Gospel Meetings s.h.c.- 10 What Think Ye of Christ — Stan Ford

But, I'd like to talk with you concerning God's Heaven, God's Heaven. Tuesday evening, we're going to talk on God's Heaven, God's Heaven. But, we'll have this on Tuesday, and, of course, the other evening.

Christ’s Question to the Pharisees

Tonight, I'd like to read, if I may, those lovely verses in the 22nd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew, Chapter 22, if we may please. And, we will just read together from Verse 41. The 41st verse of the 22nd chapter of Matthew.

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ, son of David? He said unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy crystal.

If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither doth any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. What think ye? Stupid is your delay. You remember he ran to the city of Hedron, and the city of Hedron was a city of refuge.

All he needed to do, The most solemn thing of it all. Abner, how sudden was thy death. All he needed to do was to take one step. Just one step. And he refused to take it. Do you remember Joachim? He smote him under the fifth rib, and he died.

Young man, let me talk to you a little. If you don't take the step and come to Jesus Christ, be kind for one step, be faithful for one step. Be kind for one other course. Most of you have gathered all to see what is my text this evening.

The Bible’s Most Important Question

I believe it to be the most important question ever asked of man. Now all of us will agree that questions of the word of God are important. Who would task lightly to find the first question of the Bible?

I don't worry about that. More likely for the question that occurs later on in the Old Testament. What doest thou hear? When I come to the New Testament, it also is still, I believe of all the questions of the Bible, the most important that you and I will ever be able to face are the words that Jesus used.

What question in four very simple days. I want to ask, first of all, what do you think of his person? What think ye of Christ? I want to ask not only what do you think of his person, what do you think of his truth?

For there are many men who have stood and held it, what? Something that they have believed to be true. But here is one fact I suggest to you. I want to ask not only what do you think of his person, and what do you think of his preaching?

I want to ask what do you think of his power? Despised, enamoured, fun. This, if he was not what he professed to be, this illegitimate son of a peasant. What do you think of his power? How do you explain it, if he is what he claims to be?

What do you think of his person? What do you think of his preaching? What do you think of his power? Oh sir, I must ask this. What do you think of his passion? What do you think when on Calvary's cross he died crying?

This is not Passion Week, but there is a sense in which every week is Passion Week for those that love the Lord. What do you think of his passion? But of course there is one other thing I must ask before I come to a close.

What do you think of his purpose? What was the purpose of this person? This person's power? This person's passion? What do you think of his purpose? What think ye? Of course there is a sense in which we need to turn to the Word of God and see what men in the Word of God are going to take very long in doing this.

But, if I were to give a speech, what would it be? His foes will say, Prostrate the Father, Prostrate God! And I would pray, my friends, to men who listen to Jesus, what think ye of Christ? If I was to bring Peter here, he'd be in not a moment's doubt to tell me.

Come here tonight and tell me in words that men and women could understand this Jesus who knew Crucify. God made both Lord and Christ. If I were to bring him to this service tonight, Thomas, and say, Thomas, no one would doubt, no one would question, Thomas, what think ye of Christ?

And he'd look at you and me and he'd say, Don't you remember what I did? I'd bow before him and say, My Lord and my God. If I were to ask his foes what they think of Christ, I would know where to start.

Do you remember that the very man that sat in judgment over him said, Let's hold him for thirty pieces of silver. The poet had said, Thirty pieces of silver burn on a trainer's brain. Thirty pieces of silver.

Oh, it's a hellish thing. He cries for them. He'll sing it down before them. He runs to them. Say, Judas, what do you think of Christ? And Judas would say, I've betrayed innocence. I'm not going to ask the countless multitude of other friends.

I'm not going to ask the plenty of other enemies. You know them. Pharisees. The centurion. You know what they said. I want just tonight to bow before the God of heaven because I want to tell you this.

If his friends had spoken well of him and his foes had spoken well of him and everyone else had spoken well of him but the father didn't speak well of him, I would have nothing to offer. If his friends had spoken ill of him and his foes had spoken ill of him but his father had spoken well of him, I'd have a salvation to offer.

Let me bow quickly for a moment and say, O God, Thou creator of heaven and earth, Thou to whom we live and move and have our very being. And from the excellent glory come the words that we enjoyed this morning in our worship.

This is my beloved Son, in whom I find all my delight. Oh, what a Savior. What do you think of Christ? Who do you side with? What make you think of Christ? I now want to ask you, I want to ask you, what do you think of his person?

The Person and Life of Jesus

What do you think of his person? You will remember the tremendous words in the seventh chapter of John. Is it verse 15? When hearing the Lord Jesus speaking to the multitudes, there were those who said, How is it that this man, this man that hath no letters, standing and knowledge, never having learned, it is that expression, You see, young man, young woman, what do you think of his lowly birth, of his lovely life, what do you think of his lonely death?

