And I direct your attention for our instruction this morning to the book of Amos chapter 4 and I'll read verse 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel, and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. And as the Lord helps us I'd like to look at those last few words, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. It's a striking text, isn't it? When I was at seminary, they said, the teachers there said, gentlemen, make sure you preach on the capital text, in the alphabet you have The capital letters, don't you? The big letters that stand out. And he said, in the word of God, there are capital texts, and you should make sure you preach upon them. And this certainly is one of them. Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. several weeks ago now, friends of mine, believers, had awful news. Their 19-year-old son, we believe a believer, young believer, home from university, raised in a lovely Christian family, and he was doing a bit of work in his father's business, and he came back home And he's feeling a bit tired and his mother said to him, dinner will be ready at such and such a time, I think eight o'clock. She saw this young lad about, I think half past seven, twenty to eight, about ten to eight in the evening, she gave him another call up the stairs, he didn't answer. She went upstairs and she found him, he'd passed away suddenly in his bedroom. And they don't know what caused it. And just like that, the young man, he'd climbed Snowdon the week before, fit as anything, no particularly serious health issues, and yet gone to meet his Maker. And we thank God, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we believe he went to be with his Saviour. But doesn't it show you, friends, the need to be prepared? And that's the question for us to answer this morning. Each one of us, are we prepared to meet God? Well, before we look at the text, we must put it in context. This book was written by Amos. He was a farmer, he also dealt with cattle as well. And the Lord had sent him to prophesy to Israel. Now the land had been divided into the ten tribes, the northern ten tribes and the southern two tribes of Judah which incorporated Benjamin. This had happened after the reign of Solomon and I won't go into the reasons for that. But this was some years after that. And Israel, the Lord was dealing with them for their departure from Him. And they'd got involved in great sin. And some of them are listed in the chapter we read. And we'll just look at some of them. We look in verse one. There was a sense of luxurious living on the back of oppression. So, when it speaks to hear this word, ye kind or ye cows of Basham, this is speaking to the wives of the masters, which it says in the end of the verse, which say to their masters, bring and let us drink. And the word cow there isn't like that horrible derogatory insult which is used in our country towards women. This is more that the cows of Basham are very strong, very sleek, very well fed, very powerful. and they were known to be quite aggressive. And these women were like that. They were married to rulers and Their husbands were engaged in oppression to get what they wanted, a very materialistic lifestyle, very self-centered, very selfish. And they were basically saying to their husbands, get me some more wine, I want something to drink. Knowing full well what had gone on to purchase that wine. So, the sin of materialism, the sin of luxurious living at the expense of others and forgetting God. And how apt that is for our times, isn't it? Then, in verses four and five, you would think this is an invite to worship if you didn't understand the Scripture. But this is the Lord being very ironic, almost being sarcastic because they had corrupted their worship of him with all sorts of idolatry. So he's saying to them, well, yes, come on then, come and bring your sacrifices to me if you like. Come and do this, come and do that which you like to do. It means nothing to me. God was mocking their way of worshipping him. They were worshipping God on their terms. and not on his terms. And how often people do that today, they construct their own version of God, their own version of Christ. I know people very close to me and they're engaged in a homosexual lifestyle and they assure me that Jesus is very happy for them to live like that. They've made up their own Jesus and they can live life as they please. And we see in the text that God had given them warnings In verse 6, it speaks about cleanness of teeth. This isn't people that take care of their teeth. This is people that have got clean teeth because, in verse 6, they have a want of bread. God had sent hunger and starvation to humble them. If you carry on reading in the text for this lack of food, it's come about because of withheld rain. You'd make it rain in one place but not in others. So people from different cities would go and gather at the other place seeking water. Verse 8, two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, they've been humbled. Imagine that if God stopped raining this country for three months. The devastating effect it would have. God is so great. And yet we read, yet have