100:00:00,800 –> 00:00:08,160Judas’ greatest plunge to disaster was not betraying Jesus.200:00:09,440 –> 00:00:13,840After committing this great and awful and terrible sin,300:00:15,080 –> 00:00:18,559Judas gave up whole.400:00:20,200 –> 00:00:22,600Now I want to suggest to you from the Bible today that,500:00:22,600 –> 00:00:26,639that was his greatest plunge to disaster.600:00:27,500 –> 00:00:30,379Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.700:00:30,379 –> 00:00:33,299I’m David Pick, glad you could be with us today.800:00:33,299 –> 00:00:39,220And Colin, I think many people would think what on earth could be worse than betraying Jesus?900:00:39,220 –> 00:00:43,860Well, that was his great sin, but of course, it was not his ultimate sin.1000:00:43,860 –> 00:00:49,099The ultimate sin is to remain at a distance from Jesus Christ.1100:00:49,099 –> 00:00:52,200That’s the only position in which there is no hope1200:00:52,200 –> 00:00:54,580and that is why Judas is such a tragic figure.1300:00:54,779 –> 00:00:58,720So what I want to say to the person listening today1400:00:58,720 –> 00:01:01,700who has done a terrible thing and you say,1500:01:01,700 –> 00:01:05,959oh, I have blown it, I’ve done the worst imaginable thing.1600:01:05,959 –> 00:01:10,699Do not make your situation worse by despair.1700:01:10,699 –> 00:01:15,459You put yourself in the position of looking to Jesus Christ1800:01:15,459 –> 00:01:20,279because the worst thing that you can do is to follow what you’ve already done1900:01:20,339 –> 00:01:22,160by giving up hope on Him.2000:01:22,160 –> 00:01:25,800There is hope in him, and there is hope for you today.2100:01:25,800 –> 00:01:29,959Whatever you have done, and that’s at the heart of our program.2200:01:29,959 –> 00:01:31,720Let’s get straight into that message.2300:01:31,720 –> 00:01:33,879We’re in Matthew chapter 27.2400:01:33,879 –> 00:01:36,580As we continue the message, never give up hope.2500:01:36,580 –> 00:01:37,879Here’s Collin.2600:01:37,879 –> 00:01:40,040Now, if you have your Bibles open in Matthew 27,2700:01:40,040 –> 00:01:41,360we’ll follow the story.2800:01:42,419 –> 00:01:44,040Early in the morning,2900:01:44,040 –> 00:01:46,680this is the morning of the day that Jesus was crucified,3000:01:46,680 –> 00:01:48,559the chief priests and the elders of the people3100:01:48,559 –> 00:01:52,480came to the decision that they would put Jesus to death.3200:01:52,480 –> 00:01:54,480They bound him and they led him away3300:01:54,480 –> 00:01:57,580and they handed him over to Pilate, the governor.3400:01:57,580 –> 00:02:00,459Then, in Matthew 27, we’re told this,3500:02:00,459 –> 00:02:02,519when Judas, who had betrayed him,3600:02:02,519 –> 00:02:04,739saw that Jesus was condemned,3700:02:04,739 –> 00:02:08,000he was seized with remorse3800:02:08,000 –> 00:02:11,820and returned the 30 pieces of silver.3900:02:12,720 –> 00:02:15,720Now, he does some very good things.4000:02:15,720 –> 00:02:17,600Notice verse four.4100:02:17,720 –> 00:02:22,220He makes a remarkable confession of his own responsibility.4200:02:22,220 –> 00:02:23,600Unqualified.4300:02:23,600 –> 00:02:26,419He comes to the chief priests and he says, verse four,4400:02:26,419 –> 00:02:29,320I have sinned.4500:02:31,199 –> 00:02:33,380That’s an extraordinary, straight up,4600:02:33,380 –> 00:02:36,720I’ll take the ownership kind of a confession.4700:02:36,720 –> 00:02:39,000There’s no dodging, no weaving here.4800:02:39,000 –> 00:02:41,440There are no excuses here.4900:02:41,440 –> 00:02:43,080It can’t be straighter than this.5000:02:43,080 –> 00:02:45,679I have sinned.5100:02:46,559 –> 00:02:50,320I have betrayed innocent blood.5200:02:51,720 –> 00:02:55,080This is a full and frank confession.5300:02:55,080 –> 00:02:58,360You could not ask more at this point.5400:02:58,360 –> 00:03:02,539He says, I’m plain guilty.5500:03:04,679 –> 00:03:06,940Notice that he