Good morning, we're just down here. Good afternoon. Sharing some truth from the word of God. Just opening the Bible up and speaking about Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ loved us so much, he designed us. The Bible says that without him was not anything made that was made. Jesus Christ is the creator, he's the designer. He's not a God, he is very God. As much as God the Father, and he is God the Son. God in flesh, he became flesh for us. He is Emmanuel, God with us. You may wonder why Jesus Christ came to this earth. Jesus Christ came to this earth to die on the cross for our sins. The Bible says in Romans 3.3, it says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It says in Romans 6.3, for the wages of sin is death. The punishment for our sin is eternity in a lake of fire. Eternity away from God. That's why Jesus Christ came. Jesus Christ came to pay that price for our sins so that God, judicially, could give us forgiveness. The Bible says without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. It's only through the blood, only through the cross, only through Christ, that man can be saved. A lot of people today walking past this point never think about God. The only time they think about God is to take the name of God in vain. The Bible says, I shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for he will not hold me guiltless that taketh his name in vain. You might wonder who that God is that then takes his name in vain. That God is, again, Jesus Christ. You know, when someone takes God's name in vain, they use the name Jesus, they use the name Christ, and they use the name Lord. That's because, again, Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ on this earth, he forgave sin. Jesus Christ on this earth was worshipped. The Bible says, thou shalt have no other gods besides me. Thou shalt not bow down and worship them. But they worshipped Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is God. Again, that precious son of God came so that we could have life. Very sadly today, the vast majority of people passing this place are hastening on their way to hell. They are living their life after sin. Yes, that's right. After sin and things that dishonor God, displease God, disobey God. And someday they're going to act surprised when they stand before a holy God and cannot give an account for their life because their lifestyle has been one of rebellion against God. Very sadly, it is that that is the case. Jesus Christ came, he died on the cross for us so that nobody has to die and spend eternity in the lake of fire. But again, the vast majority of people are on that way. The Bible says, wide is the path that leads to destruction. Many there be that go in there at. Narrow is the way. that leads to life everlasting, few there be that find it. There are very few people today that will pick up a Bible and begin to read it, begin to understand about God. Very few people today that will leave the pub and go to the church. Very few people today that will give any religious instruction whatsoever to their children and to speak to them about God. And we live in a very sad day of rebellion against God. But praise God, there's a God that loves us. There's a God that sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Those that can't see God can't see anything. When you look up and you look at the creation that God has given, you see the blue sky that's up there. The Bible says the heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament shows His handiwork. Day after day utter His speech. Night after night show His knowledge. This creation is shouting that there is a God and testifying that there is a creator, designer, somebody that made us and gave us life. The fact that we have intelligence, the fact that we have personality, the fact that we have individuality, the fact that there's nobody like us anywhere in the world shows us that there is a God that designed us. There is a God that made us. There is a God that loves us. So praise God. There is a God that cares about us. He cares about us. Yes, He does. While we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus Christ loves us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for us. In John 3, chapter 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. The amazing thing to me is that God cares for you. The amazing thing for me is that God cares for me. It's amazing, isn't it? That while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us. It's amazing. It's amazing what God can do. No, it's not. It's all about life. It's all about the reality. There's a God that designed us. Praise God for that God that loves us and sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin. I'm not like a record. I'm testifying that there is a God. There is a Christ. There is a God. You look up at the science. Science testifies that there's a God. I testify that there is a sign. Praise God for the grace that he gives. Praise God for his love, right? Praise God for his mercy. While we are yet sinners, Christ, I first pray that if you don't know that God, that God loves you. He died for you on the cross. You know, I praise God that there is no waste of time. You know, they are listening, and they're looking at you, arguing with me about the fact that there, in your case, is no God, and I'm happy to say that there is a God. Well, get yourself a mic, get yourself a speaker, and you can testify to the fact that there is no God. I'll testify to the fact that there is a God, right? There is a God that designed us. There is a God that gave us His gift of everlasting life. You know, I praise God for that. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation. To everyone that believes it, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Again, God sent his son, Jesus, so that we could have life. You know, friend, have you ever taken time to consider the truth about God? Have you ever looked around and thought, there's got to be a God? There's no way that this just happened. There's no way that this planet just happened. There's no way that we have the perfect environment for life. There's no way that we've got trees that give us oxygen, grass that gives us oxygen. The fact that the solar system is so intricate that we can look at it and say, we know when an eclipse is going to take place because it's so designed, so specific. Even an atheist doctor will look at a patient and say, look, you weren't designed to do that. What are they saying? You're designed. There is a design that God has made. The fact that we walk on our feet. We have two feet. Interesting, if evolution was true, why don't we have three? Why don't we have four? Why don't we have five? Where's the population that has three eyes? Where's the population that has two noses? The fact is, we're all the same, all around the world, all around the planet, because there's a creator-designer that made us. And the fact that there's a creator, designer, tells us that there's a God. And because there's a God, there's a law. He is the lawgiver. He's the one that says what's right and wrong. Man does not get to define what's right and wrong. The Bible says, Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished. There could be all sorts of people that grab hold of each other's hand, like the politicians, that are here in Scotland, or the politicians that are down in Westminster, and they can say, we don't believe in God, and so we're going to redefine sex, we're going to redefine marriage, we're going to redefine life, but it doesn't matter what educators or so-called scientists redefine, what matters is what God says, and what God says is He created male and female, He created marriage, He designed life, that life is valuable, and that we're to protect the things that are valuable. God's given us a book that tells us more specifically everything there is to know about Him. In the book of John, it says at the end of that book, for these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name. God's desire through His design was to give us life, life that could be used to walk with God. God desires us to have fellowship with Him. God desires us to know Him in a personal way. We can know about God, that God is great, God is good, God is loving, just from His creation and all the wonderful things that He's put into His creation. But we cannot know God specifically without getting into the Bible and understanding the Word of God. And this book testifies to us that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. We wouldn't know that. We weren't there, but God was. And God told us in his book so that we'd understand that there's a designer, that there's a purpose to life. We've got young people today that are committing suicide because they're being told that they come from monkeys. Nobody would go down to the zoo with me and look at the apes that are there. and have a serious look on their face. As I said, there's your ancestors. There's the people that you're related to. Nobody would look at that and take any bit of seriousness about that, but they're teaching that in our schools because they're rejecting the fact of a designer-creator God. And yet the Bible says, in the beginning, God created. And because He created, He's also the lawgiver. And as the lawgiver, He gets to say what is right, what is wrong. And in breaking God's law, that is sin. Anytime we transgress God's law, we have violated God's law, we have sinned against God, The problem with that is Romans 6.23 says this. The wages, what we earn because of our sin is bad. What we get because of our sin is bad. His eternity, not just physical death, but eternal death in a lake of fire. The Bible says in Revelation that whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. God doesn't desire to do that. That was not God's plan. That was man's rebellion against God that brought sin and death and heartache through our sin. But God made a way through the cross, through Jesus Christ, that He could purchase us back. He could pay for our sin judicially through the blood of His Son. Again, the Bible says, while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. Scarcely for a righteous man would one die, but God committed His love toward us, in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. You know, praise God, today God is seeking to save that which is lost. You know, right now, we're trying to find that Titanic sub that went missing, that's coming down to be the Titanic, and everybody's interested in that, and they're hoping that that person can be found. I'll tell you this, Jesus Christ is interested today in those that are lost. He's interested in those today that are without help, that need somebody to rescue them. He is the Savior. He is the one that can set somebody free from their sin. Again, there's a lot of people today, they wouldn't maybe say this to other people, but they're contemplating suicide. Or they look at their life and they think there's no point, there's no hope or anything like that. Now, praise God, there is hope today. That hope is Jesus. Jesus Christ is the way. Jesus Christ is the truth. Jesus Christ is the life. He desires today to give hope to the hopeless. He desires to give help to those that are in need. He is reaching out in love to people. But there has to be something on our part that looks at that and says, right, I'm going to seek God. Where's the parents today that will pick up a Bible and begin to read it and begin to think about God? Where's the husband that will get in the Word of God and say, you know what, my family needs God? The wife that will get in the Word of God and say, you know, my husband and my family need God, that would care about their kids and desire to teach to them the truth about God, that there's a creative designer. Again, praise God that God is a merciful God, God is a gracious God, God is a good God, God is a loving God. God desires us to have His gift of everlasting life. Romans 5, 8 says, but God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Oh, the precious truth of God is this today, that God loves us, that God cares for us, that God desires to give us His gifts of everlasting life, that He wants to help men that are without guidance and He desires to give them guidance in their life. There are so many people, their life is about drink, it's about drugs, it's about immorality, it's about everything but God. And yet God in His love is reaching out and saying, you know what? You haven't even found it yet what life's all about. Life is about having a forgiven heart. You know, God says it this way. He says, come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. God is the one that can remove the sin stain, that guilt that's in your heart that nobody knows about. You lay awake at night and think, why is my life like this? It's messed up. Maybe divorce or immorality or drunkenness or debt from gambling and things like that. You look at your life and your life is broken. God is the one that can set free from a life like that. God is the one that can give life. Listen, your mates are going to pat you on the back if you drink, you're drunk. Have immorality they're gonna say hey, that's great. But where are the people that'll get behind somebody and say hey get married Hey, have a life that honors God. Hey, have a life that pleases God Wait till marriage to have sex and encourage young people to be pure where those that will stand up for good values are and say, hey, that's right, let's do something that actually honors God, something that is honorable, and stop lifting up flags to promote sexual impurity or immorality or rejoice when we hear about the death of a baby in the womb. Where's the generation that will rise up and say, hey, I care about babies in the womb, and I care about somebody that would take the time to counsel a young lady and say, hey, spare the life of that child, and that's good and commendable to save the life of that baby. No abortion is health care is what they say down in Parliament today If you go down there, you'd see that sign, but abortion is not health care for a baby Abortion is not health care for that child. That's in that room. That child has a precious life that child Could come out of that room and could thrive it could live a great life. Where's the generation that will care about that baby? Where's that generation