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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/scott-macleod/repent-believe/
Please turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark chapter 1. Mark chapter 1, please. That would be in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the second gospel. Now let's read at verse number 14.
Mark chapter 1, verse number 14. Now after that, John was put in prison. Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, excuse me, the time is fulfilled, the time is now, and the kingdom of God is at hand or has drawn very near.
Here's the sentence, repent ye and believe the gospel. So we just want to emphasize the words of the Lord Jesus, repent ye and believe the gospel. Now one final reading in the eighth chapter of John. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then comes John.
I personally find it interesting when you can read a verse and then you can go somewhere in the Bible which actually explains the verse and shows us the verse in action. And we're going to read about a woman that repented and believed the gospel.
John chapter 8, verse number 3. Gospel of John chapter 8, verse number 3. And the scribes and Pharisees, now for those that might not be familiar with those words, these were the religious rulers of the day that opposed the Lord Jesus every opportunity they got.
They were really full of self-righteousness and they would have looked upon themselves as being holier than everyone else. And they're trying to attack the Lord Jesus here, God's Son. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery.
So obviously this woman was married and she had an affair with another man. She broke her marriage vows to her husband. And when they had set her in the midst, actually the word means they stood her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act.
Now Moses in the law, and that's a reference way back to the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments and things that God had given to the children of Israel. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou?
This they said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him. So these people are not even interested in how the Lord is going to deal with this. They're just looking for a way to get at him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, that's interesting, they heard it, they understood what he was saying.
Being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, the oldest, even on to the last, the youngest. And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers?
Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. And it's just nice to see the setting of verse 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world.
Now that's all we're going to read. We'll look to the Lord to give us help with what we have heard and what we have read from the word of God. You know, I don't know how many people look at this meeting tonight as just another gospel meeting.
I hope you're not looking at it that way. I know before God, I can tell you honestly, I never take lightly the opportunity of being able to stand behind a podium to read the word of God and to present gospel truth to you, to present words from the word of God.
It wouldn't be the first time and it won't be the last time. There could very well be people in this meeting tonight and this might be the last time you'll hear the word of God. So we don't take this lightly.
There's a very serious issue at stake. Contrary to what the world might say, there is a real place called heaven and there's a real place called hell. And the word of God clearly tells us, and we've been hearing about it in different individuals, we are sinners and we are not ready for heaven.
That simply means that if we were to die the way we're born, we will drop straight into a place called hell forever. That's solemn, friend. And if you're here and maybe you've been here throughout the day, maybe you're tired.
Listen, if you got 10 ears, I need you to open them all up. I need you to listen to the word of God. I need you to look at this opportunity that God has given you. To hear the gospel, not to hear us. We're only here to direct your attention to the word of God.
Only the word of God can bring light, salvation, into a dead sinner's heart. Sometimes we get all taken up with the words of men and they can be wonderful words and they can be powerful words and they can be so eloquently put together and we just sit back and we're wowed by them.
But there's nothing more penetrating than the word of God. And what I'm amazed with in this story, men can say all kinds of things. And I find here that the Lord Jesus, in 13 words in our English language, but nine simple words in the Greek language, just nine words, and every single one of those men that were so self-righteous, bang!
They were struck to their core. Nine simple words. And as those words entered into their hearing, the mind started to mull them over. In a split second, their conscience became alive and it was convicted.
All of a sudden, these individuals who just seconds earlier, they were all taken up with this woman's sins. Oh no, no, they had no sin. They weren't occupied. They weren't even thinking about themselves.
They were thinking of themselves in this way. Look what we have found. Look who we have uncovered. And here they are. You can just see the blackness of their eyes. You can just, you can almost see the disgust on their face.
And they take this thing and they put her in the midst. And they're so quick to bring out the Ten Commandments, the law. She needs to be put to death for her sin. How many seconds did it take the Lord Jesus to say these words?
Five? And they forgot about the woman. No longer were they thinking about the woman. They weren't even thinking about the person next to them, because the Bible says they went out one by one. All of a sudden, all the attention just went right on me.
I'm the sinner. Not her. I'm the sinner. Now this would be a wonderful meeting if that's what would happen here. Sometimes when the gospel is preached, oh I'm glad the person next to me is hearing that.
They need to be saved. Oh man, I wish my next-door neighbor was here. Man, you should see what time he comes home drunk as a skunk. Making all kinds of noise, all kinds of rackets. You should see the way he carries on in the neighborhood.
Oh, I wish those boys from school, you should hear their language. Forget about them. You just got to get occupied with yourself and God. That's what I love about this. Jesus stood up. There was only him and her.
