We progress onward now in the study of the book Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. We have just left the Mountains of the Lord, where the shepherds have taught the Christian and hopeful, or our two heroes as they are going on their way, known as the Delectable Mountains. This, we learned, was to be understood as the teaching ministry of the local church, just what we're doing here tonight. is a teaching ministry in which God has given a shepherd to set forth the food of God's word for the sheep. Now it's time to leave that and advance to another part in the book. We read these words, So I awoke from my dream, and I slept and dreamed again. We must make a note here. This is a phrase that hasn't been used up until now. Whenever Bunyan would progress from one section of the book into another, that is, he'd write another portion of it, he would make the transition with the words, I dreamed again. Now this time we read, I awoke from my dream, and then he starts a new paragraph with, I slept and dreamed again. Many critics of Pilgrim's Progress—now, critic doesn't mean necessarily someone who is critical of the book, but it's someone who studies the book and has an appreciation of it—believe that it was at this point that Bunyan was released from prison, in which he says, So I awoke from my dream. If you want to drop that down in your book, that might be of help to you sometime. And then he says, I slept and dreamed again. That is, he was let out of his dungeon at this time, and then after his release from prison, he finished the remainder of the book while he was a free man. We cannot prove this, but it is the general consensus that this is the portion at the point in the book in which he was released from prison. Now proceeding onward, we read, And I slept and dreamed again. Now the narrative is continuing on. and saw the same two pilgrims going down the mountains along the highway toward the city. Now, a little below these mountains on the left hand layeth the country of conceit, from which country there comes into the way in which the pilgrims walked a little crooked lane. And here, therefore, they met with a very brisk lad that came out of that country, and his name was Ignorance. So Christian asked him from what parts he came, and whither he was going. Here we have a new character before us tonight. He is a young lad, a very cocky lad, as we'll find out, whose name was Ignorance, and he came from the country of Conceit, or Pride, lifted up that type of meaning. If you'll notice on your chart or on the overlay tonight, you'll see that he came into the way from a very crooked path. Now, this means that he didn't have a clear, straight understanding of what it meant to be converted. He just entered into the profession of Christianity without coming through the gate of conversion. He dwelt in the country of pride or conceit, and his name was Ignatius. And what we're going to find out about him is that he is totally lacking in the understanding of what it means to be converted to Jesus Christ. It doesn't mean he's stupid. It doesn't mean that he just doesn't have a good mentality. It means that he is willingly ignorant of the cross, and he will not want anything to do with the cross. He'll not even want to learn about the cross. as the two pilgrims here will begin to explain to him the importance of being converted. Now, he thinks he's on his way to heaven, and he'll talk much about heaven, he'll talk much about Christianity. But he is opposed to at every point when Christian or hopeful bring up this matter of conversion, he wants to sidestep it. And so this will be brought out now in the initial encounter here with ignorance. Now, ignorance is going to be a companion with us the rest of the way, right on up to the gates of heaven. And there we'll see he's the final character which will be described in the book, and he will forever be within the confines of the fellowship of the true Christians. And this will be to teach us that usually wherever you find true bodies of believers, you'll have individuals in there who are lacking an understanding of the cross and the way of conversion, but yet they just sort of come right along, right up until the final judgment, until they hear the words of Christ himself, depart from me, I never knew you. So ignorance now joins the Christians on the way, but he is lacking an understanding of the nature of conversion. Now, Christian, notice, the first thing he asked him was where he came from. and where he was going. Now that's but asking this. Suppose that we had an individual come to us tonight and they wanted to join our church. Well, now the first thing we want to know is, well, how did you decide to be a Christian? When were you saved? And where are you going now? Why do you want to join the church? Why do you want to identify with us as a group of believers? So now this is what the Christian is asking this young lad. Tell us about how you got saved. Tell us about your conversion. Tell us what your hope is and where you're headed." Now, let's watch as this initial dialogue with Ignorance begins to develop, and he explains what his hope of eternal life consists in. Ignorance says, "'Sir, I was born in the country that lieth off there a little on the left hand, and I am going to the celestial city. He says, I was born by nature in a good land. It was a land which I have a lot to be proud of. Its name is Conceit. Here is a religionist person who is proud of his natural birth. That doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with being proud of your parents and that you're a human being. But if you're proud of that nature which you and I inherit by