you not returned unto me. And there were all sorts of things, blight on the crop, locusts, destruction, war, we read about, pestilence, disease, all these things. And yet five times in this chapter we read, yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. And that's the context really in verse 12, which God is saying to his people. You worship false gods, you have your own way of worshipping me well now prepare to meet me who it is you think you can worship me in such an abominable way you would pursue a materialistic lifestyle you would live such a godless lifestyle and oppress others you would live such a sinful life and not listen to my warnings and ignore me well now prepare to meet me, prepare to meet thy God O Israel. So we want to look at this simple truth that all will meet God. We can't just point the picture at the Israelites, can we friends? Because in Isaiah we read, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have each turned to his own way. We've each turned away from God in our own way. We've each broken his commandments in our hearts, in our words, in our actions. All of us. The Bible doesn't lie when it says, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And just look at this simple truth, we're all going to meet Him. Now, for many of you here, that will be a meeting of unimaginable bliss. That's a wonderful thing. You look forward to meeting God by faith, you cross the dark waters of death and you thank God for that meeting. But to meet God unprepared, to meet God on your own terms, to meet God you've got the wrong idea of Him. will only fill you with unending, unimaginable and an awful, never-ending terror. It's the most fatal mistake any one of us can make, to meet God and be unprepared. And so I want to look at three simple headings. The urgent need to be prepared, the urgent need of preparation. Secondly, the reasons why many are so unprepared, and the folly of being unprepared. And thirdly, and most importantly, how can you and I be prepared to meet God? Well, the urgent need of preparation. I can ask you to think about how we prepare for much lesser things than meeting God, and the effort we put into. If you've had your holidays this year, or you're going on holiday, and you're going abroad, you'll make sure you've got your passport, won't you? to cross into the border of another country. But how much more do we need to consider the documentation to cross the borders of eternity into heaven? To be like one old dying saint on his bed and someone said to him, are you worried about death? And he was right with God, he said, oh no, death is just the latch that opens the door to heaven, to my Father's house. To die like that, But many are not like that. They do not have the right documentation. They do not have the papers, as it were, from God to cross the borders of eternity and arrive in heaven. They arrive in a far worse place. Think about when you take exams, which are important to you, whether it's at work or at school, and you revise, you prepare for that examination. Or if you go for an interview, if you've got any sense, you will research the company. You will anticipate the questions that will be asked of you. You will learn about the company, learn about the role, what's required and think of what you're going to say. And yet how unprepared we are for the great examination of our life by Almighty God. Now I speak to you as someone that's been, and still is, a great sinner. I'm no better than you. I don't speak to you for some lofty amount of righteousness. I speak to someone that's been, someone that's been humbled by the Lord and had to seek His mercy, that was very careless of my soul. So, I speak these words out of concern for you, as one of the Lord's many ambassadors, that you would consider your standing. And I would reconsider my standing before God. I would be prepared to meet Him. I think of business meetings, And you'll go in there and perhaps you're looking to sell something. You think of the pitch you'll prepare, the questions that will be asked. When I was in the army, we'd be on parade and you'd have to be immaculately dressed. Just one speck of dust on you, you'd be in great trouble for carelessness. And yet we'd be on parade before the Lord of Hosts and He's going to give us a great examination. If you've read the I wouldn't say misfortune, but you've had the circumstances where you find yourself in court, and you stand before a judge, and you hope you've got a good defence barrister, a good defence solicitor, and yet we're going to stand before the judge of all the earth. And he has no shortage of evidence. There'll be no rigging off that conviction. There'll be no arguing against God. If you were to appear before King Charles, I'm sure if you were summoned to appear before King Charles tomorrow, if you had even just an ounce of respect, you'd get the very best clothes you could to go up to Buckingham Palace and see him. And yet we've got to appear in the not too distant future before the King of Kings and what dress we'll be in then. And who is it we're meeting? God. Did you see that description of God in verse 13? for lo, he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind, our