What do you think of Christ? His lowly birth, what should be with us? Marvel enough, marvel enough, and I am not unmindful that in the Old Testament, God appears. I see him as he stands before Joshua and says, As I was before our enemies.

I see him as he stands before the God before whom I was bowing. Never seen anyone frightened of a baby, have you? Oh, dearie me, you might be frightened of how you're going to handle them. Oh, I've been frightened of that.

Our little ones were given to me to ask God's blessing on them. I didn't know what would rule, how to handle them. Not frightened of a baby, a baby can never hurt you. Are you frightened of God? I'll tell you what he says to you, don't you be frightened of me.

I'm coming into the world as a baby. What do you think of his lovely life? My Bible says he went to fast in court. Blind eyes, Jesus, we sing with the children. Do you know something? Those old choruses, He may sit here, they may say to all, you know, some of those old choruses have some meat in them.

Today it's all cornflakes. But he has some meat in them. What do you think of his, what do you think of his lovely life? Tell me, what do you think of his lonely death? I don't know why I'm quoting choruses, but we used to sing another one, you know.

Do you know this one? Give me a sight, O Saviour, of thy wondrous love to me. Do you know this one? When I think of the Lord Jesus, he arose with a mighty triumph for his soul. As I reminded you the other day, they didn't mold a stone away from any house.

They only molded a way to let us look in and see he wasn't there. As I look in and see he's not there. Oh, what an exhortation to go back to glory, blessed be that. The wonder of it is this, you know, I love those words.

But I love those words, don't you? Well, I love them. His exhortation, what can he of his person? The sinless, spotless Son of God, whom it was said in his birth that such shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

He of whom it was said in his death, he offered himself without spot to God. For thirty-three years of the death, I never known him, he offered himself without spot. What do you think of his person? Think of his preaching.

The Preaching and Authority of Jesus

Oh, never having learned, says the seventh chapter of John. But the seventh chapter of John goes on and it says this, never man spake like, isn't that lovely? Never having learned, never man spake like Oh, wonderful.

Oh, you remember what has happened. With joy shall... He poured the water trying to fulfil the words of the... And they did it day by day, day by day. And they looked and they were all having a full burrow in their palm trees and the man slept...

I've been utter a maniac! He's not good at the business, then. The water that's going to flow out of the... I tell you, I'm the water of love. Some of those soldiers that had been sent by the high priest back in the high priest's...

Apparently! We sent him for arresting, apparently! And he looks at me, and he says, Spake like this man, never a man spake like this. I don't profess to be a great preacher. I just want to tell you what's on my heart, but I tell you I wish I could preach like that.

I have a saviour who one day preached a sermon about a little sparrow. And nearly 2 ,000 years after, as soon as I mention a sparrow, you say, I'm not too sparrow-soul for a bunny. You'll forget 99-point-something of my sermon before you get out the door.

For 2 ,000 years, men have remembered his teaching about the little sparrow. I say, one day, he walked down the road, and he saw a little anemone. Great as one of these. Yeah, my dear. He didn't say, Enter ye in, I will leave them for life.

He didn't think enough of his preaching. It would take no time. If there is one thing I've learned about these teenage young folks, you know, I don't understand them all. They are to you as well. But if I've learned one thing about these teenage young folks since I've been here, I've learned this.

That if there is one thing they despise, it's hypocrisy. I want to look at them and say, You, you folks, don't be hypocrites yourselves. Don't tell me you admire Jesus Christ and admire his preaching, unless you're willing to act on it.

The Power of Christ to Transform

What do you think of his person? What do you think of his preaching? What do you think of his power? Oh, never have you learned. Not in this manner. But I love those words. When we're reminded of this.

He sat there, where never man had sat, on the baton broken by scores of men and women in this service. See, not next door or up the street. In this service. So if I was to ask them, would say, Yes, the Lord sat on the back of an unbroken colt and brought it under his control.

And I have no difficulty to believe that, because he sat on my lap and brought me under his control. No one else sat there. Oh, friends, I don't spend time, as you know, giving stories of folk that over the years God has been gracious enough to permit me to lead to the Lord.

See, I don't keep the Lamb's Book of Life. And as I look back, have I seen many who after years have proved that their profession of faith in Christ was real? Then I heart it glad. Don't tell me you trust the Lord tonight.

You'll let me see it in six months time. I'd like to introduce you to the Lord tonight. I only know this, that if I was to allow my mind to run away with me and tell some of the stories of men and women I've seen absolutely transformed, all I would do was to say to you, I know a woman on whose life Jesus sat and brought him under his control when no one else ever did.

A Testimony from Aberdeen

What do you think of his power? Let me tell you one story. And I thrill to tell it. It happened nearly thirty years ago. So please, I've got a right to tell it. I was in the city of Aberdeen. All the assembly asked for no service so I had to go down to the fish market to speak to the boy from the fish market.

A great hearted little boy. So Mr. Forrest said, Can you stand for it? I said, I am. He said, I want you to come down to the police station. You know, I thought of all the bad lucks I might have gone through.

