into a mature plant. You say, well, I don’t know.

[25:36] And he bore the yoke of temptation, and he bore it well, and I’m not going into the details of the story, the sense of God within his soul and the convictions that were wrought.

[26:12] You be a man, be a woman for God. Maybe it’s in your family circle, maybe it’s in your place of employment, maybe it’s in your place of education, and the pressure is on. And, you say, I feel as if I’m being called upon to carry burdens that are beyond what I’m able to bear. Just keep in mind the little text from the 2023 Midland Park Conference, the book of Lamentations. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. Daniel could tell you that. He bore the yoke, all the pressures that went with dislocation from his country. We know the story of Daniel purposing his heart that he would not defile himself. Did David? David more the yoke than his youth, when with pure motive he went down to help his brethren in the battle, and his older brother said, what are you doing here?

[27:26] When you do nothing, you’ll be all right. But once you begin to stretch your arm for God, and put your head a little bit above the parapet and seek to live for His glory, you’ll find, you’ll find there will be people just step out of the woodwork, ready to down you at the first… You say, but it’s tough. It’s tough. It’s not easy for a a young person in assembly life, even in culture.

[28:00] Again, dear brethren, really what I’m saying is this, and I’m going to have to leave it.

[28:13] We sympathize with young people. We make excuses for young people.

[29:32] That they had to bear the yoke, and the young brother, young sister, and just all I want to get over tonight is this, it’s spiritually beneficial. I see in this text a back and a, burden that is to be borne, and a blessing that is to be achieved, a benefit that can be reaped.

[30:33] In fact, the word sanctuary in that text is plural.

[31:42] Then I saw the cloud of glory.” He said, when I spent my visit to the inner sanctuary of God, he said, I saw things that settled my spirit.

[33:11] Just to acknowledge that any good that might come from the meetings, and all, the activities, and all the expense, and all the labors, and all the preachings, and all the conversations, any good that might come, it comes from the sanctuary of God himself. May God grant that there might be a release of all that would be essential to make, Midland Park Conference 2023 spiritually beneficial for every one of us. A summit, worth remembering, a shoulder worth yielding to the yoke of responsibility and so on and so forth, and a sanctuary worth visiting. It is good. It is good. And I hope by the time Sunday afternoon comes, We’ll be saying, Lord, that was good, and that was real good.

Gospel tent meeting with Peter Ramsay and Kory Crawford.

[0:00] Now we’re going to read in the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew chapter 27.

[0:29] I don’t know whether this is Corey and Peter over here, but we’ve been trying to communicate Christ to people.

[1:35] Jesus. That is the most consequential, the most important question you will ever be faced with in life. And our prayer is, as this little service continues, you will make the right choice. People make choices in meetings like this. I remember I was much younger. It was a Friday night. We were closing the gospel effort, just like we’re closing tonight. Della had been coming to those gospel services, gospel, but Della was younger than I was at that time, and it was last night.

[2:14] And Della still wasn’t a Christian. She still had never received Christ as their Savior, even though she came out. And I was really bothered about Della, wondering why. And so what was most uncharacteristic of me around suppertime, I had a tremendous burden on my heart for Della. It may be the last time I will ever see Della. I’m leaving this town, and I don’t know what will happen to me. I don’t know what will happen to Della. And, I skipped my supper and I knocked on Della’s door at suppertime. She answered and I said, Della, her boyfriend was there. I said, I’m not here for supper. I just have come because You’re on my heart. I’m heading home

[3:05] tonight after this gospel service, and I would love to know that I will meet you in heaven.

[4:34] She was found in bed that night. The next morning, she had died.

[4:42] Speaking to someone who had a privilege and an opportunity to hear about Jesus.

[6:07] Which is called Christ. They had a choice to make. Who should be released at this special feast?

[7:32] Pilate saith unto them, you look at verse 22. Pilate said unto them, are you looking at verse 22?

[8:48] He took water and he washed his hands before the multitude saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person.

[8:55] I don’t want to have his blood on my hands. Then answered all the people and said, his blood be on us and on our children.

[9:18] And put on him a scarlet robe.

[10:27] Pilate had to make a choice. You have to make a choice. That question, what shall I do with Jesus?

[11:11] Ask them if there’s a common theme throughout the beautiful Bible.

[12:37] Going and getting a baptism doesn’t make you a Christian. Saying your prayers doesn’t make you a Christian.

[12:45] What makes you a Christian? The moment you embrace Jesus Christ as your savior. It’s a moment.

[13:28] Every day we discover new things in the word of God. But ask a Christian who’s been reading their Bible about some of the things in the Old Testament that are difficult to understand.

[14:32] Jesus is a central theme of the Bible. He’s a central figure of the Bible.

[14:54] To us. There’s no person on earth who could ever remove one of your sins or forgive one of your sins. Our sins are against God. Only God himself can forgive, sins. But in your heart tonight, answer this question, what will I do with Jesus?

[16:20] It takes a spine. Not everyone will be happy for you. Some people may criticize you.

[17:32] You’re responsible. I don’t know whether it was early, how early in the morning it was, whether Pilate had to wipe the sleep out of his eyes and say, really, yes, I guess I am the governor.

[18:18] So it’s morning and Pilate listens to all the accusations. Then, he said, he’s looking at Jesus.

[18:54] I know what a criminal looks like. He doesn’t have eyes of tender compassion.

[20:16] have something against him if you’re not willing to embrace him as your savior. What shall I do with Jesus? Then he was, Jesus was scourged. The scourging didn’t satisfy. That means he was whipped many, many times on his back. The scourging didn’t satisfy the crowd. And then Pilate gets that bowl, and he washes his hands and he says I am innocent to the blood of this just man.

[21:42] We know what Pilate’s choice was. Don’t you make the same mistake as Pilate.

[22:17] I’d like to read tonight in Acts chapter 26, if you have your Bible.

[23:40] I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.

[24:56] in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand witnessing both the small and great, saying no other thing than those which the prophets and Moses said would come, that the Christ would suffer, that he would be the first to rise from the dead and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.

[26:08] What a scene of great pomp and majesty that day. We’ve seen throughout these weeks in the book of Acts, many preachers preaching to many different people.

[27:11] There’s no such thing Peter was saying as an always Christian.