very creator that holds our life in his hand, that spoke this whole universe into existence, that's who we're going to meet. Power itself, the source of all power, the source of all authority, the king of kings, the lord of lords, the one whom the nations are just a drop in the bucket, that's who we're going to stand before. And we read in that verse that he declareth unto man what is his thought. Even our very thoughts, our desires. The Lord literally knows ourselves and what we're like better than we do. He can declare to us, this is what you thought, this is what you desired, this is what you were about. And he has the hand of providence. He says that maketh the morning darkness. Our lives can be bright and sunny one day, and then like that poor family I mentioned three weeks ago, it's God's timing to take their son home. Morning turns to darkness. We should humble ourselves before God. He's warning these people, they're so careless with their lives, they think they're in control of their lives. And God is saying, no, you're not in control, I'm in control. Have we forgotten that this morning? And did you see as well in that verse, he treadeth upon the high places of the earth? Is this talking about mountaineering? No, the high places was where the false gods were worshipped. And God says, I tread down anything that opposes my great and my holy name. This is who we're going to meet. The false gods of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jehovah's Witness, Mormons, God will tread them down in His anger. There'll only be one God left. There's only ever been one God from everlasting to everlasting. And he describes himself as the God of hosts. The Lord, the God of hosts is his name. These people were being so careless like you and I can be. So rebellious, ignoring the warnings, thinking they could take on God. And the Lord says, you think you can rebel against me? You'll meet me in all my glory, the Lord of hosts. That's who the meeting is. And it's certain. Some of these meetings we can get out of. We can not take an exam. We can try and abscond from the court and see if the police will catch us. We can decide we're not going to go on holiday. But we cannot, it is impossible for us to avoid this meeting with God. For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. All of us. Do you think about that? we're going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It's unavoidable. And so many are unprepared. And we take the utmost care for these other Lesser Meetings, these other appointments, these other examinations, and yet we can be so careless about our souls. And do you know the great tragedy is, is that there'll be no further meetings. You can have a second interview. You could make an appeal at a case before an earthly judge, and ask for the case to be retried. You could retake an exam, but we'll stand before God one time, give an account, God will judge our life, and that will be it. Do not believe the foolish, wicked lie of reincarnation, that you come back to get another chance. One meeting, one outcome or two outcomes fixed for all eternity. Now friends, when we think about this, by rights the police should be outside this chapel trying to stop thousands from Hailsham to come in here begging to know the way to be prepared to meet God. But here we are, a number of people And I should think most of the churches and chapels to varying degrees would be the same. I'd be surprised if there's even not as much as 5% of this town gathered in a place of worship today. So we have to ask ourselves the question, what is the reason why so many are unprepared to meet God and the folly of such? And we're born in this state. And I remember Charles Spurgeon in his book, Lectures to My Students, to Ministers, and he said, this gentleman, when you're looking at your sermon and your text, and you're looking at ways to try and explain the great truths of the Bible, to understand the reasoning of the heart of man, you don't have to look very far, just look at your own heart. So I'll bring you up some reasons, really, which delayed my own conversion, as it were. though it was sovereignly appointed at a fixed time by God, I recognize that, but in my experience. And there's seven or eight of these reasons. And ask yourself, do they apply to you? Because if they do, they're fatal, my friend, they're utterly fatal. Number one is, I've got time. I've got time. I'm only young, I'm only a teenager, I've got time. I'm only in my thirties, I'm a busy family man, I've got time. I've only just retired, I've got time. And then I make my soul right with God. But what does the Word of God say in Proverbs 27 verse 1? Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth. I'm almost persuaded that that young lad that died didn't know it was going to be his dying day. I think he got up for another day, a fit young lad. And he came back home, wonder why he felt a little bit tired than normal. And he thought, I'll have my dinner and then had his evening planned out. I don't think as he walked through the door of his house, I don't anticipate that he thought he was going to be in eternity within an hour. You and I cannot guarantee that we'll be here for tonight's evening service. You cannot guarantee that you'll be around at the end of this service. We're so fragile. It's a foolish thing to say you've got time. God's in control. You don't know what could befall you. What sudden illness or accident or natural disaster or act of crime, none of us know that. It doesn't mean we have to walk around in fear when we're the Lord's people because our lives are in His hand. But please don't think you've got time just because everyone else seems to have lots of time. You don't have time, we don't know that. You need to be right with God today. The second reason is we get distracted. Remember the parable of the rich fool which the Lord Jesus Christ said, his life had gone well and he looked at his crops and the yield was so good and he said, my barns are too small, I'm going to build even bigger barns, I'm going to get my crops in and I'm going to store them in there and I'm going to have so much money and I'm going to plan this and that like so many people do coming into retirement. And what did God say to him? You fool, tonight your soul is required of you. It's so easy to be distracted by the things of this life, to be like the cows of passion, just consume with what we've got. And we just become so self-centered and sinful, we forget all about God and think, this is my life, what will it take for me to be happy? What will it take? That's what I'm going to focus on. That's what I need. I need more money. I need the right relationship. I need a better career. I need to travel more. I need to be fitter." And all these different things. And yet we have no time for God. What did our Master say? What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul? That is a striking text. That's a capital text. That's the first text ever preached on. I remember, I've said it here before, working at the Dorchester nearly thirty years ago when I'd come out of the Army. Mixing literally with Hollywood movie stars, supermodels, billionaires. Millionaires were commonplace. The best of this world. And meeting a man there that had all of these things. Very happily married, a fit lad. We got on very well because of the mutual interest we had. But he wasn't a believer, nor was I. And I said to him, you're so lucky. He said, I am, yes. He said, but every now and then it seems like there's something missing. I said, what can possibly be missing? You've got fitness, travel, successful business, health, happily married, unlike most of the idiots here I said, you don't cheat on your wife. He said, I know, I'm really lucky. He said, there's something missing. I wish I could see that man, I wish I could tell him about the Lord Jesus Christ." God used that conversation, it was a pivotal event in my life. I was playing the lottery, thinking if I had money I'd be happy. I thought, he's not happy, he's already there, he's way ahead of me, he's still not happy. I don't want no money, because what's the point of life? Your soul, that's the most important thing, your soul. In James it says, so what is your life? forgive me, I've got a text from another version, is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Have you ever thought about life as a vapor? Now we often apply that, don't we, rightly to those that pass away. We say, well look, like the vapor, like the mist, it was so substantial and real and we had such times together and it's vanished away and they've gone. And we can't find them anymore, and that's true. Look at it about yourself. This life is so real, it is. But it's like a vapor. This life is so real, so tangible, and it is real. But one day it's going to fade away and all that's going to be left is the living God. Have you ever thought about that? And yet we're so distracted. We've got to look beyond this life and be prepared for Him. Imagine a man that had to take medicine to keep living and all the time he took his medicine he'd be alive and yet You say to them, have you taken your medicine? They say, well no, I'm on the golf course. You need to take your medicine. Oh, I've got time for that later. The next day, have you taken your medicine? Oh no, no, I'm off traveling today. You're going to die. I can't think about such things. Friends, that's that you and I can treat our soul like that. It's a foolish thing to do. We must prepare to meet thy God, not these gods of materialism. Some say, at the meeting with God, there's going to be a great dialogue. And they claim, blasphemously, they're going to put God in his place. You say, really? Are you taking this too far, James? Well, can I read you from Jude chapter 14? Perhaps in your hearts, even as you listen now to the Word of God, you're saying, well, if I go to see God, I will say all these things. And we read this, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and listen to this, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. It's already in the Bible, your boastings. It's already in the Bible, your deliberations, what you're going to say to God. You'll say nothing to God because in Romans 3, verse 19, we read these words. This is what will be said as we come before our holy