Is God Really There? — Peter Brandon

The Biblical Message of Reconciliation

Now the subject that's been given to me is this, is God really there and what is he like and trust that this might be a help especially to those who are seeking the Lord. For tonight we're going to read from the 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and we are commenced reading at verse 11.

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, because we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance and not in heart.

For whether we be beside ourselves it is to God, or whether we be sober it is for your cause, for the love of Christ constraineth us. Because we thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.

Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature or a new creation.

Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

Not imputing their trespasses, that means counting up their sins, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation, now then we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God, for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in heaven.

Now the Lord will bless to us the reading of the Bible. Could you imagine just for one moment that we were all stranded on a desert island. And we really do believe we are the only people on the island.

And then one morning we wake up and we see fresh footprints in the sand. We examine the footprints very carefully and we discover it's a male because of the size of the footprints. But we do not know what kind of person this person might be.

Is he a friend or is he a foe? We see the footprints, it tells us that there is a man around, but we don't know what kind of person he is. Eventually we follow the footprints and then we come to a beautiful garden and we all say together the man's a gardener, but we haven't seen him yet.

Then we get a little nosy and we go up the garden path and we look through the window and we say the man's an artist. Look at some of those beautiful paintings, but we haven't seen him yet. But the works that is left in the house indicate that he's an artist.

Then one of us might be a bricklayer and say he can certainly lay these stones, beautifully laid. Obviously no cement, but the balance is almost perfect. And then there's a carpenter with us and he says the woodwork is almost par excellence, perfect.

And then we go round the back of the house and we see more. We haven't yet met the man, but what he makes indicates what kind of person he is. Now we must ask a question. Can we see in creation the footprints of a creator?

Creation as Evidence of the Creator

I think we can. The Bible says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth forth his handiwork. What does that mean? When we look at the Milky Way we discover, and that's the kind of sphere in which our planet is, there are roughly a hundred thousand suns.

Many of those suns bigger than our solar sun. And when we realise that there are galaxies and galaxies of stars, in fact there are so many that we haven't yet found a telescope that can find the edge of space.

And when we see those great worlds all in their own orbit, all moving by precision, then our minds begin to say there must be an order behind all this. And where there is an order, there must be a creator.

Then we begin to examine the earth and we begin to examine ourselves. We look at the mystery of our own personality and it's so deep we don't even understand ourselves. We look at man and we can see that in man there's a faculty that the Bible calls the pneuma, the spirit, and it's a faculty that must worship.

And then we hear within us an inarticulate groan and it's the muttering of conscience. And as we examine our own complex being, especially our soul, our entity, what do we say? The footprints of a creator in our own bodies and in our own souls.

But more. We begin to understand that in creation there are those vast things that are immeasurable almost. And there are those small things that the naked eye never sees. Millions upon millions of them.

Some discovered, some never discovered. And then we begin to chuckle and say, could all these things come from the amoeba? Could they all come from protoplasm? Surely behind all this mysterious world of the infinite there must be the footprints of God.

And so we say God. But now comes the next question. What is God like? What is he like? Now when we look at the western world we find, praise God, that atheism has had a shock. 75 of the western world and almost 65 of the whole world believes in an intelligent spirit that's behind creation.

So atheism is beginning to go out of the window. But the big problem now is this. What is God like? Now there are some people who are intellectual and therefore they have a philosophical idea of God. But he is the God no bigger than their minds.

A God that they have invented. Then there are other people and they're very nice people and they are very emotional. And therefore they have an emotional God. Therefore it's a God that they have invented through the medium of their emotions.

And then there are more primitive people and they believe that their God is the God of an image. And therefore they will worship images. But they are the Gods of human fabrication. Now you will agree with me dear friends if you are following the argument along this certain line that I am now proceeding.

That if there is a God behind the whole of creation he must be transcendent. So that outside of time and space and can I use language outside the immeasurable. There outside of it all there must be the eternal God that looks upon matter as a small thing.

Secondly there must be an eternal God far bigger than our minds. That projects himself in everything that he makes. So that in the tiniest germ the glory of God is seen. Now my dear friends this causes the mind to boggle.

But I want to show you now that the God that we are representing is not the God of our minds. But the God of revelation. Now if we agree then that there must be a God of revelation. Where has he put that revelation?

Revelation of God in Scripture and Creation

In the Bible. And therefore in this book that gives us the revelation of God. God explains to us very carefully that in creation we begin to see the greatness of God. Can I use another word? The infinite greatness of God.