that will care about marriage and purity and will stand up for God and say, I believe God and I obey God and unashamedly identify with the Lord Jesus Christ? You know, it's the wrong idea today to think that Christianity ought to be popular. Christianity, if Christianity was popular, then Christ would have been popular in his day. Christ was infamous in his day. Christ was crucified. Christ was hated. Christ was despised. And Jesus said this to his followers, marvel not if the world hate you, it hated me. It ought to be no surprise today that people despise the Bible. Why? Because this Bible speaks about their sin. This Bible speaks about drunkenness. It speaks about sexual impurity. It speaks about living a life that's a lie. It speaks about living a life that is away from God. Defying God and hating God and despising God. This Bible shines a light on a life like that. It shows it for what it is, a wicked life. It shows it for what it is, a depraved life. It shows it for what it is, a vile life, an ungodly life. Where's the generation that will fear God again? Where's the generation that rather than fearing men and what others may say, being politically correct and being patted on the back for saying things that are impure and ungodly, where's the generation that will stand up with God and say, I'm not ashamed to identify with the God that gave me life. I'm not ashamed to identify with the God that gave me His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for my sin. Christian, if you're saved, I would ask you this, where are those that would stand up and unashamedly take a stand for God, that would be bold in an ungodly day, unashamed of the Word of God, unashamed of the truth of God, that would identify with Jesus Christ? Praise God, that's our privilege as believers. It's a privilege to stand with the Son of God that gave man physical life. It's a privilege to stand with the Son of God that died on the cross for man's sins so that man could be forgiven and have God's gift of everlasting life. Friend, if you died today, where would you go? An atheist, it doesn't matter if you don't believe in God. What matters is what's true. It doesn't matter if you stand at the crags today and you don't believe in gravity. If you jump off, what's true is what's going to happen. And what's true about eternity is that there is a God. What's true about eternity is you will stand and give an account to a holy God. And so what? We must be prepared. Are you prepared to stand before God? Are you prepared to enter into eternity? There's a God in heaven that does not want you unprepared for that day. You might say, Ben, I'm too busy. Well, there's a lot of things that we're busy about. We're busy about sport. We're busy about family. We're busy about work. We're busy about drinking and drugs and other things like that. But where are those that would say, right, my life is too busy. I've got to make time for God. Where are those that would say, by the grace of God, I'm going to pick up a Bible. I'm going to begin to pray to the God that I don't believe in. I'm going to begin to ask that God, God, if you're real, help me to understand you. Help me to know about you. Help me to find you. Where's the generation that will wake up in their heart and say, I'm a dad, I'm a mom, I'm a grandparent, and it's time for me to fear God. It's time for me to think about God. It's time for me to pick up a Bible, begin to read that book, that precious book, that eternal book that God has given, and begin to believe in God. You know, faith is the need of our day. You might look around and a lot of people say, well, the need is climate change, or a lot of people say the need is sexual impurity, or the need is some other cause, and they live their life for that cause, but where's the generation Those that would live their life for that which is most important. Those that would live their life for a holy God. Those that would pick up the Bible, begin to read it and say, you know what, I just believe in the old rugged cross. I believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, that died on the cross for my sin. I believe in the Savior that can sanctify and set man free from their sin. Again, the Bible says this, come now, let us reason together, sayeth the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. There's a God in heaven today that cares. There's a God in heaven that's looking down at Edinburgh, sees your heart, knows where you're at. There's a God in heaven that desires to save you. There's a God in heaven that desires to give you His gift of everlasting life. It's not worth going to hell to be sexually impure. It's not worth going to hell to do drugs. It's not worth going to hell to be drunk. It's not worth going to hell to please ungodly friends that are wicked that pat you on the back and say, hey, your sin is great. It's not worth it. It's not worth spending eternity away from a loving God because of your sin. Friend, think about it. You're living your life with things that are nothing. Things that are empty. Things that are vile. Things that are worthless and wasted. That you cannot take into eternity. The only thing that will lead you into eternity with men is their soul. What shall man give in exchange for his soul? You know, what is it today that you can offer to God and say, God, I'll give you this for my soul. Our soul is precious. Our soul is eternal. Our soul is for what Christ died. While we're yet sinners, again, Christ died for us. You might wonder today, Ben, does God love me? The answer is absolutely. God loves us. But God does not love our sin. God does not love sexual impurity. God does not love drunkenness. God does not love addictions. God does not love the lies and the deceit and the ungodliness and the atheism. God does not love those things. But I'll tell you this, God loves sinners. So much so that His Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for their sin. Again, the Bible says, "...for scarcely for a righteous man will one die." But God commended this love toward us in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus Christ came, He suffered, He bled on the cross for us. Listen, if you saw it today, you'd vomit. If you stood at the cross, you'd vomit. You could not stomach what you'd see taking place as the Son of God is crucified for you. But understand this, what you could not look upon because it's so gruesome is what Jesus Christ went through because of our sin. You might think, well Ben, my sin is no big deal. Our sin is such a big deal that the precious Son of God had to die on the cross for our sin. The precious Son of God had to bleed and sacrifice His life for us. And sadly today again, so many people are just bent on turning their back on God, ignoring God, rejecting God. But I praise God in His mercy that God is beginning to knock on the doors of men's hearts and beginning to speak to them about Himself. The Bible says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and sup with him, and he with me. Jesus Christ is knocking at hearts doors today. But the sad thing is, again, people are so hard against God, so desirous of being ignorant about God. They close their ears, they