[28:40] Old bishop that was speaking in England and he was, he, he, he said this. He said, he who is almost years ago, a few hundred years ago, and as he went home, those, those words struck a chord in his heart. Almost persuaded is almost saved, but to be almost saved is to be entirely lost. And he sat down and he wrote a hymn. A hymn that’s in the hymn book we have.

[29:08] Seems now some soul to say, go spirit, go thy way, some more convenient day, on thee I’ll call.

[30:16] All the ends of the year. Oh that your eyes might be open tonight, and you’d look, You’d look to the only one just like those many years before when they would erect that serpent in the wilderness that serpent of bronze, Dying from that from the wounds and friend tonight in your sins. You’re not dying The Bible says you’re already dead and know that you would look, Not to a serpent on a pole not to a religious system or ceremony, but that you’d look to Jesus The only one that could see, that your eyes might be open.

[31:34] Is those who have had their eyes opened to see the wonderful works.

[31:39] Of God, the wonderful work of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t stop there.

[32:48] It says, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light, and does not come to the light.

[33:10] Three hours and eternity of darkness upon himself so that you could see the light, that you could turn from darkness to light.

[33:42] One leads to condemnation the power of Satan the power of God leads to salvation leads to light leads to, That is the purpose of the message preached that is the purpose of why Paul preached the gospel message, That’s why we preach the same gospel message some 2,000 years later that you turn from the power of Satan, to the power of God the gospel message is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that would believe and Paul that day preaching to that King. He doesn’t even leave it at that for the King, He gives them another reason as to why he’s preaching, why he was sent.

[34:48] There’s condemned and completely set free. Almost persuaded means to be forgiven nothing.

[36:13] The gospel. I remember a young man, we were preaching at a coffee farm in a very rural area of Costa Rica a few years ago.

[37:13] And he said, I’m certain that if I do not get saved tonight, I will never be saved.

[38:27] That was the response the king gave that day. And what was Paul’s reaction to hearing that answer?

[39:52] The same man who could put the thoughts in others’ minds of this almost persuaded.

[40:43] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

[41:57] From there’s no other foundation. There’s no other salvation found outside of this.

Gospel tent meeting with Peter Ramsay and Kory Crawford.

[0:00] I’d like to read this evening, if you have a Bible with you, in the book of Acts, and chapter 17. Acts chapter 17.

[1:27] Therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaim to you in other words, The unknown God the one who you you cry out to there is a God that you can know, That’s what he was telling and he says this in verse 24 God, Who made the world and everything in it since he is Lord of heaven and earth?

[2:42] Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day, on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.

[3:18] In Acts 14, when he was preaching to those with very little knowledge of literacy, very little knowledge of religion or anything like that, he would take the message down to their level.

[4:27] God, or the idea of God. It may not be referring to the true God, the God of the Bible, but it shows that in that sense, in every language, in every nation, in this world, that within the human existence, in the human soul, there is a knowledge, there is a longing for something bigger, something greater. God. And when I say.

[4:52] That name tonight, God, it might mean something different to different people here tonight. You could say the God I worship and you could maybe tell me the name, you could describe his character. But you know when we come to the God of the Bible, and that’s why often in the Old Testament and quoting in the New Testament, they say the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Why? Because they didn’t want people to be confused with which God they were referring to. You, know if I were to say tonight, speak of the President, you would immediately.

[5:19] Someone would come in your mind if I’m saying it right here. But if I go to Costa Rica, and I say the president, well a very different person, a very different character, a very different type of individual is going to come to the mind of the people there. Why? Because the president is different. It’s not the same. You wouldn’t associate with the same thing. But you know around this world I think in general, not to pat Americans on the back or toot the horn, but if you say the president in general, I think people, most people would associate it with the, president of the United States. Why? Because I think as we would consider the the scene of this world, you would identify one who maybe has more authority and more power than most around this world, and be the president of this country.

[6:23] And as we would see this, that Paul coming into this city and preaching to them, you.

[6:29] Know, the very first commandment that God gave, you know what it was?

[6:59] You may not have erected an image of a god in your home, or even broken this specific commandment made in your life, but we can, from the word of God under this authority, conclude this. Every Every single one of us here have fallen short of God’s state.

[8:01] Something or someone you know nothing about and just hoping.

[8:06] Hoping in some way that that this God would respond to this unknown God would in some way, Communicate to you or speak to you in front tonight the message of the gospel is this, There is a God you can know and this God the Almighty God the God of heaven It says, he’s not very far from each one of us.

[9:28] And in French tonight, the God that we proclaim, the God that you can know, is the God who created you and everything in this world. That’s what Paul wanted the people to know that day.

[10:28] And Paul wanted them to know that, to understand it. The God who can be known is the God who is the creator, the God who created you.

[11:32] And what would you do with that? What would you do with God’s grace this evening, God’s salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. God is the sustainer of all things.

[12:47] When we bring our petty sacrifices, our petty offerings, when God sent his son to make the greatest offering, and sacrifice this world has ever known.

[14:14] And Paul kept going, he just said, God, it’s not just a God with a desire that you would seek him, he’s a God with a message.

[14:56] And what is his message? Many people will tell you, God’s message is this.

[16:24] Oh friend, what an invitation tonight. That the God of heaven, not the unknown God, but the God that can be known, he offers one to you, a savior, that can be known and experienced and held on to tonight as a firm foundation.

[17:01] The God who is your creator. The God who desires that you reach out for him, that you seek him while he may be found.

[17:45] And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, some laughed.

[17:59] No, foolishness, foolishness. Maybe tonight, friend, you’ll go to your car, you’ll leave here with that mockery still in your heart, laughing, as it were, to God’s offer of salvation.

[19:23] They didn’t moth, they understood the importance of understanding of coming into that relationship with the God of heaven and his son Jesus Christ and they.

[19:32] Didn’t wait and linger. They believed the message. And friend, our desire tonight would be that you would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you would be safe.

[20:55] And they interviewed him there on the CBC and they asked him, how did it feel?

[21:08] I could not believe it. But then he said, I had to open up that letter again.

[21:39] You could turn to different verses as we have done, and you could find the declaration where it says, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and you could trust it.

[22:42] Some of us have had the joy of knowing this knowable God for quite a few decades, And we have failed Him, but I can tell you that this God, who is no one, knowing, and to live the rest of your life without knowing the knowable God, like I can’t even wrap my head around it, why anyone would choose to try to negotiate the eight turns of life without God when He is available to you.

