From the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster we present Let the Bible Speak. It's good to have you join us today as we spend time around the Word of God, preaching Christ in all His fullness to men and women in all their need. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, Ein gute Wehr und Waffen. Er hielt uns frei aus aller Not, Die uns jetzt hat betrogen. Mit der Schwerstkeit, Großmacht und Widerlichs, Sein großer Brustum ist, Auf Erd' ist nicht seins gleich. Fortress is our God, our bulwark never failing, our helper be amid the flood. ♪ A portal is remaining ♪ ♪ For still our ancient home ♪ ♪ Does seem to work us home ♪ ♪ Is crafted for our great ♪ ♪ And armed with brutal gaze ♪ ♪ On earth is not his equal ♪ Did we in our own strength confide Our striving would be looted? Were not the right man on our side? The man of God's own choosing. Trust us, who that may be, Christ Jesus in His being, Lord, salve of His name. From age to age the same, And he must win the battle. All thanks to them abiding, The Spirit and the gifts are ours, Through Him who made the sighting. Let roots and kindred flow, This mortal life also, Welcome to the Let the Bible Speak broadcast. It's good to be with you today, and we want to read some verses from God's word in Mark's gospel and the chapter number 12, commencing at verse 28. And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandment is, hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, well, master, thou hast said the truth, for there is one God, and there is none other but he. and to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding, with all the soul and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he had answered discreetly, he said unto him, thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. and God will add his blessing to the reading of his precious word. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Eternal God and gracious, loving Heavenly Father, we thank thee for thy precious word and I pray that by thy Holy Spirit that thou will give me power to simply present the message of the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for giving thy darling son and sending him to the cross of Calvary and there to shed his precious blood to take away all our sin. And so, Lord, we just commend and commit this message to thee. We pray that thou wilt anoint us with fresh oil from above and cover me in the precious blood. In Jesus' precious name, amen. My text is taken from the 34th verse of Mark chapter 12, where the Lord Jesus said to the young man, thou art not far from the kingdom of God. Now as the Lord Jesus Christ was nearing to the cross, he faced the hostility and the opposition from religious groups within the Jewish society. In the 11th chapter of Mark's Gospel, we find that the Lord Jesus Christ comes into Jerusalem in triumph, and they might have cut down the branches, and they strew them in the way, and they cast their garments before him. The next day, the Lord Jesus comes from Bethany into the temple. And when he comes into the temple, what he sees really grieves the Lord. And the Bible tells us in verse 15 of chapter 11, he cast out them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the table to the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves. And then he declared, is it not written, my house shall be called of all nations a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. The chief priests and the scribes, whenever they heard what the Lord Jesus Christ had done, rather than repenting of their sin, they sought how that they might destroy him. But the Lord Jesus leaves the temple. The next day, the Lord Jesus returns to the temple, and in verse 27, and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, and they say unto him, by what authority doest thou these things? And who giveth thee this authority? These religious leaders were seeking to challenge the authority of the son of the living God. And in that open space to undermine him before others, but rather than entering into the debate with them, the Lord Jesus turned the tables on them. And he said, I want to ask you a question. He said, the baptism of John, was it from heaven or men? those religious leaders that were so bold to to oppose the Lord Jesus Christ and try to embarrass him. Now, there's silence because it says, if we say it's from heaven, then he will say, why then did you not believe him? And if we say it's from men, they feared the people for all men counted John that he was a prophet. In other words, they were more afraid of men than they were of the Lord Jesus, and so therefore he said, neither will I tell thee by what authority I do these things. And then he goes on and tells a parable. And as he told that parable, they realized, in actual fact, that the Lord Jesus was speaking this parable against them. And they were convicted by what he said. But again, they did not repent. Because the Bible tells us in that 12th chapter that they knew that he had spoken the parable against them. They left him. and they went their way. In other words, they turned their back on the Lord Jesus Christ, and they took their own way. What an awful thing to do, to turn your back on the Lord Jesus Christ, even though that God had spoken through Christ those words of authority and challenged them. They would not repent, but they wanted rather to go their way. Is that you, my friend? The Bible