shut their eyes to everything that creation says about God. The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament showeth His handiwork. Day into day utter His speech. Night into night showeth knowledge. It testifies that there is a God. This book testifies that there is a God. No other book has been like this book. This book is outsold every book every year. It's been translated into more languages than any other book. It's outsold every book. It's lasting, even though men have despised it, men have tried to destroy it, but it's never been possible to do that. This book has prophecy in it, like Psalm 22. Psalm 22, a thousand years before the cross. It testifies and it says that it pierced his hands and his feet. A thousand years before it took its place, the Bible speaks about how Jesus Christ would die. Hundreds of years before Christ was born, the Bible says, "...without Bethlehem ever to come. Though thou be little amongst the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth." Speaking about the Messiah, the Son of God, before Jesus was ever born in Bethlehem, the Bible said that that was the place of His birth. Why does it have things like that in it? To tell us that it's a book like no other book. 66 books, 44 human authors, it's been written over 1,500 years and it all agrees. We try that today. Try to start a book today, say, I'm going to get a bunch of guys involved in this and it's going to all be coherent. It's all going to make sense. It's all going to be one message and yet that is what this book is. This book is slandered. People say myths, legends, Chinese whispers, stories, but they never can disprove this book because this book is archaeologically accurate. This book is scientifically accurate. This book is historically accurate. It is prophetically accurate. It speaks about times that are in the past before they ever took place. It speaks about future times before they ever take place. If you don't believe that, read the book of Revelation. Pick up that book and begin to read it. What you're going to read about is a generation much like ours. You're going to read about a one-world government. You're going to read about one-world economy. You're going to read about a way to buy and sell without cash, a cashless society. You know, all these things are taking place in our day, and anybody ought to take the book of Revelation, open it up, look at it, and say, you know what? I'm beginning to understand that there must be a God, because that book of Revelation is speaking about the times in which we live. Brenda, have you ever picked up that book of all books? Have you ever been able to read it? Have you given God a chance? Listen, I'd hate to preach your funeral as a preacher if you don't believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. There is no hope for those that die without Christ. Only those that have Christ have hope after death. Only those that have Christ are prepared to die and stand before God. What will get you to heaven is not your religion. It's not your good works. It's not your christening. It's not anything that we can do. It's only the blood of Jesus Christ applied to our hearts. Friend, have you ever been saved? Have you ever put your faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ? Has there ever been a time where you humbled your heart, looked at the cross, and understood that Jesus Christ on that cross dies on the cross for your sin? That's what Jesus Christ did. A lot of people are like those people that stood at the cross. They stood there and they mocked Jesus Christ. They laughed at him. They said, if thou be the Son of God, save thyself. If He had saved Himself, He couldn't save us. If He hadn't gone to the cross of obedience to God the Father, He could not have paid the price for our sin. But the fact is, Jesus Christ on that cross died on the cross for our sin. He died so that we could be forgiven. He died so that we could have God's gift of everlasting life. He died so that you could lay your head on your pillow tonight and know for sure that if you died, you'd spend eternity with God in heaven. Friends, you know that. If you don't, you're not prepared to die. If you don't, you're not prepared to enter into eternity. It's only those that have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior that are prepared. Why is it today that so many people don't want God? Why is it that even in Jesus Christ's day, they rejected Him and they despised Him? The fact is, Jesus Christ is the light. And as the light came into a sin-darkened world, where He came and exposed sin for what it was, people didn't like that. Even in our day, People despise the truth of the Word of God. People despise the idea that there's a God that has a law that is unbreakable and unchangeable. People despise that because they don't want a God to tell them what's right and what's wrong. They don't desire a holy God that would inspect their life and show them about lies and deceit and sexual purity or impurity or the truth about drink and drugs and things like that. People love their sin. The fact is, most people embrace their sin instead of embracing God. They don't desire God. They want the things that they want, but very sadly, why would somebody follow their sin to their death and eternity in a lake of fire? Why would somebody choose that rather than choosing a loving God that's reaching out to them through the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, and offering them forgiveness? Very sadly today, that's the way it is. So many people just want to close their ears to God. They don't desire to sit under the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. They don't desire to open up a Bible, begin to look at it, and say, what does God say about marriage? What does God say about family? What does God say about life in the womb? What does God say about truth? What does God say about holy living? Very few people today are interested in that. And if you think about what they're embracing, they're embracing sin. The problem with sin is sin destroys. It wastes your money. It wastes your livelihood. It destroys families. You can walk down into Princess Street Gardens. You can look at men whose lives have been destroyed by sin. But there's a God in heaven that can set people free from sin. There's a God in heaven that can deliver from addiction. There's a God in heaven that can bring somebody to the point of life. We're understanding what life's all about. Walking with God and knowing God and having a forgiven heart, a clean heart, and a pure heart. God's gift of everlasting life. You know, friend, life is important. Life is important. It's valuable. It's valuable because when somebody dies, there's eternity. There's either eternity with God or there's eternity in a lake of fire. Your friend, where will you go when you die? It's important that the man wants to die, but after that, the judgment. Nobody gets to go back and say, right, I'm standing before God. God, I'd really like to go back and have a second chance. Maybe kind of like a do-over in life. The fact is, everybody that someday, you can spit on my speaker, that's fine. You know what? They spat on