That's just my family over here in the pew that I just got up. My wife Denise and my two youngest children, Daniel and Bailey. We have two others, ask you to pray for them. One is back in the UK, probably dirtying up the house something severely. And he's our middle boy. And our other, our oldest is in boot camp right now in Fort Benning, Georgia. And so we get, we're delighted after camp this week We get to see him and we're just a little bit excited about that. It's been very, our children were raised up around us. We homeschooled. They've always been around us in our life. And so it was something different when we had to drop one off and leave them here in the States and go back across the pond. And I told my wife, I said, what's gonna be hard is, what's gonna be difficult is when he graduates boot camp and he gets somewhere settled in the states, it's a little different then. See, right now, whether we were in Columbus or in the states, we wouldn't be able to see him anyway. The hard part's gonna be when we would be able to see him if we were around. So I do ask you to pray for him. Pray for us, we need prayer, amen. And just to be honest with you on that, it's a blessing to be here tonight. I'm very thankful that the Lord has opened up the door to be here this evening and we're excited about that. We're excited. God opened up a door for us to preach a revival last week. So we've been preaching since last Sunday in two different churches and preaching revival Monday through Friday night up in Tennessee. And then we left yesterday, got on the road and got down here late last night. I do want to thank you very much for the prophet's chamber over there. Gotta be honest, it's probably gonna be very difficult to leave in the morning. That place is so nice and comfortable, amen? And so you're really blessed with that this evening. Open your Bibles up if you will tonight. We're gonna be in two different places. I'm gonna ask you to go to Numbers chapter 21 and then just stick your finger or a bookmark or bulletin or whatever you may have and hold it there in Numbers 21. We're just gonna relate back to Numbers 21 a couple times in the message tonight. And then the other place our opening text is going to be John chapter 12. John in chapter 12 is where we're going to be. And, um, I tell you what, uh, people always want to know, they want to know, uh, brother Jay actually hit me up yesterday. He said, preacher, uh, uh, during the week, we're going to have, uh, freedom's theme is what it's going to be and on Wednesday night in the camp he says can you preach on freedom and I said are you kidding me I love preaching on freedom and it's something that we don't get to do like in the UK you can't obviously you can't have a fourth of July celebration there that wouldn't go over too well you know so it's like You know, hey, we beat you, amen? So open your Bibles here. And so anyway, I've missed it being in the States. I pastored 12 years in Tennessee and we always went all out between Memorial Day and the 4th of July. But you know, preaching is what I'd rather do. I'd rather do that than anything. I think any pastor, any preacher, any missionary evangelist would tell you the very same thing. But there's a lot of things that go in between that, amen? There's a lot of things that go between The study time, the prayer time, the preaching time, and that's getting into people's lives, amen? And trying to bring something before them that will change them. I'm thinking of Winston Churchill. I don't know how people feel about Churchill down here. I'm for one a fan of Churchill. I enjoy reading his history books and his writing. We live in Wales where there's a bit of a grudge against Mr. Churchill there because he called the soldiers down. in Tutankhamen, one of the villages there during the riots. But Churchill was asked one time, he says, doesn't it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing? He said, it's quite flattering. But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech, I was being hanged, he said the crowd would be twice as big. And I wonder, Tom, I wonder sometimes if with preachers, I just wonder how many people would show up if it was something that they were being entertained by in this world today. There's a thought that I want to bring to you. There's a message. I wanna bring you tonight that this world, everybody in this world, every soul in this life must come before, and it's a simple thought, it's a simple topic, if you will, and it's called the cross of Calvary, amen. Nice to be in a Calvary Baptist Church, my ascending church, Calvary Baptist Church up in the hills of King, North Carolina. Calvary only shows up in the Bible one time, and I'm quite thankful that it does, amen, amen. John chapter 12, if you're there this evening, read with me, if you will, in verse 31. John chapter 12 and verse 31, the Bible says, now is the judgment of this world, now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out. and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said signifying what death he should die. Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you, Lord, for the opportunity, the time to be here this evening. Lord, I pray that you would speak to our hearts tonight. Lord, my prayer now is this, is that you would control the words that go out of my mouth. Father, that you would tender the hearts of everyone here. Allow us to be attentive unto your word and not mine. But Father, I pray in the midst of this message, in the midst of this sermon, in the midst of these scriptures being read, that Lord, we would think of at least one soul this evening that needs to come before the foot of the cross. Father, let us be moved by friends and family and neighbors and coworkers, dear Lord, who need tonight to hear the most precious and wonderful gospel, the great news of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is here to reconcile us unto the Father, to save us from our sins, Father, let us be touched tonight by your word. In Jesus' name we ask these things. Amen and amen. Beloved, there's a judgment that came into this world. There's a judgment that came upon a curse that rested upon mankind for nearly 6,000 years today and it's ravaged mankind ever since. It has destroyed families. It has destroyed homes. There's a curse upon this world that has destroyed men. It's destroyed women. It's destroyed children. It's destroyed marriages, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, businesses and jobs. You name it today, it has absolutely positively destroyed them. I was with a dear friend today during lunch. He was speaking to me about his stepdaughter who is a year or two older than I. And she said that her and her new spouse or whatever are together. They're doing well. He just went on about the story. But the whole problem was this, was that her first marriage that she had, that whole marriage was destroyed. That family was destroyed. Those children were displaced. The ideology, the finances, everything that you have that was associated with that family was destroyed. Well, theirs was alcohol, but it was destroyed by sin. But we have problems, we have situations in this world today. We have all kinds of struggles going on. People have financial burdens, they have heartaches, they have broken homes, they have all these different things. And everything that comes into a person's life tonight can be laid down at the foot of this serpent called sin. that comes into people's life today. I'm thankful this evening. that there's been a judgment that's come across that sin, that's come across that curse. My friend, I submit to you tonight that the single defining moment, the greatest act of all mankind that each and every human being in this world today must face in some way, shape, form, or fashion is the cross of Calvary. Beloved, there's not a greater event that's ever occurred. Listen, I love the Fourth of July. When I pastored in Tennessee, Pastor, we went all out for the Fourth of July. 32 flags in our sanctuary alone. I absolutely loved it. I had two flags that kind of felt like Patton standing there sometimes. It was just great. I went all out. The 4th of July is a tremendous time for me. I absolutely loved it. I love Memorial Day. There's just a tremendous thing. I'm a son of a veteran. I love Veterans Day. I love preaching on these events that we faced and that we celebrate. and we honor these people. But beloved, I'm telling you here, there's not an anniversary, there's not a birthday, there's not a celebration, there's not a holiday whatsoever on this earth today that is greater than the event that occurred on the cross of Calvary with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a good place for an amen. It was on the cross of Calvary, my friend, that the judgment was cast upon, point number one, sin tonight. In verse 32 of our text, this is what we read, it says, and I, if I be lifted up. One once said that Christ died for sin, believers died to sin, but unbelievers die in sin. Jesus Christ has given us a great illustration here when he says, and I, if I be lifted up. be lifted up. In John chapter 3 and verse 14 he says this, he says, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Turn your Bibles there to Numbers chapter 21 and let's look at this event that Jesus Christ is referencing here concerning Moses lifting up that brazen serpent. Numbers in chapter 21 and begin with me in verse 4. Numbers 21 and in verse 4, the Bible says, The people spake against God and against Moses. Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee. Pray unto the Lord. that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. Verse 8, the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon the pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live. Verse 9 says, and Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came And it came to pass that if the serpent had bitten any man, that when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. But we live in a world today, as mentioned earlier, that has been bitten by the serpent of sin. People are struggling today. They are facing all kinds of problems in this world today. They are facing all kinds of battles in this world today and they're doing so because of the sin that came into our world. The sin of rebelling against God was a way that happened when they were speaking against the Lord and speaking there against God's man. Time and time again, these people were met with death. Why? Because of sin. Death from a serpent. Death from a serpent that was bit. But God gave them a remedy. He said, listen, if somebody be bit by this serpent here, there's another serpent yet made of brass, which brass is the metal of judgment, if you will. because sin has been judged in this world. Sin was conceived into the universe by Satan. Guys who took on the appearance of a serpent in the garden resulted in the conception of sin in this world. And so God used this medal of judgment because he wanted to judge sin in this world. He told Moses to make a brazen altar. Why? Because brass is the medal of judgment. So he's judging sin here even in the midst of the of the wilderness when people were speaking ill against God. So we need to look here today at this illustration and understand that when the cross of Calvary, when Jesus Christ was lifted up upon that cross, when he died for my sin and for your sin, it wasn't just a blanket note, if you will, it was a judgment against the curse that was brought upon mankind. I'm saying that, guys, to make this point here today. You don't have to live in sin in the