says that Jesus is innocent.5600:03:06,940 –> 00:03:08,559He wants to save Jesus.5700:03:08,559 –> 00:03:11,399His idea at this point is that if he returns the money5800:03:11,399 –> 00:03:14,220maybe the legal process can be thrown into reverse.5900:03:14,259 –> 00:03:16,759Maybe if he will testify as the one who betrayed6000:03:16,759 –> 00:03:18,460that Jesus is actually innocent6100:03:18,460 –> 00:03:21,339and that the other witnesses who’ve come forward are false,6200:03:21,339 –> 00:03:25,660maybe there will be a stay of execution on this day.6300:03:25,660 –> 00:03:26,720I’ve sinned,6400:03:28,100 –> 00:03:30,279maybe now there’s something that I can do6500:03:30,279 –> 00:03:31,339to put it right.6600:03:32,940 –> 00:03:35,300And of course the chief priests aren’t interested.6700:03:35,300 –> 00:03:36,320What is that to us?6800:03:36,320 –> 00:03:37,220They reply.6900:03:37,220 –> 00:03:38,839It’s your responsibility,7000:03:38,839 –> 00:03:42,059too late now, Judas, they say the deed is done.7100:03:42,059 –> 00:03:43,940You may wish you could turn the clock back7200:03:43,940 –> 00:03:45,000but you can’t.7300:03:47,100 –> 00:03:49,059What will be, will be.7400:03:49,059 –> 00:03:50,160You’ve made your choice,7500:03:50,160 –> 00:03:51,520you have to live with it.7600:03:51,520 –> 00:03:53,600There’s nothing you can do about it now,7700:03:53,600 –> 00:03:57,979you can almost hear the echoes of the devil himself7800:03:57,979 –> 00:03:59,720in these kinds of words.7900:04:01,460 –> 00:04:05,899So now despair comes sweeping over8000:04:05,899 –> 00:04:07,320this desperate man.8100:04:08,320 –> 00:04:11,779He knows that he’s committed a terrible crime.8200:04:11,940 –> 00:04:14,160He cannot now do anything about it,8300:04:14,160 –> 00:04:15,740it cannot be undone,8400:04:15,740 –> 00:04:20,640and he feels that he cannot live with himself any longer.8500:04:21,920 –> 00:04:23,200And so we’re told, verse five,8600:04:23,200 –> 00:04:24,739he threw the money into the temple,8700:04:24,739 –> 00:04:27,500and he left, and he went away,8800:04:27,500 –> 00:04:28,779and he hanged himself.8900:04:30,679 –> 00:04:32,739Now that is the greatest tragedy of his life.9000:04:32,739 –> 00:04:35,540Now I want you to hear me very carefully at this moment.9100:04:36,420 –> 00:04:39,339It was not that he betrayed Jesus,9200:04:40,200 –> 00:04:44,320it was not even that he took his own life,9300:04:46,579 –> 00:04:51,239it was that he gave up hope!9400:04:53,299 –> 00:04:56,760He gave up hope,9500:04:58,739 –> 00:05:02,040and there is no greater tragedy for a man9600:05:02,040 –> 00:05:03,640or for a woman than that.9700:05:03,640 –> 00:05:08,640This is the ultimate plunge to disaster9800:05:08,820 –> 00:05:12,019for a man or for a woman who feels despair9900:05:12,019 –> 00:05:15,959threatening against them to give up hope!10000:05:15,959 –> 00:05:17,739Don’t ever go there!10100:05:21,100 –> 00:05:23,779Now, let me tell you another story,10200:05:25,739 –> 00:05:29,420because Judas was not the only man10300:05:29,420 –> 00:05:32,760in the darkness of despair that day.10400:05:34,260 –> 00:05:36,459You see, the previous night, as we read earlier,10500:05:36,459 –> 00:05:40,600Peter had been standing by the house of the high priest10600:05:40,600 –> 00:05:42,200where Jesus had been taken,10700:05:42,200 –> 00:05:44,679and inside, Jesus was being mocked,10800:05:44,679 –> 00:05:47,100interrogated, and tortured.10900:05:48,519 –> 00:05:51,600And Peter’s standing outside, and he’s dead scared11000:05:51,600 –> 00:05:54,399that if he’s identified as one of Jesus’ followers,11100:05:54,399 –> 00:05:57,640he might be taken inside and get the same.11200:05:59,260 –> 00:06:02,600And so he’s asked on three different occasions11300:06:02,640 –> 00:06:04,079if he’s a follower of Jesus,11400:06:04,079 –> 00:06:06,339and on each of these occasions he says no,11500:06:06,339 –> 