[24:11] And you can know God tonight. It’s not a 12-step program.

[25:16] He rescues us and you say I would love to be rescued this Friday night and you say but it’s not happening for me. The Bible says you have no strength to save yourself. So what does that mean? It means you need someone to save you and that’s why we have a meeting like this. Thank God, the God of salvation that you’ve, been hearing about, he could save you tonight. Just last month we held our breath as rescue efforts were made to save five people aboard a submersible.

[26:44] You know, tonight, this Friday night, we are concerned. Right in this meeting, there are those who are perishing in their sins. You’re not beyond hope yet.

[27:32] They get in a little scrap and it’s over in 30 minutes, but it seems pretty intense at the time when you’re fighting.

[28:15] By me if If any man or any woman or any boy or any girl, any person enter in, he shall be saved.

[29:40] Why stay outside? That’s what I was thinking about today.

[30:49] If you went to catechism or something, you probably have heard about the ark and the flood.

[31:53] Oh, if only your appetite could be sharpened for salvation tonight and to come inside.

[32:39] He knew that you had no strength to save yourself, to rescue yourself.

[33:19] Millions around the world were glued to their screens and they followed every new twist.

[34:33] That’s more than two weeks, two weeks. Zero signals from above.

[35:48] Yesterday I was introduced, what’s his name, Dougie? Doug? Doug, yeah.

[36:24] The Bible of theologians call it the Fall. A disaster took place in Genesis 3.

[37:07] Because there’s no way such a disaster of sin came into the human family.

[37:57] And the red-lettered words were the words that Jesus spoke. And Dougie gets saved. He trusted Christ.

[38:45] Up above, he saw our need. No matter what you think of God tonight, he looked down and he said, Those people are desperately need to be rescued.

[40:09] He said, it is finished. I’m glad Jesus didn’t cry on the cross.

[41:05] They sent one of these, a cylindrical, yeah, this. They sent that down, right to the feet of the miners in the darkness.

[42:16] Look at, all they had to do was come, they could come shaking.

[42:32] They could enter or they could stay and perish. One by one they enter.

[43:59] You will not just look at the open door and say, I’m passing on it.

Gospel tent meeting with Peter Ramsay and Kory Crawford.

[0:00] Now, if I don’t write things down, sometimes I forget to announce them, but I do have some, exciting news to share with you, but I’m not going to do it right off the bat.

[1:16] “‘If thou be the son of God, “‘command that these stones be made bread.'”, And here’s what Jesus, how he responded.

[2:43] And I remember going into the boys’ washroom and just trying to get the dirt, of that one piece of spittle on my face.

[2:50] Jesus’ face was wet with spit. And then they grabbed his beard and they pulled it out of the skin.

[3:45] He said, it is finished. And he bowed his head, and he gave up the ghost, or he delivered up his spirit, or he expired.

[4:37] And my old aunt from Boston said, Peter, did you know you could read your Bible through every year if you follow a little system?

[5:12] Satan right to the Word of God. And tonight, we have no authority ourselves.

[6:11] But I’m not going to go there tonight other than to tell you that it is the most popular book ever.

[6:37] There are more Bibles in more languages in more parts of the world in 2023 than at any other time in the history of the human family.

[7:55] Your life hasn’t, you really haven’t started to live until you discover the rich truth, in the word of God that will change your life.

[8:17] I come from Prince Edward Island in Canada and people say, oh, P.E.I., Ann of Green Gables.

[9:37] Gospel of John. God is spoken, it’s his word. And I don’t know whether you’ve ever thought of your Bible as this way, but it’s this way, but it’s like a manual.

[10:06] And so I sheepishly happy win sometimes, I say, joy, the crazy lawnmower broke down again.

[10:43] Whatever possessed me to honk the horn so loudly? I’m a kind, nice person.

[11:10] People say, well, how do I know you’re truthful? Oh, you have my word for it. You say, put that in writing, please?” You know, God is as good as his word. In fact, the Bible says God is the word.

[12:31] It comes to the Bible, you have questions. How can I believe it? Tell me how can I believe I would like to have my sins forgiven? Believe everything else. But when it comes to God’s word, you wonder why you’re not a Christian? Because you can’t believe God. You think he’s, a liar, not trustworthy. God’s message is for you. And if you’re ever going to be in heaven, there will come a point where you will just accept God’s word. Rest on it. But Then we read the other one, it is finished, it is finished.

[13:42] That Jesus spoke before his death. It is finished. What did he mean by that? It is finished.

[14:02] It’s all over. Is that what Jesus meant among those last words?

[14:48] When Jesus said, it is finished, You read in another gospel, it says, he cried with a loud cry. So here he is, 33 years old on the cross.

[15:49] John 8 and verse 36, he said to the people, “‘If the Son shall make you free, “‘you shall be free indeed.

[16:47]

[17:05] Again, friend, I tell you, if they didn’t understand it that day, could you understand it tonight?

[18:28] That’s not for entertainment. He finished paying the debt for our collective sins.

[19:00] Some of you would like to be saved and you’re wondering, well, what do I have to do to have my sins forgiven?

[19:41] late trying to do something else because it was all done at the cross. Imagine if you went over to the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the year I was born, the Mona Lisa, its valuation was 800 million, that famous painting. And the year I was born, it was vandalized, acid was thrown at it, And so, it’s an old painting.

[20:46] How far do you think you’d get with a curator? It was done, it was completed several hundred years ago, and to touch it would be to dishonor it, would be to face the work that was done.

[21:30] I had exciting news to share with you tonight, that Jesus finished the work and you can be saved Tonight, if you could believe God’s word, it is written that Christ paid my sin debt in full.

[21:54] That what Christ did was finished 2000 years ago. And our message tonight is Jesus Christ, is who you need. He was a victorious one. He didn’t go down to feed. The Bible says very clearly that this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down. He’s sitting down, the right hand of God tonight. He finished the work. When you’re working in a hot summer day, out in the yard, sweaty, and you have that backlog of weeds and everything else to do, and it’s the hottest summer day and you’re out there and the Sun is being on you and you’re and you’re, Craving another drink of water and then you finally pull the last weed up and what do you do?

