Today, you and I are going to have another good
heart -to -heart talk about a most important
person. Do you realize that it does make all
the difference in the world as to what you believe?
I repeat that statement. difference in the world
as to what you believe. And you're going to have
to do something with Jesus Christ. That's one
person that you cannot be neutral when it comes
to your views about Jesus Christ. It's what you...
do with him that literally marks the destiny
of your soul. So you and I are having a mighty
important heart -to -heart talk. We saw something
the other day, and that is the fact that there
have been three views in the world about Christ.
One, that he was wicked. Another, that he was
good. but mistaken about his claims, and the
other that he was God, God manifest in the flesh,
the Redeemer who came to save a needy world.
That is our belief, and I am so strong in my
belief that Jesus Christ is all that he said
that he was, that I have literally staked everything
on that belief. You see, the life of Christ is
the answer to all contentions as to himself,
his life. He flings out the challenge. Who of
you can convict me of sin? Oh, what a challenge.
Who in the whole universe has ever been able
to fling forth that challenge? You can't do it.
Neither can I. The Apostle Paul could not have
done it. The greatest saint that ever lived could
never fling forth that challenge. else could
cry out, who of you can convict me of sin? We
can convict all others of sin. We can find defects
in every life that we know anything about. You
can find defects in sin in the founders of great
religions like Buddha. Mohammed. You may be a
follower of Buddha, but Buddha was never able
to put forth that challenge and say, who can
convict me of sin? You may be a worshiper of
Mohammed, but my friend, Mohammed was never able
to fling forth that challenge and say, who can
convict me? me of sin. The greatest religious
leaders in the whole universe were never able
to put forth that challenge. But Jesus brings
out the challenge to the whole world. Is there
one ill -advised word that he ever spoke? Is
there one selfish deed that he ever did? Who
of all the world can convict him of sin? There
he stands against the horizon, the Son of Man.
Not a son of man, but the Son of Man. For all
humanity is summed up in him. The Son of Man,
yet the sinless. Son of man. If you look for
the highest example of meekness that the world
has ever known, you'll not turn to Moses, who
was called the meekest man. But you turn to Christ,
meek and lonely in heart. If you look for the
highest example of patience, you do not turn
to Job, called the most patient man, but to Christ.
who when he was reviled, reviled not again. If
you look for the highest example of wisdom, you
do not turn to Solomon, who was called the wisest
man, but to Christ, who spake as never man spake.
For the highest example of zeal, you do not turn
to Paul, but to Christ, concerning whom it is
written, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me
up for the highest example of love you do not
turn to john gentle john who was a wonderful
example of love but not the highest example of
love you turn to christ who so loved us that
he offered himself through the Holy Spirit to
be given, who so loved us that he left his father's
house and came down to earth and lived his life
of unselfishness, climbed his cross and died
thereon out of pure love for you and for me and
for all broken, sinning humanity. Yes, beloved,
the life of Christ is the answer to his own divine
claim. Not even Pilate could find fault in him.
The searchlight of criticism, both from his friends
and his foes, has been focused on Jesus for over
1900 years, and yet there he stands, flawless,
spotless, sinless. And you cannot say that about
anyone else. You can find faults with Moses.
And with Abraham. With Job. With Isaiah. And
there was David. You can even take the life of
Paul, that great saint of God, to whom God entrusted
so much. And Paul will be the very first one
to tell you that he was the chiefest of all sinners.
Oh, to me, that is something. Not one of the
saints ever claimed perfection outside of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Not one. faults in every one
of their lives. Sure. You can put your finger
on men and women down through the centuries and
without exception you can find fault with their
lives. Oh, sure. But Christ alone stands flawless,
spotless, without sin. And you cannot say that
about any other life. His life speaks for itself.
I have to believe that he is the very son of
the living God. If for no other reason than just
his life. Look at his teachings. Christ is the
one who is the universal teacher. Oh, sometimes
you see a picture on the wall, no matter where
you are, and the eyes of that one will look right
at you. You may change your place wherever you
will, and those eyes follow you no matter where
you go. And so it is with the teachings of Christ.
They find the universal humanity. He's the universal
teacher. His words are equally adapted to men
of all races, of all countries, of all centuries,
to the white man, to the black, to the brown,
to the red, every man of every color. His teachings
are for all men. And when you live contrary to
his teachings, you find that you get yourself
into trouble. That's what's wrong with the world
today when you come right down to final analysis.
Man is trying to live contrary to the teachings
of Christ. Man is living contrary to that which
Christ taught. And in so doing, they're finding
themselves in a mess. I don't care who you are.
Every man of every color every race throughout
the universe. When that man lives contrary to
the teachings of Christ, he gets into trouble.
When a nation lives contrary to the teachings
of Christ, that nation will go down in defeat
sooner or later. Christ is the one universal
teacher. He's the one we want to hear about.
Jesus, born in the first century, belongs to
the 20th century, even as he did to the first.
