My text this morning is Genesis 3 and verse 9. Genesis chapter 3 and verse 9. And the Lord God called unto Adam what amazing mercy, what condescending grace. Adam had willfully rebelled against his God sinned against his maker, robbed his gracious benefactor, and despised his Lord. All of these things Adam did with a willful, deliberate heart. He was not deceived as Eve was, but he willingly chose the path of rebellion.

He willingly despised his maker. He willingly robbed that which belonged to God alone. He willingly said, I will be my own God. Step aside. And now, when Adam had taken of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, immediately his eyes were opened to behold that he was evil. Immediately his eyes were opened to see that he was a naked sinner before a holy God. And he began to sow fig leaves of his own making and make himself an apron by which he might hide from God and stifle his conscience and silence the accusations of a guilty conscience.

But God, and God spoke, it would have been great mercy if God had just left him alone. If God just didn't kill him, if God just didn't send him to hell, that'd be great mercy. But God wouldn't leave him alone. You see, the Lord God set his heart upon Adam. The Lord God was determined to be merciful and gracious to Adam. And so the Lord God came.

In the cool of the day, he said unto Adam, that's mighty, mighty interesting. He came and called to Adam. Can you imagine what terror must have been in Adam's soul at that moment? He heard God say, Adam, just as he had said before. He called his name just as he called his name many times before.

But now there's guilt in Adam's heart, guilt in Adam's soul, guilt in Adam's mind, and he's afraid of God. He's afraid of God. He fears God. And Adam takes Eve by the hand, and they run and hide and cringe down behind some great tree in the forest. And there they're huddled up, squatting down, hiding from God. God said, Adam, Adam, where art thou? Where art thou? Now, God knew where he was. The problem was Adam didn't know where he was. God knew what his condition was. but Adam didn't know what his condition was. God knew what he had done, but Adam didn't know what he had done.

So the Lord God spoke these first words to the first sinner in the first day of sin in the world, and this is what he said, Where art thou? Now, this is the question which God asked Adam when he had eaten of the forbidden fruit and become a sinner. He asked because Adam must be convinced both of his sin and of its consequences, otherwise he would never return to his God. Because fallen Adam could not and would not seek the Lord, the Lord came seeking Adam.

Sin drove him away. Grace would retrieve him. Sin ruined him. Grace would redeem him. Sin had brought him into despair. Now grace comes to bring him hope, hope of pardon, hope of life, hope of everlasting mercy. In his infinite free grace, the Lord God did four things for Adam, and these four things he always does for sinners when he saves them by his grace. We'll just notice these by way of introduction. In this third chapter of Genesis, here are three things God did for Adam, or four things, rather. And four things he does for every sinner whom he seeks and saves by his grace.

First, the Lord sought Adam. He sought Adam. Adam didn't seek the Lord. The Lord sought Adam. When Adam was lost and hiding from God, when Adam wanted anything but to see God, he wanted anything but to know God's voice. He wanted anything except God. God came to Adam. In verse 8, They heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves. They hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

And it was the Lord who said, Adam, where art thou? Secondly, when the Lord came to Adam, he exposed his sin, his guilt, and his just condemnation. Now, this is what Genesis 3 is about. This is what the conversation between God and Adam is about that takes place here. In verse 11, the Lord God said to Adam, Who told you you were naked?

Who told you you were naked? You've always been naked up to this point, but it never bothered you before. There's never been any kind of guilt associated with that nakedness before. There's never been any kind of a fear of me before. Who told you you were naked? Did you eat of the tree? Did you eat of the tree? And it wasn't because God didn't know. He knew.

He exposed Adam's sin. And I'm telling you that if God ever shows you mercy, if God ever saves you by His grace, first thing He's going to do for you is He's going to make you to know and own your sin. Your guilt, your corruption, your depravity of heart, your just condemnation. And this is what took place. The Lord God said to Adam, you've eaten the tree.

