Calvary

Let's turn please to Luke's Gospel. We'll take a reference together in Luke's Gospel, and we're going to read together in Luke chapter 23. As our brother Brody has said, it's wonderful to see so many that are here tonight.

A warm welcome, and we're glad you've stayed for the Gospel. Luke's Gospel please, and in chapter 23. And we'll read together at verse number 32.

Luke 23, and at verse number 32. And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him.

And the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment and cast lots.

Let me read with you and to you verse number 33 again. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him. God bless to us this further reference and reading from the Sacred Scriptures.

It's a few years ago now. Mr. Murray McCandless and myself, we were having some Gospel meetings in Jackson, Michigan. There was a girl attending those meetings.

A lady. She was a drug addict. And she was living with a drug addict.

And through some contacts of the Christians, she started to come to that Gospel 10 series. And the Lord started to work with her. Night after night, she would be there with her children in the tent listening to the Gospel.

She worked at McDonald's. And it began really to bother her. It bothered her so much that every day she would go to work.

And it came to the point that she wanted one thing. I would say that most of you folks tonight know the one thing that she wanted above everything else. There might be someone here tonight and you want that one thing.

God's salvation. Barb Densmore, she was coming nightly and just couldn't understand how to be saved. She was standing one day.

This verse had been preached the previous night. And she was standing in the McDonald's restaurant that she was working in. And she was flipping burgers.

And as she was putting those burgers onto the grill, it came to her like this. Barb, you're just going to have to perish in your sins. And if you perish in your sins, it will be hell.

And she looked down at the grill. And she said, I'm going to be in hell. The next thought.

The next thought that permeated that woman's mind was this. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him. And she said to herself, He went to Calvary for me.

And she was saved flipping burgers in McDonald's. Barb Densmore died last year. Tell me.

Ten years ago or so. It might be a few years more than that now. Those years ago, did she make the right choice? Mind you, you've already heard it very clearly tonight.

There is a real heaven. As we are preaching here, make no mistake about it folks. There is a real heaven.

And as I am standing here tonight, there is a real hell. And the reality of this gospel meeting is this. You need Christ.

And you need to be saved. And you need your sins forgiven. And the potential of a gospel meeting, the wonderful potential of one gospel meeting is that there is a soul who has come through those doors without Christ.

And before this night is over, before this meeting is over, before I'm finished speaking, you could have accepted Christ and know your sins forgiven when they were come to the place which is called Calvary. There they crucified Him. I'm going to speak to you about four things tonight in my part of the gospel meeting.

I want to speak to you first of all about Calvary in prophecy. The second thing I want to address is Calvary in history. The third thing I'm going to speak about is Calvary personally.

And the last thing, if we've got time, and if the Lord helps tonight, I want to speak about Calvary in eternity. Because it has changed eternity. There are millions on the other shore.

I say, folks, heaven is already filling. There are millions on the other shore. And the things that have made the difference, the thing that has made the difference is Calvary with all of its power.

The death of Christ. The saving ability of Christ. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Calvary in eternity. Well, you say, what about Calvary in prophecy? Is Calvary in prophecy in the Bible? Is it ever? I think that the first telescope, if they're correct in what they say, I think that the first telescope was discovered or formulated in about 1608. There was a Dutchman.

His name, as far as I can pronounce it, was Hans Lepersling. And he was the first one that developed a telescope. Three times or three par magnification.

Of course, Galileo, he took up the challenge. And by 1611, Galileo had developed a telescope. 20 times magnification.

And of course, you know, and I know that it has developed and developed. There's the Yerkes Wisconsin telescope. Was it 1897 when that was built? And when that was formulated, there was the discovery and advent of the radio telescope.

Of course, there's the Hubble telescope. I'm sure that any of you folks see the picture that was released just last week. The furthest star that they have ever discovered.

I think it is at 12.9 billion light years from Earth. The furthest star that has ever been seen. And the light streaming from the star through the telescope.

You know, we come to the Old Testament and we begin to put the telescope to our eye. Because if you're in the book of Genesis, you can see Calvary. In fact, just go to Genesis 1 and you've got pictures of Calvary.

You remember what it says? Let the waters be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear. That was Calvary. You know that all the waters were gathered together at Calvary.