[23:13] Now, it’s wonderful tonight to be able to preach about a finished work, that maybe you’ve.

[23:19] Come in this evening feeling empty-handed, nothing you could offer God, the tremendous good news tonight is there is nothing you could offer God and so it’s.

[23:30] Wonderful that we can share this message of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done, and we’re going to continue thinking about Christ’s death on the cross for us, in the book of Acts in chapter 16 book of Acts in chapter 16 and here we’re going to read of once again of this man Paul and he has with him in this chapter, man named Silas and they’ve healed a woman, a young girl who was demon possessed, who was doing fortune-telling and was bringing a lot of money to her owners, and so when these preachers came

[24:52] Jailer to keep them securely.

[25:55] There’s someone here tonight and you have that same question upon your heart. What must I do to be saved? Note the answer of the preachers that day in this really this very short sermon that they preached. So they said, believe on the Lord Jesus, Christ and you will be saved. You and your household. Then, they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who are in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and immediately he and all his family were baptized.

[27:11] And friends tonight, no matter what is upon your heart, no matter what it is you are looking for, I can assure you that the only true joy you could experience tonight, and you wouldn’t even have to do what this man did. You wouldn’t even have to invite the preachers over for a meal afterwards, no. There would be great joy in your, home tonight if you could understand this, come to this realization, enter into this truth.

[27:49] And you know, there are many important questions in life. And you could come here tonight, with an important question upon your heart, and you could ask from the depths of your being, and you’re searching, you’re longing, you could say, what must I do to be rich?

[28:42] would vary. You know, someone give a recommendation or some good online websites, you could choose, you know, whatever it is, christianmingle.com, whatever it is, and others would say, no, you just got to you got to make your move and hope for the best. And you know, the advice would change. And you’d go home and you wouldn’t be quite convinced of what the direct path with the best way to answer that question would be.

[29:52] Maybe you could identify with some of the circumstances in his life or the situations in his life. We see here, he had a great responsibility that was given to him. Two very famous prisoners, notable man, maybe for the wrong, had been made infamous in the community, of the people that were against, them, the people that opposed their message. And so when that day came, and that afternoon, when he was given those two prisoners, and they said to him, make sure, make sure they’re guarded, make sure they’re kept in a place where we can question them further. It says he took, he took that advice to heart. He, put them in the most inner prison, the most secure place he could find for them. That great responsibility. He didn’t, disregarded. He didn’t depreciate it. He took it to heart and said, this is important. I’m going to lock them in a secure place.

[31:00] And we’d be given contracts from the different sales reps that we had to manage those contracts and do reports and make sure they were fulfilled, that the sales people could then in turn return to the client.

[31:24] I put it on top of the pile of all the contracts I was in charge of.

[32:17] Saying this word when he says that he says, everything in this world is of lesser value than your eternal soul. That’s the, most important thing you’ve been entrusted with tonight. You know, if you look at the value of the net worth of the richest men in this world, there’s actually a real time list you can see on Forbes, that on a daily update of how much their value, their net worth has changed in a day.

[33:08] For him, $153 million. And you look at that list and you look at the fluctuations, in that list, sometimes great gain, other days great loss.

[34:21] With God for all eternity. But for each one that disregards their own soul, maybe went in and put in more value of all the things that could be accumulated in this world. And if your soul soul were to go into eternity without the forgiveness of God, without the forgiveness of sins, the Bible so clearly states, there’s a place of torment called hell. And that is where your eternal soul would spend all eternity. And so tonight, we would hope that as you listen to the gospel message, you would understand the importance of the situation, the value of what God, has given you, an eternal soul. And as he has put these men in the in the jail cell, it says, they begin to do something very Strange I’m sure it says they begin to sing hymns.

[35:03] Imagine that in a prison these two men Paul and Silas and it says the other prisoners heard him heard them singing I don’t know what they say. No, I don’t have the confidence like Peter made me to start singing here while I’m preaching But I’d like to think about maybe they were singing, Amazing grace. I know it didn’t exist I but maybe in their own language in their own tune that the same idea singing of the amazing grace of God I don’t know, but they sang. And this man, it says, an earthquake came. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake. So that the foundations of this man’s very home, his life, everything he had put his efforts into, were shaken. The foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately, all the doors were open.

[35:49] Everyone’s chains were loose. And as this man awoke and saw all those jail cells open, the very thing that he had put all his work, and his effort into, and had been shaken down to its very core by the God of heaven, this man lost all hope.

[36:11] Costa Rica, where I’m from, maybe you would get woken up every few months by a good earthquake that would shake the house or shake the bed, and you would know it, and it would wake you up and you’d understand what is taking place.

[37:29] And just by the pure grace of God, his car swerved across three lanes of highway, of oncoming traffic, and he crashed into the ditch, just on the side of the highway.

[38:51] We’re all here. In other words, he could hear as he would lift that sword up to take his own life. Don’t do it. There’s still hope. There’s still hope. A friend tonight, maybe in the very darkness of your life, where the circumstance of your life have crowded in around you, and you think there is no hope.

[39:41] He needed just a little light.

[40:33] Friends that are saved.

[41:53] On Jesus Christ, you could be saved tonight.

Gospel tent meeting with Peter Ramsay and Kory Crawford.

[0:00] Now, if you have a Bible with you, I’d like to read tonight in the book of Acts, in chapter 14.

[0:43] And the God of heaven, the God who is on the throne, the Almighty God, he hasn’t changed either.

[1:43] And in Lystra, a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb who had never walked.

[2:35] But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, men, why are you doing these things?

[3:26] That speaks of a man, it says, who was crippled from birth, living in that state his whole life.

[4:25] Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the only one in whom you will find hope this evening.

[5:41] It is recorded in their urban legends that before, many years before, according to the urban legends, that gods had come down to earth, And the people rejected them and it led to a great flood.

[6:03] You know, they were so far off, concentrating on Paul and Barnabas as men who were God.

[6:15] As the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And he walked in this earth.

[6:53] Oftentimes, maybe in religion in general, the one who is seen the most, maybe that the pastor or the priest or the preacher, maybe try at times to give off an impression that they are somehow on a higher level than everyone else.

[8:03] We preach to you this, that you should turn from these useless things, these vain things to the living God.

