God's grace extends to all nations, as demonstrated by the conversion of Cornelius, a devout Gentile, and the Apostle Peter's subsequent understanding that God shows no favoritism. The sermon highlights Cornelius's respected status, his fear of God, and his charitable acts, yet emphasizes that these alone do not lead to salvation. Peter's reluctant preaching, guided by divine revelation, unfolds the core message of Christ's consecrated life, criminal death, confirmed resurrection, and coming judgment, culminating in the offer of complete salvation through faith in Him. The ultimate application is to embrace this salvation, recognizing that true righteousness comes not from good works but from belief in Jesus Christ, leading to the reception of the Holy Spirit.
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Those of you that have been with us during the past evenings will remember that I've been considering with you something called the statement of the Lord Jesus when giving the last commission to the church, he said, Make disciples of all nations. We were considering that the nations of the world have originated from the three sons of Noah, Han, Shem and Jacob. And we've been noticing how very early in the history of the Christian church, This command was completely overest. The first evening we gave some thought to the son of Ham, and we thought of that great eighth chapter of Acts that told us of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch.
Last evening we went a step farther and we thought of the ninth chapter of the Acts and gave some consideration to the story of Saul of Tarsus. This evening, with your permission, I would like to read the story in the tenth chapter of Acts. And we will consider the story of the son not of Ham or Shem, but the son of Jacob. The tenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, please. I would like to commence reading in verse thirty-eight. Or maybe we should commence reading just a little before then. Maybe we should commence reading in verse thirty-four. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, On the truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.
But in every nation, he that fear of him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all, that word I say ye now. which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, how that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, who made slow hand on a tree.
him God raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people to testify that it was he which was ordained of God to be judge of quick and dead. to him give God, or give all the people witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sin. And while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all men which heard the word, and they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Now may the Lord just add his blessing to the reading of his own precious one. Could I ask you to join me, please, in prayer for just a moment, as we ask his help, as we consider leave us. If I'm majestic, mighty, holy God, we come to thee with thee in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. From our hearts we praise thee. that we can call thee our father. We come as children to a father, craving the blessing of a father's mother, asking that thou wilt by thy spirit make clear and plain to each one of us the truth of thy work.
As thou didst, through thy servant long ago, speak accordingly, and bring such blessing to him and his home. Will thou speak to us? and bring a lot of blessing to every one of us here in this place now. For we ask it in the previous minutes. Amen. I wonder without any preamble if I may get right, as it were, into the subject which is on my heart. I would draw your attention to three very definite truths that are found here in this portion. First of all, the whole chapter seems to me to be the story of one that I have dared called a respected citizen.
May I repeat that? It's the story of a person I have dared to call a respected citizen. Then I think you will agree with me that as we consider this tense chapter of Acts, it is not only the story of a respected citizen, but it is the story of a reluctant servant. Is not that true? Did not God have to open the heavens? Did not God have an vision to come down to Peter and show him a great sheet in which have been placed all manner of unclean beasts?
Did not God have to say, Right, Peter, till it eats? And did he not have to rebuke him? When Peter said, No, Lord, I've never eaten anything that's unclean, before this servant will even walk down the road, go into the home of a Gentile and tell him about Jesus. Oh, whatever you may say of this chapter, You will be in agreement with me when I say it is not only the story of a respected citizen, but it is the story of a reluctant servant. And then before we finish, I've got a feeling that every one of you are going to say Amen when I draw your attention to the fact that it is also the story of a Markable servant.
Oh, what a servant. It almost seems to be out of place. That Peter would stand before such a man as Cornelius and say these things. Why, he's cutting across that which every man who's studied for the service of God has ever been taught concerning homiletics and sermon preparation. You would never know that such a person as this would be such a message as this. Yes, the more we look at it, the more we realize that it was just suitable for him, and I believe it's just suitable for every one of us in this service tonight.