All the waves of divine judgment. All the billows that would roll over the head of a sinless person. They gathered at Calvary.

And I look through the telescope and I come to Genesis 1 and I see Calvary. But it's a little bit obscure. I move to Genesis 3 and it's coming clearer still.

The telescope of God's Word. The magnification is growing. It's coming clearer still.

You remember Genesis 3.15? The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head. Thou shalt bruise his heel. And I see Calvary.

You say it's getting clearer. Oh, it's getting clearer. And you move into Genesis 4. It's clearer still.

And you move through those golden grains of Holy Scripture. And you can see it. It's rising.

And it's coming into focus. Clear. And you come to Genesis 22.

And it's right there. It's almost like the Hubble telescope is shining. And we're looking through it.

And the magnification is so great that I see a man. I see Abraham and Isaac. And they're going to a place of sacrifice.

And I notice the focus in the chapter. Did you notice what it says? They saw the place afar off. You know what I realize at that? I realize, beloved, tonight as I am preaching, I put the telescope to my eye.

They saw the place afar off when they were come to the place which is called Calvary. There they crucified him. The focus of Calvary is seen in prophecy.

Calvary. They saw the place. What about the foundation of Calvary? Well, you remember the great cry of Isaac.

As Isaac is walking, he was carrying the wood. His father was carrying a knife. His father had hold on the fire.

And Isaac, every step he's taken, he looks to his father. And he says, Behold the fire and the wood, but tell me, he says, where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Where is the lamb? There might be someone in this gathering tonight and you're wanting a sure foundation for eternity. Can I assure you tonight, there is one sure foundation.

You say, is it church? No, it's not church. Is it prayers? No, it's not prayers. Is it tears? No, it's not tears.

Is it penance? No, it's not penance. Is it a priest? No, it's not a priest. Is it a preacher? No, it's not a preacher.

The one sure solid foundation for eternity is Christ. Where is the lamb? And you know that that question rung through the ages until at last John the Baptist looked upon a man that was standing at Bethabara beyond Jordan. And John the Baptist says, the answer is now.

Behold! Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The focus on Calvary. The foundation of Calvary.

I want to speak for a moment, and I've got to leave this, about the fullness of Calvary that is seen in Genesis 22. You know the story. Abraham went.

He takes the wood off the shoulders of Isaac. He builds an altar. He takes his son.

He puts Isaac upon the altar. And he lifted the knife. Everyone here knows the story.

These boys that are sitting right up front, they know the story. Of course they do. That man lifted the knife.

And it's about to come down. And the voice came from heaven. Abraham! Abraham! Lay not thine hand upon the lad.

Abraham must have been so thrilled. And he looks behind him. And he sees a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.

And he takes the ram. He removes Isaac from off the altar. And he put the ram in the place of Isaac.

You say the fullness of Calvary. Where do you see it? I see Abraham and Isaac walking down the mountainside. And I wonder if Abraham didn't look at his son and say, It's the wonderful picture of resurrection.

Mind you, Brody has already touched it tonight. I hope we still preach it. And I hope we still believe it.

That we preach of Christ who died. In the gloom-veiled darkness of Golgotha, Christ died for our sins. Never forget He was buried.

We are preaching tonight the Christ who died. The Christ who was buried. The Christ who was raised from the dead.

Blessed be His name. I am He that liveth. And I became dead.

And behold, I am alive forevermore. If you want to be saved tonight, there is a living Christ. And He has power to save.

Listen to what He says Himself. Hebrews chapter 7. He is able also to save. Calvary in prophecy.

Well you say, what about Luke's Gospel chapter 23? In Luke's Gospel chapter 23 here, we have Calvary in history. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him. It was the high water mark of it all.

It was just a few weeks ago. Elaine, my wife, we had a snow day. I guess you get those down here.

The kids had a snow day. Then of course the snow disappeared. And Elaine said, we should take the dog.

Go for a walk on the beach. It's about 15 minutes from home. So we packed the little dog into the car.

And the two of us as well into the car. And we headed for what is known as Risser's Beach. And of course the high water mark was seen.

There had been winter storms. And the mark was seen higher than we had ever seen before. Mind you folks, don't forget.