birth, then that's another And that's what ignorance is ignorant of. He is ignorant of the fact that he should be humbled by the fact that he has a sinful nature. In fact, later on in the dialogue, in here a few weeks, we'll find him arguing that he has a good heart. Nothing wrong with his heart, it's a good heart. And so he's very much proud of his country and the manner in which that he was born. But Christian says, after that ignorant said that he was going to the celestial city, that is, he was going to heaven, he had a hope of eternal life, then Christian said, but how do you think to get in at the gate? For you may find some difficulty there. Now see, you ask him, all right, now you say you have a hope of heaven, you have a hope of eternal life. Now when you get up there before the Lord, you know there's a gate that's going to have to open into that city. Now how do you hope to get in there? What's your basis for believing that you're going to get to go to heaven? Notice his answer. "'As other good people do,' said he." Notice his answer. What hope do you have of getting into heaven? Well, I have the same hope all these other good people do. In other words, I'm a good person. You hear that every day, do you not? If you talk much to your neighbors about the Lord, about inviting them to church, what do they tell you? Oh, I don't need to go, I'm just as good as you people are. And if I know that my neighbor over here, he says he's a Christian, and I know I'm just as good as he is, so if he's going to make it, I'm going to make it. So here we see the significance of his name, Ignorance. He's lacking in what it takes to enter the celestial city or the presence of God. You must be born again. Now what Jesus told Nicodemus? Ignorance. He knows nothing about that, and he doesn't even want to know anything about it. As we find that he's going to get pinned down here, his hope is of heaven, well, I'm as good as anybody else. Therefore, if anybody else makes it, I'll make it too. Christian says, but what have you to show at the gate that the gate may be opened to you? What right do you have? for God to let you into heaven. You must have a right to go there. Now, what's your hope? What right do you have? Now, notice Ignatius' answer. He says, I know my Lord's will and have been a good liver. I pay every man his own. I pray fast, pay tithes, give alms, and have left my country for whither I am going. Now, who does that sound like in the Bible? Anybody remember? Somebody? Yes, the rich young ruler had that, and there's another whole group of people that describe you. Well, there's another account in the Bible in which there was a publican and who else went up to the temple to pray. You remember that? Who was it? Remember the Pharisee? He said, Lord, I'm thankful I'm not as what? This man, I fast, I tithe, and I do all these things, I'm a good liver, I pay my bills when they come due, and Lord, I'm thankful that I'm not as other people. I know what your will is, and I try to live by the light which I have." Notice his hope then. His hope is in his own righteousness, his own goodness, his own religiosity. in that he's comparing himself with other people, not with God's requirements. But he looks out here and he sees other people and he says, Well, I'm as good as they are. In fact, I'm even better than some man. Here's this publican right here. Well, I certainly don't steal money like he does. Lord, I'm thankful I'm not as other men. And so he prayed with himself. So ignorance is a type of the religious Pharisee. In other words, he's a hypocrite. He believes that he is right with God, but he is utterly lacking in the knowledge of what it takes to be in a right relationship with God. Do you remember the old publican? What did he pray? God be what? Was it merciful to me, a sinner, didn't he? There was a man who was an ignorant of his heart. He knew that he was lacking in what was required to be right with God, and so he cast himself upon the mercy of God. But the Pharisee was utterly lacking in the knowledge of his own depravity, of his own heart. And that's why Jesus said, I say this man, the publican, went away to his house justified rather than the other. So ignorance is the type of the religious Pharisee, or the religious church member who is trusting in their own self-righteousness to open the gates of heaven for God to allow them to enter in. But Christian won't let him get by that easily. He says, But thou camest not in at the wicked gate, that is, at the head of the way. Remember what the wicked gate was? What did that represent? The gate of conversion. And so Christian says, well, all right, you say you live a good life, but you haven't ever been saved, you haven't ever been converted, you haven't ever been born again. In fact, you came in the way hither through that same crooked lane. You're lacking in a straight and narrow way, but you're still out here in the woods somewhere. And therefore I fear, however thou mayest think of thyself, when the reckoning day shall come, thou wilt have laid to thy charge that thou art a thief and a robber, instead of getting admittance into the city." Now, where are those words used in the Bible? Let's go to John 10. Turn with me to the 10th chapter of John, verse 1. John 10, verse 1, the words of Christ. Verily, verily, I say unto you," now the words verily, verily mean truly, truly. This is a true, true statement. "'He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." Now notice, the door is Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes into the Father or the presence of God but by Christ. But yet those that try to enter into the presence of God, apart from the gate of true conversion Jesus himself says they shall be likened unto a thief and a robber, and they shall be cast out of the presence of God. So we see the importance of understanding what it means to be truly converted and not have some false hope of our own self-righteousness. Ignorance. Now notice he's beginning to get a little bit peeved now with the logic that Christian has given to him. He says, ye be utter strangers to me, I know ye not." I don't understand what you're talking about, this thing of conversion. And what's more, I'm not interested in knowing. He says, be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will follow the religion of mine. Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever gotten in a discussion about the gospel with someone? and you try to emphasize to them that no matter how good that they have lived and so forth, they must be born again, they must be converted. And then they begin to get a little mad, and they say, well, that's your belief, you have your belief, I'll have mine. Now that's ignorance in the sense that he says, I'm not interested, I'm a stranger to this thing of conversion, and if that's what you believe is necessary to get you into heaven, then you go your way, I'll go mine. Like the record we heard the other day, what was the name of it? Yeah, you take your road and I'll take mine, and we'll all get to heaven at the very same time. Now, that's ignorance, that's religion. There are many ways leading to heaven. You go your way, I'll go my way, and then we'll all get together at the same time. But now listen, that isn't biblical. Jesus said there's only one way, and it's not the way of a church. the Baptist Church or the Methodist Church or the Presbyterian Church or the Catholic Church, it is the way of the cross. And that way means that we as sinners see ourselves as depraved in heart, and that our very heart needs to be converted by the powerful grace of God that is found in Jesus Christ and none other. so that a person who comes by the way of the cross is a person who has come by faith in Jesus Christ, and a Baptist, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, a Catholic can all come that way, you see. That's why I believe with Bunyan he had a very Catholic spirit about him, and that's one thing about this book. You'll never find any narrow sectarian teaching in this book. Now, Bunyan was a Baptist, but you would never know it by reading this book right here. That's why it's been so accepted by all of the denominations, in that it is a very Catholic spirit. It is Jesus Christ. Now, if someone claims to be a Christian, say they claim to be a Baptist, and they say, I don't care what you say, I don't like this thing of conversion, then their issue is not your way and my way, the issue is, are you going to come by the way of Jesus Christ? And that's something that you can't get around. If you try to come into the presence of God any other way, you're going to be assured of hearing the words, Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you. So it is the way of Christ that leads home. So he says, I hope all will be well. Now you trust your way, your religion, I'll follow my religion, and let's just hope it all works out. Now see, his hope is not rooted into anything. It's like casting an anchor overboard and never having that anchor grip into anything solid. He has nothing to anchor into, just an empty hope. And we're going to see ignorance when he comes right up to the river of death. get a rowboat named vain confidence and just go right through death thinking everything's going to be all right when he appears before the judgment of God. I hope there are none like that here tonight. I hope that if you think that you have a hope of heaven, that you can be able to reach down in your bosom when God says, all right, now sir, what right do you have to enter into my city? What are you going to tell him? Are you going to have something biblical to reply, or are you going to be like ignorance and just say, Well, I'm a good liver, I've done this, I've paid my bills, I tithed to the Church, I gave alms, depart from me, I never knew you. Or are you going to be able to reach down in your bosom and say, Here, the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin. and present that before the Father. That's the only thing that will open the gates of heaven, is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We go on and we read, and as for the gate that you talk of, all the world knows that it is the great way off of our country, that is, this thing of conversion that you keep talking about and bringing up. The country that I live in We know it's a long way off. We don't understand this thing of conversion. And he says, I cannot think that any man in all our parts does so much as know the way to it. Nor need they matter whether they do or no, since we have, as you see, a fine, pleasant green lane that comes down from our country the next way into the way. Now, this is ignorance reply again. Christianity says, aren't you interested in this thing of being converted? And ignorance says, in my country nobody understands that. That's too deep, that's too mysterious, that's too troublesome to talk about. We don't talk about conversion in our country. And besides, we have a pretty good country. It's pleasant, it's green out here. And you can hold your own self-pride of your own natural birth and go right to heaven. You don't have to give up a thing, you see. Now this is the way the religious man talks today. This is the way the man who is a stranger to Jesus Christ, he has this hope that somehow he's going to be accepted by God, even though he knows