the Lord Jesus Christ. If you want to see a picture of the cross, look at the cross. Him standing at the feet and face of the Lord Jesus and mocking Him and cursing Him and despising Him. And yet, when He died on the cross, He died for those that spat on Him. He died for those that mocked Him. He died for those that were against Him and hated Him and were crucifying Him. And again, while we're yet sinners, praise God, Christ died for us. Friend, do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Do you know the mercy of God? Do you know the forgiveness of God? Do you know the love of God? Do you know the fact that Jesus Christ died for you? Do you know that Jesus Christ, his wounds were for you, the blood that he shed was for you? Do you understand that this book was given to bring you to faith so that you could have something that is valuable, something that is more valuable than anything else? And that's God's gift of everlasting life. Praise God today. He died for you. Praise God today. He loves you while we're yet sinners Christ died for us You know, it's not that I'm going to heaven today because I'm a good person. I'm not going to heaven today because I've been christened or baptized or anything like that. I can praise God today. I'm going to heaven because my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, took the cross for me. Jesus Christ died on that cross. Jesus Christ was put in the grave. He didn't stay in the grave, but He rose from the dead. And dying for me, He paid the price for my sin. And rising from the dead, He showed that He has the ability to give me His gift of everlasting life. You might have a lot of things going for you in life. You might feel pretty good about your life, but they don't last. They don't last. They're temporary. The looks that you have are temporary. The money that you have is temporary. The health that you have is temporary. God wants to give you something so much better. God desires to give you His gift of eternal life. Oh, praise God today. You can have that gift, my friend, and it is a gift that doesn't cost us anything, because it costs God everything. Jesus Christ paid it all so that we can be given something that we can't afford, and that is God's gift of everlasting life. It's real, friend. It's not a joke today. It's not something to laugh about. It's not something to mock. It's something to look at with respect and to honor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, that died on that cross of shame for us. I praise God again today that my Savior did that for us. John 3.16 says, 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. Jesus Christ did that. It wasn't a little bit of love that God had for us. It was great love. For God so loved the world. You might wonder what the world is. It's the world system. It's all that organization that's against God. It's all those politically and educationally and scientifically agreeing against God and all the perversions that come from that, sin that. It's through that, that rebellion against God. That's for God so loved the world, the people that were there in that environment of sin. He so loved them that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for their sin. God didn't send his son into this world to assume the kingship that one day he will have. Someday he's going to reign, and he's going to reign eternally. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, but Jesus Christ came the first time to seek and to save. That was his law. Jesus Christ came because he loves us. Jesus Christ came because he's the creator of life. Mankind rebelled against God in sinning against him in the garden, and because man sinned, death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. That great adversary that we all fear is death. It's there for everybody. Nobody gets to avoid death. Nobody gets to say, I'm not going to die. Death happens to everybody. Death is a result of sin. But the answer to death is Christ. Jesus Christ is everlasting life. He said, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Those that trust in Christ receive God's gift of eternal life. Friends, you can have that today. You can know for sure, even tonight, that if you die, you go to heaven because you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Word of God says, He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have everlasting life. Praise God today. God desires you to know that. I can testify to you today and say, friend, I do know for sure if I died, I'd go to heaven. I don't wonder if there is a God. I know that there's a God. And I know that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I know that I have God's gift of everlasting life. Not because I'm good. Not because I'm a preacher. Not because of anything to do with myself. It's only because God gave a gift, Jesus Christ, his son, to die on the cross for my sin. Friend, he died for you as well. Jesus Christ died on that cross for you. You want to read about the love of God? Read about Calvary. Read about what the Son of God did, Jesus Christ, as He died on that cross for you. Read about His isolation and His shame. Read about His suffering. Read about the fact that God put the sins of this world upon Him. All the ungodliness that's in this world, all the vileness that's in this world, Jesus Christ, when He died, He died as if He was guilty of that sin. The Bible says, He that knew no sin. It became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus Christ died. He paid the price for our sin. Why would God do that? God did that because God loves Him. God did that because He cares for us. God did that because He looks at people that mock Him, people that despise Him, people that curse Him. But God looks at that person and understands that the only thing that that life is going to reap is a life of eternity and a lake of fire. God doesn't desire that. God desires that person to know His forgiveness. God desires that person to know His mercy. God desires that heart that hates Him to be forgiven. That heart that hates Him to be cleansed. You know, there's people today that mock God. But I would tell you this about that. Listen, friend, no matter who you are, you're likely to mock God. But I'll tell you this, God loves you. Jesus Christ, as He's being crucified, He said these words, He said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they did. They may laugh at Me, they may mock Me, they may curse Me, but My Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for their sin. Jesus Christ cares today. Jesus Christ is not put off by your ungodliness. Jesus Christ is not put off by your hatred against Him. Jesus Christ is not put off by the fact that you live a life that's a mockery against God. Jesus Christ still loves you. Jesus Christ still died for you. Jesus Christ still paid the price for your sin. Jesus Christ still reaches out and loves and says, look, if you'll deal with your sin, if you'll acknowledge your sin, if you'll repent of your sin, if you'll put your faith in me, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, that died on the cross for your sin, I will give you my gift of everlasting life. I praise God for that