I announced this morning that
I was going to bring a message which I brought the first time
in 1983. And it was at my high school graduation
reunion, 40th year high school reunion, 1983. But I need to bring you up to
date a little bit on what in the world I was doing preaching
at a high school reunion the first time I met this church. I graduated from high school
in 1944, and these were the war years, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46. And everyone during these years
were close. People had so much in common. They were friends. They shared
things a lot that endured rationing and all these other things. They
had some tough times. And when each class graduated,
my brother graduated in 41, but when each class graduated from
high school, all of the boys, I don't mean some of them, all
of them joined the Army, Navy, Marines, or Air Force. All of them. In fact, when I
was seventeen, I joined the Navy with four other former buddies.
We all went down and joined together. And we spent Those first years
together in the service in boot camp and other times, and every
family, every family had a flag in the window with stars, blue
stars, for the number of sons or husbands that were in the
service. The blue star. My mother had a flag with two
stars in the window. My brother and I were gone. And
everybody was in the service at that time. Some of those flags had a gold
star, the boy had been killed. You just walked down the street
and there were these flags in the windows indicating that their
sons were either serving now in the military or else a son
had died. And when we graduated from high
school, of course everybody went to the service and And when we
got out of the service, we were all 20, 21, 22 years of age.
And we all came back home, back to this small town in Alabama,
Fairfield, Alabama. And everybody came home, and
they married each other. Doris and I just lived six blocks
apart. And most of these young men came
back from the service and married their childhood sweethearts.
And we got a job at the steel mill. And people close, real
close, all very close. And they've had class reunions
since 1943. I got a notice a month ago they
had their 61st reunion at the high school graduation, 61. They're all in their 79s and
80s, you know, as I am. And, but I never could go because
I always, it always happened on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday
night, the party and everything, and then Sunday, Sunday's church
services. But I never did go because I
was always preaching. But 1983, one of my friends called
me. And he said, I want you to come
to the reunion. I said, well, you know, I can't
come because I have a church to pastor. And he said, well,
we have secured the First Methodist Church for you to preach to all
of us. And we'll be there in force.
And they were there. They were just my friends. And I spent 21 years with those
people through grade school, high school service. And he worked
in a steel mill with some of them. But this year they're celebrating. I'm not going again. I'm just,
I'm going to preach for you here, so I'm not going. Anyway, I dug
up this message that I preached for them in 1983 to that crowd. It was an unusual crowd. It was
a providence of God that gave me the opportunity to sit down
face-to-face with dear friends of many, many years, friends
and family, and tell them what I believe about the Lord Jesus
Christ, that it was tremendous. My wife always tells a tale about
the young lady who walked up to me at the 40th reunion. She said, I can't believe you're
a preacher. I said, well, thank you. She
said, I'll be there tomorrow to hear you. And she was. And she came down front after
I preached and shook my hand. She said, you are a preacher. Bless me, I appreciate it. All
right, let's turn in the Bible to John chapter 19. This is my
message for this evening, and pray the Lord will be pleased
to make it a blessing to you. I believe that it was years ago
when I preached it to my friends in Alabama. But John chapter
nineteen, let's begin with verse twenty-three. Then the soldiers,
when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four
parts. to each soldier a part. And also
his coat. Now his coat, or his robe, was
without seamen, woven from the top throughout. They said, therefore,
among themselves, let's not tear it, let's not rend it, but cast
lots for it, whose it should be. And all of this that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, they parted my raiment
among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things
therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross
of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister Mary, the wife
of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his
mother and the disciples standing by whom he loved, he said unto
his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple,
whose name was John, of course, Behold thy mother. And from that
hour that disciple took her unto his own home. After this, Jesus,
knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. And there was set a vessel full
of vinegar. And they filled a sponge with
vinegar, and put it upon Hissop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus, therefore, had received
the vinegar, he said, It is finished. It is finished, and bowed his
head, and gave up the ghost. Someone wrote years ago that
the ancient, the ancient Greek orators prided themselves in
being able to speak much in as few words as possible. Say a
great deal in as few words as possible. This is what they said,
be able to give an ocean of thought and matter in only a drop of
words. Well, what those men sought is
what is found right here in this scripture. It is finished. It
is finished. Here is an eternity of purpose. Here is Almighty God's promise
and kingdom of his dear Son, summed up in just three words. It is finished. Christ said in
his prayer, I've glorified thee on this earth. I've finished
the work. I have finished the work you
gave me to do. Now I'm asking, What is that
work God gave him to do? What did the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, come into this world to do? What is it that
he finished? And I believe I can shed some
light on this in five statements. Five statements. I want you to
remember. Number one, I believe from the Word of God that Almighty
God has from all eternity determined to have a new heaven and a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Now turn with me to 2 Peter chapter
3. Almighty God has determined from
all eternity to have a new heaven and new earth. 2 Peter chapter
3, look at verse 11. Seeing then that all these things
shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in
all holy conversation godliness, looking for, and hastening, longing,
and expecting until the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements
shall melt with a fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to
His promise, look for new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness." No more sin, no more death, no more tears,
no more pain, no more evil. The former things are passed
away. Turn with me to Revelation 21.