There were marks that were seen at Calvary. The high water marks that had never been seen before. Did you ever think about the high water mark of human sin that's seen at Calvary? If I was asking you, tell me about the depths of sin, what would you tell me about? Oh, you'd say we know drug addicts.

That doesn't tell us about the depths of sin. Someone says, I know a few alcoholics. That doesn't tell me about the depths of sin.

Someone says we know those people who have messed up in life. That's not the depths of sin folks. If you really want to know the awful destitution and the depths of sin, you've got to look at Calvary.

Because you see at Calvary there was a man crowned with thorns. At Calvary, there was spittle flowing down his face. At Calvary, his back was torn and lacerated and bleeding and bloodied.

At Calvary, there were nails through his hands and nails through his feet. And you know what I realized? He was there for my sin. My sin.

Oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part but the whole. It was laid on him there and I'll bear it no more.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. He bear my sin.

As I'm preaching to you tonight folks, the Lord Jesus, His own self, bear my sin. In His own body on the tree. If you would just take that tonight.

If there's a soul burdened here tonight, if you would reach out that empty hand and understand I'm lost. Understand I'm perishing. Understand I'm going down.

Understanding I'll perish forever and I need Christ. The great high water mark of human sin, the depths of sin, is seen at Calvary. I want to speak about a second thing.

Calvary and history. What about the demands of Calvary? You say, what about that judgment? We heard what Brody preached tonight. That was a solemn message.

We heard about judgment to come. The demands of Calvary. What about judgment? As I'm standing here tonight, the judgment has already fallen.

In all of its fullness, in all of its force, in all of its fury, it has fallen upon the Lord Jesus. Oh folks tonight, the demands of Calvary. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him.

Let me speak for a moment about the devotion of Calvary. Why was He there? You know the verse. John 3.16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I was actually preaching. It was actually this conference a few years ago. And I used a message.

I used a message about divine grace. And to illustrate grace, I used the analogy of waves that were beating on the seashore. And to illustrate God's unmerited favor and God's kindness and God's grace that was beating over sinners, I said there's a wave coming.

Wave after wave after wave. And it's reaching sinners. When I went to the door, there was a dear brother shook my hand going out.

He smiled at me. He said that was a good message. I thought, hold myself up a little straighter.

That was a good message. He said that was a nice analogy about divine grace. But he said you didn't tell them the rest of it, did you? I said what? He said if you told them the rest of it, you would have told them that for every wave that breaks on the shore, there is a mighty ocean that is beyond every wave.

The love of God. As I'm speaking to you tonight, never forget now the devotion of Calvary. The love of God for sinners.

The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen could ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star. It rescues from the lowest hell.

Oh, love of God. So rich and pure. So measureless and strong.

As I'm preaching here tonight, folks. Calvary in history. They crucified the Lord of glory.

And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary. There they crucified him. What about Calvary personally? Have you ever been to Calvary? I have never been to Calvary.

There was a dear man. His name was General Charles Gordon. This is 1883.

And he made a visit to Jerusalem. You're likely aware of that hymn I've already quoted. When peace like a river attendeth my way.

The author of that hymn was Horatio Spafford. His wife was saved from the Ville de Havre disaster. He lost four daughters.

After that, his business went from him. And he and his wife emigrated. And they went to Jerusalem.

And they set up a home to help Christians and Jews and Muslims. General Charles Gordon, in 1883, he visited their home. One evening, he was sitting on the rooftop.

And he was looking over the city of Jerusalem. And he was looking towards the north of the city. He believed that Calvary should be in the north.

He based that, of course, on Leviticus 1. He said the sacrifice in Leviticus 1 was slain on the north side of the altar. And there he had his Bible open. And he's on the rooftop.

And he's looking out over the city, looking towards the north. And he sees something in his vision. And it looks like a skull.

It's now known as Gordon's Calvary. Skull Hill, where they crucified him. I'm not sure if it's the actual site or not.

I couldn't confirm that. But I do know this. Calvary must be accepted personally.

It doesn't mean you've got to go to Jerusalem. It doesn't mean you've got to make that trip. It doesn't mean the pilgrimage must be made, folks.

But there is one thing that's necessary. You need personally to accept the Christ of Calvary for yourself. I was 16 years of age.