You've rebelled against me. You've robbed my throne. You've robbed me. You've done me wrong. Your heart's enmity against me. And Adam's then given a curse. He's given a word from God that describes what's going to happen. He said, Adam, you're dead already. Your heart's dead. You're spiritually dead. You're corrupt. You're defiled. Your conscience tells you so. Your heart tells you so.

Look at you, Adam. You were made in my image and after my likeness, but now you cringe before me. And now the Lord God tells Adam the punishment that must fall upon his sin, the consequences and result of his sin in verse 17. The Lord said to Adam, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, that is, this is the result of you rebelling against me.

Cursed is the ground for thy sake. I'm going to send a curse throughout the earth. Your sin is going to affect the entire universe. Your sin is going to corrupt and pollute everything. Verse 18, Thorns also and thistles. shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground. For out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return. In other words, Adam, you're going to die. You're going to die. Judgment's on you. The curse is upon you. You can't escape it. You can't escape it.

And then, so as to make Adam know the horrible consequences of his guilt, the Lord God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden. He banished them from the garden. He banished them from his presence. He banished them from the symbol of his glory, his presence, his peace, and his acceptance. He banished them from the garden. I'm telling you, That when the Lord God comes seeking a sinner, the first thing He does, He makes that man to know he's a sinner.

The reason why you do not seek Christ is because you don't need Him. The reason why you do not call upon Christ is because you don't have any need of Christ. You feel no sense of any need. Your heart is completely satisfied with what and who you are.

If God ever saves you, you're going to find yourself bankrupt helpless, depraved, justly condemned sinner. And if God doesn't show you that, He'll never save you. He'll never save you. God always puts a man in the dust before He lifts him up by His grace. Thirdly, the Lord God revealed Christ to the guilty sinner, giving him through Christ the hope of life and pardon. In verse 15, we have the first gospel sermon.

The Lord said to Satan, I'll put end to hatred between thee and the woman. You're going to hate the woman. You're going to hate her. And between thy seed and her seed, all of your sons and daughters are going to hate all of her sons and daughters. I put enmity between the elect of God and the non-elect, between the reprobate and the believing. I put enmity so that there will constantly be persecution, abuse and hatred. Cain's going to kill Abel and Cain's sons are going to kill Abel's sons all the way through history. That's the way it will be to the end of time.

More than that, the seed of the woman is coming, one particular seed. The Lord Jesus Christ, he who is himself God the Son, come in human flesh. He who is made of woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are under the law. And it shall bruise thy head. When the seed of the woman comes, he's going to put Satan out of business! Crush his head! Break his usurped dominion! Destroy his power! So that Satan no longer deceives the nations of the world.

And that's what our Lord said. When he came to the cross, he said, now is the prince of this world cast out, and thou shalt bruise his heel. You're going to crush his heel in nailing the Son of God to the cross. The Lord Jesus Christ was put to death in his human body. He was made to suffer the horrible shame, ignominy, and pain of the death of the cross, but he lives forever. His head is not crushed, his head is exalted, and he's given power and dominion at the hand of God.

Adam and Eve understood very well what this promise meant. In chapter 4, we read in verse 1, And Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bare a son. She bare Cain. Now look at what she said. I've gotten a man from the Lord. Literally, she said, I've gotten the man from the Lord. This is the one the Lord promised. She was mistaken. Oh, how she was mistaken. The promise wouldn't be fulfilled for 4,000 years, but she thought she had gotten the promised Messiah, the promised Deliverer, the promised Redeemer who would crush the circumcised.

The Lord God revealed to Adam the Lord Jesus Christ and the hope of mercy through him. And if God's pleased this day to show you grace, He's going to do for you what I can't do, what no man can do. If God's pleased to bring you this day to the Lord Jesus Christ, if He's pleased today to give you life and faith, He's going to show you who Christ is and what He did. He's going to show you. I mean show you. He's going to open your heart and cause the light of the glory of God in the face of the crucified Christ to shine into your soul. And you're going to know who He is. You're going to know.

And then fourth thing, the Lord God clothed Adam and his wife Eve with the skins of an innocent victim. A victim who had been slain in their stead. a victim who had been killed instead of them. Look in verse 21. Unto Adam also, and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothes there. Some folks debate as to whether or not Adam knew the gospel. I suspect he did. He taught it to his son Abel, and Abel worshiped God just like Adam did with a blood sacrifice.