world today, amen. You don't have to live in the sin that may be tracing you around. Listen, you may have been inflicted with sin from a young person or inflicted from sin even as an older person. Maybe there's something that's in your back pocket that you just cannot get rid of. I'm here to... Don't have to live under the shadow of sin because there's that serpent that bit you wherever it may have been. Jesus Christ has been lifted up and he's trying to draw you unto him because he has judged that curse, my friend, if you'll just give it unto him tonight. Amen and amen. So we find that on the cross of Calvary, there was the judgment that was cast upon sin itself. I like that. I don't know about you. because I can go to the cross of Calvary and I can look at that cross and every time that sin tries to creep back in every time that old man tries to rear his ugly head you say preacher how many times did that happen I don't know how many red lights are on that road down the road amen I mean I'll tell you there's things that creep inside of our heart there's things that creep in and we have these bad thoughts when you know the red light takes six hours to change to green I heard Adrian Rogers say one time he said You know that he said, when the light turns green, if you don't go straight away, the guy behind you turns red, amen. And I understand that principle, I really do. But I'm here to say guys, when that sin or those thoughts or those attitudes or those actions or whatever it may be, they begin to try to creep in into your life. You know what I can think about? I can think about the judgment upon that very sin at the cross. of Calvary tonight. Not only did it give me eternal life, but it gave me victory over the sin of my life in this temporal world. You don't have to live in sin. You don't have to live in despair, my friend. Jesus Christ did not come to this earth not only to give you eternal life, but he came here to give you life more abundantly, amen. He came to say, listen, just look to me. I'll give you the victory. If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me. The first thing that he judged, he judged the curse of sin. It was on the cross of Calvary that judgment was cast for the soul, for the soul. You know, that's what it's all about tonight, amen. I'm gonna do my best, I'm not gonna chase rabbits. I wanna be very mindful that it's Sunday evening, amen, and we're busy here, I get that, and this and that. But I do want you to understand, guys, it's all about souls today. If it wasn't about souls, guess what? On the day or the morning or the evening or whenever you got saved, the Lord said, come on home. Let me usher you into heaven right now. But he didn't, he left us down here. Some of us he left down here for 30, 40 years, 50 years, some been safer. Longer than that, 60, 70 years, however long it may have been. Listen, the Lord left you here on this earth for a purpose and it's all about souls. So the first judgment that was cast was cast upon the curse of sin in this world. The second judgment that was cast was cast for souls. Look there in verse 32 in our text, we're back in John chapter 12 and we'll flip back over to numbers in just a moment. John chapter 12, look at verse 32 again, Jesus Christ says, he says, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, watch these next few words, will draw all men unto me. In Numbers chapter 21 in verse eight, as we correlate these verses together, verse eight says, and the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent. and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live. Now the key words in that verse right now that we need to be looking at it as we think about the soul of mankind today is when he looketh upon it. It's in like fashion that man must be brought to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just like the Israelites had to be brought to that brazen serpent, they had to make an attempt, a valid attempt, to look upon that brazen serpent, that which is judged sin, so that their soul may be sanctified. Just like that, in like fashion, we must be brought to the cross of Calvary. Now I don't understand what a lot of the theology that's being taught today we hear theology being taught that a person doesn't even have to believe on Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ died for all sins and therefore he died for the sin of unbelief I don't know where that comes from guys but it just comes out of some left field and it comes from a far left field I think it's kooky because I just believe We need to think about that cross of Christ, amen. We have to get to the point of the cross of Calvary and understand what Jesus Christ did for us, and when we know what he's done for us today, his love that he had for mankind, for men, women, and children, the souls of people today, that is when we can understand the remedy for our sins today, that we understand that the cross reveals the necessity of sins payment. Beloved, the cross was a death that was so cruel I mean, it's so despised, but it was the only one that would suffice the pain caused by the separation of God and his creation. I mentioned this this morning in a church that I preached in down in Lehigh. I said to them that if we're going to forgive someone, I think I used my daughter as an example. Let's say my daughter took $20 and she took $20 from me and she didn't give it back. She's faster than I am now, so she probably can do that. But she took $20 and I'm like, okay, well, she stole $20 from me, not that she ever would. And so anyway, so she took $20 from me and I say, okay, you know what, honey, that's fine. I'm going to forgive you. She says, dad, I can't pay it back. I don't have it. I've already spent it. You know, I went and bought a bunch of chocolate and blah, blah, blah. And