Walla Walla Conference: 1969, What Is Man (2:6)
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
I'd like you to turn with me tonight to the book of Job and the 7th chapter. That's immediately before the Psalms. Job Chapter 7 beginning at the 11TH verse. Therefore I will not reprain my mouth, I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am IA sea or a whale that thou settest to watch over me when I say, my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint. Then thou scares me with dreams. And terrifies me through visions so that my soul chews a strangle. Death rather than my life. I love it. I would not live always. Let me alone, for my days are vanity. What is man that thou shouldest magnify him, and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him, and that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment? How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone, till I swallow down my. I have sinned. What shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of man? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? And why dost thou not for pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I sleep in the dust, and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. I'd like to turn over to Hebrews and the second chapter. Hebrews, chapter 2. Beginning at the sixth verse, but one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man? That thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels. Thou crownest him with glory and honour, and did set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him. He laughed nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man, For it became Him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory. To make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one. For which 'cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And just one more passage in Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes we are healed all. We, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone his, his own way. To his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. The 11TH verse. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied by his knowledge. Shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities well. Dear friends, in the 7th chapter of Job. And also in the 2nd chapter of Hebrews you find that expression. What is man? And I'm sure that you have wondered, why should God be concerned about us? You know, in these times when men are thinking of going to the moon and probably will be able to get there, when they talk about traveling through space and to the planets, it's true that man looks very small. He's a very, very small part of God's vast creation. But you know God has his eye upon man. As it tells us in this chapter, He is the preserver. As another translation puts it, He is the observer of man. He is looking down upon this world, and He is observing you. You are not a stranger to Him. He knows all about you. There's not a secret in your life that is not fully known to Him. The Bible says all things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him.
With whom we have to do. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus when he was here and when he stood under the tree. I don't suppose he ever thought that he got up in the tree that the Lord would ever notice him. But the Lord stopped under the tree, called him by name, and said, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down. When the Lord Jesus talked to that woman in the 4th of John, she thought he was just a Jew, a stranger to her. But what a surprise to find that that person knew all about her, could open the page of her life and tell everything that had ever happened, everything that she had done. She said, come see a man that told me all things ever I did. And what I want to say before we begin this meeting is that although you may feel very small and insignificant and you may feel that you're not noticed in this room, the eye of the. Creator of this vast universe is upon you, and he's looking down upon you tonight. And there isn't a sin in your life that he doesn't know about. There isn't a sorrow in your life that He doesn't know all about it. And He's fully acquainted with everything that you've said and done and thought. And my dear friend, does this make you afraid? When Job was talking about it, we can see that this was a source of great trouble. To him that God should be observing him, he said. Why should it be? Oh my friend, God is observing you because he wants to bless you. He wants to bless you. The most marvelous truth in the whole Bible is that God should look down upon this world of sin, send his Son here to die and save people from this earth to be companions. Of His beloved Son in glory for all eternity. And he's looking upon you tonight. He knows your name and I trust that you'll realize that He has a message for your soul. What a wonderful thing it would be if you should have to do with Him tonight. It says, acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace. Well, let us notice a little of the details here in this 7th chapter of Job. It says in this 11TH verse where we began. Therefore I will not refrain my mouth. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul, that Job had been a very wealthy man. He was a man that had more than most people, and God had taken away all his wealth. He'd had a nice family of 10 children. God had taken away his children. He had had good health and God had taken away his health. And it may be that you have come into difficulties like this and you say, well, I don't know why so many mishaps have come in my life. I can't understand why. God should take any notice. In fact, perhaps you say I don't believe that he's concerned about whether I have wealth or haven't, or whether I have good health or whether I have not. I don't believe that he takes any notice. And your soul is filled with bitterness as to why you have had so much trouble. Well, in this message, especially for you, this was exactly the position in which Job was found in this chapter. And God has written this book. It's often a marvel to me as I read it. 42 Chapters about the sickness of one man and what he said, what his friends said, how he was finally brought to repentance and how in the end God blessed him. Wouldn't it be very interesting to you if God should write 42 Chapters in His Word about your life and about some sickness and trouble that you had? You might say, well, I didn't know that he'd be so interested. In things like that, dear friend, the Bible has an exceedingly personal message. Perhaps you've often heard the speaker say you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, your personal Savior. Many people know about Christ prophetically, and they know about him historically, but they've never had any personal dealing with him.