And then as we look at creation we begin to see the beauty of God. Especially in the floral world. And when we look at creation and we see the multifarious forms of life. We see the profound brilliance of God.

But we still don't know him. We are only getting flashes of him. Why? Because we see this in creation. Then we come a bit nearer and we begin to see the justice of God in what? You know ladies and gentlemen the world's justice is still based upon the ten commandments.

And that was given three thousand years or three thousand five hundred years ago. And when God gave us the ten commandments he gave the whole world once and for all a flash of his justice. When you see a glimpse of the justice of God you begin to see it as fire.

As a trumpet that sounds louder and louder. So glorious was that mountain when God revealed himself that not even a beast could touch him. The justice of God. And then my dear friends there were those that were brought into the sanctuary of God.

And when they were brought into the sanctuary of God by divine revelation. They saw the exquisite beauty of God's holiness. Can I put it to you like this? If one flash of the glory of God's holiness came into this room.

Every one of us would be prostrated. We little understand the glory of the almighty God. Now my dear friends I have given you very simply a resume of God as seen in the Old Testament. We shall have another look at God as seen in the New Testament.

He is the same God but he is revealed in greater detail. But now can you see now that there is a problem. Everyone in this room tonight I feel sure believes in the existence of God. 95 of the people here tonight would believe in the glimpses that I have given concerning the glory of God.

But now there comes this problem. Is God knowable? Over and over again in London and in Bedford where I live people have actually said this to me. And they were perfectly honest when they said it. We believe now in a divine intelligence behind creation.

Good. We believe that the world is kept together by the atom and God controls it. You believe that? Good. But how can we human beings know him? One man said to me with tears not very long ago. He said if I could know that God it would be the greatest thing in the universe.

And that's true it would. But he says I'm living in this little body. He is somewhere in the universe. And there is a big barrier between me and God. And so there is. And that's why we don't know him.

And therefore what I want to talk about now is the need for that barrier to be removed. And so I'm going to speak on the need of reconciliation. Being right with God. Then I want to deal with the subject the person who reconciles.

And that is one of the most precious subjects in the world. And then right at the end I want to take you all by the hand figuratively. And show us the act of being reconciled to God. First of all the need.

Sin as the Barrier Between Humanity and God

About 1500 years BC. There was a man by the name of Betheliel. And he was a brilliant artist. Probably one of the greatest engineers that ever lived. And he was commissioned by Moses. And Moses was commissioned by God.

To erect a mobile dwelling place for God. It was called the tabernacle. Now that tabernacle had a mystery. And I want to explain it to you. It had a place called the holy place. Where the priest could go in and minister.

And then there was a beautiful veil. And on the other side of that veil there was a place called the holiest of all. And no priest was ever allowed to enter. The idea of a priest penetrating that curtain would be completely out of this world.

Again let me say it. He was strictly prohibited from ever entering into the holiest of all. Why did God put that veil there? To show that there was a barrier between the human race and God. And this is what the scripture says.

Your iniquities have separated between you and your God. And your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. Now why should God be separated from us? Shall I tell you why? Because he is three times holy.

And do you know what the word holy means? Separate. And that means the whole character of God is full of absolute intrinsic perfection. Anything that is inconsistent with that nature is separated from God.

Beloved could I say this again? If we caught a glimpse of the glory of God we should understand why there is a barrier. Now that is why in the scripture God comes to a conclusion. And when God comes to a conclusion it is final.

He is the only person that cannot make a mistake. Always remember this. There is only one person in the whole universe that is infallible. And that is the almighty God. And therefore my dear friends when God makes a conclusion it is final.

It cannot be added to. And when God made this accusation if you like. When he came to this conclusion. He studied the whole race from the first man to the last. He knew all about the civilizations. From the antediluvian right to the end of the ages.

He knew every single person that would ever live in this world. And he made this conclusion. For there is no difference. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now what does that mean?

It means that we have missed the mark. And instead of pleasing God we have pleased ourselves. And therefore he says the whole of the human race has fallen short of his glory. Then he makes another conclusion.

He says the scripture hath concluded all under sin. Now what does that mean? It doesn't mean to say that we have all missed the mark. But we are all under the power of sin. Now can I prove that to you?

Would you allow me? Every single person in this room has a besetting sin. A sin that you cannot control. That makes you. Some people it's bad temper. Some people it's lust. Some people it's lying. Some people it's irritation.

Some people it's downright selfishness. And some people perhaps it's a gossiping tongue. But everyone in this room has a besetting sin that you can't handle. It was that poet Tennyson who said when he was struggling with his own besetting sin.

