1969 Ernest W Wakefield — E.A. Johnston

The Lamb of God on the Cross

Number 23. Behold, behold, the Lamb of God on the cross. He shed his precious blood on the cross. Oh, hear the overwhelming cry, Eli, Lamb of Sabbath and I, draw near and see the Savior die on the cross.

The Pharisee and the Publican

Number 23. Turn to Luke's gospel, chapter 18. The 18th chapter of Luke's gospel, verse 9. He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.

For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. I would like to bring before you tonight this parable, plus one in the 16th chapter of Luke, and also take you to the cross of Calvary.

My friends, we have come here tonight to proclaim the gospel. We have come here tonight to speak to those who are lost, those who may be in their sins still on the way to hell. And I would like to ask this vast number of people here tonight, many of them are Christians, many of them know the Lord Jesus personally as Savior.

But there may be some here tonight who are on the way to eternal darkness. And before we look at the cross and turn to the cross, I would like to point out in this parable that the Lord Jesus told the fact that man is a sinner.

You know, the Lord Jesus said when he was here, they that are whole need not a position, but they that are sick, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And I wonder tonight how many in this audience are sick with sin.

Sick with sin, maybe they don't know it. How sometimes we are ill and people know they are ill. Others are ill and don't know they are ill. And oh my friends, the need, the disease, the sickness drives us to the position.

But tonight maybe there is somebody who does not realize yet that they are sinners. And in these two men we find, I believe, an excellent illustration of what we have before us. The first man, the Pharisee, he prayed with himself.

He despised others. He looked down upon this publican as unworthy. And I know, my friends, there are people who come to these meetings who would despise the poor man in the prison. They would despise the poor man who was drunk.

They would despise the wife beater or the children beater, but themselves are without Christ. And tonight, my friends, are you trusting in yourself? Are you trusting in your good life? Are you trusting in your religion?

Are you trusting in the Ten Commandments? Are you trusting in baptism or anything else to do with religion? It will land you in hell, my friends. And tonight I stand here to preach Christ, to present to you a Savior, a person, not a religion.

God forbid that we preach religion. The world is full of religion. We tonight present the Lord Jesus as a Savior for sinners. But my friend, you'll never come to that Savior till you find you're lost, till you find you're guilty, till you find yourself sinking down into eternal darkness under the power of Satan.

Then you will flee to Christ. As in my own case, my friends, I heard that news, thank God, back in 1930. And in that old gospel hall in Montreal, now taken down, I heard that I was a sinner. I heard that I was going to hell.

And I bowed my head in that hall and said, I know it's true. I'm a lost, guilty, hell-deserving, hell-bound sinner on the way to eternal darkness. I wonder, my friend, tonight, if there's any in this room that think they're pretty good.

Maybe you think you're good enough to get into heaven. Maybe you feel that you've done the very best you can. I tell you on the authority of God's Word that you are a sinner, that God has declared in this book, the Word of God, that there's no difference.

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. How blessed it is to find on this side of eternity that you're a sinner, that you're guilty. Now, I know that man measures man by himself. He measures man by his conduct.

Human Sinfulness and the New Birth

But God looks down into the heart. And God says that man is a sinner from head to foot. He's born lost. He's born in sin. And he's shaped in iniquity. That man is born with his face and his head and his back turned against God.

And his face looking down the broad road to destruction. And the Lord Jesus said, except a man be born all over again, except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. My friend, tonight, how solemn this is, that the Pharisee prayed with himself.

He didn't even have respect for God. He addressed Him only as God. He had no respect. He had no idea of whose presence he was. He thought not of the fact of the holiness of God. He thought not of the power of God.

He thought not of anything to do with God at all. He thought only of one person. Himself. His good life. His upbringing. The fine character that he was. I fast twice in the week. Six times in these verses.

He mentions by himself. Five times he says, I. The personal pronoun, I. He was filled with himself. And I believe in this country tonight, there's millions of people who are filled with themselves and all that they've done to what they call to appease an angry God.

