God Calling Telling and Warning — Robin McKeown

The Kingdom Invitation in Matthew 21–22

Turn with me, please, to the Gospel of Matthew and chapter 22, Matthew's Gospel and chapter 22. And perhaps for a particular connection, we'll read verse 43 of the previous chapter, 21 and 43, chapter 21, verse 43.

Therefore, say I unto you, these are the words of the Lord Jesus, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof. Now, chapter 22, verse 1. And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage, or a marriage feast for his son.

And he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come. And won't you notice those two words in verse 3, call them, call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come.

Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which were bidden. Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come unto the marriage, but they made light of it.

At the beginning of verse number 4, again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden. Now back please to the Old Testament for one verse, the book of Ezekiel, chapter 33. Ezekiel in chapter 33, and verse number 7.

Ezekiel’s Watchman and God’s Desire for Repentance

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel. Therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. What solemn words, warn them from me. Maybe we should read verse 11.

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Now the end of verse 7 again. Hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. That's our reading with what we have listened to already tonight. I've thought quite a lot about the tent today as it's pitched in Plattfields Park.

Night after night, now for just over two weeks, some have come along to the tent. Unlikely this neighborhood, they look at the tent, certainly in our conversation with some people, they've inquired, what's the tent about?

We could ask the question tonight, what is really happening in this gospel tent? What's the purpose of it all? I want us to think of three things, three things which God is doing at this time. Three things are happening.

And I believe with all my heart that they happen in every series or campaign of gospel meetings. You may not understand it tonight, but we'll try and explain it to you from the Bible. If the preachers tonight have an interest in you, and we do have, we hope you believe that.

I want to tell you God has a greater interest than the two preachers put together. And what God is doing these nights, first of all, He's calling. He's calling through the message of the gospel, through the word of God and the messages of His preachers.

God is calling. He's calling. Call them. And then also through the message of the gospel, do you know what He's doing? He's not only calling you, He's telling you something. And we'll draw it from Scripture and see in a moment or two.

You know, the one thing about the gospel message, as God calls you, He's something to tell you. Tell them. And then there's more than that. No man should be preaching the gospel if he doesn't warn them.

God is calling through the gospel. God is telling you through the gospel. And God is warning you through the gospel. I'm ashamed to say it to you tonight, that's why. For years I wouldn't go to hear the gospel.

I didn't really want to hear it. Call them. The Bible's full of this, you know. The Apostle Paul spoke of God in Galatians 1 and 15. God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me. God called me.

And it will be a marvellous meeting tonight if there's someone sitting here, and you know in your heart, since you've come to these meetings, and maybe even since you've come in tonight, you know in your heart you're thinking about these things.

And you're beginning to work it through in your mind. And you realize, well, those men are very earnest and this, that and the other thing. But the bottom line for me is this. God is speaking to me. He's calling you.

Calling you through the gospel. I love the lovely old hymn, O sinner, the Saviour is calling for thee. Long, long as He called thee in vain. He called thee when joy and its crown to thine is. He called thee in sorrow and pain.

He's calling today. Will you listen to His voice? I think of the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 65. God said to that rebellious people, He said, When I call, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not hear.

But you just went to your evil ways. God says, now it's not that He called. He says, When I call. Wonderful thing to be called. You know, a call can be very personal. I believe it is personal. Well, do you know in John's Gospel chapter 11, Martha came to her sister Mary.

You know what she said? The Master has come and calleth for thee. The Master has come and calleth for thee. And I want you to take it in tonight, if you could, in this Gospel Tent. That God is actually calling you tonight in the gospel.

The Lord Jesus Christ said, I came not to call the righteous. He said, I came to call sinners to repentance. And through the gospel, God is calling you tonight. And He wants you to hear His voice. And He wants you to come.

You know, in Proverbs chapter 1 and verse 24, maybe it is a rather solemn message. God says, Because I have called and you refused. I have stretched out My hand and no man regardeth. God says, I laugh at your calamity.

