Dougal, Neil: Wren's Bible Chapel Conf-1997-04 ~ The Road To Devastation

That I am a preacher and not a politician. You know, there were those who spent two hundred thousand dollars to spend a night in the Lincoln Bedroom. One man got into bed and the, the, um, mattress was so old that his knees hit his chin. Two hundred thousand dollars to spend one night in the Lincoln. Here I am. I've got a lovely room, lovely host and hostess, family, good food, and it doesn't cost me a nickel. It's a Scotsman's paradise. Real joy to be back with you again tonight. We want to continue to look at the road to. We've been looking at some of the roads these last few nights in the scriptures. We looked at the, the road of deliverance in Isaiah fifty five. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will abundantly pardon. And then we looked at the road to discovery. The man from Ethiopia, he made two great discoveries on his way back from Jerusalem. One was the preciousness of the living word, and he looked at the authenticity of the written word. Be looking at the same scripture, Philip preached unto him, Jesus. And then we looked last night at the road to devotion. Saul of Tarsus. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus. Lord, what will thou have me to do? The road to devotion. And that was the burden of the apostles' ministry and his many epistles, that we as God's people might show more devotion. He says to the Romans, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, you present your body a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Tonight we want to look with you at the road to devastation. In Luke's gospel, chapter ten. the road to devastation. Luke chapter ten, I'm reading verse twenty five. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, What is written in the law, how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right. This do, and thou shalt live. Notice the Lord didn't say, this do, and thou shalt have everlasting life. If we live a good, clean life, then there could be an extension of life. He mentioned thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, wounded him, departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite, when he came, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side. Verse thirty three: but a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, went to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own base, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow, when he departed, he took out two pence, gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him, and whatsoever he spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. When I come again, that's why I asked for the hymn Jesus is coming again. Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, he that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, go and do thou likewise. The Lord again will bless the reading of his precious word. Matthew seven thirteen, the Lord says, strive to enter in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in the right. But straight is the gate, narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. The speaker is the Lord Jesus. Now he's telling us, friend, that we're traveling on a road. We are either on the broad road leading to destruction, or we're on the narrow road leading to heaven and home. The moment we were born, we must stress this again, the moment we were born, we were placed on that broad road. The first person to go on that broad road was Adam when he sinned against the Lord, and in consequence, all his posterity have been put on that broad road. By one man, sin entered into the world, death by sin, for death has passed upon all men, for all have sinned. But there is this possibility, blessed be his name, that you and I can go from the broad road that leads to destruction to the narrow road that leads to heaven and home. This can only be accomplished if we come to the place called Calvary. That again is where you make that U-turn. The Lord said, except ye be converted and become like a little child, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. You see, you must have a conversion in order to go from the broad road to the narrow road. Conversion. Lord Tweedsmuir, one time Governor General of Canada, said that conversion is man's greatest experience. Conversion is man's greatest. You see, conversion, my friend, is a change of direction. On the broad road like this man, down, down, down. But the moment we trust the Lord Jesus, it's a change of direction. Instead of hell, the Bible says it is heaven. It's also a change of condition. God says on the broad road that we are sinners, but the moment we come to the cross, we believe in the finished work of the Lord Jesus, then the sinner becomes a saint. Sometimes we don't act like saints, but in the final analysis, God says those redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord are saints. Paul wrote to the saints which were at Philippi. Yes, it's a change of direction, it's a change of condition, and conversion is a change of destination. The ultimate of the broad route again, the speaker is the Lord, is the place called hell, the pit. Those who are converted, the destination is the palace of the king. We want to look with you tonight at this road. We see the man that went down from Jerusalem is going down to Jericho. The man that went down, the men that passed by, and finally the man who lifted up. This man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and the scripture says he was going down. You see, Jerusalem was the divine center established by God. You remember, for forty years, the Lord, he dwelt in a tent. He instructed Moses to build a tabernacle, and upon its completion by Bezalel and the Holy Ab, we read that God dwelt in the midst of his people. Forty years in a tent with a bunch of rebels all around him. On the completion of the temple by Solomon, the Lord dwelt in the midst of his people. But then God finally dwelt in a city. Time and time again in the book