You see, God killed an innocent animal. I have no question the animal was of the lambs. I have no question the animal was one of the sheep of the herds of God. And he took that innocent animal's skins, whose blood had been shed, and made coats by which he would cover the guilty sinners. The first blood that was ever shed upon the earth was the blood of a sacrifice for guilty sinners. And with the skins of that slain animal, the first guilty sinners were clothed. And thus, from the very beginning, Adam was taught and we are taught that God is infinitely and immutably holy. He will by no means clear the guilty. He will not forgive sin without a suitable sacrifice, without a satisfactory offering. He will not pardon sin. He will not let the sinner live until God Himself has a sacrifice that has satisfied His justice.

That's what Joshua told the children of Israel in his day. He said, Choose you this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the children of Israel said, We'll serve the Lord, too. Joseph said, You can't serve him. He's holy, and he won't forgive your sin. He's holy, and he won't forgive your sin. And yet, at the same time, as God declares His holiness and His justice, He assures us of a suitable substitutionary sacrifice for sin.

Here's a lamb, an innocent lamb. I'll take his life for your life. And I will replace the filthy rags of your self-righteous fig leaves with the robe of his innocent life. That's what God does for sinners. Oh, God do that for sinners today. Do that for sinners today. cause men and women this day to have their hearts' evil exposed, but cleansed, purged away by the blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, and cause that perfect righteousness of Christ to be imputed in their own consciences, to their hearts, so that men who are themselves guilty sinners this day hear from God through Christ the voice of pardon through His shed blood and perfect righteousness through His righteousness.

That's how God saves. The Lord God made His Son to be a sacrifice for sin. The Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He punished His Son in the stead of His people. And now the Lord God, by Jesus Christ, pardons the guilty, forgives the sinner, accepts the ungodly, and He takes the holy, righteous obedience of Christ. And just as He imputed our sin to Christ, He imputes His righteousness to us. That's what God does when He saves the sinner. Now today, I want to speak to you as one who speaks in God's stead. I pray that it shall be so, and I want to press this question home to your heart. It's the question which God asked of Adam 6,000 years ago, and now I ask it of you, every one of you who are the sons and daughters of Adam.

Where art thou? Where are you? As I was preparing this message, I ask myself, Don, where are you? Where are you? Not, where are you physically? Where are you in relation to God? That's the question. What's your condition? What's your condition? I hope I'm being honest with you. I don't take that for granted. I do not presume that while multitudes of others are deceived, I cannot be. As I seek a message from God for you, I seek a message from God for my own heart. This is the question. This is the question. The issue's got to be settled. Settle it now. Where are you? Where are you?

I'm going to, this morning, I hope, God will give me your heart's attention and give me the ability to tell you a few things about yourself. And by telling you a few things about yourself, I'm going to answer this question. I'm going to answer this question for every one of you.

Here are three categories, three places where men are found. Everybody here fits in one of these three places. Number one, some of you are far, far off from God. and the broad, broad road that leads to destruction. Some of you are in the path of death. Oh, you think everything is well. You think everything's going to turn out all right. You think that you're safe, perfectly safe from all harm. But you're ignorant. You delude yourselves.

I recall when Jackie Gleason died, on one of the news reports just before his death, someone had an interview with him and asked him about facing God. And the old fool said this. I like Jackie Gleason, like to watch him, but it's what he said, and it revealed the fact that he was an old fool.

He said, well, if the man upstairs Don't ever call God the man upstairs. Don't you do it. Occasionally, I'll bite my tongue and listen to ignorant people speak that way, but not often, and I sure won't around here. Don't you ever call God the man upstairs. Don't blaspheme his name. He's not the man upstairs. He's God Almighty. He's God Almighty. Speak of him as such. He said if the man upstairs has a sense of humor, everything will be all right.