Just him and her. What a wonderful meeting this would be if you would just get occupied with your God that you have offended. Your sin is against your God, friend. And if I had a two roads and two destinies sharp behind me, I would be pointing you quickly to a day when you will meet your God.
And you'll begin to answer for your sin. But the Bible tells me the answer already. You'll have nothing to say. Just like these men. Guilty. Condemned. Convicted. Not taken up with everybody else's sin.
Just my own sin. You know, as we travel, those that preach the gospel, and I've been preaching the gospel now, the Lord's help, for about three years. I worked for the telephone company for about 20 years prior to that.
And you know, you meet all kinds of people. And I don't like talking about the weather too long, you know, because life, there are more important issues to talk about. I like getting down to business.
And I like getting to the point where you just simply ask a person, friend, are you saved, ready for heaven? And there's an awful lot of people that don't like that word, saved. All right then, so we'll switch to another biblical word.
John chapter 3. Are you born again? Are you born again? Have you experienced the new birth? Well, some people don't like that word either. Okay, so we'll move to another scriptural word. Let's start on this one.
Ever had a point in your life when your conscience was convicted of your sin? That's why I read in Mark chapter 1, because the Lord Jesus made it crystal clear to us, repent, believe the gospel. An awful lot of people are jumping over the first words, repent, and they're landing on, believe the gospel.
Listen, friend, we can take you through the Bible. All kinds of people believe things in the Bible. There are all kinds of people in this world today, and they believe the logical flow of the Bible. There is a logic in the Bible.
There are historical facts in this book that people believe, but they're not born again. They're not saved. They're in their sins, and they're on the road to hell. There are people, I have an uncle at home, my father's twin brother, Murray McCandless and I, we've been in his kitchen talking to him.
He's been out to meeting, and here is a man, he's unable to tell you he's saved, okay? He knows he's not saved. He doesn't like the word born again, but listen, if someone writes an article or if his priest goes against a truth in this book, the virgin birth of Christ, which has happened, he will get his pen out, and he will write a letter to the editor of the newspaper, which runs every Saturday in our island newspaper, and he will defend from the Word of God the virgin birth of Christ.
Yet he's a sinner on the road to hell. He will defend the fact that Jesus is God, yet he's in his sins on the road to hell. And what this man told him plainly, and what I've told him plainly, you need to admit your sinfulness before God.
You're no different than anyone else, Uncle David. You're all occupied with everybody. You've got your own little measuring stick, your own little standard, and you've got everybody else graded, and you're graded just a little bit above everybody else.
These people found out that there was only one standard, God. Yeah. You know, I think there's more to that little expression when the Lord Jesus stood up, and he saw no one but the woman in himself, and he said, has no man condemned me?
You know what she said? No man. No man has the right to condemn me. Lord, you've got the right. I love that. You know what I find interesting about this little story? Two times the Word of God brings attention to this woman standing, and in the same portion, two times the Lord Jesus stooped.
My, that's the grace of God, friend. Here is a woman in all her sins standing. The Lord Jesus should have stood far above her and said, you're condemned. And he willingly stooped, and the Son of God came in touch with the earth.
My, that's a lovely picture of the virgin birth, the incarnation of Christ. I often think sometimes as God is in heaven, and he looks down upon this world so sunk in sin, your sin, my sin, he should have just put the whole thing in judgment.
He should have just wiped it all out into eternity. But instead, God looked at the world, and he looked at his Son, his only Son. I'm gonna send my Son into that world to die for those sinners. My, to think of it, I was thinking recently of John 3 and 16, and I know we've heard it mentioned here tonight, and you know, it would be so wonderful if John 3 and 16 just read this way, for God loved.
My, that'd be something to rejoice about, for God loved. We could all do somersaults over that truth, but that's not what the Word of God does. It's interesting when you go through John 3, I'm sure all many have done it, there's five different verbs in John chapter 3.
You just look at the little modifiers, for God so loved. That takes that verse, and that moves it into a whole different dimension. It wasn't just a measurable love. It wasn't just a limited love. My, the love of God for this world sunk in sin, as he looked at his Son.
Ah, there's another modifier, his only begotten Son. It just takes the truth of the uniqueness of God's Son, and when that little word is attached to it, his only begotten Son. It just, it just magnifies the truth once again.
The world so full of wickedness, so full of sin, and God would send such a dignified person, such a glorious person, would send him into this world, and the Son so willing to come. Just the delight of his heart to come.