Firstly, then, a respected citizen. What a remarkable man was this man, Cornelius. Not the Son of Hand, for he was not a colored man. Not the Son of Shem, for he was not a Jew. But the Son of Jacob, a Gentile, made disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things. whatsoever I have commanded thee. Here the Church of God is going to do that very thing.
I wonder if I may draw your attention to some of the things that we are told about him. Would you not agree with me that here was a man who was a devout man? Well, that's what the Scripture says of him, that he was a devout man. He was not a man who had gone down into the very steps into the iniquity. He was a man who had not sunk so low that men and women would feel it was almost impossible for him to be lifted. He was a man who was a devout man. And the scripture says more of him. He was a man who feared God.
Now my Bible tells me that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. And here was a man who feared God. Now it is a remarkable fact, but fact indeed, that the word of God speaks of the fear of God in two ways. There is a word which is used that dares suggest to us that a man is one who should dread, should be afraid of God. I don't want to water that. I would not have any one of you accuse me of watering down the Scripture. That is the word which again and again and again is you.
I want to ask you a very simple question, sir. I am not going to try and suggest the answer. I want to ask you a very simple question. Is it not true that the Bible says that God laid on his own Son the iniquity of us all. And is it not recorded he was wounded for our transgressions? He was bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.
Has not the Himwiter expressed it truthfully when he said, Jehovah lifted up his rod. Oh, Christ, they fell on me. The question I want to ask is this. Sir, if God, because of sin, would deal with his own son the way he dealt with Jesus upon a cross, how would he deal with you and me if we neglect so great salvation? I suggest to you that when we speak of the fear of God, there is a sense in which men and women that have never bound their knee at the foot of the cross and have never said Christ for me, they need to fear God.
But please, there is another way of fearing God, and this is the way I suggest that Cornelia fear God. I have future. I have one every sort you can have. Of course, there are the very, very, very plant people there are. But when my children were little, I trust they feared me. Now I never once can remember them ever showing any sign of being afraid of me. But I trust they feared. I trust they feared their mother. I trust they feared the nun, not to do anything that would bring disgrace to our men.
The fear that does not spring for dread, but for love. The fear that does not spring because one is frightened. The fear that does not spring because one appreciates, one respects, one honors. For love. This is the fear that God calls every man that knows his power to have a way. God is not some great passion with a stick in his hand, moving up and down, waiting for men and women to do that, which is wrong, to show that there aren't a stick, that he might bring you sick on them. No, no, no.
But I remind those of us that love his name, that we are called to fear him, to fear doing anything that would make men turn away from him. We've made his name to be last night. The fear of God. And here was a man Cornelius, who didn't know Christ, who was not a Christian, who never bowed his knee at the foot of the cross. Here was a man, I said he was a respected citizen. Here was a man who was a devout man, and he feared God. We are told that he taught his household. He gathered around him the members of his household, but taught them that which he knew of God, read with them, though he were a Gentile, from the Old Testament scripture.
And yet he wasn't a Christian. He wasn't on the road that leads to glory. He wasn't saved. For if this story tells me anything, It tells me that he was devout. He feared God. He taught his household. He gave alms to the poor, and he prayed. And it also tells me that God took note of it. God took note of it. You will notice clearly what God did not do. God did not say, because you fear me, because you pray, because you are one who gives arms to the poor, because you are a devout man, I will save you.
But what God did do was this. He said, because you've done this, I will see that you hear the way of salvation. I will send the sermon to you to make sure that you know what you must do to pass on death and delight. And I believe that wherever there are men and women who seek to live with a fear of God before their eyes, God respects and answers that fear by singing the message of the gospel that is brought to you. And here, this man with all the good things you could say of him, and yet he was not a Christian.
Sir, would you not agree with me again? Would you not agree with me that it is tragically possible to bear almost all the marks of being a Christian and yet nothing? Would you not agree that it is possible to leave the devil? Now that's a mark of being a Christian. He gave arms to the poor. My Bible tells me this. It dares to tell me that I must consider those in need. My Bible dares to tell me that to communicate and do good, forget not.
