[0:00] Let's turn now to Matthew's Gospel chapter 27. Matthew's Gospel chapter 27 and verse 22.
[0:11] Pilate seeth unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? And then Matthew chapter 22. Matthew chapter 22, verse 42. Four-fifth years of Christ.
[0:42] I trust that every Christian here tonight will pray that Christ will fear, God will prevail in this message which is given tonight.
[1:00] And that he will create a spiritual atmosphere which shall be to the glory of his great name. This is one of the most wonderful texts of Scripture.
[1:16] One of the most vital questions in the whole Bible. What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?
[1:33] Here are many questions in the Bible which are important. What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
[1:52] If a man dies, shall he live again? The question of Paul and his conversion.
[2:05] Lord, what will thou have me to do? What must I do to be saved? How can a man be born in his own?
[2:23] And he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? How will you do in the swellings of Jordan? What do you think of Jesus?
[2:42] What shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world? How will you do in the world? How will we be born in your life? These are outstanding questions.
[2:57] But the question which is most important of all is the one in our text tonight. It must be a wonderful privilege to get the opportunity to preach on this text.
[3:12] May God walk through this text tonight so that sinners are declared and enter into the kingdom of God Our text tonight is one of the most important of all Bible questions It puts all other questions in the Bible into the background They become insignificant when we think of this question tonight What shall I I do with Jesus He is called Christ Why is this question so important?
[4:07] It is because every individual in the world must give an answer to it whether we like it or not You must answer it You answer it tonight in this building I answer it tonight in this building And God knows what our answer is to this question even now What shall I do with Jesus who is the Christ?
[4:42] Pilate asked this question of the multitude Pilate expected an answer and he got an answer God was asking the same question tonight of everyone who is here in this service What shall you do with Jesus My beloved son?
[5:14] Every person who ever lived in this world must answer this question God expects an answer God must have an answer God will have an answer from everyone who lived in this world from the beginning of time to the end of time You can't evade this question dear friend It doesn't matter who you are Christ will ask you this question day by day no doubt And your eternal destiny hangs on your answer to this vital and important question What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?
[6:10] Now as we read this passage tonight dear friends we see that Jesus was on trial before Pilate But if you look into the passage and study the passage and know the Bible you'll realize that it was Pilate who was on trial and not Jesus So dear friends we are on trial tonight before the great judge of all the earth God is trying us day by day He's proving us day by day and He knows what our answer to that question is tonight from every individual in this church and every person throughout the whole wide world That day was the Christ's day in Pilate life
[7:17] A very important day Why then did the chief priests and the scribes and the Pharisees hate Jesus?
[7:27] They hated him Why? Well if you turn up your Bibles to John chapter 12 and verse 19 you'll find the answer there The Pharisees therefore said among themselves Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing Behold the world The world is gone after Jesus That's why they hated Jesus Men and women flock to him Men and women listen to his wonderful message of life Men and women boys and girls saw his miracles They hated Jesus because he had such power Because he wasn't truly the son of God And some of them even called him a blasphemer Because he said he was the son of God
[8:28] They were jealous of him Most of all then this question What can I do with Jesus?
[8:42] What's your answer to that question tonight? I am asking you that question But more importantly still God is asking you that question what shall you do with Jesus Now there are only two things you can do with Jesus Two things You can crown him Lord of your life tonight and in the future Or you can shut him out from your life reject him crucify him Only two ways There is no partial salvation serving God with one hand serving Satan and the world with the other The Bible makes it clear the message is finally clear We cannot serve two masters or we will fall to the one and despise the other
[9:46] We will love the one and we will hate the other or hate the other There is no middle course We cannot be neutral with this question Not as prior to this famine to set Jesus free How do we know?
