And Judas Iscariot: Together with other evangelistic addressesChapman, J. Wilbur (John Wilbur)
Religion
And Judas Iscariot: Together with other evangelistic addresses
Chapman, J. Wilbur (John Wilbur)
Evangelistic sermons; Presbyterian Church -- Sermons; Sermons, American
should be but the faintest response to his cry he would take the lost
in his arms and bear them home to heaven. Will you not come while he
calls to-day?
A CALL TO JUDGMENT
TEXT: "_I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I
have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore
choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live._"--Deut. 30:19.
Moses was a wonderful man; whether you view him as a poet or as a
leader of men, he is alike great. This text was spoken by him to the
people of Israel at the close of his career. The leadership of God's
chosen people is now to be transferred to Joshua, and it is in order
that he may speak to them as they should be addressed, and at the same
time in order that he may free himself from judgment, that he speaks as
he does.
I have two great desires as I present this message.
First, that I might myself be faithful, and that it might be said that
I am free from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare
unto you the whole counsel of God.
Second, that I might help some one to the knowledge of Christ. This is
no time for argument, for argument always calls forth discussion. It
is no time for theory. Practical, every-day people of the world care
nothing for mere theories. And it is no time for speculation, for to
give such to the people is like giving a stone when they have asked for
bread. But it is time for eternal choice. The audience of the
preacher vanishes when he thinks of the text and its meaning and he is
face to face with the Judgment when he shall be judged for the way he
has spoken, and the people shall be called to account for the way they
have heard. It is indeed a solemn word. "I call heaven and earth to
record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy
seed may live."
I
_Record_. I desire to use this word as if it were a noun for the time
being, for it will bring to us the same truth. This leads me to say
that every one is making a record, either good or bad. Deep down
through the surface of the earth you will find the evidence of storms
centuries ago; the record was indelibly made.
Two records are being kept. This is indicated in the twentieth chapter
of Revelation, where it is said, "And the books were opened." Notice
that it is plural and not singular. There is a record in heaven kept
by the Recording Angel. If it were in the memory of God it would be an
awful thing, for while God does not remember forgiven sin, he cannot,
from the very nature of the case, forget unpardoned sin, and if that is
the record one day we shall meet it face to face.
There is also a record upon earth. We have seen it in the characters
of men who have gone astray, and in the faces of those who have been
affected by their sins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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