My friend, tonight, God loves you. God loves the sinner. And God has proved His love in the gift of His beloved Son. Now the other man, the publican. So beautiful to see this. In verse 13. The publican standing afar off.

Oh my friends, he felt. He felt how unworthy he was. He felt what a sinner he was. He felt how undeserving he was. And how lost and how vile he was. He stood afar off. And would not lift so much as his eyes unto heaven.

He didn't feel worthy to look up into the face of God. He put his head down. He bowed his head in the presence of God. My friends, I ask you tonight. Have you ever found yourself in the presence of God?

Have you ever found yourself in God's presence? All alone in your bedroom. All alone in your home. Alone with God. And found yourself there a poor trembling sinner. Hanging as it were over the very brink of hell.

Have you ever found yourself yet in that position? This man did. It says, he smote upon his breast. He seems to realize that inside that breast was a heart filled with sin. A heart that was against God.

A heart that had no use for God. And he put his hand as it were over that heart. And he said, God be merciful to me. The new translation says, the sinner. God be merciful to me, the sinner. My friend, I ask you.

Is it possible in the last days of 1969. You've come into this room tonight. Somebody has brought you. Somebody has invited you to come here tonight. And you've come here tonight feeling pretty good. Feeling you're a good character.

That you're a fine person. That God looks down at you and says, this person is a fine person. A good person. Upright. Moral. But you've never, never yet been in the presence of God. And had your sins cleansed away in the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Never have you found yourself there in the presence of Almighty God. There unworthy. Undone. A sinner. Oh, I quote that verse again. I want you to hear that verse, my friends. May the Spirit of God bring that verse to your soul.

Girls and boys. For all have sinned. There is no difference. All have sinned. And come short of the glory of God. Well, this is a wonderful thing to know. That you're a sinner. And I just wonder if these young people who come to these conferences.

Time after time. As our brothers said this afternoon. As they were laughing at the back of the room. Maybe writing notes. I wonder. I just wonder if you've come here tonight unsaved. Lost in your sins.

Guilty. And on the way to hell. What a solemn thing, my friends. I know this is not popular. I know the modernist preacher doesn't preach hell. I know that hell is slurred over. Men don't believe there's a hell.

But the only man who never told a lie. Warned man again and again and again. That there was a hell. And I believe, my friends, tonight I would not be faithful to the Lord I serve. If I stood here. And preached to you a heaven.

And didn't warn you of solemn judgment. That's going to fall on men and women. Who reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. You know as well as I do whether you're saved or not. You know, my friend, tonight.

If you were to die this very night. I would ask you this question. I like to ask this question because I believe it levels man down. Where would you be tonight? If you were dead. Where would you be tonight if you were dead now?

I can answer that question only for myself. I would be with the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory. I know it positively. On the authority of divine holy scripture. The word of God itself. Not because I'm better than you.

But because I have a Savior. And His name is Jesus. I was visiting. We were visiting the other day in a nursing home. And an old lady was lying there in the bed. And she told us she used to be a nurse.

And she handled many, many sick people. And we said to her, did you ever handle a young baby? And she said, indeed I did. I've handled many young babies. And I said, I want to tell you a story about a young baby that was born into this world.

And there was no place for that baby but in a stable in a manger. And she smiled. And I said, that baby grew to be a young man. Grew to be a man. And preached. And warned men of judgment. And told His many, many parables.

And performed His wonderful miracles. And she said, Jesus. Jesus. And then we said this. That man died on the cross for my sins. And that blessed man, the Lord Jesus Christ, is my Savior. And she said, and He's my Savior too.

Christ as the Only Savior

My friends, I ask you. That's the gospel. Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Savior? Have you put your trust in Him? Has His blood cleansed you from all sin? You may reply, dear friend. That is that man's religion.

That's what he thinks. No. What I think isn't worth five cents. Unless my thoughts are formed by this precious book, the Word of God. And the Lord Jesus said when He was here. I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man cometh unto the Father but by me. A person. A Savior. And so this man, the Lord Jesus said, went down to his house justified. How blessed. To be justified by God. This man took his place before God as a sinner.