I've told this so many times in stout. I'm sure they were fed up when I used to tell it. Some of the brethren are shaking their heads, so it's okay.

16 years of age. I was attending gospel meetings just like these. I was sitting there night after night, wanting to be saved.

And I wondered to myself, will I ever be saved? And on a Monday night in the month of June, 1990, I got down on my knees. And I lifted my heart to the Lord. And I said, oh God, I'm just a sinner.

And if I die like this, I'm going to be in hell. I got up off my knees. Within five minutes, I was coming back up the stairs.

And I was about to turn into my bedroom doorway. And it came, he was wounded for your transgressions. He was bruised for your iniquities.

The chastisement of your peace was upon him. And with his stripes, you were healed. And instantaneously, I received the Christ of Calvary.

Instantaneously, the burden was gone. Instantaneously, folks, I was a child of God. Instantaneously, there was an appreciation of Calvary.

When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him. Calvary in prophecy. Calvary in history.

Calvary personally. Let me ask you again now. Personally, what does Calvary mean to you? As you're sitting in this gospel meeting.

The last thing I'll mention tonight is Calvary and eternity. It's going to be quite something. Oh, it's going to be quite something.

You know, when we get to heaven, there's going to be a song that will rise forever. When we get there and that song is rising, the one that will receive the praise of heaven's glory will be Christ himself who died at Calvary. I was preaching with Mr. John Procopio.

We were preaching together in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. It was the fall of the year. And he said to me, what's your plans for the beginning of next year? Oh, I said to him, I'm going to Labrador to have some gospel meetings.

Oh, he said. Of course, he lived in Labrador for a number of years. He said, you know, he wasn't originally intending to go with me.

It was Mr. Hull. Mr. Hull took sick and he couldn't make it. And of course, the preacher that they decided should come was John Procopio.

Well, there we are in Cornerbrook. And he starts to tell me before each gospel meeting, when we were gathering, you see, when you get to Labrador, give out numbers such and such. So I just was taking a note of these.

And the next night he would say, when you get to Labrador, he said, number such and such. And eventually, I think he said one night, it was this book, he said, when you get to Labrador, give out number 213. We speak of the land of the blessed.

That country so bright and so fair. And after its glories confessed, what must it be to be there? Listen, folks, the singing was wonderful here tonight. I don't want to diminish it in any way.

It was wonderful singing. We got there for the first night of those gospel meetings. And I thought, I'll put them to the test.

I'll put these people to the test. And so I got up and I gave out the first hymn. And they were just about punching the roof off that place.

And then I thought, 213 it is. And I stepped forward, and I primed the pump a little bit now. I have to admit, it was a little bit disingenuous.

I primed the pump a little bit, and I said, he tells me that this is the hymn that you can sing, and there's nothing like it. And I gave out 213. What will it be to be there? They almost took the roof off that place.

It started to rise, the first verse and the chorus. What will it be to be there? They started with the second verse and the third verse. And by the time actually they were singing the third verse, Mr. Procopio sidled over to me, and he said, how are we ever going to preach tonight? How are we ever going to preach after that? Listen folks, you don't want to miss what's coming in eternity.

It would only be someone who hasn't analyzed these things wisely that would lose out on Calvary in eternity when that multitude is gathered. And they'll come from this world, from all over this world. They will come from the east.

They will come from the west. They will come from the north. They will come from the south.

And they'll sit down in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. Don't miss it, I pray. Don't miss it, I plead, as I'm standing before you tonight.

Just as I conclude in prayer, let me leave these words with you. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him. Let's pray.

Our Father, we would bow just now before Thee in the precious name of our Lord Jesus. We thank Thee again, Father, for all of Thy mercies. Here we are, and we think of dear people, and they're in the very place of choice tonight.

We remember Thy word would speak and it would say, multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision. We realize that some will make a choice tonight. We pray it will be a choice for the Lord Jesus.

We pray it will be a choice. My old companions, fare ye well. I will not go with you to hell.

We pray the choice will be Christ for me, and an appreciation of Calvary, and the death of Christ. Take our thanks, Father. Bless us, bless the sing later.

Remember the conference tomorrow. We speak to Thee about these needs, and we leave ourselves into Thy hand with abundant thanksgivings. In the Savior's lovely name, amen.