Revelation chapter 21, verse 1. Revelation 21, verse 1. And John said, I saw a new heaven
and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the
holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, And I heard a great
voice out of heaven saying, O the tabernacle of God is with me,
and he, God, will dwell with them, and they'll be his people. And God himself shall be with
them and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes. There shall be no more death,
neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,
for the former things have passed away. And he that sat upon the
throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto
me, John brought it, for his words are true and faithful. And he says unto me, It is done.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and I will give
unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of
life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things, and I will be his God. He'll be my son. What a day! What a day that will
be, when the blessed Savior's face I shall see, and be conformed
to His image, be just like Him. Isn't that something? Number
two. I understand from the Scriptures,
I believe from the Scriptures, that Almighty God will populate
that new heaven that new earth with a multitude of people, which
no man can number. Out of every tribe, every tribe—think
of the tribes now—every tribe, every family, every kindred,
every nation, every tongue. That's what God promised Abraham. When he took him out there under
the stars that night, and he said to him, look to the See
if you can number them. That's how many people you'll
have, how many sea you'll have. The sands of the seashore and
the stars of the sky, beyond number. Abraham believed God,
and it was counted to him for righteousness. Now turn to Revelation
7. Revelation chapter 7. And John
tells us about this multitude. out of every tribe, kindred,
nation. Revelation chapter seven and
verse nine. Revelation seven and nine. And
John said, this is what, this is what John saw. Look. And out
of the hill, and after this, out of the hill, and lo, a great
multitude, which no man can number, of all nations, and kindreds,
and people, and tongues, stood before the throne. And before
the lame, clothed with white robes, and palms, palms of victory,
in their hands. And what did he say? This is
what he shouted, gravely. Now what did John hear? Listen. And they all cried with
a loud voice, salvation to our God, salvation of the Lord. That's
what they cried. Salvation to our God, which sitteth
upon the throne, and to the lame. And the angels stood round about
the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell
down before the throne on their faces, even the angels, and worshipped
God, saying, here's a sevenfold amen, blessing, glory, wisdom,
thanksgiving, honor, power, might unto our God forever and ever. That's what John heard. He saw
that multitude. He heard those voices. Salvation
to our God. And what did he learn? What glorious,
wonderful message did he learn? Look at verse 13. And one of
the elders answered and saying unto me, What are these who are
raised in white robes? And which came that? And I said
unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, I know. I
know, listen. These are they which came out
of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. And that's every believer. I'm not talking about the great
tribulation of seven years. I'm talking about through much
tribulation, every believer shall enter into the kingdom of God.
Every believer. If you don't have it yet, you
will. every believer will go through trials and troubles and
heartache and tribulation, but they'll enter, they'll enter
having washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. All right, number three. I understand,
and I believe from the Scripture, that these people who will dwell
in God's presence, this multitude out of every tribe, kindred,
nation turned unto Him. These people that were no more
pain, no more sorrows, and be made like Christ. That these
people had been chosen by God from sinners like you and me.