God who's described as a consuming fire. In Romans 3, 19, now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God." To appear before God unprepared with your heart like that well, I use a fleshy illustration Sometimes we would meet people and in train they would say, I would never let an instructor say this or do this to me. And then there would be this grizzled veteran would appear, a soldier of many battles, eyes of steel, character of iron, and he would lash into these young recruits. that before they met him had said, I wouldn't do this or that. And they'd go silent. They realised they were completely out of their league. My friends, to come before the living God will say nothing in His holiness and realise our great sinfulness. We'll be looking to hide, do anything but speak to Him. Our mouths will be stopped. Don't think you can argue before God. Some say that all are prepared There was a son of a famous theologian and the theologian said to his son, he was a young lad, probably 10 or 11, 12 maybe, how do you think you can get to heaven? He said, well when I die, Dad. He said, what do you mean? He said, well when you die everyone goes to heaven. And the theologian shook his head with dismay. There was this great theologian and trying to teach his son the right way to go to heaven. And yet his son just thought, well you just die. And everyone who dies automatically goes to heaven. But as we thought earlier in Romans 3, 23, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God could not allow sin in heaven. It would be a great offence to him. He said in his Eccles that the soul who sins shall die. And Adam found that out, didn't he? And Eve. They dared to disobey God and just think Adam and Eve were perfect. And they had the test set by them, by the Lord. And they decided to listen to their own reasoning, to Satan himself. And God said, but you disobeyed me, I told you what to do, I told you what not to do. The covenant of works, as it's called, and yet you didn't obey it. You thought you knew best. And they did die nine hundred and something years later. Don't be deceived, my friends. You don't just go to heaven because you die. Some say there's nothing to worry about. They say this, well, for two reasons. One is, well God would never punish us. God would never punish us, that's an awful thing. But Christ said, but he who does not believe is condemned already. He who doesn't seek salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ is condemned already. That's what Christ said. And some of these people, their minds are so twisted, they say, you know, Jesus is the God of love. And He is, but He warned about condemnation. There is a way of great love, which we'll think about shortly, which you and I can be made right to be prepared to meet God. But don't believe that. Others say, well, I look around and we're all in the same boat. We're all going to die. We're going to be good Englishmen and women and have a stiff upper lip. No one else seems troubled by it. I was driving here this morning and I was up at a reasonable time and you could just sense the hint of autumn around the corner. It's my favourite season and this time of change, it's going to be a warm day later I think, but in the morning you could just sense the freshness and the blue sky and there's people out on their bikes. There's people at the show up the road. There's people doing all the things I used to do before I knew the Lord. I wouldn't be fit to say the things I would do on a Sabbath day. just like me, unconcerned. Why? Because no one's concerned. They say, well, no one else seems worried, preacher. Why should I be worried? In fact, most people seem not worried at all. Well, can I tell you some words which the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7, verse 14? And he says this exact thing which takes away that security. because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life. And few there are that find it. Most people don't find the way of salvation. Don't be deceived, it's just as the Lord Jesus Christ said. And the longer we leave it with our hearts like that, it's like when I used to be a boy at school playing conkers and you put the conker in the vinegar to harden it Our hearts, the longer we remain in unbelief, get harder and harder. You don't get softer as you get older. You get harder and harder. It gets easier to reject God. I was at a funeral recently in the parish church. I vowed never to go there again. It was such an abomination with, oh, I won't even spoil our service with what went on at that service. And people just utterly unconcerned. People giving, one man gave an address who's an atheist. And he said something like this, the man that died was a runner. Well, God alone knows how many miles such and such ran. He says, perhaps he's telling him now. And that was his view of God. But why a lifetime of unbelief? My friend, if you've rejected Christ, you're not going to find it easier as you get older. You're going to find it even harder. You're going to remain firm in unbelief. And those of us that are saved should be so grateful to the Lord, what He's done for us. Some convince themselves that there's