I said, okay, honey, I'm going to forgive you. Do you know what, in order for true forgiveness to happen, it has to come with a cost. Okay? You say, well, wait a second, but you just, you just wiped off her debt. I did. I didn't say it cost her anything. It's going to cost me $20. If I'm going to forgive her of that $20 debt, it's going to cost me something. And we look at the curse of sin in this world today and the tragedy that it has caused upon mankind, the multitude and multiplicity of deaths that have occurred in this life directly just because of sin entered in. It had to come with a heavy cost in order to forgive. It had to come with a heavy cost in order to pay and pay for the suffice the pain caused by the separation of God and his creation. May I say this tonight that it is the cross that souls must come to in the state of Florida. It's the cross that souls must come to in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Germany, in Ireland, and all over the world today, is people must come to the cross today. They must come to the cross and look upon the very one that was lifted up to judge their sin so that each soul could be brought into the world, my friend, and know the Lord Jesus Christ. But did you know tonight that 67% of all human beings from A.D. 30 to date, has never heard the name of Jesus. We live in the most connected world in all history. I mean, you can, something happens, you know, President Trump does something on this side of the country, and before you know it, the other side. know about it and they've already twisted and spinned it make it something else right that's exactly what happens I mean we see things today unfolding in live events and it's it's amazing it's amazing that a that a soccer team can be playing over in France and you can be sat at a restaurant today watching it happen live at the very moment I get updates on my phone from like Fox News and BBC and an event will happen, a team will win something and then I mean the minute that the bell goes off, I get a notification on my phone. It's amazing that we have that type of connectivity in the world that we live in today and yet, 67% of the world's population never heard the name of Jesus. Savior whom sits upon that cross. who's lifted up and has judged the sin in this world and has judged the soul and whose stripes we are healed. 67% know him. It's the cross that has judged sin. It's the cross that gave judgment for the soul. And lastly, this evening, it's on that cross that judgment was cast unto salvation. Back in our text, if you'll turn there quickly with me and hold your place in the book of Numbers, we're gonna refer back to it in just a second. In verses 32 and 33, again, the Bible says that Jesus, speaking here, says, and I, if I be lifted up from earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. You see, Numbers chapter 21 in verse nine says, and Moses made a serpent of brass. Why did he make a serpent of brass? Because God told him to. And he put it upon a pole. Why did he put it on a pole? Because God told him to. In verse nine again he says, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. You see my friend, in Numbers 21, as we relate it back to John chapter 12, there's a promise that God gives in verse eight. And there's a fulfillment of that promise that he's given in verse nine. Jesus used this same illustration in John chapter three and we've already read it. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's verse 15. Verse 16, the most famous verse of probably of all time. 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. Just as God gave a promise in verse eight of Numbers 21 that whomever is bitten of this serpent shall look upon this one and they shall live, just like we see the fulfillment of that promise in verse nine, we find the fulfillment on the cross of Calvary of the promise that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave in John chapter three and in John chapter 12. My friend, it's a simple thought, the work of the cross. It's a simple thought and I'm going to tell you right now it's a wondrous work that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ has given upon this world today. One must behold the cross, his wonderful work, know it and trust him in the price that he has paid to bring us to salvation, to give us tonight, if you will, reconciliation unto the Father. Many would see death as a failure, but in the case of the Lord Jesus Christ, it wasn't failure at all. Many would look at death of the Lord Jesus Christ as an end, but for this particular event, it was an end, and today it's still the answer for success of all mankind tonight. The greatest need in this world, the greatest need in Englewood, the greatest need in our life, the greatest need at your workplace or the grocery store, wherever we may go, where the souls of men, women, and children may be, the greatest need today is still the cross of Calvary. It's conviction beyond that point. Matthew 16 is one of my favorite events, and guys, I realize I take my glasses on and off. I don't need them to read. I just need them to see your pretty faces, so that's why I put them back on, okay? Matthew 16 is one of my favorite events in all the scripture. I love the fact that when Jesus Christ comes down to Caesarea Philippi in verse 18, He had already got the confession of Peter that thou art the Messiah, the son of the living God, amen. And he said, hey, flesh and blood didn't reveal that unto you, but my father in heaven. And then Jesus Christ says this as he's standing upon a little pedestal there with this Parthenon of pagan worship behind him. And he simply says, he says, upon this rock, speaking to himself, I will build my church and the gates of hell, speaking to that world