I want to share with you a comment
that was posted on sermon audio concerning a message that Henry
Mahan preached. It was a message he preached
in 1955 entitled, Four Awakening Truths. 60 years ago. Now, I was a young
fella then, Joe. Four years old. But this young
man wrote this, listening to the message. He said, wonderful
message. This is the earliest recorded
sermon that I have been able to find from my pastor. The young
man is Jason Chapman, by the way. And I have listened to it
over and over again. The message that he preached
never changed, wavered, or diminished in any way over half a century. But why should it? The God that
he preached and the gospel that he still preaches never changes.
This message should be heard just as much in 2007, he wrote. That's when he made the comment.
as in 1955. When I read that, I thought of
a comment, or rather heard or read by Mr. Spurgeon. I think it's probably in one
of the volumes, the two-volume set of his autobiography, but
anyway, he made this statement. He said, I could, if it were
possible to do so, walk back through time, through history,
and he said many notable men would rise up to shake my hand
because they preached the same glorious gospel that I do, Spurgeon
said. The same glorious gospel. Indeed,
The gospel of God is an everlasting gospel. It's the glorious gospel of God. What makes the gospel glorious? What makes it glorious? It's about a glorious Redeemer. That's why. The gospel is the
message of our glorious Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord
told the religious folk in his day, I think on this occasion
he was speaking to the Pharisees, but he said to them, you search
the scriptures, you search the scriptures, and they did. Search the scriptures because
And then you think you have eternal life. But those scriptures that you
search, all the Old Testament, those
first five books by Moses, all the prophets, the Psalms, all
those scriptures you search testify of me, he said. They testify
of me. Now, think about that a minute. He
didn't tell them, you don't do it. He said, you do do it. I
know you do it. You search the scriptures. And they testify of me. So, what happened then? He said,
you will not come to me that you might have life. You can
quote the scripture. You're very meticulous studying
the dates and so forth. You know the letter of the scripture,
the law. But everything you think you
know, you've missed entirely. You have failed. You're missing,
or rather, failed to see the forest. looking at the trees. You will not come to me. Those
scriptures you study testify of me and you don't believe I'm
the Son of God, the glorious Redeemer. Remember what our Lord
said to those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He said,
O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself. And then, shortly after that, He met with his disciples and
repeated to them the very same thing. These are the words which
I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things
must be fulfilled, must be fulfilled, not might be fulfilled, needs
Larry's help to be fulfilled. No, Christ said, the glorious
Redeemer, said, all things must be fulfilled which were written
in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning
me. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures. He gave them the
key. You want to understand the Word of God? Christ gave them
the key. It's about Jesus Christ. Thus it is written, he said,
and thus it behooves Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead
the third day. and that repentance and remission
of sin should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem, and ye are witnesses of these things." Paul, in his epistle to the Romans,
wrote, being entrusted with the gospel of God concerning his
son. That's the gospels concerning
his son. Now the reason I read those passages
before I began my message or as the introduction to my message,
in view of what we just read, what Christ himself said, is
it any wonder that the devil That deceiver, that liar from
the beginning, attacks at this very place. At this very place. I mean this. Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ? Let me read you what Paul wrote
in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. You need not turn there, but
just Just let me read it to you. Paul said, and no marvel, for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore,
it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers
of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. Paul said, it's no marvel. We
expect that of him. The devil has declared, so to speak, let's
change who Christ is. Joe, the devil has for generations
now been pushing forth pushing forth. He's not trying to hinder this
Jesus. No, no, no. He's pushing Him
out there. But it's another. He says, let us change who Christ
is and everything else will fall into place. Let's just change
who Christ is. Let's get folks to trust another
Jesus. I wrote in a bulletin, it'll be
another week or two, this statement. And it's true. One of the saddest things that
I constantly, constantly encounter as a preacher of the gospel is
to meet people Many of them are strangers, but not all. Many
of them are friends, and many of them are my own family, brothers
and sisters. But one of the saddest things
I constantly encounter is to meet folks who are trusting another
Jesus. Let that sink in, please. Can
you think of anything sadder than that? Trust the wrong doctor
or the wrong lawyer and you may lose something. Mike, you trust
the wrong Christ and you're going to lose your immortal soul. Trust
another Jesus and you'll lose your immortal soul. That's why Paul used such strong
language as he did in Galatians chapter 1. He said, if an angel
from heaven comes preaching another gospel, he said, these fellows
that are instructing you, these legalists that are telling you,
let's allow Moses to be on an equal footing with Jesus Christ,
Paul said, oh no, that's another gospel. Christ is all. Christ is all. And he said, it
doesn't matter. And remember, Paul is not expressing
his opinion here. He's writing under inspiration
of God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was dictating
to Paul what to write. This is God's Word. And he says,
if an angel from heaven comes preaching another gospel or another
Jesus, let him be accursed. That's what he wrote. You remember
in Luke 18, the Lord Jesus was speaking parables about prayer. And in that one about the unjust
judge and the poor widow, But afterwards, he said this. He
said, nevertheless, nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, shall
he find faith on the earth? When the Son of Man comes, shall
he find faith on the earth? And of course, the meaning is,
Christ was saying true faith in the true Christ would be a
very rare thing. He said, as it was in Noah's
day, so shall it be when the Son of Man is revealed. And that's today, folks. That's
the day you and I live in. You remember what Paul wrote
In 2 Thessalonians 2, turn there if you will for just a moment.