Of course, you wouldn't have thought of that, would you? Not much. I looked at him and I said, what do you want to see me for? He said, I'm afraid I can't tell you. The inspector wants to see you. You know, the preacher.

Well, I said, sir, if you can't tell me what you want to see me about, I'm not at liberty to come. I'm busy. He said, Mr. Forrest, I think you ought to come. I said, what about it? He said, I'm not at liberty to tell you.

I'm not at liberty to come. Well, he said, would you phone the inspector? I will. Phone the inspector. I said, your sergeant is here asking me to come. When I walked in, the police sergeant from the house where I'm staying was You brought me down here in a police car, you've asked me a question, I've given you an answer, and you tell me it's not true.

You better explain yourself. He said, Mr. Forrest, last night and in all the years in my police force service, a man named James Trace walked into our office. We've known him for years. He's just come out of Peterhead Prison after serving seven years.

And in my country, they serve seven years, you know. So he put on a, it's all I've got left. He didn't know what to say. He said, what are you putting in for then? I said, I went to the YMCA tonight, and I trusted the lawyer.

In half an hour, he'd gone and stopped the rest of the money and put it down. You came with me today, and this is why I tell the story, and this is why I'm glad. You came with me this afternoon, away to the facility of Leeds.

In Joseph Street, got three golf balls. You'd have gone in, in the Bible class here, with about 40 young men, actually.

You'd have gone in the back room, you'd have seen just little patterns you'd see sitting in the middle of them. How many did God save them?

But as though they were separated, they were brought back together. That's what Jesus does, what no one else does. I've heard that story a thousand times, and I don't think I'm exaggerating. Under control, those who no one else has been under his control.

My dear friend, Emma, won't mind me saying. Listen, you young folk, let me tell you something. This is the most important thing you'll ever do. What do you think of his person? What do you think of his preaching?

What do you think of his power? What do you think of his passion? I love those words in the 19th chapter of John, verse 41, when speaking of the tomb, they said, my lady, when in a tomb, never having learned, we're never man again.

Christ’s Passion and Redemptive Purpose

You see, in the Old Testament, you know the story. I've heard it so many times. Hallelujah, up on the graveyard. But that passion of Calvary was shown to the world to be accepted by heaven as God. What do you think of his person?

And what do you think of his preaching? And what do you think of his power? And what do you think of his passion? What do you think of his purpose? Why? Why? Why? The apostle, when he writes to Titus in that second chapter, sums it up this way, doesn't he?

He dares to say that, first of all, that he must redeem us. Oh, I like that. That he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people from the good works. Us from all iniquity.

That's to redeem us from all iniquity. To set us free from sin. His penalties. His power. One glorious day set us free. From all iniquity. Friends, have you been redeemed? What is it we sing from your lovely hymn book?

Redemption. Oh, wonderful story. Message for you and for me that Jesus has purchased our pardon and paid all the debts on the tree. Do you know, I almost feel like calling my good friend Mrs. Hunt to come up here and sing it to the old Welsh tune of cricket bar.

Sure, no wonder.

Redeem us from all iniquity. But not only that, hate. After going home, when I go back, I'm very almost to be dead. I have to be down in Dettingshire, down to a little town in Detting on a tender for their conference.

But then I go up to Essex. And when I go through the country of Essex, some of you men that were in the army and stationed that way, you'll know what I'm talking about. You go through a little village, just a quaint little cottage village and you'll see a little chapel building and outside it will say, The Meeting Room of the Peculiar Presence.

I don't mean to interfere, unless you bow to that golden image. I'll cast you in the fire. I like the words, don't you? I was told he will. He will. Peculiar like a Paul and a Silas in the middle of the night.

You know, when the jailer wanted to go to sleep, catch him awake by singing praises. You young folks, you can tell. I wasn't going to call it music. They didn't. They were peculiar. He wants to purify.

That's what it starts with. He redeems us and purifies us. Purify unto himself. Unto who? Unto the one whose person and preaching and power and passion. I don't know whether I'm talking to you young folks or not.

I don't even know if you're any... Ye. Doesn't he make a difference? Do you think enough tonight to say, Lord, if you are the one who came to redeem us from an image, I will accept you as my redeemer.

If you are willing to come into my life and purify unto yourself, clean out all the muck that's been there, I'm willing to let you in. If you're willing so to take charge of my life, though the world may think me peculiar, because if you don't, in the word of our closing hymn, may we sing together, please, number 535.

The Call to Come to Christ

There is no safety but the safety of these hands. Bear the marks of the cross towards you and say to you, number 500. We pray that each one of us may find the safety of the arms of the cross that are stretched out to us tonight.

That we may hear that voice that says, Come unto me shall in no wise be cast out. Grant that each one tonight shall say, What think ye of Christ? He's my Saviour. Grant it may be so. For Jesus' sake, may I please.