going to be no meeting, there's no God, there's nothing to fear. And to those especially, the Lord says, prepare to meet thy God. You've ignored creation, you've ignored your conscience, you've ignored the confession of my people, now prepare to meet thy God. And you've ignored what's gone on in your deepest heart. You think you've almost persuaded yourself, you will meet me. Some say they can make their own way. Choose your God. God has many names, but Jesus Christ said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me. Only through Christ. Others say, well as long as I've got some kind of outward religion, as long as I go to church, as long as I try and be good, then that's enough. Do you not remember the story of ignorance in Pilgrim's Progress? And Pilgrim, as he's waiting to die, as it were, and then they both cross the river of death. And there was an awful pheromone to ignorance across it, and Pilgrim is helped across, he wades through. And they're both walking up towards the celestial city, and then those awful words, Pilgrim says, I saw near the gate of the celestial city, there was another gate which led to hell. And two of the shining ones came and asked ignorance where his scroll was. And he said, I do not have one. And they bound him hand and foot and took him away. These are not nice things to preach. If you enjoy preaching these sort of things, you shouldn't be a preacher. But you must warn, it's an awful thing, an outward religion. just to sing hymns, just to come to church. Some even go as far as to say, well, I believe in Jesus, I said a little prayer and I'm alright. Jesus said two things, repent and believe. A man falls into two mistakes. Some try and repent, they realize they're in the wrong and try and clean up their act, but they don't believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And so they're repenting with a lifetime full of sin behind them, still committing sin, and they appear before the judge with their sin undealt with. Others say, I believe in my head, I did this at 13, I was actually baptized at 13, an intellectual profession, without any change of heart. I didn't want to go to hell. But I had no love for God, no love for His Word, and that never changed for another 15 years until God graciously and mercifully bearing in mind my background in a Christian home and then the light I'd sinned against made me born again. Just an intellectual belief in Christ will do you no good at all. To say, I'm a follower of Jesus, there'll be no change in your heart. Now I want to clarify that you don't have to wait for a change in your heart to believe. You believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we'll think about that in a minute. And lastly, Some people say, well, I look around, we're all doing things which the Bible says are wrong. We've made our own views of marriage up now. We've decided that men can be women and women can be men. And no one really believes that nothing's happening. No one's in the churches anymore. It's been like this for years. It's getting worse and worse. And they laugh and say, well, nothing's happening. There's no fire coming down from heaven. God doesn't seem to care. There can't be a God. But what did the Lord Jesus Christ say? He said, when I come back again, it'll be as it was in the days of Noah. Do you know how many people believed in God in the days of Noah? At the very most, eight. Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their three wives. Everyone else, in varying degrees, was stuck in unbelief. When Christ comes back, there'll be only a small amount of people that are trusting in him. and the rest will have rejected him. That is exactly what the Lord predicted, prophesied, said would happen 2,000 years ago, exactly what's happening today. So please don't be fooled by that because then the flood did come. Well lastly, and I appreciate I've gone over time, the most vital question, how to be prepared. I want you to notice in the text that five times the Lord said, yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Can you see something there? The Lord would have all those that have rebelled against him, the Lord's heart is for you to return. It is for you to return. God delights in mercy. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. And sometimes preachers, and I've done this, can get the balance wrong in the earnest exhortation. God's heart is to give mercy. He delights in mercy. A lovely verse that is. Think what you delight in. I had a bit of delight in the weather down today. It was somewhat tempered by the text I had to preach. But as an instinct we thought, oh, I love this weather. That's what God, He loves to give mercy. And so we have to say, how then can we return to God? How can you and I face meeting the living God? And perhaps that's troubled you at times. You think, I've got to meet God. I pray, if you don't know Him, this message, and I pray this in the nicest way, does trouble you. You think, well, can I meet God? How can I meet a holy God when I look at my life and what I've done? How can I survive that encounter with a lifetime full of sin? There's a lovely verse in 2 Corinthians 5 and chapter 