I mock when your fear cometh. Then shall ye call upon Me, but I will not answer. How solemn it is. You are in the Bible, we have those. You know, the Master rises up and He shuts the door of opportunity.

And people start to stand outside and they knock the door. But they don't get in, because they didn't come when they were called. Would you hear God tonight speaking to you? The psalmist said, Day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me.

God was speaking to him. And it brought the psalmist David all the way to repentance. God is calling through the Gospel, Call them. And in these meetings He is calling you. If you still His call refuse, And all His wondrous love abuse, Soon will He from you sadly turn, Your bitter prayer for pardon spurn.

Too late, too late will be the cry, Jesus of Nazareth has passed by. My friend, now is your opportunity to get saved. I believe that with all my heart. And what we've just been hearing about the Lord Jesus dying and providing salvation for all.

That's just what we were preaching this afternoon at four o 'clock in Prestwich. To earth's remotest regions go, And preach to every child of woe, Impartial who or what they be, The rich, the poor, the bond, the free.

That Christ on His behalf has died. That God with Christ is satisfied. And now is ready to forgive. The simplest terms, Believe and live. Oh, what words we have here. Call them. Call them. The Master is come and calleth for thee.

The Danger of Refusing God’s Call

Very solemn, you know, there's a man back in Ireland and I find these situations difficult, you know. Somebody had a word with him about getting saved. He says, There's no point in me going to those meetings.

Why? He says, There's no point in me going, whatever. But God is salvation for all men, he was told. He said, Look, I did go to gospel meetings. And I went and I heard the gospel. And there came a night when I was at a crossroads and I knew that God was speaking and calling me, speaking to me and calling me.

And I made a choice that night and I turned my back and said, I'll never be back. And that man believes with all his heart, he's lost the call of God. And I'm not saying he has, I'm just telling you what he said.

In your land here, a young woman went and sat in gospel meetings in a tent. Her father didn't know she was there. And it was the summertime, weather a bit like what we're having today, even hotter still.

And the sides of the tent were down to let ventilation in, so hot. The young woman sat in the middle of the tent, weeping, weeping like a child about her soul. And her big father came down to the field.

But of course, he wouldn't, he wouldn't condescend to go into the tent. He was above all those things. And he stood with his arms folded, looking into the tent, but he wouldn't go in. But he got the shock of his life when he spied his daughter sitting in the tent.

He went home in a rage and she came home after the tent meeting. And he called her into his room and he says, don't you dare go back to that tent. Have nothing more to do with it. And she loved her father.

She went to her bedroom and got down on her knees. And cried out, God, leave me alone. Go away from me. She cried, take your Holy Spirit from me. A day or two later, she was very ill. Father called the doctor.

The doctor came out from examining the young woman. And he put his arm around the shoulder of the big man. And he said, give me whatever she wants. She had three days at the most to live. So the father rushed in and said, May, get saved if you want to.

She said, Father, don't scorn me. You forbade me to return to the tent and I ask God to leave me alone. Can I get you anything, May? She said, yes. Go out to the pump in the yard and get me a glass of water.

For I'm going down to hell where I'll never get a drink. She had missed the call. My friend, don't miss the call. I believe with all my heart tonight, God is calling in this tent. And I believe with all my heart, He's speaking to you.

And you know you need to be saved. Don't refuse His call. These people, you know what it says, they would not come. So what is God, what is this King doing? He's just like our God. He's very merciful.

God’s Mercy in Sending Servants to Tell the Gospel

He sends out other servants. He doesn't say to them, call them. He says, tell them, tell them. And what are they going to tell them? Well, He's really saying, tell them all I've done and tell them to come.

See, that's the gospel. Gives us joy in our heart tonight to tell you all that God has done, that you may be saved and to invite you to come. That's the gospel. What is this King? He says, Oh, tell them which are bidden.

Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fatlings are killed and all things are ready come. We want to tell you tonight. You know, twice in the last two or three days, I've been told that when I'm preaching, I have the joy of salvation in my face.

Well, maybe when I'm warning you, maybe it doesn't look too happy. It's not nice having to warn people. But I want to tell you, I'm enjoying God's salvation. I went to God. You were enjoying it tonight.