Chosen by God and made holy perfect redeem of the blood of
his son out of folks like you and me, sinners. That's what
our Lord said. You know, the Pharisees saw our
Lord having supper with publicans
and sinners. And they said, why does your
master eat with folks like that? Why does your master gather with
publicans and sinners? And our Lord heard it. And he
said, don't need a position, but they that are sick. Go learn
what that means. I will have mercy, not sacrifice. I came not to call the righteous. I came to call sinners to repentance. That's right. The Son of Man
has come to seek and to save that which is lost. Paul the
Apostle said, this is a faithful saying. This is worthy of acceptation
by all men. that Jesus Christ came into the
world as saints and sinners, of whom I'm chief. I read a story
about a pastor of a small community church out in the country, and
he came to the end of his message. He was a very wise man, a very
excellent preacher. He came to the end of his message,
and he turned to a man on the front row, and he said to him,
Did the Lord Jesus Christ come into the world, did he come to
this earth to save good people or bad people? And the man sat
there a moment, scratched his head, and he replied. And he replied like most people
would, most natural men. He replied, well, preacher, I
reckon that the Lord came to this earth to save good people. And the pastor paused, and he
said, Well, friend, if he came to this earth to bleed and die
and save good people, what's to become of you and me? What's to become of you and me?
For I know that I'm not good, and I just suspect that in the
sight of God, you have to admit that you're not good. But he
said, My friend, I tell you, I know the Lord came into this
world to save sinners. And if I can find one, if I can
find one, a genuine, bona fide sinner, has nothing, knows nothing,
can do nothing, I'm going to tell him the good news that Jesus
Christ came into the world to save sinners, for whom I'm the
chief. Turn to Revelation. Now, I mean
Romans. Romans, chapter five. This is what I'm trying to say.
In Romans, chapter five, verse—starting with verse six, this is what
I'm trying to preach. Listen, he says in Romans five,
verse six, "'For when we were without strength in due time,
Christ died.'" Ungodly. Anybody ungodly here? He died
for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man would one
die, yet for adventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God, He commended His love for us in that while we were
yet sinners, sinners. A sinner is a sacred thing. The
Holy Ghost has made him so. The Holy Ghost has singled him
out. The Holy Ghost has set him apart
and made him an object of God's grace because Christ died for
sinners. Nobody else. I met a man who was on furlough
from Sudan Interior Mission down in Africa years ago. I think he's dead by now. Parris
Reed is. He's a little older than I was.
And he was telling me about some of his experiences as a missionary
to the Sudan interior in Africa back in the 40s and 50s. And
he said, I was out with a group of natives going to a place to
hold some services. And he said, had these native
men in front of me carrying my equipment and carrying the things
that we needed and we were going through the jungle. And he said
as he kept walking through the jungle, he said, I heard a voice.
I heard a voice in the distance, and it was saying in the native
tongue, help me. Somebody help me. Help me. And he said, I quickened my pace,
and so did the man with me. And he started running, and as
he got closer, the voice was louder. Help me. Somebody help
me. And I turned the corner. Oh,
he said, just took my breath away, what I saw. Now, there
was a leper in the very last stages of leprosy. His hands
had been eaten away. He had nothing but slits for
eyes and a slit for mouth, just ulcerated face, oh, just a terrible,
and he had those bony arms up in the air. He cried, somebody
help me. He said, nothing I could do.
I just stood there and this thought went through my mind. This is
the way God sees me in my leprosy, in my sin. Unclean, unclean,
unclean. And if I could, he said, I could
reach out and take this man's bony, withered, rotten fingers
in my hands his hand in mine, each hand, and lift him up, and
pull him to me, and put his ulcerated face right into mine, and those
slits for eyes that opened mine, and let my health flow into him
and his disease into me. That would be what Christ did
for me. He took my place. He was made sin for us. He was made sin. He was made
sin. He took our guilt in His Body
on the tree and was made sin. And I became healthy, whole,
and holy because He died for me. Substitution, that's it. That's it. That's it. All right, number
four. I understand, I believe from
the Scripture, that those whom the Lord hath chosen to redeem,
he'll call them by his Spirit. He'll call every one of them.