They never have received him and just to know about him. Historically will never, never save your soul. Perhaps you say, well, I believe in Christ. Do you believe in him historically or do you believe in him personally? You know, when I went to school, I learned that Christopher Columbus came over and discovered this country in 1492. I never doubted that. I believe it's a fact, but it doesn't mean a thing to me. That's just history. But I found out in my Bible that God's beloved Son came down here and died for me, and that means everything to me. I believe it, but I believe it personally. It is the thing that has brought to me the knowledge that the One who created me, who gives me life and breath and all things, should love me enough that His own Son left heaven above. So that I might be up there as his companion for all eternity. Isn't that wonderful? Well, now here God has recorded the feelings that Job had in his trouble, and perhaps you have said much the same thing. First of all, he didn't think he would say very much. But now he said, I'm not going to refrain, I'm going to speak out. And he speaks out and he complaints against God. Why should God have allowed all this? Have you ever done that? Has some trouble come in your life and you started by blaming God? God, it's nothing new, my friend. It's the very thing that Adam did away back in the garden. He blamed God for giving him Eve to be his companion. He said the woman who now gave us to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat. He blamed God for the companion that he had given to him. And perhaps you've often done the same thing. You've complained in the bitterness of your soul. And the 12TH verse he says am IA sea or a whale that thou settest to watch over me. Well, a whale is a very large fish, as we know that swims in the sea. And he said, has God got his eye upon me because I'm like a whale, that I'm someone big. All he has is eye upon you, not because you're a big object that has attracted his notice, but he has his eye upon you because he loves you. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And then in the 13th verse he said, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint. So when the day came to an end. And all his troubles and sorrows bothered him through the day. Well, he said. Perhaps I'll go to bed and I'll forget all about it. And maybe you've done that. You've gone to bed and you've said, oh, I'd just like to forget all about my troubles, and I'd like to forget all about God having anything to do with those troubles. Well, Job tried this too, and he thought I'll lay down and I'll go to sleep and just forget all about it. But he said then now scares me with dreams and terrifies me through visions. Oh yes, sometimes God does speak through dreams. Perhaps there are boys and girls here and you've had dreams, perhaps dreams that the Lord Jesus had come, perhaps dreams about this or that that have been used of God to speak to you. For it says in the 33rd chapter of Job, God speaketh once, yeah twice at man. Perceiveth it not in a dream when deep sleep falleth upon man, then he. Years of man. And so God speaks in that way. And Job thought, well, that dream is just a chance. I'm just scared by it. Oh no, my friend, God speaks in different ways. And if you don't listen to his voice in one thing, he may speak a little louder. In that 33rd chapter of Job, it speaks of how God first speaks through dreams. Then it goes on to say that he speaks through sickness. And then it goes on to tell us why he does it. It says in that 33rd chapter of Job that he might withdraw a man from his purpose and hide pride from man, that he might deliver him from going down to the pit because he has found a ransom. And if God has spoken to you in a dream, that's a very gentle way. Perhaps the next time he speaks, it'll be a little louder.