Oh for a man to rise in me that a man that I am might cease to be. And he knew it. In fact the greatest moralist that ever lived apart from the Lord Jesus said. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me?

And therefore dear friends we have discovered that we've all sinned. And we've all got a power within us called the flesh. Which constantly sins within us and drags us down. So that our sin power overcomes our will power.

Now God has done something that I believe is very beautiful. He actually gave the world ten commandments. Now here's a fact. Worked out by a brilliant mathematician. That the average person that lives in Britain and I believe this might be the same in Australia.

Violates the ten commandments no less than one million times over a period of thirty years. Just imagine going before the high bar with one million offenses. Could you say not guilty my Lord? Now if we violate the law of the road or any other law then when we are caught we are punished.

Now listen to this. We have broken the holy law of God and God only has one punishment. And that's death. You say what does that mean? Does it mean when we sin he puts the gun to our head and that's the end?

If that were the case who would be alive? What then does he mean by death? Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. Spiritual death is the separation of the sinner from God. And that's why we don't understand God.

Because we are separated because of sin. Now dear friends can I share with you with a broken heart the greatest tragedy of all. Because sin has separated us from God because God is holy and sin makes us unclean.

If we die in our sins we are eternally separated from God. And that is hell. And that's the greatest tragedy in life. And you know dear friends if you'll forgive the tremble in my voice that makes me a preacher.

There are nights when I walk the bedroom unable to sleep because of thousands of souls perishing. And that is why all of us need to be reconciled to God. But then you might argue that surely God could do something to have sinners in his presence.

What a terrible thing that would be. Would you like the almighty God the very pinnacle of all holiness the source of all truth to come down into this world and bathe in the muddy pools of iniquity? Would that sound right?

Some of you ladies in your kitchen there's a line of demarcation between cleanliness and uncleanness. Isn't that right? Some of you gardeners when you're doing your gardening there's a line of demarcation between weeds and cultivation.

Isn't that right? And some of you medical men when you're operating isn't there a line of demarcation between healthful bacteria and harmful bacteria? Of course there is. And there's a line of demarcation between God who is light and man in the darkness.

And if we die in our sins we're lost. And that is why all of us urgently need to be made right with God. But then there comes the awareness of being made right with God. Isaiah was one of the greatest prophets that ever lived.

And on one occasion he stood upon the pulpit of wood and he said to Israel with his accusing finger I imagine, woe unto Israel five times. Because they were an adulterous nation. Not long after he gave that surgical address he was in the presence of God praying and he saw a vision of the glory of God.

And he saw the throne of God high and lifted up outside of time and space. And then he saw the seraphim specially created intelligence made for the immediate presence of God and such was the glory of God they had to veil their faces with their wings.

Then he heard the symphony and they said one to another in harmony Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And the post of the door moved at the voice of him that spake.

And the whole house was filled with smoke. Poor Isaiah couldn't stand it. And he fell into the dust and he said woe is me. For I am undone. I am a man of unclean limbs. And we would all feel like that if we got that vision.

Ah, but you say brother Peter that's the Old Testament. What about the New Testament? Yes. There was a man in the New Testament his name was Saul of Tarsus. The only man that could ever say touching the externals of the Lord blameless.

On the Damascus road he caught a glimpse of the Lord Jesus. Who was the very manifestation of God. The outshining of God. And when he caught a glimpse of that glorious man. He said that he was the chief of sinners.

Now dear friends can I figuratively take you by the hand. And lead you right into the presence of God. One day we are all going to meet him. And it's far better to discover what you're like now. Than when you stand before the great white throne.

Where there's no mercy. And if God tonight through the preaching of the glory of his glorious character. Reveals to you the ugliness even of your smallest sin. Thank him. Because you can never be reconciled.

Until you know your uncleanness in the sight of God. So man now needs to be reconciled. And who can do it? Well dear friends there was no one that can do it by God. There was no prophet. There was no king.

There was no angel. There was no archangel who was great enough. And therefore we find here these wonderful words. God was in Christ. Reconciling the world unto himself. You see God in all his grace and mercy.

Instead of destroying the world that rightfully deserved it. He intervened and he sent his son into this world. Now who was Jesus? In this narrative we are told two things about him. First of all he knew no sin.

Jesus Christ as the Reconciler

Think of it. If we had time to go through human history. We would find even the great philosophers. The great kings were all marked by failure. Only the other day I was reading about the confessions of 40 British prime ministers.