Why? So that he could stoop and die for your sin. I've said this many times from the platform, I say it again without excuse. The older I get, the more I'm beginning to understand why there's a place called hell.
A God that would give so much. A God that was so willing to come into this world to die, and people could actually spit in his face. We don't want you. Just as we heard tonight, there are, listen, I don't know who is here.
I'm a, I'm a complete stranger to these areas. I flew in on Friday. I was here a year ago. All you people are, a lot of you are just new faces to me, but I know there's a God that knows everyone here.
I know from the Word of God that everyone he got a conscience, and I know that there could be somebody here tonight, and God is starting to prick that conscience. I don't like what he's saying. You know what I think is a terrible end to a gospel meeting?
Hope no one does it to me tonight. You're shaking their hand at the door. Oh, that was a lovely message, and they're in their sins, going to hell. Don't do that to me. I like it when people get upset.
I didn't like what he was saying. I didn't like the verses he read. It kind of made me uneasy. I hope there's someone here tonight, and you can just feel the seat burning. Man, that fellow's speaking at me.
If I knew your name, I'd point right at you. If I knew your situation, I love it when God points. We teach our children not to point, but it's a lovely thing when God points. I go back 20 years ago, 24 years of age, April the 4th.
There was a brother up here that was, yes, he was saved April the 4th. I was April the 4th, 1990, and my, I remember when the finger of God was pointing right at me. My sin. I'm going to my hell. I love this, the Lord Jesus stooped, and with his finger, he just wrote on the ground.
Interesting, isn't it? In this chapter, I've tied together the spoken word of God, and the written word of God. Both convicted those people. That's why we can stand before you with the open Bible, and just simply read words from God, and it's the same as if Christ himself, God, was standing here and speaking to you.
It's that authoritative. Black words on white paper. It's more than that. They're words given to us from God. They're just as authoritative as they were written a thousand, 2 ,000 years ago. You know, this isn't the first time God wrote, eh?
My mind goes way back into the Old Testament, when up the mountain came a man by the name of Moses, and God just simply picked up tablets of stone, and with the finger of God, he started to inscribe in those tables of stone, ten simple commandments.
And here I come ahead now, 4 ,000 years, and I'm looking at a man, and it's the same finger that wrote 4 ,000 years ago, and he's beginning to write. I don't know what he wrote on the ground. Could have been their names.
Could have been their sin. I don't know. But what they heard and what they saw, their conscience was smitten. Now let's touch on a thorny issue. John chapter 16. You want to know what is happening right now in the world?
Jesus Christ said the Spirit of God is going to come into the world for what? To convict of sin. Do you know what that word convict means? It has two meanings. It means to tell someone they're wrong, but it also means to put to shame because of the wrong.
You got a point like that in your life when you felt broken before God? Broken. You know why I'm stressing this point? Because friend, hell is real, and Satan will allow you to hold on to a false profession, a little story, a little feeling, a little whatever, just as long as it lands you in hell.
Meet an awful lot of people, and there's just one thing I cannot understand. People that claim to be Christians, and they're so full of arrogance. I'll tell you, 20 years ago, God broke me. He broke me, and there's just something about that experience that I can't seem to forget.
When I came under conviction of my sin, and for the first time, a conscience that just lay dormant in darkness and death and bondage. Man, for the first time, when shafts of light started to shine in.
That's why I love the words of 2 Corinthians 4, and verse 6, and the parallel is drawn between the days of creation and the salvation of a soul. And you go way back in the book of Genesis, and in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and darkness covered the face of the earth.
It was void. It was empty. And God was outside of the whole thing. And way down there was the creation, just enveloped in darkness. No hope, no purpose, no life, nothing. And it says, God spake, and light came into it.
And then he makes the parallel. Remember when you and your sins? Dark, just like that earth. And God spake. I love the words of Hebrews chapter 10. The writer there is getting the Christian to remember.
And he says this in verse 32. He says, after that, ye were illuminated. My sakes, it's wonderful to be in this world, having been illuminated by the word of God. Illuminate to what? I've sinned against the holy God, and I deserve to go to hell.
I remember dealing with a number of people. You meet all kinds, and you kind of give them tests to see just where they're at as you preach the gospel. And oftentimes, people are saying all the right things.
I know I'm a sinner. I know I'm going to hell. I know Christ died, but I just can't see to put it together. You know what I tell them? You just go home and tell God in your knees, I'm a sinner. Send me to hell.
Just tell him that if you listen carefully to all these stories that we heard tonight, these conversions, many, many different experiences, many circumstances, different age, different whatever environments.