For with such sacrifice, God is well pleased. That's one of the marks of being a Christian. To be benevolent. Yet is it possible to be benevolent through love of family? And it has nothing whatsoever to do with God. You see, I love my children. I love my grandchildren. And because I love my children and because I love my grandchildren, there is a sense in which to then I can be tremendously benevolent. I'm not much of a man. The shopping. I confess that to you. I like doing shopping when the shops are shut and you don't spend anything.
But I must confess that I'm beginning to find myself now with great gratitude. I'm beginning to find myself that when I look in the store and I'm saying, oh, that would just sit down, Joanne. What? Sharon would look nice in that. What? And it has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. The mark of being a Christian benevolent. He had nothing to do with that. Would you agree with me, sir, that it is also possible to be involved in none of that? I'm a friend here who has labored so often over so many years amongst the presidents of your house.
You have a word. I have little doubt that many a time when he's gone into prison, when he's seen men shut up behind bars, he said, God give me the grace never to do the thing that would put me in such a position as that. There are very few prisons in Great Britain that at some time or another I have not had to preach. I never stand and look into the faces of men in our prisons, and our prisons are so different to yours. I've been looking at their faces without saying, Oh God, keep me off doing the things that would separate me off to fire me. And will he... And will he have nothing to do with Jesus Christ?
You will be more than a fellow! Have you ever been to a hospital that specializes in some little thing? If you ever meet into a hospital where you see men and women of so many of them are so young, bearing in their body the mark of social disease, don't you come away saying, Oh God, eat me pure. Not because you just want to please God, but because you don't want to finish up like that. You can be moral through love of self, and then have nothing to do with Jesus.
I say, you can be tremendously orthodox, tremendously orthodox, just to the level of knowledge. Now I know some of that. I know how thrilled I am when I take my Bible. And as I turn its page, I come across a verse and I say, well that is interesting. Do you know that truth is coming somewhere else over here? Before long I forget time and I forget almost where I am. So I just take my Bible and turn it into page. I get thrilled with the wonder of the Bible. And it has nothing to do with Jesus.
I spend a good part of my time as a theological student at this age. I don't know I'll have a group of men to labour. I'm not anywhere in the world. Men that spend some years of their life with their Greek Testament and their Hebrew Old Testament, men who spend their time with the Bible in their hand, reading it, making its message known to their heart, at least known to their mind. And I want to say this, that many of them are never even come to Christ. Some of them are conspicuous. Some of them are conspicuous. Yet the tremendous knowledge of the future, to be religious, whose love of knowledge, yet I have nothing to do with you.
Or that. My dad, according to yours, I'm glad you dwelt in the place you dwelt. I believe you were a good influence to the neighborhood. I believe there wasn't a mother in the district who would ever kill when she should never allow her children to come near your home. I don't believe there's a father in the district who would have said to his son, don't you listen to that man? I believe you are a respected citizen. Listen, sir. He wasn't working. I look around at groups like this. I don't know you. I don't know. But as I stand and look at you, would you permit me to say, you do look, you know, quite a group of respected citizens, will you?
I think that anyone who would give up a bank holiday, I don't know if you look for a bank holiday, but if you would give up a, what do you call it, national holiday, thank you, would give up a national holiday to come to a church building on an evening like this, I say you've got something to accept. Sir, I don't think that that means that you're a good boy. He was a man of a respected citizen. Yet he wasn't converted. But if there's a respected citizen in our story, there is also a reluctant servant. I say, how opposite to Cornelius was this man.
Great, tough, rugged Peter. Oh, the man that had dared to tell the Lord he wasn't quite the very one. So everyone else denied Christ. He never denied him. And it wasn't very long before he denied him. And yet isn't it wonderful? He didn't stay down. He picked himself up and got going again. I'm glad of that. I'm so glad. There was a Christ that was willing to forgive him and bless him. Later that blessed Christ would say to him, Peter, feed my lambs, Peter, feed my sheep. Later that Christ was to say to him, Peter, loveth thou me?