Mr. Gleeson, I'm afraid, learned far too late that the God of glory demands holiness, righteousness, atonement, and a heart of faith. I'm afraid he learned too late that the wages of sin are eternal death. You see, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and most everybody goes in that way.

The wise man said, there is a way that seemeth right unto a man. Oh, I know that you think you're in the right way. I know you think that God's going to accept what you bring. I know you think, in spite of everything I say to the contrary, in spite of everything this book says to the contrary, in spite of everything that God's servants you've ever heard preached say to the contrary, you really do think that God's going to accept you just like you are. I'm telling you, that way that seems right to a man will land you in hell. The ends thereof are the ways of death.

You mean preacher God won't accept sincerity? No, he won't. You mean preacher God won't accept sacrificial giving? No, he won't. You mean preacher God won't accept Bible reading and church attendance? No, he won't. You mean God won't accept morality and charity and kindness and works of philanthropy? No, he won't. He won't accept any of it. There's a way that seems right to a man. It's the way of works religion. That's the way that seems right to man.

It lands you in hell. The ends thereof are the ways of death. And most people are in that broad way of destruction. I'm afraid many of you who hear my voice are in that path that leads to eternal ruin. You're without Christ. aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

You're not saved. You're not justified. You're not born again. You're not sanctified. You're not redeemed. You're not called of God's grace. You're not converted by His Spirit. You're not prepared to meet God. You're not prepared for heaven. Your sins are not forgiven. You don't have the Spirit of Christ. You're in the way that is leading to destruction far off from God Almighty.

Let me describe you. I'll tell you plainly who you are. I'll identify you. Those who are in that broad way that leads to destruction, those who are far off from God, are every one of you, every one of you from this place to that place, every one of you who live for this world. Every last one.

You who live only for this world are far off from God. Now, I'm telling you, I hope God will enable you to hear me. I hope God will give me power to tell you with plainness and speak to your heart. Your only concern, your only real concern is for this life, happiness and comfort in this world.

You live like beasts who have no undying soul. Your treasure is all upon the earth. Your heart's attention is swallowed up by the perishing things of time. I'll tell you what a man worships. I'll tell you where his God is. I'll tell you where your God is and what you worship. What's the constant theme of your thought?

Huh? Come on now, be honest with yourself. Be honest with yourself. Inhale, it'll be too late to be honest. What is the constant theme of your thought? That's your God. That's your God. What is that which is on your heart and on your mind most persistently? That's your God. Who is it? What is it? Where is it? Whatever it is, buddy, that's your God. Don, that's your God, whatever it is.

You live for pleasure, for money, for respectability, for influence, for property, for business. and you never give any serious thought to anything else. You live as though there was no God, no resurrection, no judgment, no eternity, no heaven, no hell. You may be very religious, but you're a practical atheist. You care for nothing but the things of this world. You care nothing for the things of God, and I tremble for your soul.

A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things he possesseth, I fear that as you harden your hearts, your hearts will yet be hardened more than the heart of Satan himself, for you neither believe nor tremble. And unless you're awakened by God's almighty grace, you're going to perish forever in hell. That's fact. If you love this world, you're going to die with this world. Will you hear me? Will you hear me? If you love this world, you're going to die with this world.

Those who are far off from God, secondly, may be described like this, especially you here. It may be that you have a form of religion, but it's nothing but a form. Nothing but a form. Oh, you may profess to be a Christian. You may even regularly go to church on Sunday. You might even go to church two or three times a week. But that's all there is to your religion.

Nothing else. Sin doesn't bother you. It's no struggle to you. Righteousness is of no importance to you. Your religion is all form. It's all words. Nothing more. You're satisfied with that. You don't want it to change. You've convinced yourself that everything's well when nothing is well. Your religion. It doesn't interfere with your life and doesn't affect your life, and you want to keep it that way. There's no heart in it. You don't seek Christ. You have no zeal for Christ, no concern for the will of God, the glory of God, and the cause of God.