He'll make them willing to love him, to believe him, to receive
him by his Spirit. And he'll make them willing in
the day of his power, submissive. And he'll justify them by his
blood, and he'll glorify them with his and make them perfectly
conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. And that's what I read
here in Romans 8. If you turn to Romans chapter
8, this is what I read right here. This is what the Lord has
promised. Romans chapter 8, verse 28. And
we know that all things work together for good to them who
love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestinated,
them he called. He calls them. Just like he calls
Zacchaeus, come down, Matthew, follow me. He called us. Whom he called, he justified.
Made them perfectly holy, just as if they'd never sinned. And
whom He justified, Him He glorified. Hold that right there just a
minute. Isaiah said, the Lord declared, I declare
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done. Saving, four things. My commandment shall stand. I
will do all my pleasure. I will bring it to pass. I've
purposed it, and I'll do it. Whom he foreknew, he did predestinate
to be conformed in the image of his Son. Whom he predestinated,
he'll call them one at a time, one by one. And whom he called,
he justified. Whom he justified, he glorified. And if you look at the next four
or five verses, verse thirty-one, people who hear And believe this,
and love this, these five questions will give you all the confidence
and assurance you need. That's right. All right. Here's
these five questions. All right. What shall we say
then to these things, what we just read? Whom he predestinated,
whom he called, whom he called to justify, whom he justified
to glorify. What do you say to this thing?
I tell you what I say, if God be with me, who can be against
me? That's what we say. If God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit is for me, for me in redemption, for
me in safe to vacation, for me in wisdom, for me in all things,
who can be against me? Well, it won't matter who's against
me. God's for me. Look at the next question. And
he that spares not his own son, Delivering him up for us. Delivered
him to death, harassment, pain, sorrow. A man of sorrows acquainted
with grace. Here's a question. If he's delivered
him up for us, put him to death, crucified him on the cross, how
shall God not with Christ freely give us all things? If Christ
purchased it, God'll give it to us. If he paid my debt, He
set me free. That's right. Look at the next
question. Well, who can lay anything to the charge of God's election?
No blame can be put to us. Our debts are paid. Our sins
are pardoned. There's no charge against us.
Who can lay anything to the charge? Oh, there are a lot of people
who will charge you. They won't do any good. Why? Because God
You talk about the Supreme Court can make a decision, inspects
everybody, God makes a decision, He satisfies all His people. Highest court, the highest tribunal
said, you're justified. You're not just pardoned. You're
not just forgiven. You're justified. That's as if
you didn't even sin. Verse 34, here's the fourth question. Who is he to condemn it? Who
can lay in charge of God's earth? Who can condemn? There's no judgment
to them who are in Christ. And I'll tell you why. Paul gives
this threefold thing, fourfold thing. He says, it's Christ that
died. It's not how much blood He shed. It's whose blood. It's
not how much he suffered, it's who suffered. It's Christ who
died. It's Christ who died. It's the
Son of God. And not only did he die, but rather, he's risen
again. He's risen for our justification.
Not only that, but he's even at the right hand of God. Our
forerunner has entered within the bagel, into the Holy of Holies,
and taken us with him. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
be ye lifted up to everlasting doors, that the King of glory
may come in." Who is this King of glory? He's the Lord of Hosts. He brings them all with Him.
Everybody for whom He died. The Lord of Hosts. The Lord of
Hosts. He's at the right hand of God.
And listen, He makes interception for us. You know, He said to
Peter one day, Peter was boasting, and the Lord said, Simon, Satan
had desired to sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you. I prayed
for you. I prayed for you. And our Lord
Jesus Christ says that about everybody here. He not only has
prayed for us, He is praying. He'd make it intercession for
us. Now, here's the next one, next word of assurance. Then who can
separate us from the love of Christ? I preached just a few
days ago down in Rocky Mountain, Virginia, and I came to this
question. If a person makes a profession
of faith, And says he's saved. Can he then be lost? And I said,
this is my answer. Yeah. Yeah. Depending on who
saved him. If his mother saved him, he'd
be lost. If his preacher saved him, he'd be lost. If his priest
or catechism saved him, he'd be lost. But if God saved him,
he'd never be lost. That's right. My sheep here,
my boys, I give them eternal life and never perish. No man
can pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them all
is greater than all. No man can pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I'm talking about a sheep now. See, that
sheep was his sheep when it was lost and when it was lost. That's
right. And that son, that prodigal son,
that was that father's son that came home. He was his son when
he was out there roaming on the hillsides. He's his son when
he came home. And God's sheep are God's sheep. God the Father
gave them to him. And he says here, who can separate
us from the love of Christ? And he names all these things.
Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or so on. That is, it is written, for thy
sake we are killed all the day long. We count as sheep for the
slaughter. Yea, in all these things we're
more than conquerors to him that loveth us. For I am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, And if you've got anybody else to bring in as your
witness, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's
eternal life. God didn't save his people for
a few days, or a few months, or a few years. He saved them eternally. Eternally. Eternal. All right, here's the last question. I understand from the Scriptures
that we shall not all die. There'll be people living on
this earth when Christ comes. I don't know when the Lord's
coming. I hope He'll come tonight or soon. But whenever He comes,
there's somebody going to be here on this earth when the Lord
comes. So we're not all going to die,
but we're all going to be changed. Now watch this. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. We're all going to be changed. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse
50. Listen. Now brethren, 1 Corinthians
15, verse 50. Now then, I say brethren, flesh
and blood can't inherit the kingdom of God. Can't do it. Neither does corruption inherit
incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, we're not all going to die, but we're
all going to be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump of the trumpeter's sound, the
dead in Christ shall be raised, how incorruptible! And we shall be changed. For
this corruptible was put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. So when this takes place, this
corruptible shall be put on incorruption, and this mortal shall be put
on immortality, then shall we be brought to pass the saying
that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? In closing, these five things,
I believe, But here's a question. How can these things be? How
can man be just with God? How can he be clean as born of
a woman? Behold, the heavens are not pure
in God's sight. How much more abominable is man
that drinks iniquity like the water? How much less man than
is a worm? Well, here's how it can take
place. Here's the gospel of God's grace.
Turn to Romans 3. Romans chapter 3. As plain as
I can preach it, this is the gospel of saving grace. This
is how God can be just and justified, how man can be clean as a mortal
woman, how man can be just with God. Here it is right here. Romans
chapter 3, and I want you to take the time to read it with
me. Romans 3, 19. Now, we know that what things soever the law
say, it sayeth to them that are under the law, that every mouth
may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh, no
flesh be justified in God's sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. But now the righteousness of
God Without the law, it's manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophet. It's even the righteousness of God, which is by the faithfulness,
by the obedience, by the life and blood of Jesus Christ, and
it's unto all and upon all them that believe. There's no difference.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore,
being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption
that's in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth. Christ Jesus,
whom God has set forth. Christ Jesus, whom God has set
forth. He set him forth in promise.
In promise. The lamb slain before the foundation
of the world. He set him forth in prophecy. Abraham said, my son, God will
provide himself a lamb. He set him forth in picture.
when they took the lamb in Egypt and slew it and put the blood
on the door. That's a picture of Christ shedding
his blood for us. He set him forth in person. One
day John the Baptist with two of his disciples pointed to Jesus
of Nazareth and said, Behold, there he is. There is the one
promised, prophesied, pictured, now in person. He set him forth. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world." And God set him forth in death. There
you can do a cross. And when our Lord finished the
work God gave him to do, he said, it's finished. It's finished. Our Father, we thank You for Your Gospel. We
thank you that we're able not only to read it, to preach it,
but to believe it. To rest confidently, whole and
completely, in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing
that we're sinners, but Christ died for sinners. Knowing that
we are ungodly, but Christ died for the ungodly. Know that we're
unworthy of the least of your mercies or favor, but know in
this, that Christ loved us and gave himself for us. We do praise
your name and ask you again to bless this message to the heart
of your people. Make it effectual to the young
people especially in this congregation. We pray our Father for our beloved
pastor, We pray for a safe trip home tomorrow and pray that it
may please thee to continue to minister to him physically, heal
his body, restore him back to this pulpit, to the people he
loves, to preach the gospel he loves. And we'll give thee the
glory, give thee the glory and the praise forever and ever. Amen.