religion, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, amen. And from that moment forward, He's preaching about the church that he is going to establish. From that moment forward, he began to speak of the death that he must suffer so that church could be built. And we know the story. Here's Peter, who's already been complimented of doing a great work, and he simply says, he goes, nope, not gonna happen. And you know the story. I won't belabor that point tonight. Jesus Christ makes this point at the end of that chapter. He says, and once shall it profit a man, he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul. We've used that for salvation. We've used that to win people. Some people even say, look, if you gain the whole world, you know, if you're wealthy beyond belief, you know, still not going to get you to heaven. And that's a biblical truth. But I'm going to tell you tonight, Jesus Christ was speaking on a whole deeper level than finances in that chapter. You see the cross of Calvary had to occur. The greatest event of mankind had to take place so that you and I would not lose our soul. If Jesus Christ would have been taken and made king that day in Matthew 16 and the kingdom would have come in and it would have existed for 1,000 years, the promise that's given unto Israel of which we do understand. Listen, if that would have happened for 1,000 years and at the end of that 1,000 years, if the cross of Calvary still hadn't happened, every soul would perish and go to a devil's hell. The cross of Calvary is the greatest event that this world has ever seen. The cross of Calvary is so important today that if we dare to forget what's happened, we'll lose the power of salvation in this world. Beloved, no cross, no crown, we understand that. 70,000 people die every single day in the world, in countries around this world that they haven't even heard about the cross of Calvary. Sin has bitten people in this world today. Sin has secured souls to a devil's hell, and they only need salvation tonight. They're in need to be brought to the cross of Calvary here, there, and everywhere. My only thought that I want to encourage you tonight is I want you to remember the cross of Calvary. Remember its pain, remember its anguish, remember what the Lord Jesus Christ went through for one reason, to bring you and I back unto Him. God so loved the world. He loved us. He loves you. He loves your neighbors. He loves your family members. He loves your friends. He loves your coworkers and he loves them because he died for them. You say, well, preacher, what kind of price did he pay? I'll close with this little illustration in this thought. We know the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary, his final words were, it is finished. Now it wasn't the battle, we understand, but the victory was won because he paid the price for sin. But just the night before our Savior was arrested, he went to the garden of Gethsemane and he prayed, he said, if there be another way, let this cup, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. We've read that time and time and time again. And we wonder about that cup. We understand it to be the wrath of God poured out upon sin as Jesus Christ had to become sin for us to pay that price. There's a little more to that story. The Bible tells me that God's eyes are purer than our eyes and can't not look upon iniquity. If God the Son upon that cross, he who knew no sin, had to become sin for us, then there was a point in time in heaven When God the Father, as he looked down upon the Son, had to stop and had to say, hang on. I can picture Michael the archangel just looking over at the Father saying, just let me go get him. Look, man, we can start over at least, but let's just wipe him out. Let me go get him. The Father said, no, I love him. I can see those other angels just chomping at the bit saying, listen, well, let's just go get him off that cross. Don't let him go through this pain and anguish. Father said, no, we're going to do things different this time because the greatest event that mankind will ever occur right here, right now. But in order for that to happen, my son who knows no sin must become sin and must pay that price. But because my eyes are purer than mankind's eyes, I'm not going to be able to see it. God the Heavenly Father had to turn His back upon His Son so He could become sin for us. He cast darkness upon this earth for a three-hour period. So when the Lord Jesus Christ said, if there be another way, let this cup pass from me, it wasn't the cross. It wasn't the scourging. It wasn't humility. It wasn't the plucking out of His beard. It wasn't the plaiting of the thorns upon His head. It was the simple separation from the Father, my friend. that he would have to experience so that he would pay the price for you and I. Beloved, he did that on the cross of Calvary. He did that for me and he did that for you and he did it solely because he loves the souls of men, women and children. So beloved, let me encourage you tonight. to understand the depth of the cross of Calvary, understand the price that was paid. And when we leave here this evening, we go our separate ways. And tomorrow you're in the grocery store, you're in the bank, or you speak to your sister who lives in another state. Don't forget to mention the greatest event of mankind. You see, the greatest event wasn't Vanderbilt winning the College World Series. The greatest event wasn't the Patriots winning one more time. The greatest event was in Alabama winning a national championship. The greatest event was the cross of Christ. Let's mention that to them today. Because of that, we're here this evening. Because of the cross, we're saved, born again of the blood of Jesus Christ tonight. Will you bow your heads this evening? Father in heaven, we commit now to you this time.