God be merciful to me, a sinner. God be merciful to me, the sinner. Is there a young man in this room tonight? Or a young woman? Who will right now as I speak, bow your head and close your eyes and say, I am a sinner.

You know you're a sinner. And God knows you're a sinner. What kind of a sinner are you? Are you a saved sinner on the way to heaven? Or are you a lost sinner on the way to hell? There's only two kinds of sinners in this world.

Saved sinners who are heaven bound. Lost sinners who are hell bound. What kind of a sinner are you? Now let us go now to the cross. In the 27th chapter of Matthew's gospel. Matthew's gospel, chapter 27, verse 26.

Now I'd just like to point out these things to you. Notice my friends what it says first of all. Verse 26. Then released he Barabbas unto them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Who is this speaking of? Partious Pilate. A coward. A man who three times over said, I find no fault in this man. Why did he scourge him? Why did he scourge a man who he said, I find no fault in this man?

Pilate was a coward. And Pilate has many followers tonight in this world. Who know that Christ is the son of God. And yet they're afraid to take a stand for him. They're afraid of the laughs of the crowd.

They're afraid of being thrown out of society. They're afraid of the laughs of the ungodly. And Pilate was a coward. He scourged a man. He said, I find no fault in this man. Next we read the 29th verse.

Christ’s Humiliation and Crucifixion

Here it is, the soldiers. And when they had planted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his right, on his head. And a reed in his right hand. And they bowed the knee before him. And mocked him saying, Hail, King of the Jews.

The soldiers, notice the soldiers did this. Those men who were supposed to fight for those who were defenseless. These cowards placed upon the head of the son of God a crown of thorns. They placed on the head of God's beloved son a crown of thorns, the symbol of the fall.

For because of the fall of Adam, thorns came. Genesis chapter 3. And these cowards placed upon that blessed head of that precious Savior a crown of thorns. Verse 30. And they spit upon him. How filthy man is.

Man is filthy. They spit upon that blessed man. They spit upon him. Think of it. What an insult to the human race. That man like you, and like me, spit upon the son of God. What a crime, what a sin. What a shocking thing it is for God to look down into this world.

And see filthy man spit into the very face of his beloved son. And they spit upon him. Verse 31. And after they had mocked him. Think of that. They mocked this blessed man, this holy man. Never was there a man like this man.

Never a man spake like this man. The sinner's friend. The most glorious person this world ever saw. We sometimes said and repeat tonight, the only man who was a man. The only real man who ever lived in this world.

They mocked him. They spit upon him. They crowned his head with a crown of thorns. And they chose a robber, Barabbas, in his room instead. Verse 35. And they crucified him. Oh, the spirit of God tells us.

They crucified him. Who is this him? Ah, the Lord Jesus himself. They crucified him. Verse 36. And sitting down they watched him there. You can't imagine how cruel this is. To see that blessed man. To see him there hanging on that cross.

And wicked men like you and like me with the same kind of hearts exactly. As you and I have. They sat down and they watched that blessed man as he suffered on that cross. My friends, God's going to judge this world.

God is going to judge this world. They cast out his darling. His beloved. His eternal son was cast out by men like you and me. And God is going to judge this world. Indeed he is. Do not believe the modernist preachers of this day.

That ahead of us is a rosy time of happiness and peace and joy. It's not true. God is going to judge this world. He's going to judge this world. This world is lost. There is absolutely no hope for this world.

This world, like a sinking ship, is going down under judgment. But thank God there's a lifeboat. And that lifeboat is Christ himself. You must leave the scene as it were. And flee to that lifeboat. For Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Says the apostle Paul. Of whom I am the chief. Oh thank God tonight the sinner's chief is in heaven. Thank God the sinner's chief is now in heaven. No matter who you are in this hall tonight. God can save your precious soul.