But you want to know what it all came down to. I realized I'll just have to go to hell. It's really quite simple. When you boil everybody's conversion down, it really comes down to I'm a sinner going to hell.
That's what I deserve. And right there is when God does his saving. Right there. It's just what God is longing for. He's longing for an honest sinner to just say, I'm a sinner. Send me to hell, God. And if God was to do that, you know the only thing you could say?
Amen from hell. So let it be. Even now, after 20 years of being saved, the older I get, the more I see what is in here. The more I see what's going on in the world, the more you start to understand the absolute wickedness of mankind.
And just as Brother Max said, why would God ever save me? Why? It's something I can't explain. It's something that causes me every day to bow my knee and on my knees, just simply spread out over a chair, I say, God, thanks.
Thanks for saving me. Thanks for allowing the light to shine in. See, that's the business that God is in. Romans chapter two tells us not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. That is what God is in the business to do.
He's constantly interfering into the lives of sinners, constantly trying to turn them from their wicked ways, show them light from the word of God. And God is looking for a sinner to respond. And God will give them more light, respond more like respond.
And that's the turning process of repentance. You know what? I rejoice. I was just recently enjoying, I was thinking back April the 4th just has gone by. And I was thinking back 20 years saved on the road to heaven.
I just love God's salvation. It's just amazing. Wonderful. I hope no one here comes. Oh, poor preacher, preacher boy, no life. Listen, I feel sorry for you. If you're not saved, if you don't know your sins, we have an, I feel so sorry for you.
And I was just rejoicing in the moment. I can remember where I was April the 4th. It was a Wednesday afternoon. It was about three third in the afternoon. I was in a little closet, eight by eight. That might strike you kind of funny.
Oh, people get saved in all different places. Hey, people get saved in the desert by finding that in the Bible, in the towns, they get saved up trees. They get saved the bottom of trees. I was, I was in a closet.
You might wonder why I was in the closet. Well, I was a telephone splicer, cable splicer. And that's where all the telephone wires went, went up through the buildings in these communication closets. And I was on the fifth floor of this building.
That's our largest skyscraper. Don't laugh, but that's our largest skyscraper in Charlottetown, VEI five floors up. And there I was in that little closet. And I had spliced cable for so many years. My hands knew what to do and they were just working away.
And my mind was working away and I was going over all these things. Just about a week, two weeks before that, my father showed me a verse from the Bible that showed me that I was committing sin. That was embarrassing.
And as I walked away from him and went down into my bedroom, that just started to bite. You're a sinner. The Bible is right. You're a sinner. And the Bible is right when it says there's a place called hell and Scott, that's where you're going.
I need to end. I better not leave you hanging. What happened in the closet? Well, let me tell you, there I was working away. And just like these men said, I was trying to believe it. I was trying to figure out.
I was trying to understand it. I stopped cursing and swearing. I was turning over a new leaf. This was it, the new Scott McCloud. And I couldn't get it anywhere. And I can just remember in my mind going, I can't get it.
I can't understand it. I'm just going to have to go to hell. Christ died. I never even had a verse. I just had that Christ died. It's all two words. Well, I was sitting there in that five gallon cement bucket and my hand stopped.
Christ died. And I jumped up and I was in the room. I was going, Christ died. It's just like that. It was one man working over here. He was. And I came out of that room with my hands. Christ died for me.
He must've thought I was crazy. I wasn't crazy. I just discovered the greatest thing on the face of the earth. Christ died for me, me, the likes of me. And as one brother said, my, the wit, the guilt, the weight of sin.
I don't have to suffer for my sin. Man, you tell me that ain't worth going after. That's worth shouting about people. I remember as kids, we used to go to the hockey games and we wear our big, big steel boots, you know, and the minute that little pathetic black puck went in the net, we kicked the wall, punched the wall, scream until we were hoarse.
And people today get offended at a preacher that gets a little worked up. And he's just excited that he's saved and God is calling, offering salvation. And what will you do with it? You know, you know, the sad thing about this story is that of all the people that heard the words of the Lord Jesus, let's assume there were 20 people.
Only one person got saved. They heard it. It convicted them. It stabbed them. But they said, that's enough. No more, no more God, no more light. I don't want to be troubled anymore. I don't want to face my sin.
You know why you don't want to face your sin friend? Because you love your sin. That's why you're not saved. You love it. And the very thing that you love is going to take you to hell. So as I end, allow the spirit of God to further convict and stab it and ask God for more light.
Show me God how wicked I am and save me. That's what God is looking for. Shall we pray?