And I've seen so many times that in desperation Peter would say, O Lord, thou knowest all things. Now knowest thou my life. Yet that man who seek so openly about his appreciation of Christ. When he came, going into the home of a Gentile, he would leave it off for sure to do. God had to give him the vision, and he saw this great sheet with all manner of unclean beasts. And he heard the voice, Why, Peter, kill and eat? And he cried, Lord, I never, never eaten anything that's unclean. Ooh, I say, you could almost see the bristle run, catch And she asked it merely, you, to eat that.
God, you were poor in the tent of living. You said that none of these things I know, or any one of my neighbors. And now you tell me to eat them. Isn't it wonderful that we've got a jar of these things? We've got just two to get there. You know what? Or any one of these things are open. Open. And it's wrong that he's not being prepared to threaten them. If he won't, then tell the soul this way, please. And we rejoice. Suddenly Peter realized that God had something in the dew, for it not came at the door. The servant said, Would you come to my master?
And I'll feed it out of you. This reluctance, sir, that we come to the part that I want to share with you most of all tonight, that a respected citizen that a reluctant servant comes together. And that reluctant servant preaches the most remarkable sermon that he'd ever preached in his life or ever preached again. Now those of you who are interested a little in sermon formation, I wonder if I can give you the six points.
Six please, not seven. Six points. of his address. And I want to ask you, sir, would you have ever preached a sermon like this to this man? We're always being taught that what we've got to do in our modern day, you see, is that we must suit our message to our audience. That whatever else we do, we must suit our message to our audience. My Bible knows nothing about that. The only thing my Bible knows about is preaching the truth. Does not say to you and me to make that truth palatable to men and women.
My Bible does not tell you to go forth and send your message to your audience. My Bible says, preach the word. Peter stood in front of his mouth and walked remarkable things. Remember, it was a checkup. And the first thing he does is that he preached to this man a consecrated life. Forfeiting of Christ, he sang, God anointed Jesus who went about doing good. You've done good. You've given arms to the poor. I want to tell you of someone who was greater than you. God anointed Jesus who went about doing good.
He preached first a consecrated life. And then for such a man as this, he preached a criminal death. A criminal death. For he goes on and in verse thirty-nine he said, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. A criminal death. And then will you notice that having preached a consecrated life and a criminal death, he preached a confirmed resurrection? I like that. By that thrill of my heart. As looking into the face of Cornelius, he said in verse forty, God raised him from the dead and showed him openly.
Not just resurrection, but a confirmed resurrection. He showed him openly. And then to Cornelius, this respected citizen, he not only preached a consecrated life, he not only preached a criminal death, he not only preached a confirmed resurrection, but he preached a coming judgment. Oh, we don't hear very much of that, do we? But isn't that what he preached? Please, sir, please, sir, please. I didn't like the Bible, you know. Nothing to do with me. This is what the word of God says, verse forty-two, that he would be the judge of the quick of the dead.
And then would you notice that having preached a consecrated life, of the criminal death, of a confirmed resurrection, and a coming judgment, he then preached a complete salvation. Verse forty-three, whosoever believeth in him shall receive the forgiveness of sins. Then would you notice something else, that as the result of his preaching, there was a converted company, for the Holy Ghost fell upon all those that believed a converted company. Trust me then, let's just look at it.
Let's tear it apart. Let's consider this method. He first spoke of Christ, and speaking of him, spoke of a consecrated life. God anointed Jesus. There I go back to the first address I gave you on the first chapter of Revelation. You remember I reminded you, and I do not apologize for repeating that. You remember I was not reminded you that the one that was born before and the first of Revelation was the Christ. And I say that Christ is the Greek word, for it is not a name, it is a title.