When your mother wants to get your attention and you don't. When she speaks softly, she may speak a little louder the next time. And the next time, perhaps you'll have to catch you by the arm. But God doesn't want to have to speak loudly to you. He wants to speak gently to you. He wants to speak to you in love. And perhaps as you sit on your seat tonight, you're enjoying good health. Well, he doesn't want to have to allow you to have a car accident where you're smashed up. He doesn't want you to come into some terrible calamity before you listen to His voice. He wants to speak to you tonight. Boys and girls, he wants to speak to you, to them tonight, friends, that you should turn to him while you have your health and strength and receive this great salvation that he has. But he does have an interest in you. He cares about you. And so he says, so that my soul choose a strangling and death rather than life. Here was a man so discouraged, he said, I'd like to die. And there's a great many people, and they're not only old people, there's a great many young people that are thoroughly frustrated. They say, what is life all about? It's hardly worth living. And I wish I could die, all dear friends. It would be no kindness for you to die in your sins. If you're still alive tonight, thank God for it, because as long as you're alive, there's hope for you. While you're still here in this room, drawing your breath, you can be saved. But once you have passed beyond the portals of death, it's forever too late. There's no hope. Then it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment. The number of suicides are constantly increasing. Because people think that by putting an end to life, that's the end of everything. But oh, if you die in your sins, it's far worse after you'll leave this world than while you're here. That man in the 16th chapter of Luke, when he had died and he found himself in the next World, was it easy? Was it pleasant? Could he look back and say, well, he moved all my troubles now? People say when you when you die, you're dead a long time. You ask, your body may lie in the grave a long time because if you die in your sins it won't be raised for at least 1000 years. But that's only your body my friend. Your soul will not be there. It says in the 16th chapter of Luke the rich man died and was buried. His body perhaps was under 6 feet of ground and perhaps his friends were saying he's going to be a long time dead. But his spirit wasn't there. His soul wasn't there. And he was in a place of conscious torment and he was wishing that he had the opportunity that you're having tonight. And more than this, he asked that a message would be sent to his living relatives that they might not come to that place of torment. Wouldn't it be a terrible thing to think that tonight if you have a relative that died unsaved, that perhaps right now in hell? He's asking that you would hear the gospel. And that you would be saved. Isn't that a tremendous thought, that right at this moment, while we're having a gospel meeting, there may be somebody in hell that's asking that you won't come to that place of torment? Oh, friends, these are realities. God has told us in his word about these things. He doesn't hide the facts from us. Sometimes people don't like to face realities. Why are people taking dope? And why are they going? All the funny things they're doing today, they don't want to face reality. They don't want to face up to the fact of what life really is, and so they're trying to find some way of escaping the realities of life. The question is the only one who is able to face up with the realities of life, and why? Because he knows the one in whose hand his life and his breath is, and he knows that person is his father. Oh, isn't that Graham? The person who holds my life, who gives me help or takes. From me who gives me money or takes it, from me who gives me my family or takes them from me? That one is the one whom I can look up and say he's my father. He gave his son to die for me. He has an interest in me. And so the Christian can face reality. He doesn't mean to do something to escape reality, because God has told us these things in his Word and he has brought us.
Relationship with himself. Well, poor Job, he chose death rather than life. But it's a good thing he didn't die then, because he lived to thank God for all these troubles. If you go to the end of the book, you'll see that in the end he said that he repented and abhorred himself and dust and ashes, and that God blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning. And someday you may thank God for some of the troubles that you have. You may not realize them now, but someday, perhaps you'll thank God. I remember talking to a man who had a broken back down in Kentucky many years ago. Perhaps some here might have known him. His name was McDaniel, and this poor boy was in a wheelchair for 20 years while I visited him just after his back was broken. And this is what he said to me. He said God had to break my back. To save my soul. There he was in that wheelchair with a broken back. He was a cripple the rest of his life, but he had no complaints against God for that broken back. He thanked God for that. Another man wrote a little poem, A shattered reckoner. Am I enjoying now a chair to sit and sing the whole day long to him who placed me there? Contend A shattered wreck to be because my God. It pleaseth they. Why could he talk that way? He was saved by the accident that put him in that wheelchair. Ah, dear friend, but God has his way in troubles, and don't turn against him. The greatest victory of Satan is to get people to turn against God when trouble comes. The Bible says the people turn not to him. That smiteth him. You know I'm a father. And I'm sorry to say that I've had to punish my children and I never wanted them to turn. Away from me, when I punished them, I always wanted them to turn to me. I always wanted them to know that I did it for their good. I always wanted them to know that I did it in love. I remember one time I punished one of them and she turned to me and she said, Daddy, do you still love me? It nearly broke my heart because I wanted her to know that it was not in love. And when she questioned the fact that I had done it. In some other way and that I didn't love her because I had. Punished her. It just made me feel terrible. And I took her and hugged her and assured her that I did love her. And dear friend, that's what God wants to do to you. He wants to take you up in His very arms tonight. And He doesn't want you to ever entertain the thought that if troubles have come into your life, it's because He's against you. He's for you. And if you won't listen to the still small voice, He may speak louder, but it'll be to do you good at your latter. And notice what he goes on complaining. He said I loathe it. I would not live all the way. Let me alone for my days are vanity and truly as far as our days here are concerned, they are a vanity if we don't have Christ. God allowed one man to have everything he wanted. That was King Solomon. You know, he actually said I withheld not my heart from any joy. There wasn't a single. Thing that he wanted that he had to say, well, I can't have that. I don't have enough money. I don't have enough influence to get it. Whatever he wanted, he could have. Perhaps there are young people here and you think, well, that would be wonderful if I could just have everything. If there wasn't a thing that anybody said no, and that I could just have it and enjoy it, why I think I really would be happy. Well, God let this man have all that he wanted of everything he wanted. And when he had it all, you know what he said? He said all his vanity and vexation of spirit, it didn't satisfy him. And then in the New Testament, he allowed a man to be saved, and he took away from him all the things that he might have wanted as a natural man. And he found himself in a Roman prison under the most cruel emperor that ever sat upon a throne mural. Deprived of all the material. Things that constitute happiness and man's natural life. And there in that prison he had happiness. He held up his hand in front of King Agrippa, who was a great king. And he said, I think myself happy, King Abraham. And when King Agrippa said to him, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian, he said, I would to God, that not only thou, but all would hear me this day.