today. It's amazing to me, the love of God. God is not angry today, but God will be angry someday. God is not angry today. God is reaching out in love today. But the anger of God will come. The wrath of God will come. There will be a day where men will stand before a holy God and give account for their life as we live against God. Praise God. You don't have to be afraid of that day if you take Jesus Christ as your Savior. But if you're not afraid of that day and you're living an ungodly life, it's a very sad thing to say what the Bible says about that. The Bible says, the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. You might wonder, hey Ben, what's that about? Why would the Bible call somebody like that a fool? The reason that is, is they have cast away their only salvation. That would be like somebody in the Titanic sub that's lost, not desiring to be found. It would be like them not caring about the fact that there's saviors that are out there, not reaching out, not trying to be found. It's very sad today, there's a lot of people like that. They need to be found. They need to be rescued. They need to have the Savior come into their life. But they don't care about the fact that God is searching for them. They don't care about the fact that God is looking for them. They ought to be crying out to God. They ought to be sending out an SOS to God and saying, God, I need to be found. God, will you help me? Listen, He's come to seek and to save that which was lost. You know that great song written by that slave owner, John Newton, after he got saved and repented of that sin of slavery and enslavement, but he wrote those words, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see that man in the mercy of God received the forgiveness of God and God's gift of everlasting life. Friend, have you ever received that? Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? Has there ever been a time in your life where you bowed your head before who? God, and acknowledged who God is? Oh, you can mock God, but the Bible says fools make a mock at God. Fools live a life that is in rebellion against God. It's a wise man that humbles his heart before the Bible. It's a wise person that looks in that book of all books and begins to bow beneath before holy God. The God that he will give an account to eternally. Dear friend, do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? The Bible says about a rich man that he died and in hell he lifted up his eyes to be in torment. Friend, if that was your story, what would it say? He died and in where? Would it be heaven or would it be hell? If your faith is not in Jesus Christ, if you don't have the Son of God as your Savior, the truth is this today, that you'd wake up in the lake of fire and that you'd be there for all eternity. Oh, people can laugh at that, they can mock that, but nobody would stand outside the towers that burn down in London and mock those in the windows that are screaming out in agony and pain and asking to be saved from the fire that they were in. And yet there's people today that make a mockery like that of hell. They laugh at hell. Act as if hell is no big deal. And yet hell is a fire and hell is eternal. And nobody today that laughs about hell is going to hold their hand over an open flame. Because that fire burns and it will burn their soul for all eternity. God doesn't desire you to go there. That's why Christ died. Why would Jesus go through all the suffering? Why would Jesus go through all that death and all the heartache of the cross of Calvary? That thing for which he went to God, his Father, and he said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. Why would the Son of God go through that? He went through that because hell is real. Jesus Christ died because he came to seek and to save us. God does not desire us to go to hell. But God knows it's real. That's why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sin. That's why He reaches out in love to us through this precious book, telling us about His love, telling us about His mercy, telling us about His grace. The Bible says you must be born again. Sometimes there's people that say to me, Ben, well, I'm a religious person. You know, I've been Christian all my life. Well, the fact is, none of us are Christian all our life. The fact is, we're born into this world as sinners. Every single one of us. Nobody has to teach a young man or a young girl to rebel against God. Rebellion is in the heart of a child. That's natural to us to sin against God. In that condition, the Bible says in Romans 6.23, for the wages of sin is death. The punishment for our sin is eternity in the lake of fire. There's a lot of atheists that would say to me, Ben, if there is a God, you know, God knows I'm a good person. Well, the fact is, God knows that none of us are good people. Have you ever lied? Well, yes. Have you ever lusted? Yes. Have you ever coveted? Yes. Have you ever used God's name in vain? Yes. Did you ever dishonor your parents? Yes. Are people that dishonor their parents lie, covet, materialistic, idolaters? Are those good people? The answer is no. Why would anybody think they're going to stand before God and say, God's going to let me into heaven because I'm a good person? There's no such thing. In fact, the Bible says there's none righteous, no not one. It says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Every single one of us has transgressed God's law. The punishment for that is death. The Bible says in Romans 6, 23, for the wages of sin is death. Okay, so the punishment for my sin is death. We're all sinners. What's that mean? Every single one of us is going to be punished for our sin. The punishment for our sin is death. It's not just physical death, but it's eternity in the lake of fire. The Bible says in Revelation chapter 20, it says, but whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And that is the second death, the second death. The whole point of Christ is Him dying on the cross for our sin. Yes, exactly. It is. It's repenting of our sin and accepting Jesus Christ. Absolutely. But those that don't have Jesus Christ's eyes, without Jesus Christ, will spend eternity in the lake of fire. And that's the problem. The problem is that man, of themselves, is away from God. It's only through the mercy of God that man can be reconciled to God. Reconciliation to God takes place through the cross. The Bible says about Jesus, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me. There's nobody that will accidentally go to heaven any more than anybody will accidentally go to be placed on this earth. We all decide where we're going to go. We set our destination, as it were. What's your destination today? Is your destination heaven or is it hell? Is it the lake of fire or is it eternity with God? God desires us to go to heaven. That way is through Christ. It's not a new way. You know, today people have this idea like everybody's on their way to heaven. That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says, wide is the way that leads to destruction. Many there be that go in there at. Narrow is the way that leads to life everlasting. Few there be that find it. Very few people today are on their way to heaven. Very few people are willing to humble themselves and admit that what God says about sin is true. That what God says about sexual purity is true. That what God says about lies is true. That what God says about worshiping and honoring Jehovah God through the Lord Jesus Christ is true. What God says about the cross is true. Very few people humble their heart to accept and believe the Bible. And yet the Bible way is the only way. The way of Christ is the only way. It's not through idolatry. It's not through a religion. It's through Christ and Christ crucified and risen again. Friend, has there ever been a time that you've humbled your heart and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Without Jesus, there's not a chance in this world that you'll go to heaven. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. Jesus is the only way. The Bible says there's no other name given amongst men whereby ye must be saved. It's not Muhammad. It's not Job's witnesses. It's not Catholicism. It's not religion. It's Christ. Christ is the way. Friend, are you going the way of Christ? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Again, very sadly today, it's not a joy in the heart of a preacher to preach to people and to say, look, I just want to be honest with you, but hell is real and you're on your way to hell. That's not a joy to preach. But what is a joy to preach is that there's a Savior, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, that died on the cross for your sin. It is a joy to preach that there is forgiveness through Christ for anybody that desires salvation. But we've got to humble our heart. Oh, there's a lot of people today get excited about some rock star coming to Edinburgh. They get really excited about going to the pub to drink with their mates. Get really excited about worldliness. But where are those that will get excited about eternal things? Get excited about God. Get excited about the Word of God. Get excited about the truth of God. Get excited about what Jesus Christ did as He died on the cross for sin. We praise God there's a loving God today. He does love us. He cares for us. He mercifully died for us. I give that precious verse that's so well-known, John 3, 16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Friend, do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? Father, I praise you that you're a merciful God, a gracious God. In your mercy, I pray that you open hearts and open minds to the truth of the Gospel. It's in Christ's name I pray. Amen. Good afternoon, we're just down here sharing some truth from the Bible, from the word of God about who God is, about God's love for us, about what Jesus Christ did as he died on the cross for our sin. The Bible says in the book of Proverbs, wisdom crieth without, she uttered her voice in the streets. You know, praise God, God is not silent. There's a lot of people today, they live as if there is no God, but it's not because God's not speaking. It's not because God has been trying to communicate with men. It's that men don't desire to hear from God. Men don't desire to see God. They close their ears. They close their eyes to act as if there is no God. Yet the Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament show it as handiwork. Day in and day out of our speech, night and night, show us knowledge. This creation testifies that there is a God. It's speaking to us today that there's a loving God, that there's a designer God, that there's a God that gave us physical life. The Bible says about Jesus Christ, without Him was not anything made that was made. He is the creator God. The Bible says in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. Jesus Christ is the creator and designer. Jesus Christ is the one that gives us physical life. But praise God today, he's also the one that offers us a free death, and that is a gift of eternal life. To have physical life and not to have eternal life is to die twice. You die physically, then you die eternally in a lake of fire. But to have Jesus Christ's gift of eternal life is to die once. It's called being born again. It's when somebody puts their faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, that died on the cross for them. It's when somebody looks at the cross and says, right, why did Jesus die? We need to investigate that question. The Bible says this, while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. You want to know why Jesus died? Jesus Christ died for our sin. Jesus Christ became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus Christ shed His blood so that, judicially, God could forgive us, so that He could wipe our slate clean of our sin stains. If we were to pay for our sin, we'd have to spend eternity in the lake of fire. But Jesus Christ came. He came to die for us. He came to die so that we could have God's death. It's amazing today, a lot of people today want to despise God, want to mock God, want to laugh at God, don't care a thing about God, and yet that very God died on the cross for them. If you go to Jerusalem, you could stand in that place, you could be there at Golgotha, look at the hill of the skull, and see the place where Christ died. You could go 100 meters away about that to the garden tomb, and you could see the tomb in which Jesus Christ was put. Is it a true story? Is it a real story? The tomb is empty, just like the Bible said. Jesus is the resurrection of the life. He that believeth in you and goeth to the dead, yet shall he live. I praise God today that the Son of God died for you. I praise God today that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for me. O friend, do you love that God today? Are you living a life that honors Him? Are you living a life that pleases Him? You know, praise God, he could have a heart that's made clean. I love what the Bible says in the book of Isaiah. It says, come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as gold. God is the one that is able to cleanse our heart. There are plenty of things that we do that we might wake up in the morning and say, why did I do that? Somebody might think, why did I get drunk? Why did I commit adultery? Why did I lie? Why did I embezzle? Why did I steal? Why did I mess my life up? I praise God today. God's the one that fixes broken things. God's workshop's open. Always open. He's always ready to come and to help somebody that needs His gift of everlasting life. He's always ready to give mercy. He's always ready to reach out to that person that reaches out to Him. In fact, He reaches out before we reach out. God is extending His hand to us. The Bible says about Jesus Christ that He loves us so much that He took our sin upon Him on the cross of shame. Why would He do that? The only reason somebody would die for somebody is that they have a great love for that person. A lot of people today would say to me, Ben, God doesn't love me. God doesn't care about me. You know, my answer to them would be, look at the cross. Look at what the Son of God did as He died on that cross for us. Look at the suffering. If you don't know the story about the cross, what you find is you watch Jesus Christ on that day, you'd see a man accused