And the joy it gives me to tell you again what God has done. Tell them, tell them. You know, there's a woman from Ipswich, and she was a very kindly disposed woman, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And she used to go to a gypsy encampment, which is called an itinerant encampment now, but it's called a gypsy encampment. And she used to go and she took a basket with food in it. And she took a basket with clothing in it.

And she took little Bibles and gospel leaflets, and she went to visit. And she went to this encampment on this occasion, and she came into a tent. And there was a little boy lying, and he was dying. And she started to explain to him the great story of salvation.

In other words, she was telling him, telling him what God had done. And she told the little boy of the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ. His sufferings on the cross at Calvary, and all He had done. And the hymn that was written about that lovely incident goes like this.

Into a tent where a gypsy boy lay, dying alone in the clothes of the day. News of salvation we carry, said he. Nobody ever has told it to me. Tell them, nobody ever has told it to me. And the refrain of that lovely hymn, tell it again, tell it again.

Salvation story, repeat o 'er and o 'er. Till none can say of the children of men, nobody ever has told it before. It was C .T. Stubb who once said, nobody should hear the gospel twice. Till everybody has heard it once.

Well, certainly he traveled to China. One occasion he wrote in his diary, my family knew nothing of my whereabouts, except that we're somewhere in the heart of China. He went from there to India to serve the Lord.

And when he was 50 years of age and very ill in health, against the wishes of his doctor and against the wishes of his wife, he went to Africa and preached the gospel there and souls got saved. So I understand, I understand what he meant.

I'm glad it's not the case though, but I do understand what he meant when he said no man should hear the gospel twice until all have heard it once. But I agree with the words of the little hymn, tell it again, tell it again.

Salvation story, repeat o 'er and o 'er. Till none can say of the children of men, nobody ever has told it before. Do we need to tell you again tonight? The story of the cross where Jesus bled and died, where your debt was paid by the precious blood that flowed from his wounded side.

Listen, I want to tell you again tonight, he died an atoning death for you. He died an atoning death. Oh, wondrous love, it was for you. He died an atoning death. Do we tell it again? Oh, I could tell it every night.

We haven't preached the gospel if we don't tell you of Christ and his love and his sufferings on that cross. Wounded for me, wounded for me. There on that cross he was wounded for me. Gone my transgressions and now I am free.

All because Jesus was wounded for... Shall we tell you again? What he cried out on the cross, listen to it. It is finished. But I'll tell you, I'll tell you something. I'll tell that one again and again.

Tell it again. Tell them. Maybe there's someone here tonight and you would like to be saved. I remember a few years ago in Ballymoney in a large portable hall. The woman, her first name is Margaret. And I knew Margaret wanted to be saved.

She's in the assembly there now, her husband's still not saved. But I'll never forget Margaret and she really wanted to be saved. And one night I was coming out of the prayer meeting and one of the brethren said to me, Margaret wants to talk to you.

I spoke to Margaret and I thought, this is good. Margaret wants to be saved. But it was even better. She says, I've got saved. I says, when? 20 minutes ago. How? John 3, 16. For God so... I will tell you again.

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. And she said those words, that whosoever believeth in Him. And she thought, was that enough?

And then she realized it is finished. It is enough. I seek no other argument. I want no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died. And rose again for me. My friend, is it not enough for you tonight in the tent?

Tell them. We'll tell you the wonderful story of the cross. Well, good tonight if somebody could take it in. Tell you all that He's done. Could you take it in tonight? Well, if He did it on that cross, He did it for me.

When He died on that cross, He died for me. We're not only to tell you what was done. We're to tell them to come. All things are now ready. Come. Come. You see, that's how you get saved. The Lord Jesus Christ said, Come unto me, all ye that labour under heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

I look back in Isaiah 1 and 18. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

But here's the point. Tell them to come. To come. Will you come tonight? Just as you are, where you are. You've nothing to bring. Come to Christ as you are. You've nothing to bring. And you have nothing to pay.