2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And as we read these few verses, I ask you, as you read them with
me, I ask you, do they not describe today? Do they not describe our
day? Here in 2 Thessalonians 2 verse
7, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who
now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. And
then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming, even him whose coming is after
the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders. Signs and wonders. and with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness." Look around. Look around. Look around Sylacauga, look around
Alabama, look around the United States, look around this world,
and I'll tell you that's exactly what we find in our day. That's exactly what Paul describes
here. Believing another gospel, another
salvation, a different God, a different Jesus. I imagine, I imagine,
when this epistle was being read to the church at Thessalonica,
and Paul issued this warning to them that we just read. When
they came to verse 13, I imagine there was some hallelujahs, amen,
and thank God for His grace went up. But we are bound to give
thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God had from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief, belief of the truth. God Almighty's done something
for you that He's not done for this religious world. They've
said, leave us alone, let us serve our gods. And God says,
well, so be it. Serve your gods. Believe the
lie. Believe the lie. Trust another
Jesus. Oh, but not so concerning his
chosen. He reveals to them who Christ
truly is, the true Christ. Where unto verse 14? He called
you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now look with me, if you will,
here in Acts chapter 9. Or chapter 1, I'm sorry, verse
9. Acts chapter 1, verse 9. As Luke tells us in verse 1,
this is actually a continuation of his gospel. In the last chapter
of Luke's gospel, we see the Lord lifted up. As the disciples stood beholding
on Mount Olivet, they saw the Lord lifted up. And Luke picks
up right where he left off there. Let's read the three verses here
in chapter 1, verses 9 through 12. Four verses. And when he had spoken these
things, that is, the Lord Jesus, while they beheld, he was taken
up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while
they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold,
two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, ye
men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come
in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then return
they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet which is
from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. I just want to consider
two things. From the words of these angels
to the apostles concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. concerning this same Jesus, this
same Jesus, verse 11. They say it twice, verse 9, verse
11. First of all, this same Jesus
was taken up. And the angels told them, this
same Jesus is coming back. Just those two thoughts. Forty
days, forty days before this, that we just read of in Acts
1, On this same mount, the Mount of Olives, it was quite a different
scene, wasn't it? Remember? Turn back, if you will,
to Luke's Gospel, Chapter 22. A much different scene. It's recorded in all four of
the Gospels. I'm sure you realize where I'm
going, what I'm referring to. When our Lord came to the Gethsemane,
the olive press, here in Luke 22, verse 39, and he came out
and went as he was wont or accustomed to, to the Mount of Olives, and
his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place,
he said unto them, pray ye enter not into temptation. And he was
withdrawn from them about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed.