nothing of conversion. You sit down and try to talk with him about being converted, he begins to get mad. He says, oh, that's too deep. Nobody understands that. And if you think it's important, you go your way, I'll go mine, but I'll just take my own way and trust in that. We run across these people all the time. in our daily ministry, inviting them to the things of God. When Christians saw that the man was wise in his own conceit, he said to Hopeful, whisperingly, there is more hope of a fool than for him. Dear people, don't let individuals like this discourage you and your Christian witness, because this is about the truth. from the book of Proverbs, chapter 26, verse 12, there is more hope for a fool than of him. When you talk with people about Jesus Christ and the importance of his person and work and them being saved and born again, and they just spurn it and cast it off, then you recognize that they are lacking in the knowledge of God. Go on to the next person. Go on somewhere else. Shake the dust off your shoes, Jesus said. If they turn you down, then you go on to the next door and keep on spreading the gospel of Christ. Because those who are not interested in conversion, my friend, that's the primary thing. You can't go any further if a person is not interested in being saved by the way of the cross. And said moreover, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that is a fool. What, shall we talk further with him, or outgo him at present, and so leave him to think of what he hath heard already, and then stop again for him afterwards, and see if by degrees we can do him any good?" See, here's how you deal with an individual who expresses no interest in the gospel. Do you come across people like that? Do you wonder how you deal with them? Leave them something to think about. I notice what they're doing, they're discussing. What do we do? Do we stay here and talk with this fellow some more, or do we go on our way and leave him to think about what we've talked about today, and then we'll call back later and see if his attitude has changed any. Don't try to cram religion down anybody's throat. God's people are a willing people. And remember, we're not out here trying to get a feather in our hat for how many people we can get converted into the kingdom of God. We're trying to get them converted, that's true. But let us remember that they must be a willing people. And when they express no interest or they ask to be excused, then you leave them something to think about. And then you may, as the providence of God so leads, go by again. at some later date, or they may come to you, or you may meet them on the street, or God may open up another opportunity for you to sit down and talk with them. But don't make yourself a person that is—I can't find the adverb, or the adjective, rather—a person in which that others don't want to be around. When you speak to them about the Lord and they turn you down, then go on your way and then see if in the providence of God, God begins dealing in that heart, and you may be able to get back in the door. I know I was advised as a young minister by a preacher who said that wherever he goes, that he demands a decision right there on the spot, and for them to commit themselves to the Lord right then and there. I watched that man's ministry for a couple And I found out one thing. He never had an open door to go back to. When he left the home, they slammed the door and locked it, and he was not able to get back in that home. Now how many people live here in our little community? What do we have, a thousand maybe? Do you realize that this is our field? Now we're going to offend some people. There's just no way of getting around that with the gospel. But we should not try to be offensive in it. When we speak to someone about their soul, we ought to do it in a loving fashion, telling them the truth. And if they say, I'm sorry, I'm not interested, then go our way and leave that door open to where that there might come another time, where that God's providence might work in the meantime, and they would be willing to sit down at a later date and discuss the things of Christ together. Don't think it is a boldness or a mark of a Christian to just offend somebody deliberately and say, if you don't accept Christ right now, you can like it or lump it. And you, for all I care, you can just go right on to hell. I've known preachers that have told people that. You don't get saved right now, you just go right on to hell. Well, they don't get back in the homes, and they have burnt the bridge right there. Now, notice, these individuals, they see that this man here is lacking in a true knowledge of conversion. But they said, maybe it would be wise for us to leave him thinking on what we've told him, and then let's go on. And then maybe we'll be able to talk with him at a later time. Leave the door open, dear people, if at all possible. Now, there are some doors that they're going to invite you out of, and you're just not going to get back, period. I don't care how kind you try to be toward them. But try to leave an open door. in your witnessing with the truth of the gospel. And don't think that it is your job to try to have to pin somebody down on the ground to get some type of a decision out of them. Tell them the truth. Invite them to Christ. And if they're not interested in coming to Christ, then let them know that you'll be interested in talking with them at any future time that they might so desire, and leave. and leave that and maybe somebody, maybe one of you fellows or one of you ladies, might be able to come by a couple of days later and you might be able to say something to that person