You remember I reminded you that if I was to say it in the Hebrew tongue, I would not say Christ, I would say Messiah. Exactly the same, not a name, a title. But if I was to say it in the English tongue, exactly the same, for Christ is Greek, The fire isn't true, but if I was to say it in the English tongue, I would pray anointed. God, anointed, Jesus. I reminded you that there were three people that had to be anointed. Topic had to be anointed.
Twins had to be anointed. Kings had to be anointed. I reminded you that the work of a Topic was to reveal. The word of a prince was to reconcile. The word of a king was to reign. And when we pray that Jesus is the Christ, we pray that he is the revealing, reconciling, reigning from God. He anointed Jesus. When that is all the one who I say, Mr.
Cornelia, sir, you are a respected citizen. But let me tell you of the citizen of another land. Let me tell you of the citizen of heaven. Let me tell you of one who is the respected citizen of heaven. The anointed one who went about doing good. Isn't that wonderful? Do you know whatever you may say of Jesus Christ? Whatever you may think of him, Every one of you will acknowledge this, that he went about doing good. A consecrated life, the only one that was utterly in every word and deed, satisfied his Father God.
Right from the beginning, when God made a man, God looked down, God looked for a man who could satisfy him and found none. Pray God that gave forth heaven to earth. Man, Christ. God looked at him and said, My beloved son and whom I am wealthy. You know, God takes so much of this and the Lord Jesus. But one day he trained the people, heaven and earth, with both just like, You know, I love my wife.
But I don't think I would really like heaven. Phil would vote just like her. Don't you understand? You know what I mean. God thinks so much of Christ, and there is so much in Christ to completely and absolutely satisfy our hearts that one day everyone that's going to be in glory is going to be like it. When we shall sing, we will like it. He went about doing good, a consecrated life. And the tragedy of this, a criminal death, whom they slew and hanged on a tree.
Oh, what are they? My Bible says, Cursed it is every one that hangeth on a tree. But praise God, my Bible goes further and says this, that he was made Cursed for us. As it is written, custody is every one that hang upon a tree. Oh, bless God, he this one who was absolutely, absolutely given to the will of his Father God. This one who lived a consecrated life, was willing to die of criminal death, to take my sin and my sorrow and make it his very own, to bear my burden to Calvary, to suffer and die alone.
Or may I use the words of the little old Welsh chorus and say, Do you wonder? Do you wonder why it is I love it, sir? When I think of all he's done for me, the guilty one. Do you wonder that I love it, sir? Oh, Cornelius, respected citizen, though you may remember it. You still needed a Savior. There still needed one to die on every cross for you. For with all your good, you were not good about that.
You were so near and yet you were so far. These some things you were so rich and yet you were so poor. You were so good and yet you were so bad. You did get a Savior. And I come to tell you of one who died on a cross for your sin. Friend, there's no message of the Christian faith that does not have of its center. This, that we preach Christ and Him crucified. But would you notice something more? He not only preached a consecrated life, he not only preached a criminal death, but glory to God, he preached a confirmed resurrection.
Let me read it to you again. Oh, Harkin, God raised him from the dead and showed him open. There is not a truth of the Christian faith more provable than the truth of the resurrection. Academically, the resurrection can be proved better than any other truth of the Christian faith. Oh, I think of the fact that they took it down from a cross, and they placed it in a tomb, and they rolled a stone over it, and they sealed it with a Roman seal, and they set two soldiers to watch it.
And yet the seal was broken, and the stone rolled back. Christ arose God for the resurrection I'm glad that my Christ is not dead but living and you may come to me with all the arguments that Lev laid against the resurrection and I say this to you but he showed him openly he showed him openly people saw him people touched him People heard him. People were transformed by him. He showed you over there.
Why have men and women of trial to cast aside the resurrection? They did it in that manner. And one of them in nature is trying to prove that Christ answered him, Oh, dear, dear, dear. You don't really ever think we're in the midst of it. Really? You see, they went to those soldiers and they sent them to soldiers, they're soldiers. We'll give you money. We'll pay you. You tell people, look, why is that? His disciples came so long. Oh dear, dear, dear. How foolish, may you think we are?