And the 40 of them although great many of them. They died with depression and failure. Because they were not able to keep their promises. When you go through the Old Testament. God gives us a portrait of great men.

Such as Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Men like Moses and Joshua. And all of them although great failed. There was only one man who ever lived. Who never sinned. And that was Jesus Christ. And when he came into the world he was not only a sinful man.

But we are told in this narrative God was in Christ. That meant he was co-equal with God. Now my dear friends may I put it to you like this. For someone to come into this world to grapple with the sin of the world.

Needed someone more than a perfect man. None of us could ever contemplate the sin of the world. The enormity of it and the vulgarity of it would be too much for us. And therefore if Jesus was just a perfect man.

A perfect man couldn't handle the sin of the world. So from this narrative we learn that God was in Christ. Therefore he was not only a perfect man he was perfect God. And therefore we have a body that's not part man part God.

But a body that has in it the harmony of perfect man. And perfect God and that was the greatest mystery of the universe. Listen to the dignity of these words. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. And therefore the reconciler the Lord Jesus was firstly a perfect man. Secondly he was perfect God. And he came to deal with the sin of the world.

Now my dear friends can I put it to you like this. If you could jump out of your body right now and if you could get where God is. And if God would show to you the sins of your life. You would have such a shock you would never get over it.

We little realize the profusion of sin. Do you know the bible says the thought of foolishness is sin. What so ever is not afraid of sin. He that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin. Even the thought of lust that goes on in the mind that's sin.

Even bitterness that sometimes fills our heart that's sin. And if all our sins were accumulated and we saw them we would have a shock. Furthermore if God could take out our smallest sin. And if we could see that smallest sin as God saw it.

All of us would have a tremendous shock that we would never get over. Now that's just an individual. It's someone dealing with the sin of the world. That doesn't mean to say the sin of a generation. But that means to say all the generations.

If you look at the word very carefully it means all the believing generations. Right from the time of Adam right to the time of the last man that would be born into this world. The sin of the world. Now my dear friends if you can calculate that in a very small measure.

You are a genius. None of us can measure the sin of the world. And this is what the word of God says. He was made sin for us. Now you will say well how can we prove those facts. In the garden of Gethsemane just before Jesus Christ went to the cross.

He anticipated the sin of the world. And when he was anticipating and plumbing the depth of the sin of the world. Such was the tension. His sweat was blood like. And there on bended knees he saw this massive monster.

This Everest of vulgarity. The sin of the world. And he staggered. And yet he was willing to go through it. So there were no surprises for the son of God on the cross. He knew it all. When he was hanging on that Roman gibbet.

Now I must speak in great reverence. For three hours he suffered before men. He allowed them to do their ugliest worst so that they treated him worse than an animal. And he made all that hatred with father.

Forgive them. They know not what they do. And then it happened. From the sixth to the ninth hour in those three hours an eternity took place. What brought together that infinite mess of evil. The sin of the world.

Measured it's judgment. And then turned all the lights of creation out. So that he would release to the world their darkness and their separation. And in that separation. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.

The wrath of God. The righteous wrath. Fell upon the son. And for three hours he was silent. And then right at the end when all the wrath of God had been completely exhausted. So that every sin of a believer had been dealt with completely.

He let out the cry. I can hardly say it tonight. My God. My God. Why hast thou forsaken and abandoned me? Do you know why? Can I point? Because he loved you. He took your sin. And bore them on the cross.

And then when it was all over he said finished. And he simply meant this that the work was complete. And therefore the Lord Jesus was made sin for us. That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The Cross, Resurrection, and Open Access to God

But that's not all. Immediately he cried it is finished. Then God went to work. You can almost imagine the whole of heaven. Hilarious with divine and perfect joy. The judgment had fallen. The son had exhausted it.

So that now God could come to the human family. And join them up to himself again. And how did he illustrate it? He went straight down into Herod's temple. And the priests were all busy ministering. And suddenly they saw the curtain being split from the top to the bottom.

And then they looked into the holiest. To signify there was a way right into the presence of God. And the door is open. But more. On the third day. The resurrection day. God went down into that dark sepulcher.

And in mighty power. Forgive my excitement but I can't say this quietly. He raised him from the dead. He raised him from the dead in a different way. In which the Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

Because he died again. When he raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. He raised him in such a way that he would never die again. And there is a man in the glory that lives in the power of an indissoluble life.

Raised from the dead. And when God raised him from the dead. He was saying look I am raising the reconciler. The one that can make people right with him. But there is something more than that. He not only rent the curtain.