Never do we see the Son of God like this. Never have before. Never have before. Very strange
language. saying, Father, if thou be willing,
remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him." Strengthening him. And being in an agony. The Son of God in an agony? That's what it says. If you compare
Matthew's account and Mark's, you'll find just as strong a
language used. And being in an agony, he prayed
more earnestly. And his sweat was, as it were,
great drops of blood, even in that cold night air. The Son
of God was passing through such an ordeal. Matthew says he began
to be sore afraid, amazed. Hmm, Jesus Christ? Yeah, yeah. And his sweat was
as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When
he rose up from prayer, he came to his disciples and he found
them sleeping for sorrow. Gethsemane, the olive garden. There was an olive press there
and an olive meal. where they would take the olives
or the grapes, remove them from the press and
put them in the mill where there was two stones. And those grapes
that had already been trod in the wine press would be put in
the mill. And that great stone placed down upon the other so
that every precious drop of juice or oil could be extracted from
it. Gethsemane. You remember what the prophet
Isaiah wrote? Who is this that cometh from
Eden with dyed garments from Basra? This that is glorious
in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength.
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel? He sweat great drops
of blood falling down to the ground. Wherefore art thou red
in thy apparel, and thy garments like them that treadeth in the
wine-fat? He came to his disciples, and
they were sleeping for sorrow. Did the human soul of the God-man
seek some companionship? But he found none. I looked for
help, but there was none. I have trodden the winepress
alone. Alone. My soul, what kind of loneliness
was that? What kind of loneliness was that? The loneliness of one who himself
was God. The loneliness of one who was
said from eternity was with the Father, was always His delight,
equal as John taught this morning, co-eternal with the Father. Oh, but now the shadow of the
cross is beginning to eclipse his holy soul. And he sweats
great drops of blood. He's beginning to trod the winepress
all alone. He's beginning to feel the withdrawal
of his heavenly Father that would be expressed in his words from
the cross, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yes, he trod the
winepress alone. And of the people, there was
none with me. I looked and there was none to
help. And I wondered if there was none
to uphold. You remember, I think John referred
to it briefly in his lesson this morning, when Moses turned aside
to see that burning bush, it said, It was on fire, but
it wasn't consumed. The Son of God, here that we
read of in Luke and Matthew and Mark, Mark's accounts as well,
you could look at. He's treading the winepress alone,
and like that burning bush, He's on fire, but He's not consumed. He's not
concerned. He's anticipating. Oh, how close
is that time now when He who knew no sin, not like me and
you, He knew no sin, He did no sin, in Him was no sin. He's the perfect, spotless, without
blemish, Lamb of God. But now he's beginning to feel
what it will be. The agony causes the sweat to
burst from his pores and run down and stain his garments because
soon he's going to be made sin. Soon God Almighty shall say,
Awake, O sword! Awake, O sword, the sword of
God's divine justice. It says, the soul that sinneth,
it must die. And when all the sins of God's
people were laid on Christ, God said, Awake, O sword, against
the man who is my fellow, smite the shepherd. And he drives the
sword of divine justice right up to the very hilt into the
heart of the Son of God. He was smitten and afflicted
by God, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, bruised,
crushed for our iniquities. Gethsemane. It was here the Lord
of life appeared and sighed and groaned and prayed and feared.
For all that incarnate God could bear, with strength enough and
none despair." That took place at the base of the Mount of Olives,
Gethsemane. Oh, but now as we read in Acts
1, he stands on the Mount of Olives. He was taken up from
the Mount of Olives. no longer in the garden sweating
great drops of blood. Oh, no, no, no. Because he has
trod the winepress. He bore the sins of his people
and he bore them all away. Therefore, God hath highly exalted
him and given him a name above every name. This same Jesus you
see taken up. Taken up. How high did God exalt
His Son? How high did God exalt His Son? Well, in Ephesians 1, Paul says,
so high that everything else is beneath Him. He exalted Him
far above every power, every principality, every name that
is name of man or angels, and has declared that every knee
shall bow to His Son. And I imagine I'm talking to
some people right now that have never bowed their knee to the
Son of God. I'm not saying you ain't made
a decision for that other Jesus. That imposter that the devil
has pushed out off on our generation. But you've never come to know
this same Jesus. Never have bowed to him. And
if you never bowed, you're not a believer. Now you can say,
Larry, I don't believe that. And I won't hear you. And you
can, if not literally put your finger in your ears, you can
do it. And say, I won't hear that. I won't hear that. Well,
I pray God will not allow that. But if you're trusting in Jesus
Christ that has required you to take Him as your Savior and
you've never bowed to Him, you still live as a rebel against
God, you're deceived. You're not going to lose a little
diamond out of your crown. You're going to lose your immortal
soul. And that's you, me, or anybody else. God says concerning
His Son, He has highly exalted Him and given him a name of every
name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow. If you've
never bowed now, and you're a lost rebel, one day, when God Almighty
says, time shall be no more, and you're ushered in in the
presence of King Jesus, this same Jesus, God Almighty, is
gonna make you bow before he casts you into everlasting darkness.