19, which I should just read to you. to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto him, unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. And God has done something amazing. He's made a way for us through the Lord Jesus to be reconciled to him. for people like you and I that have been so careless about our souls, not just careless about our souls, so anti-God. We've been like, in the parable, we shall not have this man to reign over us. One of my relatives who's been preaching for decades, he knew there was a God, he knew Christ was the only way, and in his heart he said, I will not have this man to reign over me. And he said to me, I look back now, decades later, and I tremble at the hardness of my heart. but I'm softened by the great love of God toward me." How can God reconcile us then? He can't, what's called, wink at sin. He can't just say, oh, it doesn't matter, we'll forget about it. Listen, if a judge did that, imagine if a judge did that to Lucy Letby and said, well, you obviously are having some bad days. There would be uproar. There would be riots in the street. How can a holy God who sees every sin that's ever committed since the beginning of the world, as if it happened within the last second because he never changes, he never forgets, how can he ever say to such a front to his majesty, it doesn't matter? And yet we read through Christ He's reconciling the world to him. And there's a people, God has not imputed their trespasses, their wrongdoings to them. He's saying to them, all the wickedness you've done, I'm not going to impute them to you. I'm not going to count as if you did them. That's a mystery. We read in verse 21 of that chapter, speaking of Christ, for he hath made him to be sin for us. who knew no sin, that's Christ who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. It's a wonderful thing, you know, at Christmas, when we think of the Lord Jesus coming to this world. And you might think, why was He born as a baby? Why couldn't He just come as a man and go straight to the cross? Have you thought about this, that when Adam sinned, it's like a long line of millions of dominoes, and you push the first one down, they all fall down. When Adam sinned in his nature, because we descend from him, you and I all sinned. He was our representative. If you want a big theological, technical term, he's what's called our federal head. He was the one we all come from, and he represented us. So we sinned in his representation, but in our nature. And God would require for us to be spared for someone else to come along and live a whole life perfectly. And that's what the Lord Jesus did. Isn't that amazing? He would leave heaven, the second person of the Trinity, the Godhead. He would come and be born in time in the womb of Mary. It's mind-boggling, isn't it? You could do sermons on that alone and live a whole life to the age of thirty-three perfectly. He had to be perfect to bear our sins. He had to be perfect to represent us, to be an advocate. When you appear in court, you need what's called an advocate in Scotland. You need someone to represent you. And Jesus said to all those that come to Him, He'll be their representative. And He's authorised on at least two counts more than this. One, because He's perfect, so He can stand before God. And two, because God has ordained Him to be the representative. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. But then on that cross, he bore the wrath of Almighty God for the sins of all those that would come to Christ seeking forgiveness. All that fury and anger which God is holding back at the moment. He's holding it back and with the other hand bidding people to come to Christ. He bore that so that we would be spared. Now that's love, isn't it? That's love, isn't it? I wouldn't do that with any of my children. I couldn't. I couldn't bear it. I wouldn't let one of my children die to save one of my worst enemies. I don't think I could do that. Perhaps God would give me the grace. But even by myself, I would resist it with every fiber of my being. But you and I live in so careless with our souls, shown such hatred toward God. This is His great love and His great mercy. It's at the cross where judgment and mercy meet. That's the only place, the cross. And when you look at the life of the Lord Jesus, who is the express image of the Father, if you say, well what is God the Father really like? Look at the life of Christ. Do you see how gentle He was? Do you see how He went to the worst of people? Do you see how through His Word He comes to you this morning? And He says, you poor foolish sinner, I take no pleasure in your death. I take no pleasure in sending you to hell. Will you not turn back? Will you not listen to the warnings I've sent? Will you not listen to this warning? It might be your final warning. Will you not turn to me and I've made a way for you? And I'll take the deadness of your heart and I'll make you born again. God the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside you. When he came in my heart, 15 years after my first profession, I knew the difference. I knew the difference. I had a desire to read the Bible. Yes, it wanes. I had