says, there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but they end thereof. the way of God is the way of death. Well, they go away from the Lord Jesus Christ but they send others to the savior and the Bible says that they send a people. They they send certain of the Pharisees and the Herodians with a purpose to catch Jesus in his words. Now, those Pharisees were deeply religious but it was an outward than the year. The Lord Jesus said, we'll want to use scribes and they had an external show, but they had not an internal relationship with God. They were the Herodians. They were the political grouping who supported Herod. Now, naturally and normally, these would be bitter enemies of each other, but rather than be opposing each other, they have come together to oppose the Savior. Jesus. They wanted to catch him in his words and so they they asked him if it was lawful to to pay tribute and give tribute to Caesar. The Lord Jesus Christ knowing their hypocrisy chapter twelve verse fifteen. He said unto them, why tempt ye me? Bring me a penny that I may see it. And then he said, whose inscription is this? and unto God the things that are God. And once again, another group is silent. Having failed in their plot, they left as well. And then in verse 18 it says, the Sadducees came, and this time they wanted to talk to him about the words of Moses and about the resurrection. Now that sounds very spiritual, but it is not so. The Sadducees, they were religious rivals of the Pharisees. They had no earnest desire or genuine desire to know the truth of God. In actual fact, they didn't believe in the immortality of the soul. They didn't believe in the resurrection, but they wanted to hear what Jesus had to say and mock him. They rather focused on this life rather than eternity. The Lord Jesus didn't play around with them. but he says in verse twenty-four, do he not err because you know not the scriptures neither the power of God and then he said in verse twenty-seven, ye therefore do greatly err and you see when a person knows not the scriptures or departs from the scriptures, then they do greatly err and that's includes a person standing in the You know, they had to leave. But as they left, there was a young man standing there all that time and listening to what was going on. He's called a scribe. Matthew calls him a lawyer. He was one who was learned in the law. And he heard the answers of the Savior. And as he listened, he was impressed by what Jesus had said. But he had a question in his own heart. And he said to the Lord Jesus, which is the greatest commandment? of all. And Jesus replied, hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And then thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. God first. And then your relationship with man will be right. Knows that young man He said this, Master, thou hast said the truth. And then he went further, he acknowledged to love the Lord was more important than all the religious traditions or ceremonies of men. And the Lord Jesus looking into his eyes said, thou art not far from the kingdom. And I want to think of those words that the Lord Jesus said, thou art not far. Notice, first of all, the distance. Not far from the kingdom. You know, here was a young man who had come to Christ with the question of his heart. and he had the privilege of of hearing the words of the Lord Jesus looking into the face of Christ and the Savior spoke to him personally. You see, the Lord Jesus knew that this young man was earnest in his desire. He was genuine in his question. He wanted to know the answer. There was no disrespect here. And as he listened to the Lord into the kingdom. Yes, he was acquainted with the word as that young lawyer, one who studied the scriptures. He actually heard from the very lips of Christ himself. His heart was open to the truth. He had a desire to know the truth. Is that you? Are you earnest in your desire to know God's way of salvation? How that a man can be right with God? How that a man who is a sinner can be right in the presence of a righteous and a holy God and a peace in his heart? Thank God for his concern. But friend, that's not enough. your concern for the salvation of your soul of itself will not take you to heaven but will take you to hell. You know, concern, conviction is important. Oh, today that we had holy ghost conviction in our meetings where men and women trembled in their sin and realized that they were lost and on their way to a lost eternity. Do you know it is possible to have a to attend church and go through all the rituals of religion and still know not the Lord. Do you remember Saul of Tarsus? As he rode down that road to Damascus full of religion, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, and yet the Bible says that when the Lord stopped him, when he fell on the ground, Jesus said, Saul, Saul, called him by name. Saul said, who art thou, Lord? You see, he had religion, but he did not know the Lord. it's so important to know the savior. It is possible to have a keen knowledge of the scriptures and be lost. Remember the young man in the scriptures who came to the feet of Jesus and fell down there and the Lord Jesus is what set the scriptures and he was able to serve the commandments and he was able to repeat them. but he wasn't saved and he went the distance not far from the kingdom. But then secondly, notice the danger. Not far, but not in. You see, so close. yet missed it. So near. So near