of Deuteronomy, he put his place in that chosen city, the place where his name would be established, which was the, the city of Jerusalem, the divine center geographically. It was a divine center, not only geographically, but governmentally. God says, I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. It became the divine center sacrificially, for it was outside the city wall of Jerusalem our blessed Savior shed his precious blood, and he was a divine center evangelicalist. Beginning at Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the gospel went out to the uttermost parts of the earth. This man was turning his back upon the divine center. God linked himself with a city. God put his people to the test when his son was born. The men from the east, they came. Where is he that is born king of the Jews? The Lord Jesus put his people to the test when he rode into Jerusalem, behold, thy king cometh, in in the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy, behold, thy king cometh riding upon an ass, and the colt, the fall of an ass. Oh, they said, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. What they wanted was a national salvation to get rid of the Roman yoke and to establish the glory days of King Solomon. The Lord did not come to give them a national salvation, but a personal salvation. And at the end, they said, we will not have this man to reign over us. They rejected His Majesty the King. And so Pilate brings out a man, Barabbas. Whom shall I release unto you, this man or Barabbas? They all said, not this man, but Barabbas. They would rather have the son of Abis than the son of God. They would rather have a murderer than the Messiah. They would rather have a robber than the Redeemer. They would rather have the man that took life than the man who could impart life. And God was angry. And he left that city, Zion, abandoned that city, Zion, for a time being. One day he will reestablish his kingship in Zion, but meanwhile, the Lord has linked himself with a heavenly Zion. And so in the fizzle to the Hebrews chapter twelve, we read, we have not come to Mount Sinai, thank God, but we have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn, rages in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. So, friend, when you get converted at Calvary's cross, make that U-turn. You are linked with a heavenly Zion. So we are a city, and we are going to a city, a city four square, because in the revelation, John saw that city, the heaven in Jerusalem, coming down as a bride adorned for her husband. They rejected the Lord Jesus. And we read that they all said, not this man, but Barabbas. His blood be upon us and our children. And God took them at their word. No nation has suffered like the Israelite nation. And today people are turning their back on the divine center and going down to Jericho, which was the city of the curse. He was going down. Those on the downward road, we discover that they strip, they strike, and they steal, and more. Remember the first man ever born came on the broad road. He was a liar, and he was a murderer. God says, where is thy brother Abel? I know not. He was a liar, and he was a murderer. He killed his brother Abel. So in the downward road, it's nothing but devastation, but on the road to glory, it's nothing but delight, as we shall see. He was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among thieves. I thank God for the day that I was converted, and I linked myself with God's people. I can say like the psalmist, as to the saints which are in the earth, the excellent, in whom is all my delight. There's no people to be compared with God's people that travel the narrow road, going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. The man that went down. But notice the men that passed by, and by chance there came down a certain priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side. The priest, the symbol of religion, and religion is a mess. Religion has caused nothing but confusion in this world. Reality is always found in Christ, in his precious word. You can't expect religion to help you spiritually. Oh, they go through the motions. But you remember in Acts chapter three, there's a man sitting by the gate, beautiful. The golden, beautiful gate of the temple. Excuse me, it was made of Corinthian bronze, the most expensive mineral of its day. A very, very expensive gate, the gate called Beautiful. And there's a man begging. How ludicrous. You see, could not help that man. But there were two men passing by that could help. Peter says, silver and gold have I not. He's begging. Silver and gold have I not, but such as I have give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk. And the man rose, Jesus of Nazareth. And I'm sure had those words been penned in his day and in the day of Saul of Tarsus, I am Jesus, they would have said, I'm so glad I learned to trust him. Religion can't help you. Only God's salvation is appropriate for the narrow road. And then, by chance, a Levite, just by chance. So religion can't help, neither can the law. He was a man of the law, the Levite, and the law cannot redeem the soul. What the law could not do, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemns sin in the flesh. Paul says, by the deeds of the law shall no one be justified in the sight of the Lord. The Lord was the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Yes, friend, Jesus alone can save. The man going down from the divine center to the place of the curse, the men who pass by, no sympathy, they just looked on him and passed by on the other side. Oh, how precious is verse twenty two. The man who lifted up a certain Samaritan as he journeyed. The Lord Jesus is referring to himself. He's calling himself a Samaritan. The Samaritans, the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. So in essence, what the Lord is saying, yes, I am a Samaritan. I am the despised one. They looked at him, they said, you are a Samaritan and have a demon. They said, this perverteth the nation, this