Were both almost and altogether such. As I am, except these bonds, the man that had everything said all his vanity and vexation of spirit, the man that was deprived of everything could be so happy that he could stand in front of a king and say, I wish you had what I have, dear friend, material things will not bring you happiness. It's true that life is vanity. It's a it's just a a bubble that bursts and. As you get older, you realize it more and more. Life just goes by like a Weaver shuttle, as as another said, it passes away. And if you don't have Christ, it's just full of frustrations. It's full of mysteries. It's full of disappointments. And here is a man and God has allowed it to be written in his word so that you would realize that the experiences that young people are going through and older people are going through today are nothing new. They're the. Answers of man on the Earth all through history. This world cannot satisfy. God has made your heart and mind so that this world is not enough to fill it. He has made our hearts so that He alone can fill the heart. The one who made your heart can fill it, but no one else can. And all the material things of life cannot. For my days are vanity. And now he says, what is man? That thou shouldest magnify him, and that thou should have set thy heart upon him. Now you know we're living in times when many people say that God is dead. Some people will say, well, we believe there must have been a supreme being who created everything, but as to him having any interest in individuals or men or what they're doing on this earth, but we believe that he doesn't have any particular interest in men. Now this is really the thought that he's brought up, brought out here. He says, well, he recognized God as Creator, but he said, what is man that thou shouldest magnify him? Thou should have set thy heart upon him. In other words, to put it very simply, he said, Well, what is man of God? The Creator should care about him. What should he care about him? All he cares about you because he wants you to be his companion in glory. If there's somebody in this room tonight that you love, you care about them. You care whether they're happy, you'll care whether they're sick, you'll care about everything that's concerning them if you love them. And dear friend, God cares about you, He cares about you and. Think that man, although he's such a small part of God's vast universe, he is not an object of interest to the heart of God. Because, as we shall see shortly, God has proven His interest in man in that he himself became a man in the person of Christ. I heard about a missionary and he was talking to some of the heathen about God coming down as a man in this world, and they couldn't quite understand it. It was a little fly crawling across the table, he said. How could I show any interest in that fly? He brought his finger down, and then, of course, in a moment, the fly flew away. Why, I suppose that to the fly it looked like a giant. And this man's hand coming down immediately he was afraid. And he said if I could become a family, I could go up to that fly and it wouldn't be scared because I've come to it just as it is. Oh, isn't it a marvelous thing, dear friend, to think that the creator of this universe? To show his pleasure. Man, he became a man, and the Son of God was born to this world, a baby in Bethlehem's Manger, and at his birth the announcement was made. We bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. So when it says here what is man, God has shown his interest in man. In that he himself became a man in the person of Christ and died that we might be saved. Let us just go on for a moment and see a little more of how he complaints, he said in 1000. Shoulders visit him every morning and try him every moment.