He's now the universal teacher of all men. the
wise and the ignorant, the high and the low,
are probed alike by his questions and by his
teachings. Sure. Oh, beloved, Jesus belongs to
all people. He is the one who walked this old
earth and the only one who belongs to all people.
He spoke his first words and his last words,
recorded in the New Testament, over 19 centuries
ago. And these words are not out of date today.
Was there ever another lullaby sung by a mother
to her child so haunting, so sweet as those words
from the lips of Jesus when he said, Come unto
me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. and
I will give you rest. The world needs that rest.
The world needs to come to him today as never
before. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,
for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall
find rest. unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,
my burden is light. If ever the world needed
those words, it needs those words today. There
never was a generation that knew less security
than this generation in this very hour. Jesus
says, Take my yoke upon you. Learn of me. My
yoke is easy. My burden is light. Take these
invitations from Christ and they are as honey
out of the rock of God. And he comes closer and
closer. And then there's that wonderful relationship
with him. Hear him as he says, oh, render unto
Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto
God the things that are God's. That saying of
Christ holds true this very hour. Christ is the
only person who can answer the big question that
comes to us. How can I make my peace with God,
though I am broken by sin? That man in the midnight
hour is asking the same question that Nicodemus
asked of him centuries ago. The same answer holds
good today. i am the way the truth and the life
no man cometh unto the father but by me how shall
i treat my fellow -men what are to be the relations
of my race towards the other races of men and
jesus said do unto others as you would have others
do unto you do you want the answer to the world's
ills do you want the answer to the racial question
to -day he holds the answer it's just as up to
date as the hour when he spoke the words and
he's still speaking do to others as you would
have others do unto you. Jesus answered that
by giving the parable of the Good Samaritan,
showing that the man of a hated race was neighbor
to the Jew in need. Then who is my neighbor,
we ask. Jesus tells us. Your neighbor is anybody
on the face of the earth who needs you. Whether
that person is in Pittsburgh, in Los Angeles,
in New York City, in Vietnam. Maybe he lives
in the wilds of Africa and he's the most ignorant
creature walking the earth today. Very well.
Wherever. Under the whole heavens, there's a
human being who needs you. He or she is your
neighbor. Wherever that person is who needs me,
wherever they are, that one is my neighbor, and
I must not hesitate to help him. That's what
Jesus taught. That's exactly what Jesus taught.
Jesus stands at the open grave in the presence
of sorrow, bereavement, telling us that death
is not all. Then that moment he cries out, I
am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die. Greater words were never spoken. No
other man dared to speak those words. The greatest
religious leaders of all times. Buddha never
dared to speak those words. Mohammed never...
dared to speak those words. The greatest saints
that ever lived never dared. The greatest religious
philosophers and world leaders never dared to
speak those words. Because I live, Jesus said,
ye shall live also. In other words, he was saying,
be not afraid of this last and greatest enemy
called death if your trust is in me. You need
have no fear of death. When death stares you
in the face, you can have peace of mind and peace
of soul Fear, if your trust and your confidence
is in Jesus, the very Son of the living God.
What else? Not only does the life of Christ attest
his divine claims, and not only does his teaching
give added strength to our belief, but his death
on the cross. confirms his divine claims. The
centurion, standing at the foot of that cross,
seeing Jesus die and hearing him as he prayed
for him, turned and gave the greatest testimony
that was ever given in that hour when he said,
truly, this was the Son of God. Even the very
death... of Christ was unique. And wherever the
facts concerning Christ's life and his death
are told throughout the world, men's hearts and
consciences are stirred and they begin to ask,
what must we do to be saved? And why? Jesus tells
us. And I... If I be lifted up from the earth,
will draw all men unto me. This, he said, signifying
by what death he should die. The death of Christ
was more than an example. It was a sacrificial
death, making atonement for human sin. Verily
he was the sacrificial lamb of God, which taketh
away the sin of the world. The scriptures tell
us that he bore our sins in his own body on the
tree, and that his blood cleanseth us from all
sin. My friend, it does make all the difference
in the world what you believe. If your belief
is contrary to what Jesus taught, is contrary
to the Word of God, then you believe in error.
There is no other way into the presence of God.
There can be no eternal life outside of Jesus
Christ, the Son of the living God. You may be
sincere in what you believe and yet be sincerely
wrong. For is what you do with Jesus Christ,
the very Son of the Living God, that literally
marks the destiny of your never -dying soul?
Mm -hmm. Remember the one who wrote, I saw one
hanging on the tree in agony and blood. who fixed
his languid eyes on me as near the cross I stood.
Sure, never till my latest breath can I forget
that look. It seemed to charge me with his death,
though not a word he spoke. My conscience felt
and owned the guilt. It plunged me in despair.
I knew my sins his blood had spilt and helped
to nail him there. A second look he gave, which
said, I freely all forgive. This blood is for
thy ransom paid. thou mayest live. This, my friend,
is the way home. This is the way to eternal life.
Jesus died like a God. He was God. He died the
day just for the unjust, that He might bring
us to God. Choose Him this day as your Savior.
God bless you.