One look of faith to Christ. One look of faith to that blessed Savior. Will save your soul for eternal ages. Blessed be God. Now we come to the 45th verse. Now from the 6th hour there was darkness over all the land until the 9th hour.

Here we have now the noon time. That is to say when the sun reached the very top of the heavens. 12 noon till 3 o 'clock in the afternoon. Darkness. And the 46th verse. And about the 9th hour Jesus cried.

With a loud voice saying. Eli, Eli. Lamb of God. That is to say. My God, my God. Why hast thou forsaken me? I suppose there's never been a question asked in the world's history like this question. There's never been a question asked like this question my friend.

The Forsaken Savior and Substitutionary Atonement

Have you found the answer to this question? Many of God's people are here. And they can say with a loud voice. Amen. I found the answer to this question. He was forsaken on that cross. As he bore my guilt.

And my sins. And God judged him there for me. And God turned his faith away from his beloved son. As he bore my sins. And my guilt. Friends I ask you reverently. I ask you in God's holy presence. If God turned his faith away.

From his beloved son on that cross. In those 3 hours of darkness. As he became the sin bearer. I ask you. What will God do. With men and women. Boys and girls. Who reject that savior. I ask you to answer that question.

Have you found out yet. Did you ever kneel down on your knees by your bedside. Look up into heaven. And say oh God I thank thee. That the Lord Jesus Christ. Bore my sins. Bore my guilt. In his own body.

On that cross. He paid the price. He loved me. And gave himself for me. I was reading the book a little while ago. About a man who said. In my first book. I suggested to my readers. That they commit their lives to God.

He used that expression. But he said a few nights after. I woke up in the middle of the night. And I thought to myself. I have never done that thing myself. I never never. Have ever been in the presence of God.

And he said I got out of my bed at three o 'clock in the morning. And I knelt down by my bedside. Looked up into heaven. And said oh God I thank thee. That on Calvary's cross. The Lord Jesus bore my sins.

And I received him as my personal savior. What a wonderful thing that is my friends. Oh again I say I am not preaching religion. I am not preaching about churches. I am not preaching about meetings. I am preaching Christ.

Christ. A person. A savior. A man. A man who has gone back into heaven. A man who was buried. A man who rose from the dead. A man who ascended back into the glory of God. A man who sits at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens.

And oh tonight if our eyes could pierce that heaven above. We would see that lovely man. At God's right hand. In his hands are the nail prints. In his side is the spear mark. In his feet are the nail prints.

That tell God. And tell man. And tell the devil. And tell the demons. That Calvary's work is done. That Christ died for the ungodly. That Jesus loved me. And gave himself. For a poor hell deserving sinner like me.

What a savior. Is he your savior? What a living loving savior. Friends can he do more for you? Could he do more for you? He loved poor guilty sinners. God so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten son.

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish. But have everlasting life. Jesus said. Verily verily I say unto you. He that heareth my word. And believeth on him that sent me. Hath everlasting life.

And shall not come into judgment. But is passed from death unto life. There's a savior tonight. There's a savior my friends. If you go to hell. I speak reverently. It won't be God's fault. There's a way of escape.

There's a way into the glory of God. The way of the cross leads home. The blood of Jesus Christ God's son. Cleanseth us from all sin. God commanded his love to us. While we were yet sinners. Christ died for us.

Oh how wonderful is the gospel message. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried. And he rose again the third day. According to the scriptures. We present a living savior. A loving savior.

A savior that's able to save you tonight. If you'll only come to him. And own your guilt. My friends God has declared your guilty. That all the world may become guilty. That every mouth may be stopped.

And the whole world become guilty. Before God. I ask you tonight. Is there somebody. Is there a boy here tonight. Is there a girl here tonight. Who says I'm willing to take sides with God against myself.

Oh and I'm a sinner. I'm guilty. I'm guilty in God's presence. Guilty. You're guilty my friend. You're guilty. God says you're guilty. You know God doesn't need witnesses. He doesn't need any witnesses.