Like the church described in Revelation 3, you have a name that you live, but you're dead. Now, I'm telling you, Whether you profess to be a Catholic and you're a devoted Catholic, or whether you profess to be a Baptist and you're a devoted Baptist, it doesn't matter one bit on this earth, whether you're a staunch Calvinist or a staunch Arminian, it doesn't make a hill of beans difference. If your religion is nothing but form and words and ceremony and no life, no heart, your religion is worse than worthless.

It's damning. God speaks to you continually. His daily mercy speaks to you, but you pay no attention. His providential warnings speak. Go to the funeral home, neighbor died, young man, strong, healthy young man, gone like that. You shed a few tears and you think, Boy, better get ready to die. You never know when it's coming. And you walk out of the funeral home, and you forget that it ever happened.

I'm sure Oscar and some of you others have watched cattle. We used to slaughter cattle in West Virginia. We'd get several at one time, slaughter them on Thanksgiving Day. You take them, shoot one of those cattle. All the cattle look up, and they're disturbed. Drag the cattle out of the field and go right back feeding the grass. They go right back to the earth where their hearts are, and that's the way you are, who live afar off from God.

God speaks. He warns, but you won't hear it. He allows you to hear the gospel preached with plainness and clarity, but you won't hear it. You won't pay any attention. You won't hear what the Word of God has to say. I warn you of death, judgment and eternity, but you're not concerned. I speak to you of wrath and judgment and eternal damnation, but you're not moved. I tell you of the greatness and the beauty and the glory and the grace of Christ, but your heart's unaffected because you're dead.

There seems to be no place in your heart for Christ. A place for everything but him. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? There's no room for anything but business and pleasure and entertainment, the devil, sin, the world. We've got plenty of room for that, but no room for Christ. Like the end in Bethlehem so long ago, there's no room in your heart and soul for the Son of God.

I fear for you. I fear for your immortal soul. For what shall it profit a man? If he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, of what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? I may seem like one who stands up here three times a week in locks, even as Lot did to his sons-in-law. But I've got to warn you, my heart's prayer and desire to God for you is that you might be saved.

I delight to see men and women getting along well in the world. I'm thankful for that. I see young couples getting married, Karl and Mark. I'm so happy for you. I'm just tickled to death for you. Barry and his wife sitting back there got a young baby. I'm tickled to death for you. I want the best for you.

But don't you let this world choke out the Word of God. Don't you do it. Some of you young people, You watch your parents. You watch them. And gradually, over the years, the world, the care of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, has choked out the word of God. I've seen it. I've lived long enough now, Merle, to see it many times over. Many times over.

And I'm telling you, if you seek this world, you may get it. But you'll perish with this world. I'm telling you, if you love this world, God may give you everything the world has to offer and kill you with the world. Don't you do it. Don't you do it. Secondly, there's another class here. Where art thou, God says. Some of you are described over Mark chapter 12. Turn over there if you will. Mark chapter 12. And some of you are near the kingdom of God, but not yet in the kingdom. What do you mean, Pastor?

Well, there was a fellow like this over here in Mark. One of the scribes came to our Lord Jesus, and he was an interesting fellow. He came to the Lord, and the Lord asked him, said, Which is the first commandment of all? And that scribe responded properly. And then the Lord Jesus, hearing his answer, when he saw that this man answered discreetly in verse 34, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.

There's some of you like that. Like Agrippa, you're almost persuaded to be a Christian. You appear to be earnest and sincere. You seem to truly have an interest in your souls, an interest in Christ, an interest in the gospel. You're not careless. You're not indifferent. You're not hardened. You're not offended with gospel truth. My soul, if you were, you wouldn't come here and be preaching. No matter how plainly it's declared, you're not offended by it. You don't get upset when you hear it preached.

But your soul is at a deadlock. You don't choose the world, but you won't choose Christ. Like Israel in the days of Elijah, you're halting between two opinions. You would not be lost, but you will not be saved. You would not deny Christ, but you will not close with Christ. I fear and tremble for you, you who are so near and yet so far away. I fear for you as much as I do. for those who are farthest off from God and totally ignorant of the gospel.