Why? While we slept, his disciples came and stole the wine. Do you know what goes on while you're asleep? Quite often when I get up in the morning, someone said to me, no, did you sleep well at the time? And I said, well, I don't know how. I didn't say a way to sleep. I never know what goes on when I'm asleep. Do you? And here are men who expected us to believe that the soldiers came and stole the body, and the disciples came and stole the body, and they said, well, you see, they did it while we were up to thee. However did they know. What is going to happen?
Five minutes. Look, a confirmed resurrection. He showed the earth. Men saw it and handled it. and walked with him, and ached with him, and were transformed by him. And now I've got a question, dear, because he's done it right through the ages, you see, as you're coming. What do you mean? And then will you notice he not only preached a confirmed resurrection, but will you notice he went further and he preached a coming judgment? Verse forty-two, to be judged of the quick and the dead.
Oh, Cornelius, you need salvation. But even you can't slip into salvation. You must remember that salvation is based upon a righteous nature. Step by step you must consider the truth of God. You must remember that Jesus went about doing good. You must remember that he died on a cross for you. You must remember that God raised him from the dead. From his salvation no other way. You must remember that this one will be the judge and the put in the dead. We're up to forget sometimes this side of the Christian faith, aren't we? We're told it's old fashioned to tell folk that one day God's going to open the books and he's going to judge men and women out of the things that are written there.
But does the thing being old-fashioned make it wrong? Were the great fundamental things that you and I draw breath and life from, old-fashioned? Blessed be God, they're still true. And as I look at this, I remember that my Bible says that one day the books will be opened we would be judged out of the things that are written in the books. Friend, what will happen when the book of your life is done, when it's revealed? When the task is broken, what will happen there?
Was it not FW Forum who said that the tragedy is not that God writes books, the tragedy is that you and I can't read? Imagine Look, I touched that desk. And you don't know I touched it. But let me send for a police officer, and out of his potty he will take a little tin, and he will sprinkle it upon that desk, and there. Of the millions of people that are living, that have lived, and that will yet live, it's written down that's on the only one that touched that desk. There it is, my thinker. Let me walk out of this chapel this evening, and you don't know I've walked out of it.
You turn up at the same, gentlemen. There it is. I've turned into boots. I've walked out of the chapel. It's been written down. You come to me as a way they dig a well. And as the earth is thrown up, shovel by shovel, you and I look at it, and we take by there from dirty dirt. Would you take with you a geologist and drop that geologist down that hole? Do you know what you're going to do here? You think, well, this is interesting. Did you know about, about, uh, ten thousand years ago?
I wonder why it's always in the round numbers. Who was it? It was a bit bent. But about ten thousand years ago, why? There was a minor eruption in this part of Florida. Well, how do you know? Well, do you see that strata? That's from the layer! That's from the layer! It's been written for me. I said, let's draw a word to one of your eyes. This has come an axe from our soul. And away you come from the tree. And away you come from the tree. And away you come from your eyes. You take me your eyes. And before you cut the tree down here, look, I didn't even say. Why, that's interesting. Do you know that twenty years ago there was a tremendous gatherer in this part of the fire?
As a matter of fact, there was an electric storm as well. Well, how do you know? Well, do you see that branch? It's charred away at the end there. Do you see that one? It started to grow out that way, but it's not. It's been written down. He looks for the tree that's been found, and he said, well, that's interesting. Do you know that tree at seventy-three years old? How old? Seventy-three years. Well, how do you know? Look. It's been written down. So, it's not that God doesn't keep books, it's that we aren't reading. Was there the books going to be opened?
He is judge of what in the day. Who? This one who lived a consecrated marriage and died a criminal death. who was raised with a confirmed resurrection. This is the one who will judge the prick in the day. Some years ago, I hanged myself away in Van Gogh. I was waiting around the chapel, some of you may know. I will remember, I've been standing on the story of Adam. Dying, admir as a fool does. And I did, so the chapel was called, for a great congregation there.