speaketh blasphemy, this is a winebibber and a gluttonous man. He's the despised one. Is that not a confirmation from Isaiah's prophecy? He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and one acquainted with grief. Today, my friend, and many on the broad road, he is the despised one. Day by day, they take his blessed name in vain. You don't hear them taking Eisenhower's name in vain, or Truman, or Winston Churchill. It's always the Lord Jesus Christ, his name. They take in blasphemy. He is the despised one, despised and rejected of men. But notice, as he journeyed, not only was he the despised one, voluntarily he took that name. Remember, he went out of his way to reach a woman by psych as well. She was a Samaritan. You see, he is the universal lover. He loves everyone, no matter the nationality, and he crossed the line. No wonder it said of him that his branches, like Joseph, went over the wall. He embraced the Samaritans, and she fell in love with the Lord Jesus. Give me this living water, and into the city. Come, see a man that told me all things ever I did is not this the Christ? Despised one, but the deliberate one. The deliberate one. As he journeyed. Not by chance. God devised a plan of salvation, says the wise woman of Tekoa. God has devised a means whereby his banished ones might not be expelled from them. The triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sat down to contemplate a plan of salvation. In their foreknowledge, they knew what would take place, and they devised the plan of salvation. But here was the problem. Who could make this plan effectual? I'm sure Gabriel, God's minister of internal affairs, Michael, his minister of external affairs, would have loved to have come, but they did not have the ability. But there was one there, the deliberate one. Here am I, send me. The Lord Jesus put the plan of salvation into motion, and he came down into the sinker scene to put the plan into motion and to fulfill the plan of salvation. As he journeyed, the despised one, the deliberate one. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him. The despised one, the deliberate one, the delightful one, when he saw him, he had compassion on him. God's heart was broken that day when Adam sinned. But the moment Adam said, I was naked, he confessed his sin. God had a remedy. The seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Adam got a preview of the virgin birth, the seed of the woman, the incarnation. He got a preview of the crucifixion. He would bruise the head of the serpent. God's beloved son, the psalmist says, looked down from heaven to see if there was any that did understand, and see, God found none. So it was not enough just to look down and see the name, but thank God he came down. He came down. He saw him, he had compassion on him. With something sing, Jesus, my Savior, to Bethlehem came, born in a manger to sorrow and shame. Oh, it was wonderful. Blessed be his name, seeking for me, for me. He had compassion on him. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Oh, the compassion and the love of the Lord Jesus, it is unrivaled. And that's what he says, except he be converted and become like a little child, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, not by the law, not by religion, but believing in the Lord Jesus. Brother God, the late Gordon Rieger, and I had meetings in Marple, Pennsylvania, and eh, a lovely lady came out night by night. I knew she was married. I said, eh, your eh husband doesn't come to the meetings. Oh no, she says, he's a Jew. I said, well, you tell him that the preacher from Massachusetts sent him a special invitation. I couldn't, I must say, oh ye of little faith. The next night he's there. He listened to the preaching of the gospel. He said, I got to talk to you, gentlemen. We took him downstairs, opened up the scriptures. My colleague prayed, I prayed. Now he says, when, when can I pray? We said, if you want to get right with the Lord, you pray right now. And I'll never forget his prayer. He says, Lord, I came into this building a Jew that hated thy son. Now I love him. Bill Klein was baptized and brought into fellowship in the assembly up there in Marple in Pennsylvania. Couldn't find it in the law, but he found it in a loving Jesus. He went to him, and noticed this delightful one, he bound up his wounds. What a contrast from the, from the priest and the Levite. Went to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. These are very symbolical, eh, items. Oil is figurative of the Holy Spirit, and wine is the symbol of joy. The moment you make that U-turn at Calvary's intersection, you become the recipient of the Holy Spirit, sealed by the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit, and he pours in the wine. He pours in joy, and the joy of the heart knows no bounds. I was having children's meetings up in Westbrook in the state of Maine, preaching on the cross one night. Next morning at six o'clock in the morning, little girl, my host and hostess, little girl, six years old, knocks at my door. Uncle Neil, I'd like to get saved. Well, Uncle Neil's not too bright at six in the morning. I said, what did you say? I want to get saved. We have to be careful with children. I said, well, honey, why don't you and I pray about it? And then sometime later, we'll get down to business. I thought that would be the end of that for a while. Next morning, who's there? It's Bonnie, Uncle Neil. Is this the day? I knew she meant business. Pointed that little girl to the Savior. Read Revelation three twenty two. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in. As is Bonnie, he was outside knocking. Where is he now? She said he's inside. I said, you didn't see him coming in? No, you didn't hear him coming in. How do you know he came in? She took a little finger because he said he would come in, relying upon what the Lord said. She's now married, went to college, got a degree, married, has a family, and works for the state of Maine. Except he be converted and become like a little child. He cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Yes, he is the delightful one. But notice not only the deliberate one and the delightful one, rather the despised one, the deliberate one and the delightful one, but he's the dependable one. He put him on his own beast. This man sat where the Lord Jesus sat. I tell you, friend, when you are born into God's family, you can depend upon him. We sit where he sits, seated with him in the heavenlies. What elevation? Not going down, but going up. We sit where he sits, and he's at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens. He's the dependable one. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. He's the dependable one. You can depend upon him all the way. He's at God's right hand, ever living to make intercession for us. Notice not only the dependable one, but the delivering one. He will take care of you. I was talking to the friends today about a gentleman, tremendous singer up there in Toronto. His name was Hugh Walker, tremendous singer. He was invited to gospel meetings. He was raised in a Christian home, but he also loved to go to the theatre. And so, rather than going to the gospel hall, he went to the theatre that Lord's Day. And he entered the theatre, and there was a hand and a finger pointing to the pit. It was the orchestra pit. To the pit. That shook him that day. He got out of that theatre as fast as he could, and he headed back to the gospel hall, and he put his trust in the Lord Jesus. For years, he would always lead the singing between the sessions of the conference in Toronto, and his name was Hugh Walker, and you know that hymn, God Will Take Care of You? He used to sing, God will take care of Hugh, and my friend, God will take care of you. You are precious to him. And, uh, on the morrow he departed. Not only the despised one, the deliberate one, the delightful one, the delivering one, but notice he's the departing one. On the morrow he departed. What a moment that was when the Lord Jesus rose from the Mount of Olives and went up to glory, up to glory. He's coming back again. Notice what he says. Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. He is the departing one, but thank God he is the descending one. Very soon, maybe tonight, the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and the voice of the archangel, the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise first. We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. He must come because of biblical inerrancy. His first coming was promised, and finally he came. His second coming is promised, and he will come. Maybe today. He must come because of biblical inerrancy. He says, I will come again. Not only because of biblical inerrancy, but he will come because of personal relevancy. He says, I will come again. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me, in my father's house, many mansions, not so I have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. And he must come because of moral degeneracy. This world is in a mess. And the Lord says, as it was in the days of Noah, and as it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. Yes, we're living in similar days. We can expect his coming any moment. The resurrection morn shall break, and all the sleeping saints awake, brought forth in light again, o morn too bright for mortal eyes, when all the ransomed saints shall rise and wing their way to yonder skies, caught up with Christ to. Finally, not only is he the departing one, but the designating one. He said to the innkeeper, take care of him. To the host, take care of him. God has assigned the responsibility to the elders of the church to look after those who have been recovered on the road that was going down. And finally, the distributing one. When I come again, I will repay thee, he says. Even a cup of cold water in his name will be rewarded in that coming day. Thank God for the man who lifts up from the broad road to the narrow road and gives us the assurance of being in heaven for all eternity. If you're here tonight not saved, God knows your heart. I first visited this area. God knows your heart, but if you're not saved, and you're not even sure, why not make sure tonight and accept him as a personal savior? Shall we pray? Loving Father, we thank thee once again for the Lord Jesus. We bless thee for his coming down, identifying himself with fallen humanity, yet without sin, in order that he might become the kinsman redeemer. Lord, take care of thy word. Bless our friends who have come. Pray again for spiritual revival in all our hearts. And again, Father, give journey mercies as we travel back to our various locations, and again bring glory to the Lord Jesus. We ask it in his precious name. Amen. Shall we sing in closing, and we thank you for coming, and if at all possible, we'd like to see you back again tomorrow evening. Number forty seven four seven. Christ is the savior of sinners. Christ is the savior for me. Long I was chained inside sin's darkness, now by his grace I am free, and so on. Forty seven, and the meeting will be over. Christ is the savior of sinners. Christ is the savior for me. Long I was chained in sin's darkness. Now by his grace I am free. Savior of sinners, Savior of sinners like me. Shedding his blood for my ransom, Christ is the Savior for me. Now I can say I am pardoned, happy and justified free, saved by my blessed redeemer. This is the savior for me. Savior of sinners, savior of sinners like me, shedding his blood for my ransom, Christ is the savior for me. Just as I am, receive me, seeking from judgment to flee. Now there is no condemnation. This is the savior for me. Savior of sinners, Savior of sinners like me. Sharing his blood for my ransom, Christ is the Savior for me. Soon shall the glory be dawning, then his own face I shall see. Sing, oh my soul, in thy gladness, this is the Savior for me. Savior of sinners, Savior of sinners like me, shedding his blood for my ransom, Christ is the savior for me. Thank you.