You see, you're like the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites were with Israel, but they had no right to Israel's inheritance. The Gibeonites walked along with Israel. They were in the train with Israel. They followed the caravan with Israel. They walked in Israel's path, but they didn't have Israel's covenant. They didn't know Israel's God. They didn't have possession with Israel's inheritance. They had no lot in their part with them.

You're bound to the company of God's elect. You have some lacks, but you have no saving knowledge. You have some feelings, but you have no saving grace. You have some noble desires, but no saving faith. You're not profane. You're not vile. You're not wretched. You're not cursed by men. You're not at all scouring of society. But you're not a child of God.

The Lord describes you again, I think, over in Matthew chapter 25. Here's a good description. See, the Lord's given you the precious talent of gospel truth and gospel knowledge. You hear it. You hear it. I dare say there's not a man or woman here who does not believe the gospel doctrine that I declare to you, you know it so. The word of God speaks it plainly. God's given you the talent. He's given you this precious gift.

What do you do with it? You take it and tuck it away and hide it in the earth and do nothing with it. Verse 25 of Matthew 25. Go back up to verse 24. He which had received the one talent came, and the Lord said, And he said, Lord, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed. And I was afraid, and I went and hid thy talent in the earth. Lo, there is that that is thine, there thou hast that is thine. Verse 26, "...his Lord answered and said unto him, You wicked and slothful servant, You knew that I reap where I sow not, and gather where I have not strawed.

Thou oughtest, therefore, to have put my money into the exchanges, at least put it on the stock market, at least do something with it, put it in the bank, let it draw a little interest. Then at my coming I should have had received mine own with usury.

But you despised it. You didn't do anything with it. You've heard the gospel and do nothing with it. You know it so, but you do nothing with it. You've heard the message of God's grace, but you do nothing with it. Nothing with it. Therefore, take the talent that is from him and give it to him that hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and from him that and he shall have abundance, but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What does that mean? That means that man or that woman who is favored of God and providence, to hear the gospel faithfully proclaimed, to hear the gospel declared with clarity, who does nothing with it, would be better off never to have been born. Better that you should be born in the darkened tribes of Africa than that you should be born to hear the gospel and not believe it. Better that you should be raised as an outright heathen and perish as a heathen than that you should be raised under the sound of the gospel and perish within the sight of the door of life, despising that door. That's what it means.

I tremble for you. I say to you, choose you this day whom you will serve. The time may come when the Lord God will come to you like he did to that barren, thick tree. You remember it? God's planted you in his hand. Here you stand. Here you stand. You're hearing the message. Here you are. You're receiving the labors of God's servants and of God's people. You receive the benefit of their constant care. That's like that fig tree planted in the Lord's vineyard in the parable. He came and saw no fruit on it. He said to the gardener, he said, what's that doing there?

Why does it come to the ground? What's it doing taking up space in my vineyard? It's useless. Cut it down and burn it. It's a useless fig tree. And I'm like that gardener, I'm praying, Lord, let it stand another year, and I'll dung it, and I'll care for it, and I'll water it, and then if it brings forth no fruit, come cut it down. Come cut it down.

Time's come for decision. I'm calling right now, point blank, to you to make a point blank decision. Time's come for you to decide, will you or will you not serve the Lord Jesus Christ? If you go on in your indecision, you're going to perish like the rich young ruler. You read Mark chapter 10 and you'll see that rich young ruler.

He wanted Christ. He wanted him. He wanted salvation. Yes, sir, he did. He wanted eternal life. He was zealous and interested enough in his soul that he came to the Lord Jesus, risking his reputation, his family and his friends by talking to him. He came to him, he wanted all these things. And there was no lack of compassion in the Lord. Scripture tells us when he went away, the Lord Jesus loved him, had compassion upon him. But that rich young ruler perished for one reason. He wanted his riches more than he wanted Christ. Is that right, Lindsay? That's it. He refused to bow to the rule of Christ. That's all. That's all.

Folks say, well, believe on Jesus and you'll be saved. Yes, sir, that's true if you truly believe on him. But I'm telling you that faith in Christ is something more than saying I believe in little Jesus. Yes, sir. Faith in Christ is submission, surrender of the heart to the claims of the sovereign Lord. Will you or will you not surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ right now? That's the issue.