The end of the service, I did what I did not do, but I asked him, and he was asked to say, you know, they come to the front. And there rose to his feet, and how did he get it? I noticed the moment he stood to his feet, that a large number of folk turned and looked. Some of them bowed their heads in prayer. And I noticed one particular man who brushed into the deep. After which, when I went into the inquiry room to speak to others that had come forward, I saw this good gentleman, and the man who burst into tears with his arms around his neck, and there they were together with their Bible opens, and I realized through it all. So the man that had burst into tears was our good friend Mr.
Shepherd, who some of you know, and the man whose arm he had around his neck was his brother, Judge Shepherd, at the Supreme Court of British Columbia. I came to know Judge Shepard quite well. And he told me this story and gave me permission to use it, and I do as such. You may have heard the story of Lenny Wade, but I don't know. This is the story that Judge Shepard told me and gave me permission to use it. And a young man, he practiced school in Rangoon. There came to him one day, a lady of Polish X-ray.
who at the end of the war have come to Canada, and who has indeed started a little restaurant, it has succeeded, she went from that one to another, if it succeeded, she went from that one to another, if it succeeded, and then she'd opened up her pork restaurant, when through the letterbox at home there came the tempo. Income tax demands, Because she filled no forms in, she paid no income tax, and at last they caught up with her. Well, she looked at it.
Something to marge in a great sum of money. Well, she did the best thing anyone could do. She put it on the fire. Well, you know, they don't let you do that. At least you can get away with it. And it wasn't long before she had another one. And in stronger terms, she was advised to go to the solicitor. And so then she went to see my friends. who is now judge. She placed indeed the paper on his desk. She showed it to him. But she was old. She had to work too hard for her cents and dollars before she wanted to know anything. She wanted to know how much it was going to cost her. Have you ever been to a lawyer and asked him how much it's going to cost?
There's none of people in the world who can tell you so much and tell you just now, like a lawyer. Why, settle out and didn't say a word, and she picked up her papers, and out she went. Eventually, the court summoned the case, and in Taylor's hands, she went to see Judge Shatter, who is now Judge Shatter, who is then a lawyer. She said, Mr. Shatter, would you please take your case? And she looked at her and said, Now, have you not been reading the paper? No, I can't read it. I'm sorry, because if you had, you would have noticed.
So I've been appointed as judge of the Supreme Court. Last month I would have been the one to defend you. You say no. I don't suppose it will happen, but there is a chance that this month I could be the one who would judge you. ordained to be judged. But Lord, I put you on a Savior. I put you down on a cross for our sins. Yes, I did. But if you refuse me, I will appoint it to be the judge.
May I remind you, first he preached a consecrated life, a criminal death, a confirmed resurrection, a coming judgment, but then, bless God, he preached a complete salvation. For he said, but listen, Cornelius, whosoever believeth in him shall receive the forgiveness of sin. No one more. Oh, bless God, whosoever. Boy, is that lovely. Let me say what I said the other night. that I've got a savior who places one arm on the shoulder of a fair and lovely girl with a very lustre of purity in her eyes. He places another hand on the shoulder of a very masculine.
And he says, whosoever. Places one hand on the shoulder of a young man rather than do that which is vile would have his arms torn out of his body. And listen, thank God there are still some young men in America like that. He'll place another arm on the shoulder of a liberty. He'll say whosoever. The rich and the ragged, the savour and the forgotten, the humble and the haughty, whoever they may be, through forever. Believe us in him. Believe us in who? Believe us in the one who lived a consecrated life, who died a criminal death, who was raised with a confirmed resurrection, who is going to judge the quick and the dead.
Whosoever believe us in him. I like that, don't you? Whosoever believe us is not us. Winston Churchill called it the longest men in the world. The way in Britain it was that. It was poor fishery with oil or sausage and tanking oil. We were little bit more ships than we could produce.