[9:01] To living God. You turn to him, he’s the author of salvation. The only way salvation is found is in God of heaven and his son, Jesus Christ. You know this, wasn’t common just to them in Lystra. In the book of Romans, this same man, Paul, could write of those who said they were not thankful to God but they were futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. They, changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible men, they made an idol and they worshiped it. And Paul, as he addresses these people, he would call them this. They’re useless, things. You may say that’s a little strong, but he would be, convinced of it. He would say they’re worthless. They have no value. And that you would turn from those things. And he may say, in my life, I don’t have those things. Maybe less common, today we could say is the physical idolatry. Maybe you haven’t made up a corner of your house into an idol and worship And he would say this, how does this really apply to me?

[10:29] The message tonight from that preacher to you, from the Word of God to you, is turn from those useless things to the living God.

[10:53] Turn from those things to the living God. whatever it is and however that is materialized in your career, in your relationships, even some coming to the point of worshiping creation as we just read, more than the creator.

[11:22] Some even may be going as far as worshiping the pleasures of this life.

[12:24] But yet we continue. And maybe some have, you’ve made the idol of philosophy in your life.

[13:43] There’s only certainty, there’s only peace found in the living God and his son, Jesus Christ.

[14:46] Isaiah 46 speaks of the comparison of the living God with the idols of that time, thousands of years ago.

[16:14] And so they build those altars and they say, call down to your God, fire from heaven.

[17:41] Why this preacher would go to these group of people, and it would give them a very direct and a very short message. The reason he could preach with authority.

[18:14] His name was Jesus Christ. He lived in this world for 33 years, and he did something, he was different than us in this one aspect.

[19:21] Each one of us tonight, we’re believing in something. We’re bowing down to something in our life.

[19:46] That’s a promise you can take home tonight and you can take home to eternity when you die.

[20:13] these vain things. The only thing these things are doing is taking each one to hell.

[20:41] Doesn’t point people to a church or to ourself.

[21:57] Someone who has something inside that you don’t have. Well, I suspect they have Christ and you don’t.

[23:17] And we weren’t sure of the direction, and we got confused with Atlantic City and Ocean City.

[24:40] Lit up in that dark night.

[26:07] And she literally, she told, I was writing her, emailing her.

[26:38] For Our Sins is on that sign, and I don’t think it’s placement was accidental.

[27:45] There’s actually another photo, she said. I believe of the very same sign, that I found accidentally not searching for it.

[29:04] Those words mean anything to you tonight? There are people in this room, And have I asked out loud?

[30:29] Whoa, wouldn’t that be great? Let me tell you something far better, than Bill Gates paying your financial bills and debts is someone who went to a cross and paid your spiritual debt of sin.

[31:58] You take this with you, Christ satisfies.

[32:24] I want you to just buy into for a few minutes. Say you’re sitting at your office desk, and you have never heard tell of Christ in your life.

[33:07] Don’t know anything. You’re sitting at your desk at work, and you just, you know you have emptiness inside.

[34:24] And you can watch this video. I think it’s still online. And he looks off to the corner of the room, Tom Brady does, and he just says, I wish I knew. I wish I knew, he says it twice.

[34:58] Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, story about her. John Lennon, Michael Jackson.

[36:07] And then he stopped, and for 20 long seconds, he wept on the podium as he thought, of the emptiness of his life.

[37:04] In your closet, and you’re sitting there at your desk thinking about the skeletons in your closet, or what about my sins, are there consequences for sin, how do I get rid of my sin, and you’re looking out your window in your office and that big sign, that billboard out there, there’s one word that comes up on it, nine o’clock, and you look out the window and you say, Christ, what is that?

[37:39] And you say, come, look out the window.

[37:49] Their face lights up, and he’s a person.

[39:10] He reached out to those who were disillusioned by life. He reached out to those who were marginalized in life.

[40:24] Mean anything to you? 10 o’clock, you look out your window, another word is on the big electronic billboard, digital billboard, Christ died.

[41:06] Christ died. And you think, well, I know that everybody dies.

[42:08] Oh, there was Christ died for, you mean there was a reason. I have to find out the reason.

[43:25] How am I a part of that?

[44:45] Why, why would he ever die for my sins? You mean this holy one, the son of the living God, who came to earth, who was absolutely sinless, and he only did what was good?

[46:04] She finds it difficult to shed tears.

[46:51] You know, if you could take these words from God’s words, God doesn’t lie.

Gospel tent meeting with Peter Ramsay and Kory Crawford.

[0:00] I think we’ve basically said it most nights, but this is not a church membership drive, and it isn’t a fundraising effort.

[0:32] We are shouting for you. And we’re trying to make sure our voice is projected so all can turn to the back seat.

[1:38] And there are some Christians here this evening, If you were to ask them afterwards over the refreshment, so what is this life with Christ like?

[2:13] I can tell you, yes, I have been born again. But I want you to answer that question in your own mind, whether this stays on or not.

[3:35] We’re not talking about conservative or Democrat or Republican.

[5:02] Verse 1, and I’m going to read from the New King James, because we’re going to read 15 verses.

[5:56] Jesus answered, most assuredly or truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. Not, you should be born again, you must be born again. This is an imperative with, Jesus. If you’re ever going to be right with God, if you’re ever going to be in the kingdom of God, if you’re ever going to be in heaven, Jesus said you must be born again. The wind bloweth where it wisheth, and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from, where it goes.

[7:20] No one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that is, a son of man so he’s referring to himself.

[7:31] As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so now he’s telling old Nicodemus, this is how you’re born again.

[8:46] Just spice, spices. He lived a very particular life, religious life. He was an influential member of the ruling religious class and the Jewish people in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin, the council. They say in history that he was the third richest man.

[9:12] In Jerusalem, one of the three. And so really, Nicodemus was really the best, that education, money, and religion could produce.

[9:47] But behind his robes, his religion, and his reputation, he had a certain unease, unrest, an uncertainty. He had believed this way for all his life, and now he’s got gray hair, white hair, and he’s an old man, and all of a sudden the very foundation of his life is shaking.

[10:50] And hundreds, thousands were gathering on the banks of the Jordan River and elsewhere to hear this prophet John the Baptist speak.

[11:43] You see Nicodemus thinking, is there anybody thinking tonight? Do I really have the right thing, going a long life. This, you’re starting to wonder. Sometimes it’s an accident. Sometimes it’s a lump in the neck. It could be a pain in the heart that turns people’s worlds upside down.