that would be the opportune time. You see that? This is all. One plants, another waters, and God brings forth the increase. Try to leave the doors open, if at all possible. Sometimes we have to be firm and rebuke a person. because of their blasphemy of the gospel of Christ. We have to say, Dear sir, I'm sorry, but you cannot expect to do that and escape the judgment of God, and tell them so, but do it in a kind fashion. I've had individuals that have done that. I mean that I have witnessed two in their homes, and we've had to kindly tell them, Dear sir, if you persist in that, you will perish. And that is not just my estimation, that comes from Jesus himself. But try your best to leave an open door so that you or someone else may be able to witness to that person at a later time. Now let's bring this to a conclusion this evening. For we see, then said Hopeful, let ignorance a little while now muse on what is said, and let him not refuse good counsel to embrace, lest he remain still ignorant of what is the cheapest gain. God saith that those that no understanding have, although he made them, them he will not save. He further added, It is not good, I think, to say so to him all at once. Let us pass him by, if you will, and talk to him anon, or again, even as he is able to bear it." Do you see that? There is a scripture there. Even as he is able to understand it, perhaps God will give him a little more light the next time we talk with him. Let's close with a passage of scripture that really describes this person named Ignorance. Turn with me to Romans 10. Remember, this man is not a stupid man. He is not a person who is lacking in mentality. He is a person who is willingly ignorant of the way of salvation, and he wants to stay there. And this is described in Romans 10 by the Apostle Paul speaking of his own countrymen by nature, by birth, the Jewish people, the children of Israel. In Romans 10, verses 1 through 3, listen carefully, "'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.' for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, for Christ is the end of the law of righteousness to every one that believeth." Now, you ought to know that passage of Scripture. Now, here were the Jewish people, zealous. They fasted and tithed. They went out and made converts to their religion. And yet in all of this, Paul says, I give them credit, they have a zeal for God, for religious things. But here's what's their problem. It is a zeal that is not based on revealed knowledge, because in doing so they are ignorant of God's righteousness, and they're busy going about to establish their own self-righteousness before God so that God might accept that. and not the righteousness of Christ. And as a result, they refuse to submit themselves and be converted unto the way of Jesus Christ. They don't know him, and they don't want to know him. They want to go about and stand in their own human merit. And therefore, Paul says, I have a burden in my heart for my own people. I used to be one of them. I persecuted the Christians. I killed the Christians, and I thought I was doing God's will in doing it. But he says, this I did in ignorance. Let's go to 1 Timothy. I believe that's where that passage is, it just comes to my mind. In 1 Timothy 1 and verse 13. You don't have to turn there unless you're already close. Listen carefully to Paul's testimony now, since he's become a Christian, who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious, but I obtained mercy because I did it what? Ignorantly in unbelief. He says, I have a burden for my own people. They're zealous people for God. They're good people. They are not the down-and-outers. They have a respect for good, clean living. But here is their problem. They are so interested in making themselves acceptable before God that they have not submitted unto God's way of salvation, of God's way of saving sinners. So as a result, they are strangers to the true saving righteousness which comes by faith in Jesus Christ. So this is very pertinent for us today. I trust tonight that there is no one here that will end up before the judgment of God, and God asks you, dear sir or dear lady, child, young person, here you are standing at my judgment, and you are asking to enter into my heaven. What right do you have to enter into my heaven? What will you be able to say? Will you say, Lord, I was a church member, and Lord, I've tied to the church, and Lord, I did mission work, I cast out devils, and Lord, I've done many wonderful works. What will the answer come? Depart from me, I never knew you. But then here's some old sinner over here who says, Lord, I'm a sinner. But I stand tonight and I have a hope of your heaven for what your Son did for me, a sinner. He died for me. And I claim the right to enter into your heaven, not by my own goodness, but by the goodness of another one who died in my place. Do you have that hope tonight? Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for giving us the knowledge of eternal life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We thank you for saving our soul this evening, and we do pray that you give us more light as we walk our Christian pathway. We do pray for those around about us who are religious people, good neighbors, do anything we ask them, pay their bills, haven't wronged us. But, O God, we pray tonight that you might open their blinded eyes of their heart. and show them that what they are doing it for is for their own self-righteousness and not for your glory. God, may you reveal their sin to them and then show them the Savior who has come to remove the sins of men. We ask these favors in Jesus' name, and for his sake we pray, amen.