No question about it. There's no question about it.
Oh, kiss the sun, the psalmist said, lest he be angry, and you
perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. How much has God exalted him? The stone which the builders
refused, the same has made the headstone of the corner. This
is the Lord's doing, and it's marvelous in our eyes. Terry, if you will, the psalm
Psalm 24. Psalm 22 records prophetically
the very words of our Redeemer, the suffering Savior. My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from
helping me? And from the words of my roaring,
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest me not, and
in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy. Thou art holy. Christ says in
verse 6, I'm a worm and no man. That's when he's trod the winepress
alone. But oh, he comes out victorious. And this is what we read of in
Psalm 24. Psalm 24. Look what he says. Verse 7. Lift
up your heads, O ye gates. Is this what happened? Is this
what happened when that cloud received Christ, the exalted
Lord and God? Is that what happened beyond
those clouds, what the psalmist says here? Lift up your heads,
O ye gates, and be ye left up, ye everlasting doors, and the
King of glory shall come in. That's this same Jesus. Who is
the King of Glory? The Lord Strong. You see it here? Who is the King of Glory? He's
that one that needs my help. He'll save me if I let Him. Who
is the King of Glory? The Lord Strong and Mighty. The
Lord Mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory
shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The
Lord of Hosts. He is the King of Glory. Left it up, was He to die. It is finished, was His cry. Now in heaven, exalted high. Hallelujah, what a Savior. Left it up, was He to die. It
is finished. That's what we'll remember. We'll
remember Jesus loved man and gave himself for man. I'm not
going to remember something he attempted to do. Something he
only half did. Joe, when I drink this wine,
representing his body, I know that he shed that blood for me.
And when doing so, he redeemed me with his own precious blood.
He didn't try to do it. He did it. Glory to his name. Left it up was he to die. It
is finished was his cry. Now in heaven exalted high. Hallelujah. What is it? Hallelujah! What a Savior! That's this same
Jesus. And that's why, that's why it
is well with my soul. I'm in His hand. Now that other
Jesus, oh yeah, yeah, He can't keep nobody. Oh, but this Jesus,
this one that was taken up to glory, and seated at the right
hand of the majesty on high. And God the Father says, sit
down right here, my son, until I make your enemies your footstool. Psalm 2. With him it must be
well with my soul. Child of God. Are the storms of life raging
around your vessel? I know for some of you they certainly
are. It just seems like one wave after another. But listen, the
captain of our salvation is in the vessel with you. The question
is not, how is it with me? Tell me how it is with him. How
is it with the captain? If it's okay with him, it's going
to be okay for Larry. And bless God, it shall be well
with my soul. Last Sunday, when I couldn't
be here, I was channel surfing. You men know what I'm talking
about. Your wives hate for you doing it. but they don't know
how to handle a remote, so the men just channel surfing. I was trying to find something
interesting. Well, I didn't. But I did happen
to see this fella down in Houston. Is that where he is? Olsteen? Joel? He gave his usual little
pep talk, his little cheerleader speech,
He was itching the ears, just like Paul said they would do.