[13:04] He’s listening day after day, but the amazing wonders that Jesus has performed, I can’t dismiss this.

[13:39] Jesus said, you have to be born again. Are you interested in knowing what Jesus meant by the word, the term born again?

[15:02] It’s life is too precarious to live another 24 hours with the wrong thing.

[15:37] Have you been born again?

[16:13] And religion is a trap in 2023. And the Lord Jesus exposed that trap.

[17:39] Nicodemus isn’t arguing, why do I have to be born again? It’s sort of a sincere question. How? How?

[18:23] It’s hard to look at all of you fine people here tonight and tell you that you must be born again.

[19:49] The Bible says there are only two destinations after death. It’s heaven with God, with Christ, or it’s hell, it’s eternal punishment and suffering.

[21:05] But behind the scenes, did you ever think that God is at work, the reason you have a friend, the reason you have someone in your life who invited you here? God is reaching into your life.

[22:24] Will be healed. And so Jesus said, you’re wondering how this will happen, Nicodemus, how you can be born again?

[23:54] It must have been a rude awakening to find out all these years of believing this.

[24:13] Wouldn’t even see the kingdom of God. Friend, we just echo the words of Jesus tonight.

[24:52] Message as we’ve been hearing of is not that you need a better life, but that you need a new life. That God wants to give life to that which is dead. And that’s what salvation is, being born again. The Bible says, passing from death unto life.

[26:17] Who more than I circumcised the eighth day, the exact day you’re supposed to, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, where the very first king of Israel came from, King Saul, of that tribe, an important tribe. And he would say, Hebrew of the Hebrews.

[27:13] For the excellency of the knowledge of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord.

[28:05] “‘Then Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said, “‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.’, It begins to recount the history of the people of Israel, and we won’t go through it all.

[29:16] Verse 36, For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom God raised up saw no corruption.

[30:25] Message is exactly the same. It’s not through religion. It’s not through works. It’s not through a system. It’s not through certain steps, he would say this, be it known to you that through this man, Jesus Christ, is found the forgiveness of sins. Sounds very similar to the other gospel message we have heard and we have seen preached in the book of Acts. Why? Because the gospel message doesn’t change. Doesn’t matter who’s preaching it, doesn’t matter who’s listening to it, the message is that through this man, Jesus Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin.

[31:06] That little expression throughout Scripture, when Abraham’s servant would come and find Rebekah searching for a husband for Isaac, a well-known story in the Old Testament, and the question was asked to Rebekah, will you go with this man?

[31:56] Job, the testimony of that man, maybe the first, the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job, and it speaks of his abundance of his sheep, of his camels, of his 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, a very great household, and it says this, so that this man, Job, was the greatest of all the men of these.

[32:57] Paul, a man who persecuted the followers of Jesus before he himself was born again.

[34:04] What would you do tonight with this man? Would you come to him?

[34:52] But none of you would know her like I do. Why? Because of a very personal relationship.

[35:17] And have you found the Lord Jesus Christ? because in this little sermon that Paul preached that day.

[35:24] We find three very simple things that he seemed himself appreciate about this man, Jesus Christ.

[36:03] And it went through the list of the last 10 and they would go into detail about each one and the only one that really let off the hook was Gerald Ford because he said, well he was never elected anyway so he didn’t have to make any promises.

[36:56] Promises made by a spouse, till death do us part, and a broken promise.

[37:21] You can’t hold to them. You’d like to. you. Well, there’s always something behind. There’s always a doubt that might arise from that. And tonight, we’ve heard of a promise that does not come from someone on this earth.

[38:46] Works make promises. Other people make promises. God himself makes a promise tonight.

[39:47] Day at Calvary when the people would walk by they would count the thieves one and two and they’re right in the middle the one who was numbered with the transgressors the Lord Jesus Christ the psalmist would write that they would they would part my garments and they would cast lots, they would gamble for them.

[40:17] The psalmist also would speak of the one who would suffer and it says not one of his bones would be broken and as it would come and break the legs of those other two men on the cross that day.

[40:29] They did not break the legs lord jesus christ why because he was fulfilling that prophecy he was fulfilling that promise that was made in scripture the book of zacharias speaks of they will look upon him whom they have pierced.” And even the religious there that day, no doubt, they probably were not thinking of that scripture as they pierced his hands and his feet. As a soldier thrust a spear into his side and out came blood and water. And Paul’s focus is this, and he makes sure to cover all three of these events that Jesus Christ died. And he says he was buried, he was put in a the tomb, where it says, God hath raised him up.

[41:49] That through this baptism that we preach no it doesn’t say that friend tonight i would like you just in the quietness of your own heart tonight in the seat which you are sitting just let these words resonate in your heart that through this man jesus christ through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins if you ever want to have your sins forgiven if you want to be forgiven this evening. You can be. Why? Because it’s found in this man, Jesus Christ.

[43:11] And he says this, he would say, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

[43:41] It says so clearly right here. You cannot be justified before God by those things.

Gospel tent meeting with Peter Ramsay and Kory Crawford.

[0:00] If you have a Bible with you, I’d like to read in the book of Acts this evening in chapter 10.

[0:58] It says here in Peter, Then Peter opened his mouth and said, In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, is no respecter of persons.

[1:10] But in every nation, whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him.

[2:39] Will receive remission, forgiveness of sins. What a tremendous message. It’s very interesting as we we have gone through this book of Acts to note that the preacher’s message, the disciples, the apostles’ message has not changed.

[3:51] And it shows us right here in a very sincere and simple way.

[4:17] Will receive the remission of sins, the forgiveness of sin.

[4:30] He begins with a very important message from God in verse number 34. He said this, that God is not, he shows no partiality. He is no respecter of persons. In our lives and in the society we live in, oftentimes we show partiality. Sometimes in a good sense. In Costa Rica, where you go there, I don’t think it’s the case here, but any building you would go in, bank, grocery store, whatever it it is. If a senior citizen comes and is in line, immediately they’re taken to the front of the line. When you go to the airport there, they even extend the grace they’re showing. They have a sign there about a man with a cane, someone in a wheelchair, and a pregnant woman. I don’t know how they group those three types of people together, but if you fall into any one of those categories, even with children, there’s a special line just for you to go right to the front. And having small children, oftentimes, I take advantage of the partiality that is shown right to the front of the line, without any guilt, without any shame. And we show partiality. The book of James in the Bible speaks of how easy it is to show partiality to those who are rich. We will give the rich person the better seat. But if someone came banging out the street, we would say, well, we’re all full here tonight. It.