[10:11] I see no fault in this man Jesus He is innocent Pilate knew he was innocent Pilate had an opportunity to set Jesus free in the ministry Although we realize that it was in God's plan that Jesus had to take his place on the cross of Calgary Pilate's wife had a dream a very disturbing dream and he sent a message to Pilate as he sat on the judgment seat find Jesus have nothing to do with this just man for I have suffered many things in a dream because of him Pilate sent
[11:15] Jesus to Herod that he might judge Pilate thought he had get rid of Jesus Pilate Pilate then you see Jesus coming down the Lord and his back on Pilate hands again you can't get rid of Christ the Son of God you can't Jesus was back on Pilate hands again notice then that he tried to shift his responsibility on to someone else I wonder how many people how many sinners do that in the world they try to evade this question they try to push their responsibility on to someone else secondly who can decide or answer for me who can decide or answer for me you are on your own here be a friend with regard to this question no one else can answer for you you must answer it personally you must make the decision for yourself and the decision is absolutely a personal one mark my world tonight you can't ignore
[12:51] Jesus Christ you can't God will have it you can't destroy Jesus all of us here tonight will have to meet Jesus Christ the judge of all the earth we will have to answer before the greatest of all judges the son of God and he knows how we will answer this question dear friend if you can stand on that great day of judgment as you stand before Christ you will stand forevermore bless bless of God but if you fall on that day the day of judgment you will never rise again that's why the answer to this question is vital in your life and mine tonight as you seek to worship
[14:00] God with the help of his Holy Spirit Moses said that Pilate had to make a choice he made the wrong choice he let Jesus be crucified on the cross of Calvary Joshua made a choice the right choice ask for me and my house we will serve the Lord that was his testimony the Lord had to make a choice he chose the place of Sodom and he would have lost his life as the fire came down from heaven to destroy that wicked city but it not for the mercy of our heavenly Father he made the wrong choice Mary made a choice a wonderful choice she chose
[15:03] Jesus as her own personal savior and we have a wonderful testimony of the wonderful witness she gave in her life which is mentioned in the Bible here Mark chapter 14 verse 9 very I say unto you wheresoever this gospel shall speak throughout the whole world this also that Mary hath done shall be spoken of as a memorial offer wonderful wonderful wonderful savior a woman who was eaten sin but came to know this wonderful and merciful savior Jesus Christ the Lord and this savior can be yours tonight Jesus wants to be your savior do you want
[16:09] Jesus to be your savior that's the question Jesus can save you now at this very moment he has the power but will you let him do it then you must ask Jesus God to give us faith so that we might believe in him and trust in him in the work which he accomplished for sinners through his death on the cross of Calvary you have to make a choice too dear friend everyone in this building choose Jesus and choose life choose Satan in the world and you choose death here with a choice should be easy one would think it would be easy God with all his wonderful blessings
[17:10] God with all his wonderful treasures and riches God in all his loving kindness and mercy desiring that sinners should come to him that they might have life and not only have life but have it more abundantly that's what God wants for you dear friends will you let him give these treasures to you tonight if you haven't received them before he is waiting to give you these treasures to you time comes dear friends in the life of every individual when our decision will be final and our decision will be irrevocable again when must I give an answer to this question change the answer is no no at this very moment 7 20 we've got to answer to our
[18:19] God we want the answer no that's when you have to give your answer no no is the accepted time the Bible says no is the day of salvation we have no promise that we shall even go out from this building tonight that depends on God's mercy and depends on his loving kindness towards us we want the answer now we have no promise of tomorrow we cannot say that we shall answer in the near future or that we will answer just before we leave this time and enter the great eternity we are asked to give the answer now now is the word which never never never comes back now it's gone
[19:25] I've spoken it it's gone surely that should be a challenge to our very hearts tonight but here we have no continuing city but we should be seeking one to come that city which God has built with the real foundation the solid foundation the one which has ever lasted which can never be destroyed time is sliding swiftly by death and judgment draw nigh to the arms of Jesus fly be in time oh I say you can see the cross where the fatal line the cross and your soul and hair will be lost meantime keep keep the warming voice make the
[20:39] Lord your final choice then all heaven will rejoice meantime come from darkness into light come let Jesus make your life come and start for heaven tonight if you haven't already done so by faith in Jesus Christ start now at very moment and God will bless you forever more many people in the world try to escape answering this question it can't be done many try to postpone this question for the end of the day it can't be done many try to be neutral with regard to this question what shall
[21:43] I do with Jesus who is called Christ it can't be done many try to wash their hands of this question like Pilate of old can't can't be done you must face Jesus I must face Jesus and God wants you to make the decision that was one thing about Joshua's life he's a man who looked for decisions that the people might decide for God to obey him to love him to serve him all philosophies and religions of this world are insignificant when we ask this vital question why is it that the cross of Jesus Christ is such an offense to sinners in this world why well the
[22:49] Bible makes it clear the cross of Jesus tells us of the power of God to save and the weakness of man that's why people hate the cross it tells us of the wonderful love of Jesus how he came from him glory into this world of sin and shame and gave us life on that cross that sinners might be saved to believe in him and his finished work there he has he has he has he has he has it tells us here friends also of the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man that's why sinners hate the cross of Jesus it proves our life to shame when you think of
[23:50] Jesus who was holy harmless undefined separate from sinners a perfect savior offering to sinners a perfect salvation and that's why we do what shall I do with Jesus he called Christ have you any room for Jesus he who bore your load of sin ask you not and ask for listen sinner will you let him in room for Jesus king of glory he said now his word of being swing the heart door widely open bitter mentor while you may time is so important to you think for we are no promise of tomorrow perhaps there is someone in this church tonight a sinner and they say almost you persuade me to become a