Wishes and good desires, good feelings, convictions, and emotions are all good in their place, but they'll not save. In the springtime, it's encouraging to see the buds and the flowers on the trees, but you can't eat the buds, you can't eat the flowers. Unless that tree brings forth ripe fruit, it's of uselessness to us. It's of no value to us.

The wayside hearers and the parable listened. They heard, but the Word of God didn't take any root in them. The stony ground hearers listened and received the Word with joy. Boy, that's it! The Word sprung up quickly, but it had no depth of earth, and they perished. They were not saved. The thorny ground hearers brought forth something like fruit. They endured for a while, but the word of God was choked out by the world, and they were not saved. Only those who receive the word into good ground, into a broken believing heart, bring forth fruit and are saved. So, Pastor, I have many things that encourage me. I hear the word of God and tremble.

So did Felix, but he died. But I enjoy hearing good sermons, so did Herod, but he was lost. But, pastor, when I die, I want to die the death of the righteous, so did Balaam, but he died the death of the wicked. I say that if you go on in your unbelief and your persistent rebellion, if you go on in your indecision, if you go on denying Christ, refusing to close with the Son of God, you're going to perish just like these did. I'm a preacher. I know the truth. I believe everything you preach. So did Judas Iscariot, but he perished. He perished. The issue is not what you believe or what you experience. The issue is who you believe, who you worship, who you know. But there are some of you in a far worse condition than these who are halting between two opinions. Some of you here, forgive me if I speak plainly, I'm concerned for your soul.

Some of you here were once thought to be pillars in the house of God, and now you're only occasional visitors, just occasional visitors. You once seem to value the gospel. Now you get weary of it. You once seemed to love the sweet sound of Christ and Him crucified. Now it's boring to you. You once cherished the Word.

Now it lays on your coffee table and gathers dust until you get ready to go to church. When you put on your Sunday sport coat, you put on your Sunday Bible and go to church. You used to read the Word, study it, Meditate in it. Divide in it. Now it lays on the dashboard of your car and rots in the sun. Huh? You know if I'm speaking to you. You know if I'm speaking to you. You began well, and you ran well. But you like Lott's wife. She looked back. You know why she looked back, Wes? That's where her heart was. She looked back to the place where she left her heart, and she perished with that voice.

And I'm telling you that you who have begun to go back to this world will perish with this world unless God stops you in your way and you turn now and return to Him. Oh, there's mercy even for you. Mercy even for you. He says, return unto me, return unto me, and I'll have mercy upon you. The Lord God declares, seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him. And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Oh, you still keep up a form of religion, but there's no heart in it. I don't doubt you had a tremendous experience, tremendous profession. But your religion's like the fig leaf aprons that Adam made in the garden. The only purpose is to hide from God. That's all. And some of you here use religion for that purpose. You're hiding from God. You're trying your best to stifle your conscience.

You're trying your best not to hear anything that's said that might break your heart. I hope God will enable you to hear what I'm saying so that it sticks you right in the heart. I said, well, somebody sure told the preacher about me. I hope somebody told me about you. I hope God told me about you.

One of the most amazing, awful, sobering, serious things in all the Word of God is this fact. can go a very great way in religious profession, in religious knowledge, and in religious experience, and yet be lost at last. Where art thou? God, don't let me be numbered among such men. Don't let me perish standing at the door of the kingdom of God. You know Judas Iscariot? You talk about familiarity. Judas Iscariot walked up to the Son of God. There he is, the door of life. He knew what it looked like. He knew where he was. He had an angel's turn. There he is. He walked up and kissed the door and went to hell.

God, don't let it happen to me. And don't let it happen to you. Quit playing games with God, my friend. Quit playing games with God. Don't do it. Don't be so foolish. Don't be so foolish. There's a third group. I'll be brief here. Perhaps you less need my words than the others.