Every shipyard in Britain, from Scotland to Wales, right round the coast of England and the North of Ireland. Every shipyard was working twenty-four hours a day to produce ships. They couldn't produce enough. The boats would leave Liverpool and Glasgow and London and come across the mighty Atlantic Ocean, making their way for a convoy point away in Bermuda and on to different ports in your land, that they don't bring back to us the food and the things that were necessary, that we not raise the war. They would send out some planes over the convoy, but air was but limited then. And there was in the center of the Atlantic Ocean that which became known as the graveyard of British sailors.
Where hundreds of full hundreds of ships were sunk by the German mutants. Thousands of lives were lost. One day there walked into the White House. A man. And your president, President Roosevelt came. He will make it. You know that the man had never once in his life made a ship. He said that he'd never made a toy ship with a boy. The president wrote him about to say, well, you made your ships. And the man said, I'll make ships on one ship. But I have priority of many of you.
Every now and one of those have, every different material I need so to get. You give me priority for your better material. Churchill said it was the longest minute of the war. When President Roosevelt looked into the face of a man, he didn't believe about him, he said, or made a ship in his life. He believed in it. He said, you can have priority of men and materials. boat that every shipwrecked in Britain said would never sail the ocean, would break its back before it cost the Atlantic, the first boat that was ever made without a rivet that was completely welded, the limiting boat was board, and listen, you saved our lives.
You changed it to a man. When President Roosevelt looked into the face of Henry J. Heather, you are master and master of that. He was willing to touch his heart. He was willing to believe it. He was willing to believe it. You can put it on. You can believe that he lived nine to thousand years ago, that he went about doing good, that he died on a cross, that he rose from the dead, that he lived in glory, that one day he'll be the judge.
You can believe that. And I'll tell you something. You'll do no more than the devil believes, because he believes every bit of that. That if you'll believe on him, if you'll trust your life to him, If you believe in him, rather, trust your life to him. Whosoever believer in him shall receive. Look, I didn't write it, please, please. I didn't write it. Shall receive the forgiveness of sins.
Oh, but Cornelius, you are such a good man. Oh, but you must have sin to be forgiven me. Oh, but Cornelius, you were of the right man. Well, if you're going to receive the forgiveness of sin, you must be a sinner. Oh, Cornelius, God knows something about you, but he never told anyone else. I love him. He's a great man of God, but he doesn't go around telling everyone how bad he is. For any of you we need to forgive them. Hallelujah. Have they believed? Oh, listen. Oh, listen, friend.
Not only a complete salvation that whosoever believeth in him should have remission of sins or forgiveness of sins, but verse forty-four. And the Holy Ghost fell on those who believed. So they brought him to the body of Christ. If ye have not the Spirit of Christ, ye are none of his, the Bible said. That day the Spirit of God came upon these Gentiles, and Cornelius, and those that believe with him, seized this glorious salvation and became a converted person.
A respected citizen. Like you, madam. Like you, sir. But not converted. A reluctant sermon. Like Peter. But a remarkable sermon. Tonight I want to ask, what will you do with that sermon? I don't want to ask you what will you do with my sermon, because while I know I've added a little to it in illustration and in words.
It is the word of God I want to ask you what you will do with me. What will be your verdict? Will you, like Cornelius, be willing to say, That is whosoever believer in him will receive the forgiveness of sin. Then I'll believe in him tonight. I'll trust my light to him tonight. Please, God you may. Please, God you may. Please God, you'll do it.
Surely, Mary. Well, God and Father, all thy hands have strung them in ours. You know confidence in what we expect or what we can do, and our confidence in me. And in thy birth, for the Lord Jesus said, Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my birth will not pass away. We pray to be confident in thy birth. We ought to believe each one. Make them a heartless faith. Not if we are respected citizens.
But whether we are recipients of the Christ, should there be songs that have never opened their life to this faith? These gods have opened their life together tonight. We ought to get in that. Amen.