Perhaps you say, well I have experienced a lot of days like that. It just seems that Sundays everything goes wrong as though God were trying me every moment. Not one thing in the whole day seemed to go right. It just seemed as if God allowed everything and people say well that was my bad day or something. Oh friends, God's hand is in everything that happens. And even we as Christians, he wants us to realize that we can't pass one day happily independent of him. Independent of him. God has not given us a life that's independent of him. He has given us a life that is constantly dependent upon Him. And so, as it was said to Nebuchadnezzar, which I already quoted. The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy. My way cast thou not glorified you and I have a dependent life. There's a verse in Job that says if God thought only of himself and gathered unto himself his breath and his spirit, all flesh should perish together and man should return again to the dust. Yes, God has given man a dependent life and you have a life and that is sustained of God. And you need to know that one. You need to know His love. Love to find happiness. There's no happiness apart from him. And so it goes on, and it says, How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone, till I swallow down my spittle? What a terrible thing do you want God to depart from you? I'd like to quote you a verse in Hosea. And it says, Woe unto them in that day when I depart from them. Would you like God to depart from you? Would you like him to leave you alone? Would you like him to stop troubling you and bothering you, scaring you with dreams and letting you hear a gospel preacher like you're hearing tonight that makes you feel uncomfortable? Would you like him to leave you alone? Oh dear friend, it's a terrible thing when you have such a desire that you would like him to depart from you. There's a day coming, and it speaks of it in. Gospel of Matthew, when God will have to say to some, depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And if you say depart from me, and you don't turn in repentance and receive Christ as your Savior, I want to warn you solemnly that someday you'll have your desire and God will have to say to you, depart from me. And you'll find what it means to be shut out from the presence of God forever. What a terrible choice. But such is the heart of man away from God. But all he's seeking you from. The very first words that God spoke after sin entered were Adam, Where art thou, where art thou, and tonight. He's asking you that question. Where are you? Are you hiding from God? Are you running away from God? God all, he's seeking you, He's wanting to bless you. Now notice in the 20th verse, I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver or observer of man, why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? And why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity? He said, I know I have sinned, but why doesn't God overlook my sin? Why is he concerned? About my sin, all friends. This brings in the wonderful truth of the gospel. God is a God of light as well as a God of love. God cannot Passover sin. God cannot treat sin lightly or indifferently. When His own Son was bearing sin upon the cross, God turned away his face. And it tells us that in those hours of darkness, while the Lord Jesus was suffering for sin. Now that he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Oh, friend, God cannot pardon your sin except through the work of His Son. And if you just think, well, God should just forget about the fact that I'm a Sinner. I know I'm a Sinner, but why should that concern me? Why should God be concerned over that? Oh friend, He is concerned about it, and he's so concerned about it that He loved you enough to send His Son to make the payment for your sins. It tells us in Hebrews 2.
Every transgression and disobedience must receive a just recompense of reward. And I want to tell you, as our brother said last night, God will not Passover one sin, not one. Every sin must be punished. But we who are believers can say that our sins were punished upon the head of our blessed spotless substitute on Calvary's cross. And that's why I read that in the 53rd of Isaiah it says, the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isn't it grand? I've often said, if I had to confess all my sins to have them forgiven. Why I couldn't remember them all? I couldn't remember all the wrong things I've done, and more than this, I'm sure there are things that in God's sight are sin that I might not realize are sin. I would be in a very helpless position if I had to recall all my sins, have them all forgiven. But what happened at the cross? Oh, God himself, who knew the whole record, He is the one that put my sins on Jesus and the Lord Jesus for the full punishment for those sins and said it is finished. And the reason that I'm going to be with Christ in glory is not because I've remembered all my sins because I couldn't, but because God himself. Put my sins upon the head of the Lord. Jesus and punished him in my place. And so He has forgiven my sins. He hasn't just passed over them. He took them. He laid them upon Christ. And tonight I can tell you that for me, judgment is past. I have told this little incident before, but it's with joy that I look back at the time I went to see a dear Christian man who was dying in the hospital in Ottawa. And the very last time I went to visit him, he was so weak that he could hardly speak above a whisper. And he looked up with a smile on his face in his weakness. And he said, Gordon, isn't it lovely to know the judgments behind you and not ahead of you? Ah friend, that's what I want to bring before you tonight. When the Lord Jesus died, he died for our sins, and those who have trusted him as Savior can say judgments behind. Don't just take this vague idea that God in some vague, uncertain way is going to just forget about your sins. Sin must be punished. But if you take Christ as your Savior, you can look back to Calvary's cross and say it was all settled there. It was all settled there, all glorious. In fact, oh, how many people would just like to say, well, why does God bother about me? Why is he concerned that I'm a Sinner? All friends have cost him more than I can tell you to be concerned about the fact that I was a Sinner. The Lord Jesus sweat great drops of blood over my sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. It concerned him that I was a Sinner, but he loved me enough to go on to Calvary's cross and die. And I'd like to turn over to those verses we read in the second chapter. Of Hebrews that bring this out so nicely. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse. 6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man? That thou art mindful of him? Are the Son of man that thou visitest him? Now you remember how Job said, What is man? In other words, why should God be concerned about man? They're such small creatures in his vast universe, why should he be bothered about them? Or does it concern him that they're in trouble? While here we read about a verse that says what is man and then it talks about another man. Who is the man that is talking about here? Well, I'd like to quote another verse about this man and it's in Acts chapter 13. It says, Be at moon unto you men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from the which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. Here was a man down here in this world. Who was that man? He was both God and man. He was God the Son in manhood form down here in this world. What was he here for? Well, it tells us. Notice this the the seventh verse. Thou madest him a little lower than the angels, but thou crownest him with glory and honor.
And then the 7th, the ninth verse. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. Oh, isn't this marvelous? This person became a man. What for? To show God's interest in man. But more than this. To die as a man on Calvary's cross. And that blessed man, God's beloved Son, who was once nailed to the cross of Calvary, has exhausted the judgment of God against sin. He has borne it. He's tasted death for every man, for everything. This whole creation has been ruined. Not only has man been ruined by sin, but you haven't got to walk very far till you see everywhere the results of sin. Maybe before you get home, you'll see a dog in suffering. Maybe before you get home you'll see some blight, some trees. This whole world has been spoiled by sin. But God became a man not only to save your soul, but He is going to bring in a new creation scene of glory where there will be nothing of sin or its results. Oh, he must be very interested in men. He must be very interested in man, that he not only go to the cross and die for you personally, but that he should make a new heavens and a new earth and place redeemed man upon it to enjoy that which is the result of His finished work for all eternity. Oh friend, what a wonderful savior we have to speak of tonight. Do you know him? Are you acquainted with Him? This proclamation of pardon goes out to you, be it known unto you men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Wouldn't you like to be forgiven tonight? Wouldn't you like to know that that whole unhappy record of sin has been forever removed? And more than this, it says by him all that believe are justified from all things. You know, friends, justification goes farther than forgiveness. I've often used this illustration. Supposing I went into broke into a store and I stole $100, I'm a thief. Well, perhaps the man, out of the kindness of his heart, might forgive me. He might forgive me. Well, I tell you, every time I met him on the street, I'd feel very uncomfortable. I'd think, oh, he's forgiven me. But I know what he thinks about me. He looks on me as a forgiven thief, a rogue. Even Lois forgiven me. Dear friend, God doesn't look on me only as a forgiven thief. Supposing that man, when he forgave me, he said to me like this, He said, now I've got more to say than this. I not only have forgiven you. But I want you to know that every time I meet you, I'm going to look upon you with all the love, with all the affection of my own son. I'll never look on you just as a forgiven thief. It's true you are forgiven. But I want you to know I look at you with all the affection and love of my own son. Dear friend, that's what justification is. And every believer stands before God in a life that never sinned at all. And so it tells us in Ephesians chapter 1. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, 1 And tonight I'm not only forgiven, but I'm justified, and God looks upon me as being in all the acceptance of His own blessed Son. Isn't that good news? Is God interested in men? You say what is God concerned about men for? Friendly is concerned about you to bless you He's concerned about. To forgive you. He's concerned about you, to have you before Him in such a way that you can enjoy His presence and all His gracious provision for all eternity. Can you turn your back upon a Savior like this? The little hymn says. Can you reject such wondrous love? Can you? It's powerless. On come give your all and gratitude. Nor leave him thus alone. He died alone for you on Calvary. He bore the wrath and judgment of God alone because you and I could never exhaust it. But He doesn't want to spend eternity alone. He wants you to be His companion. And so it goes on to say that we see Him crowned with glory and honor. Where is Jesus tonight? He's not in the grave. He's a risen Savior. He was delivered for our offenses, and He was raised again for our justification. And what's He doing now?