[25:11] Christian almost you persuade me to give my life to Jesus almost you persuade me to enter into the kingdom of God well it's like the man who was almost pardoned but he was hanged a man who was shipwrecked at speed he saw someone coming to save him almost saved but he was found someone in a fire in his own home and the neighbors ran to try to save him almost saved but bond about almost in the kingdom of heaven but not in sight if you're almost a
[26:22] Christian you're not saved saved he may be very near it he may be very near the kingdom of God as it says in the Bible very near indeed almost there he offends we do not know whether we will reach that place where there is perfect peace in glory above unless we crown Jesus Lord of our lives I want to ask another question tonight what shall I do with Jesus but turn the question around it not in the Bible perhaps some people say that is wrong then but I ask it tonight what shall
[27:22] Jesus be with you if you believe in him wonderful amazing fantastic what Jesus Christ can do with you and with me when we trust in him and obey him day by day he will usually be a friend of a chosen vessel in his hands for the extension of his kingdom for the ingathering of lost sinners into the kingdom of God he can do that for you he did it for Saul of Parsons Saul of Parsons who persecuted the church who persecuted Christians to the death who had no time for believers in Christ to
[28:22] Saul people stoning Stephen to death and rejoice but Jesus touched that life life of Saul and he became a wonderful apostle of God God's wonderful mercy God's wonderful power God's great loving kind another question so important in the Bible what is you at Christ if one person put it what is you at Christ what is you against Christ when he is such a wonderful station you ask any believer in Christ in this church tonight when you go out if you are a sinner without salvation without Jesus as your own personal savior ask them the question what do you think of Christ and you'll hear a wonderful testimony a testimony which will do your heart and your soul good because
[29:41] God blessed the testimony of many believers in Christ to those who are outside the kingdom God works in a wonderful way in a mysterious way his wonderful life to perform to perform what are we doing for Jesus that's a certain question what are we doing for Jesus are our lives a credit to Jesus tonight is this church any stronger because we are in it is the cause of Christ advanced because of our efforts our prayers our sacrifices in the Lord's service as we seek to spend and be spent for Jesus that's in question well we have what
[30:45] Jesus can do with a servant of God when we mentioned in the morning about Moses who am I to go and deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt Jeremiah I cannot speak in thy name I am but a child and God used that wonderful suffet bless thy God to bring blessing to the nations where he was he had a difficult task to accomplish but people wouldn't listen to him at the beginning and they read that of Samuel himself in the Old Testament how he preached the word for a long time many years before the people began to realize that they were on the wrong road and that
[31:49] God was calling them back teaching them to seek the forgiveness of their sins in order that he might bless them and do them good and in 2nd chronicles chapter 15 in that chapter there you were reading of how God is able to bless his people and in 2nd chronicles in chapter 7 you read of these words and before I read them dear friends you must remember that often times we point the finger at sinners who have no salvation we point the finger at those who are ungodly we point the finger at those who are outside
[32:52] God's kingdom listen to what it says you know the verse very well I'm sure 2nd chronicles 7 verse 14 if my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and see my face and come from the wicked way then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land heal their land God may be pointing the finger at me tonight in this purpose God may be pointing the finger at many believers in Christ who are here tonight because he knows that God's blessing upon our nations we depend on God's people he depends on God for naturally but God is calling his people to humble themselves to confess the sins before God then the land will be healed then there will be rejoicing in our nations then we will remember
[34:16] Christ's death and carve his cross it will mean something it will be precious to each one of us and we'll see God watching in a wonderful way bringing great glory to his name as souls of God again and find Jesus our dear friend forevermore the one who will never fail them the one who will always strengthen them and support them day by day and give them the grace to serve them day by day let us pray we say oh father we bow humble before thy throne of grace tonight thou art the Lord God almighty nothing is too hard for our God to do God has still the same power today as he has years gone by and will have the same power to the end of time and throughout the length of the coming eternity oh
[35:33] Lord we pray that thou would reveal thy mighty power in the salvation of precious souls evening this time and not only here heavenly father but wherever thy gospel is preached in sincerity and truth depending upon the grace of God depending upon the power of the Holy Spirit say oh Lord that many may be found seeking Christ and finding him as their own personal faith bless every family represented here we pray may thy Holy Spirit be at watch in every individual to say oh Lord that people here may be a shining light in this world of darkness shining more and more unto the perfect day pray heavenly father that we may desire that others may come to know Jesus and as they come to know
[36:36] Jesus that others may come to know Jesus through their witness and others still so that the Lord our God may be glorified that we may give all praise and honor and glory to him for that perfect work of salvation accomplished by Jesus through his death on the cross of Calvary Lord bless us tonight send us away from this church rejoicing in me knowing that thou hast been here knowing that we have seen Jesus the only Savior the Son of God and that he may become more precious in the days and years at my head to each one of his believing people pardon our sins take us to our several holy shaming we pray oh Lord that great things will be done today through the preaching of thy precious one for
[37:41] God has given the promise in his precious one that through the foolishness of preaching many shall come to know Jesus as their own personal faith may it be so tonight we thank the Lord tonight from the depths of our hearts but the church of Jesus is growing every day one year one year is being added to his trust and Christ's glory is being increased and the day is coming when all shall acknowledge that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father pardon our sins now we pray we ask all in the Savior's name Amen Jesus sharing his name has this has l everything