an intense desire to serve Christ. Yes, it wanes, even sadly as a pastor. But do you know what? You cannot serve two masters. And as a believer, in the end you say, Lord, take this sin away. I can't fight against it anymore because I just want to serve you. Before you know him, the law is just a heavy burden on your back. It's a wonderful thing. And you know, when we go to meet God, Perhaps you're troubled about it. He was a believer this morning. He said, will I pass that examination? Oh, if you fled to him in this life, he stands there. And if you read scripture carefully, Christ actually comes to welcome you into heaven. And I'm sure this conversation doesn't happen, but bear with the liberty I'm taking now, reverentially. The Lord says, Father, who may let this child in, this is one of the ones you gave to me. I live for this one, Lord, my Father. Father, I bled on the cross for this one. All their lies, all their adultery, all their hatred, all their blasphemy, all their covetousness, all the wicked things they've done. Lord, Father, we made an agreement and the gates of heaven open. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing. And God doesn't just become, He's not your judge, but He's your Father. Well, I've gone way over time, but can I ask you a question? I'll ask myself the question. It's right, it's just examine yourselves. Today, are we prepared to meet God? I can say with 100% confidence, you don't have a bigger question to answer, nor do I. But the wonderful thing is, through the Lord Jesus, if you come just as you are, seeking His forgiveness, wanting His mercy and His love. He freely, freely grants it. Well, may the Lord add His blessing to His Word. Amen. Our last hymn, 474, is a hymn which encourages poor sinners to come to Christ. Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity." What a lovely line, full of pity, joined with power. He is able, he is willing, doubt no more. Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, weep and mourn in sickness. He is ready, set to save you, full of pity, joined with power. He is able, He is able, He is able, he is willing, darks no more. He is willing, darks no more. Come ye in, come and welcome. ♪ God's three bounty glorify ♪ ♪ To believe and to repentence ♪ ♪ Every gracious hand brings us nigh ♪ ♪ Without money, without money, without money ♪ Come to Jesus Christ and moan. Come to Jesus Christ and moan. This he gives you, this he gives you, ♪ Which he gives you, tis the Spirit's might in thee ♪ ♪ Tis the Spirit's might in thee ♪ ♪ Are you weary, heavy laden, bruised and broken? ♪ If you tarry till you're better, you will never love at all. Not the righteous, not the righteous, not the righteous sinners Jesus came to call. seen as Jesus came to call. We will prostrate in the garden. Off the ground you'll make a lie. Our praise ring ye holy, Hear Him cry before He dies. It is finished! It is finished! It is finished! Sin and will not be sufficed! ♪ Till earth will not miss the Christ ♪ ♪ Though in the late cloud ascending ♪ ♪ Reads the merit of His birth ♪ ♪ Holy, friendship holy ♪ ♪ Let no other trust in truth ♪ ♪ None but Jesus, none but Jesus ♪ ♪ None but Jesus, and you helpless, seeless fools ♪ and your help will save us all. Almighty and ever-gracious God, we thank you for your word and the power of the Lord. We thank you for your kindness in warning us of the consequences of our actions, but we thank you for your greater kindness in sending your beloved Son, all the sufferings he went through, he would live that perfect life, despised and rejected of men, and yet never once losing his temper, and never once committing a sin again. And he would hang on that cross that we have just sat on, bearing an awful wrath, marred and disfigured by men, but that spiritual punishment beyond that comprehension, for we give thanks for that Lord. For when we live life as forgiven sins, Lord, we come to think of the great sacrifice. We think of the bread and how it is broken. We think of how our master's body was broken for us, that we would live. We think of that wine, Lord, which represents the blood, which was atoned for and cleansed all the sins of your dear people through your precious Son. We give thanks for that, Lord. And as we come to remember this rich spiritual feast, may we do it in a right way, Lord. May we do it reverently, Lord. May we do it with gratitude. May we renew our great covenant with you to follow you, Lord. May we have that sense of your pardoning love and see the wonder of it yet again. May it renew fellowship in a deeper way within this church and our fellowship afterwards. We come, Lord, as we prayed earlier, not in our own merit, but in Christ's merit, and ask for his sake that you would bless us and you would forgive us and help us to remember all that you have done, even now. And we thank you for the power of the resurrection, Lord, that it didn't finish on the cross, that the Saviour cried, it is finished, and rose again three days, securing that victory. O Lord, you are a great and a holy and a merciful God, And we give you all the glory and praise and honor through the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.