In the courts in our land we must have witnesses. But God doesn't need any witnesses. He says you are a sinner. You've sinned in his sight. He has seen you sin. You're guilty. You're guilty. And how solemn my friends.

That not even one lie. A lie. One lie. Will ever enter into that heaven. Not one. You know each one of us have to confess. We've told lies. We've told many many lies. You know that. And unless the blood of Christ cleanses away those sins.

We will land in hell. My friends. There's only one Savior. Thank God for every one of us in this room. Who can look up into heaven tonight. And say that Savior. Is my Savior. He died for me. Strange is it not in America.

We have to preach this kind of a gospel. With Bibles all over the place. Gospel tracts all over the place. All kinds of testaments. All kinds of bookstores. Why even in the press I've seen at the top of the paper.

A little verse of scripture. And yet men don't understand. They say I'm doing the best I can. I'm religious. You will pardon me saying these things. They say I'm a Protestant. Why I'm religious. I've been baptized.

My mother was a Christian. My father believed these things. That will never save your soul. Have you been born again? Have you received Christ into your heart? Is the Lord Jesus your personal Savior? My friend.

The Lord may come tonight. Boys and girls. The Christian parents. Your mother may leave you tonight. Your father may be gone tonight to glory. The Lord may come. You will be in hell forever. Lost. Guilty.

Under the judgment of God for eternity. Think of it. Why do you wait? What do you hope to get out of this poor world? What will this world give you? It will give you a piece of ground six feet long. A casket.

A funeral. That's what this world is going to give you. You've got to leave this world my friends. And God says after death the judgment. The infidel says after death we're dead like a dog. Well I don't believe what infidels say.

I hope you don't either. But I believe what God says. After death the judgment. You must. You have to meet God someday. You've got to stand in the presence of God. You've got to look with your eyes into the very face of Christ.

He's going to judge those who reject Him. How solemn. For all judgment has been committed unto the Son. The Son of God. He's going to judge this world. He's going to judge the guilty sinner. He's going to judge the Christ rejecter.

Oh dear boys and girls tonight. Have you ever confessed the Lord? If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. And shalt believe in thy heart. That God hath raised Him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.

God says it. And that settles it. How blessed. You can say. By the grace of God. God says it. I believe it. And that settles it. How blessed. Now I turn to the third scripture. Which I know is not popular in this world.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

I turn to the 16th chapter of Luke's gospel. And I know that men don't like to hear these things. But we must say it. And I trust that each one in this room will bear with us. As we bring this sad solemn case before you.

It's very solemn. I want to remind you again. That the only man who never told a lie. The only man we could really trust a hundred percent. Told this incident. Which is not a parable. Which is not a parable.

Luke chapter 16 verse 19. There was a certain rich man. Which was clothed in purple and fine linen. And fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar. Named Lazarus. Which was laid at his gate full of sores.

And desiring to be fed. With the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came. And licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died. And was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom.

The rich man also died. And was buried in hell. He lift up his eyes being in torment. And seeth Abraham afar off. And Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said. Father Abraham have mercy on me. And send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water.

And cool my tongue. For I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said. Son remember. That thou in thy lifetime receiveth thy good things. And likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted. And thou art tormented.

And beside all this between us and you. There is a great gulf fixed. So that they which would pass from hence to you cannot. Neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. Then he said I pray thee therefore father.

That I would send unto my father's house. For I have five brethren. That he may testify unto them. Lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham said unto him. They have Moses. And the prophets.

Let them hear them. And he said nay. Father Abraham. But if one went unto them from the dead. They will repent. And he said unto them. Unto him. If they hear not Moses. And the prophets. Neither will they be persuaded.

Though one rose from the dead. Friends. Who told. The account I've just read. I want to repeat it. It's very solemn. The only man who never told a lie. The only man who knew. Who could open the gate of eternity.

And let us look into eternity. There's nobody else could do that. There's no man ever living in this world could do that. But the son of God opened eternity. And allowed us to look in. The rich man didn't go to hell because he was rich.