[5:51] Happens often. Partiality showed to one another in society in which we live. But it says here so very clearly that God, the, God of heaven, He shows no partiality. He is not a respecter of person. He says that, but every nation, no matter what nation you come from, no matter what country you come from, if you were to fear Him, He would receive you.

[6:42] But he was wounded for our transgressions. I read the verse.

[8:05] But do you yourself in your own heart personally before God want peace?

[8:50] It probably gets cold there, so bring a parka. If you want peace in this earth, according to them, number one, Iceland, four years running.

[10:08] There’s only one way we can have peace with God. And Peter was preaching the message.

[10:43] The enemy of our souls, the devil. He led, as scripture says, he led captivity captive.

[11:49] Jesus Christ himself could announce it, could explain it like this.

[12:07] Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. The peace I give unto you is not the peace that the world gives.

[13:00] If that little piece of paradise of peace that you’ve enjoyed maybe your whole life in some part of New Jersey or wherever you’re from, if that were just to be taken right from under your feet and you were to come face to face with God this evening, do you still feel that peace?

[13:49] Country decides to break a pact or another country decides to invade another whatever it might be, it’s temporary. The peace offered by this world is temporary. The peace that has come maybe from your pension or your investments and you would say, I got peace knowing, I don’t have to worry where the next paycheck’s coming from, but for how long? In the blink of an eye, all could be gone.

[14:52] Peace on this earth, while a blessing to find it, it’s a rare thing.

[15:34] What’s the cost of peace? You know, many billions, if not trillions of dollars have went in to try to secure peace in this world.

[15:50] Maybe it’s a money well spent, and maybe it is. It’s nice to live in peace, but it’s a tangible number.

[17:12] And it says he died and the Lord raised him up.

[18:19] You may say, what about my religion? What about the things I’ve done?

[19:37] What great deed could you ever convince him with that he has not already done?

[19:53] And he offers it, peace tonight. And we find out how, as he said in this last part of verse 43 that he spoke about.

[20:33] Where do you find yourself tonight?

[20:49] Or you stand before God condemned, guilty, trusting in self, trusting in works, trusting in origin.

[22:17] And so for that, we understand why it was that Jesus shed his blood.

[23:12] There’s a very famous preacher, the name of D.L. Moody, who recounted a time when he was, called to a maximum security prison there in the state of Illinois, and the governor of that state, had spoken with him, and he was friends with the chaplain, with the pastor of that prison, and he said, I want to release five men, give a pardon to five men based on good behavior in six months, but don’t tell any of the prisoners. And as you’re spending time with the prisoners, and you’ll have to pick out the five that have displayed the best behavior.

[24:33] Then the commissioner held out the first name and he gave it to the chaplain and he read it out.

[24:53] He looked at the name again to make sure he had it right and he yelled out again in a loud voice, Reuben Johnson, come forward and receive your pardon.

[25:05] The men all looked around, looking at one another, and eventually it was the cellmate of Reuben Johnson, who noticed him also, Reuben Johnson, looking around all the prisoners, and he nudged him.

[26:25] And friend, tonight in the very same sense this evening, Jesus Christ has a pardon with your name on it. He paid it in full.

[26:38] Would you receive it? It says, whosoever believes in him will receive the forgiveness of sins.

[27:34] Do you have peace?

[28:09] They may have tears, their pillows may get wet, but they are right with God.

[29:25] Say, well, down the road, it should all work out. No, that’s not what you’ve been hearing.

[30:08] People say, well, it’d be nice to know what the cure is, but you know, cankers go away in a day or two and we can all live with cankers.

[30:59] Do you know this? I was thinking, cancer as bad as cancer is, all a cancer can do to any one of us is take us to the grave, to the cemetery.

[32:14] But in an audience, I want you to listen to this, in an audience this size, It’s highly probable that at least one person that’s in this tent tonight will never be in heaven.

[33:17] There are many heartbreaking stories in the Bible, but this one stands out in particular.

[33:54] But when he weighed it all up, he turned around. With tears in his eyes, he walked away from Jesus.

[34:14] Will it be you? Mark chapter 10, verse 17. When he was gone forth, when Jesus was gone forth into the way, There came one running and kneeled.

[35:26] And so he says, verse 20, he answered and said unto him, master, all these have I observed from my youth.

[35:44] Jesus, standing on the road, and a young man anxiously wanting eternal life, eye to eye.

[36:48] And if you want to do some research after this gospel tent service and look up the original word for grieved in the Greek language, that young man didn’t go away whistling Dixie, turn his back on Jesus laughing.

[38:01] Oh, I just think I’ll carry on.

[39:17] We’re dealing with things that are very, very, very important tonight.

[40:26] And he looks at all these things, and then he thinks, but I don’t have eternal life.

[41:10] Would you like eternal life? Do you know eternal life isn’t passed out after someone dies?

[42:01] You must have eternal life in this life, or you’ll never have it for eternity. This man, I don’t know whether it was a dream.

[42:41] Something woke this man up. How do I know he was awakened? Something was missing in his life?

[43:37] Did you ever run for eternal life? Or maybe not physically, but did you ever come to a tent service like this and say, Oh, I have to get eternal life.

[44:43] And a lot of people stumble over that. I wonder if you’re stumbling over it.

[45:16] You can’t gain eternal life, you are given eternal life. So there’s one thing missing in his life, there was one thing wrong in his thinking, there was also one thing hidden in his heart.

[45:56] Don’t commit adultery.

[47:03] This man wasn’t honest. You see, people don’t like, sometimes when we speak from the Bible like this, and they don’t like reading the Bible because you know what the Bible does?

[47:54] He was nothing he could do, what he was lacking, he was lacking honesty, he was lacking eternal life.

[49:22] And I remember that she came to one more meeting, laughing and talking and said goodbye.

[50:38] He realized my money is more important. Money is a God of my life.

[51:20] That is the one thing, if we could roll back the curtains of eternity 2,000 years later, and talk to that man in his 40s that came to Jesus on the road that day and say, Sir, do you have any regrets about the choice you made on the road that day?