And the place was packed to the rafters. Because he was telling
them, God wants you to prosper. And he smiled. God wants you
healthy. God wants you wealthy. God's got America with your name
on it. And then when he concluded, left and then came back, And
he concluded his message and turned to the camera with that
same little grin and he said, now if you're watching, we want
to give you a chance to get born again. We want to give you a
chance to get bored again. If you'll pray this little simple
prayer with me, we believe you just got born again. I'll tell
you this. If what that man is preaching
is the gospel, then I'm a liar and a deceiver. I'm a liar and
a deceiver. The Jesus he preaches and the
Jesus I preach are two different people. If he's right, I'm wrong. One of us is lying, one of us
is going to stand before God as a liar and a deceiver. This
same Jesus says to the uttermost, They said, this same Jesus you
see going up is coming back. Think of that child of God. He's
coming back. On this same mount of olives
that he ascended back to glory from, he sat down one day with his
disciples after speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem and
the end of the world. And they came to him in private
and they said, Lord, when's all this going to happen? What's
the sign of you coming into the world? You remember what his
first words were? You remember? The first thing
he said, take heed that no man deceive you. The very first thing. And he repeated it over and over
again. Take heed that no man deceive
you, because many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ,
and deceive many." Another Jesus. I saw on the news the other evening,
I don't know if it was in Alabama or somewhere else, doesn't matter,
but there was this 23-year-old fellow, went into a hospital,
put on a lab coat, picked up a chart, had two pagers, and
went around posing as a doctor. Twenty-three years old. Went
into patients' rooms. Well, he ended up still in an
ambulance in Reckon and got arrested. He was an imposter. The days
Jesus preached in most places is an imposter. He no more resembles
the same glorious, victorious Lord Jesus Christ than a pigman. than a pygmy. The true Savior,
oh child of God, look unto me, he says, and be ye saved, for
I am God and there is none else, a just God and a Savior. Listen to me. This same Jesus,
he's able to save to the uttermost everyone that comes unto God
by him. Every time. He won't try to save,
he saves. He doesn't need assistance in
saving. He saves. He's the mighty God. And he's coming back. We'll wrap
this up. You planned on staying pretty
much all afternoon anyway, didn't you? So, I'm about done. These angels told the disciples,
this same Jesus which is taken up from you is coming back. Those scriptures that we read
when we observe the Lord's table in 1 Corinthians, it said you
do show the Lord's death till he come. Till he come. They said this same Jesus which
is taken up shall so come in like matter. What if you could see a loved one? I mean someone that
died in the Lord. Someone that died with a good
hope. Someone that knew Jesus Christ. I told you about the fellow back
in West Virginia that preached a funeral every day because everybody
wanted him to preach their loved one's funeral because he was
Perry Mason. He never lost a case. Well, it
doesn't matter what the preacher says. But Paul spoke about those
who died in Christ. They didn't die like those who
have no hope. They died with a good hope. Does such a one come to mind
right now? Old Robert Murray McShane wrote
this poem after he stood beside the bed of a friend. He said,
I little thought when last we met Thy son on earth was nearly
set. I said what I can never forget,
dear friend, we'll meet again. I stood beside thy silent bed. The marble brow was cold and
dead. Thy gentle soul was fled, was
fled. Oh, but dear friend, we'll meet
again." What if someone that died with such a good hope, she
walked through those doors right Man, wouldn't you be amazed? Wouldn't you be amazed? No, they're with the Lord. That
cannot be. But child of God, the reason
I ask this question is to emphasize this. Jesus Christ, the same one that
ascended up, is coming back. He's coming back. Mike Giddens, I'm going to see
him just like I'm looking at you right now. Too good to be
true, but bless God it's true. And I've got to back up. I'm
going to see him better than I see you, Mike. I'm going to
see him with an unsinning heart. I'm not going to have sin. I'm
going to see that one who loved me and gave himself for me. I'm going to see that one Oh, who redeemed me with his own
precious blood, who has kept me to this day and
will not let me go. That one who prayed, Father,
I want Larry Criss with me where I am. That he may behold my glory. Yes, I shall see his face. I shall know him. I shall know
him and his smile shall be the first to welcome me. The precious dust beneath that
lies, McShane wrote, shall at the call of Jesus rise to meet
the bridegroom in the skies. That day we'll meet again. May this same Jesus, the true
Christ of God, Make sinners willing in the day of His power. If there's
any here this morning that have never been made so, then you
haven't. By His sweet grace, may He force
sinners to bow to Christ. May He strip someone, they may
be hugging that robe of self-righteousness so tight, oh, I just can't turn
it loose. Brother Bruce Crabtree went to
see his father, dying father. And his father talked about his
works, what his hope was built on. And Bruce told him, father,
you've got to let that go. You've got to cast that aside
and trust Christ alone. And his father said, son, I can't. I just can't. Oh, in that day, in that day, when we stand before God Almighty,
and we're going to, we're going to, I want to be found in Him, John. I want your children and mine
to be found in Him. I want you to be found in Him.
Not having your own righteousness, that's filthy rags. but clothed
in the perfect righteousness of the Son of God. And God will say, welcome home. Welcome home. Come on in. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.