And the poor man didn't go to glory because he was poor. The rich man did not believe the word of God. The man at the gate full of sores was a saint of God. He lay there as a testimony. I believe to that rich man.

He laid his gate full of sores. We're not told here. But maybe he did testify to the rich man. As he passed by his great gate. And oh I suppose when he died there was a great funeral. I suppose the mayor of the town was there.

And all the elders. And city councilors were all there at the great funeral. I suppose there were many flower carriages lined up on the street. But as the rabbi spoke no doubt of this man being such a good man.

A wonderful man in the community. Kind and noble and upright. He was in hell. Who said so? Christ said so. Dare any man under heaven say it's not true? Dare any man say it's a parable? No my friend it's a fact.

These men lived. Jesus knew about them. He told about them. The rich man was in hell. And he cried. He still had a voice. He cried. He had eyes to see. He could see afar off. He didn't need glasses. He could see afar off.

And he could cry. He could feel. He said I am tormented in this flame. I am tormented in this flame. Friend hell is a reality. If there is no hell there is no heaven. Because the same Bible that tells us of heaven tells us of hell.

And the same God that warns us of hell tells us of the glories of heaven. And dare man say there is no hell? Dare the modernist preacher stand up and say there is no hell. And expect those who have any reverence for the word of God to listen to them.

There is a hell. The cross of Christ proves it my friends. The cross of Christ proves that God is going to judge this world. For man has rejected the Son of God. Man spit in the face of Jesus and cast him out.

God is going to judge this world. He tells us so. He has appointed a day in which he will judge this world. By that man, that blessed man whom he raised from the dead. It is a solemn thing isn't it? Here is a man in hell.

Oh dear boys and girls I warn you tonight. I stand here and warn you. You will land in hell if you reject Christ. You will land in this awful place. The lake of fire. Where man will live forever. In his sins away from God.

With no company. Alone. Don't believe the devil's lies that in hell you will play cards. You will have a wild time and a good time in hell. It is not true. Man will be in darkness. He will be alone. Alone with himself.

Alone in his remorse, his regret. Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. There will be no company in hell. You will be alone my friends. Alone. Alone for eternity. Away from God. He cried and said have mercy upon me.

Oh the other man in the 18th chapter of Luke said God be merciful to me a sinner. And he found mercy. He found he was justified. But here was a man who cried for mercy. On the other side of eternity. And I say tonight my friends.

According to this book there is no purgatory. There is no second chance. If you die without Christ. You will be buried without Christ. You will be raised from the dead without Christ. And you will stand in eternity as it were in space.

Suspended by the power of God in space. And you will look into the very face of Christ. You will hear him say depart from me. Into everlasting fire. Prepared for the devil and his angels. Not for man.

But if young men today and young women. And older men and older women prefer the company of the devil and the damned. Or I should say prefer that awful place where they will be. Then it is not God's fault.

He asked the question in the second chapter of Hebrews verse 3. Which I remember reading about. Where a man said God asked the question that God himself can't answer. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.

This poor man cried. Have mercy on me. He was reminded. Son remember. Oh dear boys and girls. Dear men and women here tonight who are lost in their sins. What an awful thing to remember. And I believe that December the 27th 1969.

Will be stamped on your immortal soul. You will be reminded that you heard of a Savior's love. You heard of a way of escape. You heard there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord to cleanse you from all sin.

You heard about it. You heard that God loved you. You heard that Christ died for you. You heard that there is salvation free. A pardon. A gift for you to receive. From the very hand of God. Given to you out of this great heart of love.

You heard of it. If you reject that my friend tonight. You may never hear it again. This may be your last time. Your last chance to ever get saved. It may be tonight. God's last call. I remember when I was unsaved.

Many a time I heard the gospel. Many a time I left the room unsaved. And God himself and I thank and praise him for it. Hung between heaven and earth a verse of scripture. He hung it there in front of my very eyes.