Not only did he rent the grave. But he has rent the heavens. The same one that died on the cross. The same one that was raised. Has gone through principalities and powers. And there is a man in the glory that sits upon the unshakable throne.

And all power has been given unto him. And that living Christ is the great reconciler. And dear friends can I say this to you from my heart tonight. He longs to make you right with God. Just as you sit there.

Reconciliation as a New Creation

Now what about the reconciliation the act. First of all the proof. You know when you get right with God. And you are really right with God in the Bible way. It will transform your life. This is what it says.

If any man being Christ is a new creation. Old things pass away all things become new. We are going to have our 50th wedding anniversary. When we are here. And you know I met my wife when I was 19. Or 20.

And I met her in a Bible reading. Fell in love with her. And I hadn't been with her for 6 months when I was being changed. I used to hate a white stiff collar. I used to hate dark suits. I had no time for good music.

But would you believe it I was only with her for 6 months. And I loved the white shirt. I loved the dark suit. In fact I bought one at Burton's. And some of you have been in the old country will know that.

And would you believe it I started to enjoy handles. You see what caused the transformation. I met my dear dear girl. When you are made right with God. He will transform you friends. And we will see how he transforms a man in a few moments.

You see he puts you right in Christ. We will talk about that one night. But that simply means you become a child of God. And when you are right with God. And you are in communion with God. And with his word.

The transformation takes place. But then how is he going to bring that transformation? Through preaching. And this is what the apostle says. We are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you.

We pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God. Now what does that mean? God takes up a poor sinner. He breaks him. He cleanses him. To use Bible language he saves him. Reconciles him. Then he gives him a gift.

And then he gives him a love for souls. And then he gives him the ability to speak. But it is all of God. And this is the job of the ambassador. To get alone in the sanctuary and say. Lord you know everyone that is going to be there tonight.

I don't know. Give me the message of God. And he waits and waits and waits. Until he gets God's message. And then he comes to the people. And he says one thing. Thus saith the Lord. And he gives you as clearly as he can this great message.

Be reconciled to God. But it is more than speech. Not only does that man convey the message of God as his ambassador. He conveys the compassions of God. The love of Christ constraineth me said the apostle.

Do you know what that means? It's got hold of me like a malarial fever. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord. He had got a glimpse of the holiness of God. And that had gripped him. And therefore here was a man.

Gripped by the fear of God. And the love of God. And when he preached it wasn't a lecture. In that man's body was the compassions of God. And he leaned over that platform. As though God was kneeling down before those who were not reconciled.

Pleading with them to be reconciled to God. And he gave them the very feelings of God. Dear friends may I say this to my Christian brothers and sisters. We need a new army of preachers. Do you know I remember as a boy.

Hearing men like Rubens, Camel, Fred Elliot, Ivory Elias. And those men when they stood up and preached. Sometimes wept all the way through the meeting. And hundreds were saved. And oh dear friends tonight.

I do not want to give you an icy cold sermon. I want the feelings of God to be within me. So that when I preach I beg with God. For people to be reconciled to God. Oh how vital that is. And then there comes a moment when the spirit works.

Responding to God's Invitation of Salvation

And God puts a circle all round a particular soul. And he says in a meeting like this. You've sinned. You're guilty. If you died tonight you would be lost forever. Christ died for you. And he wants to save you.

And then the act comes. You take one look at the glory of God. And you look at your sins. And you say something like this. Lord I hate sin. I love your holiness. I want to turn to God from this sin. Once and for all.

You're nearly there. Then you look at the reconciler. The lovely Lord Jesus. Crowned with glory and honour. And you remember it was that one that bore your sins. And you stretch out a figurative hand of faith.

And you say something like this. Lord I can't pray very much. But I'm just going to ask you now to forgive my sins and save me. And the word of God says this. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord.

Shall be saved. And in that meeting you could meet him tonight. That seeking saviour, the reconciler. Who longs to save you. Who died to save you. Wants to take you into the presence of God. And plead the cause of his death.

And God will willingly reconcile you. And there's no power that then can separate you from him. It was in a meeting like this. Where God's spirit was moving. That one man stayed behind in Ireland. And it was in a large tent in Newtonards.

I shall never forget this. And he said very nervously. Would you show me please how to be saved. That means to be reconciled. And I was going through the scriptures. Showing all have sinned. And he was nodding as me.

The wages of sin is death. Yes I realise I need to be saved. I was showing him how the cross died on the cross for his sins. And he wanted to save him. And I was showing him from the scripture. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.