the kingdom and yet so far. You remember Felix whenever Paul give his testimony to to Felix and then he preached unto him Christ and and about righteousness and temperance and judgment to come and the Bible says Felix trembled. He shook in his very shoes. But he only trembled. He did not get converted. And still walk away without the Lord Jesus Christ and die in your sin that where Christ is, you will never be. What an awful tragedy. It is possibly like Agrippa. Whenever Paul preached to him and Paul was not asking for his deliverance, he was speaking about the deliverance of the soul of Agrippa. salvation of a soul. And he said this, believe us now Agrippa. Believe us now the prophecy. I know that thou believest. Yes, he had a head knowledge. But he did not believe from the heart. And then Agrippa said these words. Almost thou persuades me. To be a almost persuaded Christ to believe, almost persuaded Christ to receive. Remember you're saying, if you only knew how close I am, preacher. Oh friend, God knows your heart. God knows exactly you're standing before him. And God is calling you to repentance, to repent of your sin, to come to the Lord Jesus, to receive the forgiveness of your sin and the pardon of sin through the precious blood that Jesus shed upon the cross of Calvary. And he says, come to me that you might have life. But you have not come. And if you do not, you will die in your sin where Christ is. you will never be. What an awful tragedy to know like this young man the truth to be so near and yet be so far. Yes, the distance the danger. Finally, the decision. as you search the scriptures, you will As I've read that passage of God's word, I've asked myself this question. I wonder, did he finally get in? I wonder, did he come to the Lord? But only eternity will reveal that answer. Do you remember Judas Iscariot? sat in the presence of Christ. He saw the miracles of Christ. He witnessed all the miracles of Christ did, the healing of the sick and the raising of the dead. And yet, Judas Iscariot, with all those privileges, one night he came to the Savior and he kissed the very cheeks of Christ. Remember, Christ is the doer. by me if any man enter in, he shall deceive. In other words, he kissed the very door to heaven, and yet he went to hell. It is so possible, my friend, but what is your decision? We do not know the decision of this young man, but what about you? God today is drawing near to your heart. God is challenging you concerning your need of salvation. It's so easy to point the finger at someone else. It's so easy to talk about the hypocrisy of someone else. My dear friend, how do you stand before God? What is your relationship with God? Do you know Jesus Christ as your own and as your personal savior? Or do you have a head knowledge? without a heart experience. and be like those who turned and walked away from Christ. and took their own way. The Lord Jesus says to you today, come on to me all you that heavy laden by the burden of sin. Going down that road that leads to hell and to destruction. And yet the loving hands of the Savior are stretched and their nail printed. And he says, come unto me. You see, the church can't save you. The preacher can't save you. Baptism can't save you. No religion can't save you. My dear friend, only Jesus Christ you. You can save your soul and Jesus invites you. Come. Come on to me. He invites you today. Will you come? You see, if I do, will the savior forgive me? Will the savior pardon me my sin? Will I be cleansed in his precious blood? And every Yes, my friend. This is what he said. John six thirty-seven. All that the father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me. I will in no wise. Cast out. Oh, the devil said, he wouldn't have the likes of you. You're too old. Maybe he's saying to you, you're too young. Leave it to some other day, some other time. The word of God says, behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. This is God's time for you, my friend. And if you come, he said, cast out. Oh, I won't turn you away. But thank God the Lord Jesus will come into your heart and cleanse you from your sin and give you pardon and peace with God. Through the precious blood that he shed on Calvary. What's your decision? Will you come today? Come and I beg you in God's name, listen to the appeal of Christ, but God forbid it would be said of you, young man, young woman, older person, thou art not far, not far from the kingdom, but not in. The hymn writer said, Oh, be saved. His grace is free. Oh, be saved. He died. For thee. I challenge you now. Will you come? Will you come and receive? To know your sins and for hope. Don't wait another second. Come now. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank thee for thy precious and thy holy word. We thank thee, our God, for the passage we have read together. There were those that mocked the Savior, there were those that tried to trap the Savior, but here's a young and yet we don't know if he ever got in so near and yet so far. Oh God, I pray that there's someone listening to me today and they're not saved. Give them the grace to come now. Oh God, by thy that they're ready for heaven and home. I pray in Jesus' precious name and for Jesus' sake. Amen. Thank you for spending some time with us today around the Word of God. For further information visit our website at ltbs.tv. We look forward to joining with you next time as we seek to let the Bible speak once again.