Notice the next verse. 10th verse For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things. In bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering, perhaps you have taken the Lord as your Savior. But there's a long journey ahead. If the Lord doesn't come, you might say, I don't know what I'll do. In the next year, if the Lord leaves me here, well, I want to tell you more, friend, the one that saved you. Is the captain of your salvation. He died for you, but he lives for you. He lives for you. He's up in heaven tonight as our great high priest. And seeing he was once a man down here, it says he's able to succor those that are tempted. He knows all that you have to pass through. And tomorrow when you try to confess Christ to your friends and they laugh at you, he'll say, I know what it feels like. They laughed at me too, but I'll help you. I'll give you the grace, friend. He's the captain of our salvation. And how far is he going to bring us? Oh, he's an all the way home Savior. There may be people that say, well, after you're saved, you have to do the rest yourself. God has done his part. You have to do yours. But that's not the kind of a savior that God has provided. He's an all the way home Savior. When he saves you, He places you on his shoulders and He'll never let you go. Was the sheep that was picked up holding onto the shepherd? No friends, The shepherd was holding on to the sheep. And how far is the captain of our salvation going to take us? He's bringing many sons. Unto glory. That's how far He's going to take you, my friend. He'll take you all the way home. And I know this, that if I couldn't be sure of this, I wouldn't dare to stand before you tonight, because I haven't got any strength of my own even since I've been saved. But I know that blessed Savior has picked me up, and He has told me in His Word I give unto them eternal. And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. What a blessed Savior to know what is man? What is man? Oh, you say man so insignificant, He's so small. But I want to tell you about another man. The first man certainly is very small. He crucified his very Creator when he came down here. The Bible says they crucified the Lord of glory. But what about this second man? What about this glorious man, this God man, this wonderful Savior? Friends, tonight by faith we see Him crowned with glory and honor. By faith, we look up and we see Him there. And if you need strength for the pathway, He'll help you all the way through. Let me sing again. He is and all the way home. Savior, perhaps you see some difficulties. Remember when Naaman was cleansed, he immediately. Some difficulties, he said. My master is going to expect me to go into the House of the idol. I don't know how I'm going to fare in this difficult situation, the Prophet said Go in peace, go in peace. How can he say that? Well, because when the Lord saves you, He doesn't just leave you to have to face the difficulties alone. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. And I know that you'll have some difficulties ahead. I have some difficulties ahead. Every Christian does. The path of following Christ is not an easy one. But we have a strength. We have a Savior. We have one who's carrying us on His shoulders of strength, the captain of our salvation. He knows every. Situation and he will carry it through all friend. Will you trust him tonight? Will you just open your heart and receive him? With loving arms he's holding them out, and he's saying, Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Won't you trust him tonight? Won't you yield to Him? He's done all that's necessary for your salvation. He hasn't left a thing for you to do but to just say I'm a bankrupt Sinner. But Lord Jesus, I'll take thee as my Savior tonight and he'll do it all. What a Savior. May you receive him. Trust him tonight. But all if you reject him, there's no other way. But the judgment is ahead of you, friend, judgment is ahead. And all solemn awful reality that Jesus said that if you die in your sins, you can't be there, you can't be there. Oh, don't reject him, don't spurn his love and don't say tomorrow, because tomorrow's sun may never rise to bless thy long deluded soul. Don't put it off. The Lord may come death.
Overtake you Receive him tonight. Now it's the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. So we sing that little hymn #1 on our hem sheet. Almost persuaded now to believe. Almost persuaded Christ to receive. Seems now some soul to say, Go, spirit, go thy way. Some more convenient day on thee I'll call. I hope there'll be no one here almost persuaded. You remember what Paul said to Agrippa? He Agrippa said almost Thou persuadest me. And Paul said, I would to God, that thou Wert almost and altogether such as I am. And tonight I want you to be altogether persuaded that this Savior is your Savior, that he died for you. So as we sing this hymn, think of these solemn realities and just receive him into your heart. Number one.