Luke chapter 16 presents a real heaven and a real hell where real people go. Both heaven and hell are prominent biblical themes. The dwelling place of God demands an absolute holiness and purity which only Christ can provide. There is therefore only one way; the way of the cross, the way of repentance, the way of forgiveness and salvation. To miss Christ is to miss the only way to the eternal presence of God; with eternal separation the only other alternative.
Kenneth Gilmour
Humanity has a habit of ignoring and neglecting the critically important, wither it be the rise of second World War dictators, the leak from a Ukrainian nuclear reactor or the current moral and spiritual confusion in the western world, we have a habit of burying our head in the sand and hoping the problems will disappear. God's men and God's message has over the years suffered a similar fate. Noah preached for 100 years, pointing men and women to repentance and presenting the righteousness and holiness of God. Only 8 responded. Jeremiah's ministry to Israel was likewise met with indifference, the prophet laments to his audience; "is it nothing to you all you who pass by?". The word of God had gone missing, lost in amongst the archives of the temple, in the days of Josiah, and the attitude of the world towards Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, went way beyond simple neglect!
The writer to the Hebrews perceives a danger not primarily from open hostility to Jesus Christ but from letting the gospel simply wash over them. Lip service was no substitute for heart devotion to Jesus! They stood to miss out on a "great salvation" (Hebrews 2:3), a salvation that was great in it's:
It is one thing to acknowledge the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is quite another to be transformed by that truth.
A video and audio recording from our gospel preaching series, on great gospel verses, preached at the Bridgend Gospel Hall, New Cumnock, Scotland.
Yours by Grace in Christ
Dr J Stewart Gillespie
Revolutionary words from the lips of God's unique Saviour echo through Matthew chapter 11. Many had missed who Jesus truly was. The power and significance of His miracles had gone straight over their heads! Jesus could produce bread that was good enough for them and their bellies. Jesus could heal the deaf, the lame and the blind, that was even better than going to the doctor. The revelation of who He was through the demonstration of what He is able to do completely alluded many. Against the backdrop of such apparent bitter disappointment with towns like Capernaum and Bethsaida the Lord Jesus bursts into thanksgiving and praise! So long as God is in control, so long as His Father remains Lord of heaven and earth, there is meaning in the madness, purpose behind the problems! It may well have been the case that a stubborn core of self professed experts proudly aspired to tell God how they would get to heaven and what the right 'religious' was truly was, but the message of Jesus was only for the babes (Matthew chapter 11 verse 25), for those humble enough to ask God what His way was and then to take it on board and obey it!
Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 has at its core a person: "come to me". This is the core not only of verse 28 but of the bible in it's entirety. Jesus is the subject of prophecy, pictures and the many repeated patterns in the bible. David in the Psalms, Isaiah and Zechariah in their prophecies all anticipated the advent of God born into time, prepared to suffer for the sinner (Isaiah 53 & Psalm 22) and victorious in resurrection (Psalm 16). Jesus calls us to rest, to complete spiritual rest that penetrates deep into our soul. He alone is able to lift the burdens of fear, death, judgment and hell. He is the sin bearer, the only one powerful enough to forgive sin and transform lives. The call of Jesus Christ is a call to saving faith in a person.
From a gospel message preached from Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 by Dr J Stewart Gillespie, preached at the Bridgend Gospel Hall, New Cumnock.
"I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me"
A gospel message preached from Revelation chapter 5 and 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 17 "what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" examining common misconceptions on what heaven is like and how we get to heaven. Download the audio file free or watch the video online of this gospel service at the Bridgend Gospel Hall, New Cumnock. Yours by Grace in Christ.