Some of you, by the grace of God, are in Christ. You're in Christ like the branches are in the vine. You're in Christ like the limb is in the tree. You're in Christ like the tree is in the earth. You're in Christ like the cornerstone, the foundation stone, is in the building. You're in Christ like the member is in the body. I mean, you're in Christ by a vital union of living faith.

Somebody asked me one time, Don, what on earth do you mean when you say a vital union? Something's vital when you can't live without it. That's what I mean. Something's vital when it's essential to life. Something's vital when it's necessary, not for your well-being, but for your being. If you're in Christ Jesus by the grace of God, by God's eternal purpose, God's regenerating grace, by God's almighty call, if God has made you to be in Christ Jesus, then you have a vital union of faith, a living union with him.

You can't live without him. You got to have him. Is this the state, condition of your soul? Is Christ so vital and precious to you that you can't live without him? Is Christ the one thing you must have? Do you live with him, upon him, by him, and for him?

That's the vital union I'm speaking of. Christ's blood, His cross, His intercession, His righteousness, His grace, His glory, His greatness, His being. These are the things you delight to think about and delight to hear. While you live, your chief desire is to live unto the Lord. And when you come to die, your only desire is to die with the Lord. And after death, your only hope is to be with Him forever.

Do you trust Christ? Do you love Christ? Is your heart committed to Christ? If your heart is truly seeking Him, you're in Him. You're in Him. If you truly in your heart believe Him, you're in Him. If truly in your heart you love Him, you're in Him. If truly you bow to Him, you're in Him. And God Almighty has put you there. God's put you there. If you're in Christ Jesus, let me give you a few words of comfort and assurance from the Scriptures. I'll send you home. I know this.

We're living in a world full of trials, troubles, and heartaches. We're yet in the wilderness. We haven't yet reached our home. Sin still strives for dominion. Satan still seeks to be our master. The world still allures us and charms us. We still struggle with pride, unbelief, and carnal passion, constant fightings without, constant fears within. Our evil hearts are treacherous. Oh, the deceit and the treachery of my wicked heart.

But I have this word of comfort, this word of assurance, notwithstanding all these things, I'm here to tell you that if you're in Christ Jesus, you shall never perish. Never. You see, God who has begun a good work in you will never allow His work to be defeated or overthrown.

The triune God who has made for you an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure will be faithful to His covenant. You have a Savior who's able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him. His blood will never lose its power. His righteousness will never fail to make you acceptable and well-pleasing in God's sight. His grace will not fail to preserve you, protect you, and provide for you.

Nothing in heaven, earth, or hell shall ever be able to separate you from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus our Lord. These things are matters of assurance, confidence. If God be for us, who can be against us? There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Christ Jesus is ours. And where he is, we have nothing to fear. Nothing to fear.

I would also say to you, if you're in Christ Jesus, grow, grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want that for you. I want that for myself. Oh, you'll never improve your standing before God. I hope you're not so ignorant as to imagine that. But grow. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. Grow in likeness to Him. I mean simply, ever seek an increasing knowledge of Christ. How little we know Him. How little we... If we knew Him better, we'd love Him better. How little we know him. No wonder Paul said, oh, that I may know him, that I may know him.

The knowledge of Christ is the surest way I know to keep control of your heart and your passions in this world. If you grow in grace, seek a clearer knowledge of your own heart as well. Oh, may God teach us to know the wickedness, the deceit, and the treachery of our hearts. Don't ever put confidence in your heart. Don't trust your heart's feelings, your heart's experiences, or your heart's assurances. Trust this book, and God's Son who fulfilled this book. If you would grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, seek to be like Christ.

Looking in myself and looking around me, I see many things, but I see many things lacking. And I'll tell you what I see lacking more than anything else. We don't lack truth. We've got that. I don't have any question about that. We've got truth. God's taught us the gospel. We don't lack. Proper ordinances, we got that. What we lack, above anything else, is likeness to Christ. That commitment of his heart. His humility before God and his boldness before men. His faithfulness and his gentleness. His kindness and his love. O God, make us like Christ, that we may walk before you for the glory of Christ and the good of your people, for Christ's sake. Amen.