Just come. If you come to Christ tonight, here's His promise to you. Him that cometh to me, I will and know why. Cast out. Could you not come tonight? Come. Call them. Tell them. Warn them. Do you know what God said to the prophet Ezekiel?

The Necessity of Warning About Judgment

He said, hear the word. Now, that's what we are preaching. It's God's Word. Hear the word at my mouth and warn them. Notice, please, these words really struck me today. It's not just Ezekiel warning them.

God says, warn them from me. From me. You see, in all gospel preaching, there must be warning. You say, but I don't believe that. Well, I want to prove to you from the Bible you're wrong if you don't believe that.

Do you know what Galatians 2? And Romans 2 and verse 16, do you know what it says? Paul wrote about the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Warn them from me.

Look, my friend, in every gospel preaching, there must be notes of warning. Do you know there's a man called Bishop Ryle? He wrote some excellent gospel tracts. He was an Anglican bishop. He wrote a gospel leaflet called The Terrible Reality of Hell.

Do you know what he said in it? He said, I believe the Bible teaches clearly that hell is real. He said, I believe that I must tell the people of hell because it is profitable. Isn't that an amazing statement?

It's profitable for them to hear about hell. Why would that be so? Because if you hear about it, there's a good chance to be turned from it. He didn't finish with that. He said, if I did not warn the people of hell, about hell, I would feel I had kept back from them that which is profitable for them.

And I would view myself as the accomplice of Satan. Warn them in a place called Johnstown in Pennsylvania. Some years ago, above that town, there was a great dam carrying millions and millions of gallons of water.

It had been there for years. But there was a period of prolonged heavy rain lasting over many days. And the water really backed up in the dam. And the engineers were constantly checking the dam because below it lay the township of Johnstown.

They detected in the dam a small fracture, crack. It's amazing what happened. They moved very swiftly down to the town. And they went through the town warning the people. I'll give you the verbatim quote, the quotation of what they said.

They called out to the people, flee for your lives. That's not all. Run to the hill. Rush to the mountain. For the flood is coming. And most of them did just that. But there were over 300. They wouldn't believe the warning.

They said, the dam's been here for years. And we've been here for years. And some just carried on in their houses. Others carried on with their business. And then the engineers had said, a few hours and the dam will burst.

And they wouldn't believe them. And then there was that awful mighty crash. And the great roar as millions of gallons of water swept down over the township and through the valley. And over 300 perished.

Why? Were they not warned? Yes, they heard the warning. But they didn't heed it. Did you know in Ezekiel chapter 33, the first nine verses, has mention made of warning eight times. God said, if they take not the warning, their blood shall be in their own heads.

Do you know what Paul said to those who refused his gospel? He says, I'm clear of the blood of all men. My friend, we want to warn you tonight. If you don't get saved, you're going to perish. Warning from me.

John the Baptist said, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? I hope we're preaching to someone tonight and you're sitting here and you want to be saved. And you want to be saved now. Oh, my friend, you can be saved now.

I believe that with all my heart. In fact, you can be saved on that seat. Because we can tell you again that all the work is done. Christ has died. He was buried and he's risen again triumphantly. And we can say to you tonight, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Repentance and Faith in Christ

And thou shalt be saved. May you do it tonight. May God bless his word. Shall we pray? Our father, we come to thee now the close of this meeting and we thank thee for thy word. Oh, our God, when we think of the teaching and the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How plain he was. We think of some of his warnings. He could say that people fear him. That is able to cast you into hell. How solemn. But our father, he could also tell us that the son of man has come to seek and to see that which is lost.

And furthermore, our father, he could say, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. So tonight God is still calling and he's calling to repentance. Remember thy word that says the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, but he's long suffering to us.

We're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We pray there'll be repentance in this meeting tonight and that there will be faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that they would trust him.

Even now, as a little hymn says, only trust him, only trust him, only trust him now. He will save you. He will save you. He will save you now. Father, bless thy word to every heart. We ask it in the Lord's worthy name.

Amen.