Gospel tent meeting with Peter Ramsay and Kory Crawford.

[0:00] Now, we’re going to read in the New Testament in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 23.

[1:07] The moment you receive God’s son as your savior, that is the moment when you will be forgiven of your sins.

[1:42] Oh, I don’t know about that. Why? Why don’t you know about it?

[3:08] Or the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

[3:40] I believe it is only the King James Version that retains the word Calvary.

[4:30] But tonight I’m just going to call it Calvary. And it’s the only reference, that’s the only time you read about Calvary as that word, the Latin word.

[4:43] And I want you to think about what happened. Why would we speak about that one place?

[6:03] They said, if you look closely at the rock, it looks like a skull.

[7:02] You know, when I was asking Joy to marry me, it was pretty primitive.

[8:27] Hands spread upon a cross, blood flowing from his head, his hands, his feet.

[8:39] God is love, friend, and he gave his son a sacrifice for our sins.

[8:52] You may think he’s a mean-spirited, capricious God, but the God of the Bible is a God.

[10:21] He just plowed his fist into a police officer the weekend before.

[11:13] Here’s what 1 John 3, verse 16 says, hereby perceive we the love of God Here is how we know, this is how we see the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.

[12:19] Does it mean anything to you?

[13:29] We try to put our best foot forward all the time, in front of our family, in front of our friends, our coworkers, but have you ever seen the dark side of yourself?

[14:15] Was a big writing across this tent wall. Have you ever faced that reality inside?

[14:30] There is what the Bible calls sin, just lurking below the veneer of our niceness.

[15:57] These are human beings. They’re not locked up in a maximum security prison.

[16:04] Why do people do stuff like that? A Miami-based hotel manager said, when people check into a hotel, they do things they would never do at home.

[17:01] Have you ever faced that reality? I don’t know whether there’s anybody here 81 or more. 81?

[18:09] They look like honorable, respectable engineers and business people dressed up in business suits carrying attaché cases, but where did that come from?

[18:34] That’s what we did. Who did that?

[18:51] Was it the animal kingdom that crucified Jesus, that spit in his face?

[18:59] It wasn’t the result of a natural disaster that took place at Calvary.

[20:26] Here’s what happened beyond the spit, beyond the blood, beyond the nails, beyond the crown of thorns.

[21:31] What a load Jesus took on himself at the cross. The Bible says, the Lord laid on him, on him, the iniquity of us all.

[22:30] There’s no one in New Jersey, no one in the New England states, no one in this part of your country, no one anywhere in the world, no one is excluded from God’s love and what we’re offering to you this evening. No one, all can be accepted, no matter who the person is, no matter what they’ve done, regardless of their lifestyle. Every single one, it’s Calvary at the cross is a place of the sinner’s broadest acceptance.

[23:53] If you could discover it was for me, yes, all for me. Oh, love of God, so great, so free!

[24:22] Thanks again everyone for coming tonight somehow. This is round two and a different language, so, Thank you for those who have stayed as well from the Spanish gospel meeting, and despite the change of language, maybe, the message has not changed. And so we’re going to keep thinking about where even the place that we have been hearing already of tonight, Calvary we’re gonna read here of a preacher who preached to a man this same message and, And we’re gonna start in at verse number 26, and the verses before which we won’t have time to read, we read about an evangelist by the name of Philip.

[25:01] And at least for the third time here, he’s gonna preach to somebody and his message has not changed.

[26:08] Heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, do you understand what you are reading?

[27:21] And you might read the words that we have read in Isaiah and say, maybe the prophet was speaking, about himself and that’s what he asked this man. And what was his reply?

[28:27] And here we’ve read of a man who was reading famous scripture from the book of Isaiah.

[29:56] Nothing special about that. And inside that church, they would preach prosperity.

[31:16] Him. We preach Christ, crucify. And two just very simple things we encounter in the passage that we have read tonight. First of all, we read a man who was seeking, a seeking man, a, a searching man, a man who was not satisfied in the current state that he was in.

[31:45] Despite maybe the facade, the charade, that the mask you have put on to maybe family or friends, your parents, your spouses, your children, that all is well, things are good with God.

[32:42] There’s only one who can save you. There’s only one who can give you everlasting life.

[33:49] I wonder what he was maybe even writing down on parchment, what he would tell the queen of his time in Jerusalem.

[34:46] Why? Because God is not willing that any should perish. And friends, I don’t know where you’ve come from, what it’s cost you, the journey you’ve taken to even just be in this tent this evening, maybe far from home.

[35:31] You know, if this man had continued on his journey and he had gone home and he hadn’t heard about Christ, that emptiness still would have been there.

[36:28] He was a seeking man. He was looking. It said he was searching the Scriptures.

[37:21] But as he’s reading, it says he wants to know what they mean.

[38:13] You can read throughout the whole Bible, and the only place you’re going to find peace in, is the sufficient saint, the one who we read about here in Isaiah 53, and there was a few verses they leave us with, but he speaks of the suffering of the Savior.

[38:57] Not to be served, not to be patted in the back, not to be put in the high place.

[40:23] Deceit, who when he was reviled, Jesus Christ, when he was reviled, reviled not in return.

[40:52] Very few recorded words of Jesus Christ on the cross.

[41:20] He was a man who suffered, he was a man who was silent, but as this eunuch, this man from Ethiopia would arrive at these verses, he would conclude this, there was a man who died.

[42:28] When you make a soul an offering for sin, he shall see a seed, he shall prolong his days.

[43:28] Maybe he would recount the words of John the Baptist just back and that he would have, that had been spreading around as the gospel message would be preached, one of the first encounters publicly with the Lord Jesus Christ.

[43:54] Back in 1857, in Crystal Palace in England, there was a famous preacher by the name of Charles Spurgeon who went to the location where he was planning to preach the following night and he would always go and is said to check the acoustics of the area, to test what kind of sound.

[45:14] From very far away in the building that I was cleaning, And he proclaimed something about the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin in the world.

[45:35] When Charles Spurgeon preached that in that building the next day to a crowd of 23,634 people.

[46:48] King Solomon, the greatest king that ever reigned on this earth, it is said.

[47:42] But when I received it for myself, I realized the half wasn’t told me.