of something he never committed. You see him accused and taken before the judge, and like a lamb before he shears his tongue, so open that he nodded his mouth. He is silent as he stands there. Why? Because if he opened his mouth, he wouldn't go to the cross. If he opened his mouth, his defense would be so good, he'd walk out of that place set free. But Jesus Christ did not intend to be set free. Jesus Christ intended to die. They took that man. They began to mock him. King Herod and his men gathered around. They put a crown of thorns upon the head of the Lord Jesus Christ, piercing his brow. They plucked out his beard that was on his face. They began to punch him in the face and spit upon him. And they began to mock him. They took the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and they took him down to a pit prison. They chained his hands to the ceiling. They chained his feet to the floor. They stretched out the flesh on his back, and they began to whip the back of the Lord Jesus Christ. They whipped him up to 200 times, and the flesh of the back of the Lord Jesus Christ was ripped and torn, and he's bleeding. Why? Because he was dying for us. They took him out of that place. They put that cross upon his shoulder. It was so heavy from his loss of blood that he could not carry it. They had a compelling man, Simon, that was there in the crowd to carry the cross for the Lord Jesus Christ. They took him to that place called Gatha, just outside the city, the old city of Jerusalem, where the Damascus gate is. They walked out that gate, walked to that hill of the skull, and there Jesus Christ was crucified. You might say, Ben, what's that mean when the Bible says that He was crucified? They took His hands, and they pierced His hands with nails. They took His feet, and they pierced His feet with nails. And they nailed Him to a cross of shame. They took that cross, they stuck it down into that hole that was in the ground. They dropped it. When they dropped it, all the bones of the Lord Jesus Christ were pulled out of joint. For a prisoner in that position is suffocate or breathe. To breathe, you have to pull yourself up on those joints that are out. Christ did that. For three hours Christ suffered, six hours Christ died on that cross for us. From nine o'clock in the morning until three o'clock in the afternoon. Several of those hours there was darkness, there was darkness. And God the Father turned his back on God the Son. He cried out at that moment, he said, Father, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? as the Son of God took our sin upon Him on the cross. The Bible says He took the handwriting of ordinances that were against us. He nailed it to His cross. He took that which we had committed as sin against God. Things like lies, things like deceit, things like unbelief, things like taking God's name in vain, things like sexual sin, things like abortion, things like taking and murdering somebody or hating somebody anger and all the abuse that we have in our life. Jesus Christ died as if he was guilty of our sin. Why did he do that? So that our sin could be paid for. Why? Because sin has to be paid for. God cannot let sin into heaven and God cannot say sin is okay. Sin has to be paid for. Christ paid for it. Why? So that you and I could be forgiven. You might say to me, well then Jesus Christ died so he's dead. No, Jesus Christ lives so he's alive. When Jesus Christ died, they put him in that tomb. He was there three days, two nights. And he rose from the dead there on that Sunday morning. We worship God on that Sunday. We call it the Lord's Day because it's the day of the resurrection. It's the day that Jesus Christ walked out of that tomb. It's the day that the angel said those precious words to those people. He is not here for he has risen, as you said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. They walked into that tomb. They investigated. The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was not there. They spoke to the Lord Jesus Christ after He had died on the cross for our sin. Jesus Christ spoke to over 500 people. And when Paul wrote that in the book of 1 Corinthians, he said the greater part were still alive until that day. There are many people that witnessed Jesus Christ's resurrection and the truth about Jesus Christ. Why is that so important for us? Because without that work of Christ on the cross, without that resurrection from the dead, we could not be forgiven. We could not have God's gift of everlasting life. So praise God. Jesus Christ suffered for us. Praise God. Jesus Christ died for us. Why? Again, so that we could be forgiven. You know, my testimony is that as a young boy, I heard my dad preach a message on hell. He spoke about it being a fire, eternal separation from God. Darkness and gnashing of teeth the sounds that you'd hear in hell. I thought as a little boy. I don't want to go to hell I went down to my dad's study. I said dad I'd like to get saved dad showed me the truth that I've shared a little bit this afternoon that we're sinners But that Christ died for us then he paid the price for us then so that we could be forgiven as a little boy I bowed my head and I said something like this dear Jesus. I'm a sinner, but you died for me Would you please forgive me of my sin and save me and God gave me this gift of everlasting life Friend, do you know for sure that if you died you'd go to heaven? I praise God I do. I know Jesus Christ as my Savior. There's no doubt in the world today that if I died I'd go to heaven. There's no doubt in the world that I've got God's gift of everlasting life. Friend, do you know that? God doesn't want you to have a hope soul salvation. God desires you to have a no soul salvation. so that you know for sure. And friend, if you don't have that, you don't have it. You need it. In my prayer today, the reason why I preach down here in the street, you might think, well, that guy likes to hear the sound of his voice down there in the streets of Edinburgh. I don't. If you know my testimony, I'm very shy. The last thing in the world that I ever wanted to do was to stand up in front of people and speak. But I'll tell you this, I stand here and do this because there's a God in heaven that loves you. There's a God in heaven that sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for your sin. There's a God in heaven that can set you free. There's a God in heaven that gives hope to the hopeless. Friend, our world needs that. Our kids need that. This generation needs a generation that will rise up and say, I identify with God. I'm not ashamed of that Bible. This Bible is my flag. I will fly it. I will stand with it. I identify with everything that this book says about anything because this is the book of all books that God has given. Pray my prayers that you'd say the same thing father I pray by the grace of God that the Spirit of God would touch the hearts of people today I pray God that people get saved in Edinburgh I pray for fathers and mothers that would love their children enough to open the Bible and to present the Bible to them and teach them about God and take them to church. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.