00:06:08,420and with ever-increasing strength,11600:06:08,420 –> 00:06:10,480until in the end we’re told he called down11700:06:10,480 –> 00:06:13,660curses on himself, and he swore to them,11800:06:13,660 –> 00:06:15,500I don’t the man.11900:06:16,880 –> 00:06:20,279At that moment, Luke tells us Jesus,12000:06:20,279 –> 00:06:23,559having been bruised and punched by fists12100:06:23,559 –> 00:06:25,540when he was blindfolded there12200:06:25,540 –> 00:06:27,200in the house of the high priest,12300:06:27,200 –> 00:06:32,200Jesus is dragged out across the courtyard12400:06:32,440 –> 00:06:37,179and Jesus looks at Peter, and the cock crows.12500:06:40,619 –> 00:06:43,519That Luke in the eyes of Jesus must have12600:06:43,519 –> 00:06:46,920drilled depths of sadness into Peter.12700:06:48,940 –> 00:06:53,519And we read that he went outside and he wept bitterly.12800:06:54,980 –> 00:06:56,480Wept bitterly.12900:06:59,019 –> 00:07:00,760And so on the day that Jesus died,13000:07:00,799 –> 00:07:02,380the following morning there were two men13100:07:02,380 –> 00:07:05,140surrounded by darkness, Judas, who betrayed him,13200:07:06,420 –> 00:07:08,619and Peter, who denied him.13300:07:10,079 –> 00:07:13,859Two men who had taken a plunge to disaster.13400:07:15,880 –> 00:07:18,179But there was a great difference between them.13500:07:19,760 –> 00:07:22,679Judas was filled with remorse,13600:07:23,820 –> 00:07:27,500Peter found repentance.13700:07:27,500 –> 00:07:28,880You say, what’s the difference?13800:07:28,880 –> 00:07:30,820Big difference.13900:07:30,820 –> 00:07:34,540Remorse looks inside, and it simply says,14000:07:34,540 –> 00:07:36,299I’ve wasted my life.14100:07:37,839 –> 00:07:41,140Repentance looks to Christ,14200:07:41,140 –> 00:07:44,859and it says, I’ll give you my life.14300:07:45,940 –> 00:07:48,619Judas was sorry, but he was not repentant.14400:07:48,619 –> 00:07:51,959You see, repentance is more than being sorry,14500:07:51,959 –> 00:07:55,119repentance is more than saying, I’m guilty, I did it.14600:07:56,059 –> 00:07:58,980It’s more than wishing , as Judas did,14700:07:58,980 –> 00:08:01,380that you could go back and undo what you did.14800:08:01,380 –> 00:08:04,380Repentance is in your great sorrow14900:08:04,380 –> 00:08:09,380turning to Jesus Christ, and that’s where hope is found.15000:08:10,380 –> 00:08:12,420And the tragedy of Judas’s life,15100:08:12,420 –> 00:08:16,239the greatest tragedy is that he did not find that hope.15200:08:18,140 –> 00:08:20,820Paul speaks about the distinction between remorse15300:08:20,820 –> 00:08:24,320and repentant in 2 Corinthians chapter seven15400:08:24,320 –> 00:08:27,299and verse 10, 2 Corinthians 7 10.15500:08:27,299 –> 00:08:28,700He describes it this way.15600:08:28,700 –> 00:08:33,580He says godly sorrow that brings repentance15700:08:33,580 –> 00:08:36,940and leads to salvation leaves no regret.15800:08:36,940 –> 00:08:38,619But then he speaks about remorse15900:08:38,619 –> 00:08:40,419and describes it in this way.16000:08:40,419 –> 00:08:43,039He speaks about a worldly sorrow,16100:08:43,039 –> 00:08:45,000that’s what remorse is.16200:08:45,000 –> 00:08:46,619That leads only to death.16300:08:48,299 –> 00:08:49,419You know when you have done something16400:08:49,419 –> 00:08:51,059that is terribly wrong,16500:08:51,719 –> 00:08:55,419don’t wallow in despair.16600:08:56,539 –> 00:08:57,940Don’t allow yourself16700:08:57,940 –> 00:09:01,440to be overcome by self-condemnation.16800:09:03,460 –> 00:09:05,520That’s the ultimate plunge to disaster,16900:09:05,520 –> 00:09:07,239to give up on hope.17000:09:09,760 –> 00:09:12,359Repentance means taking ownership17100:09:12,359 –> 00:09:13,599of what I have done,17200:09:13,599 –> 00:09:15,820but then turning to Jesus Christ17300:09:15,820 –> 00:09:19,580in whom I find hope for the future.17400:09:21,239 –> 00:09:22,059That’s the difference17500:09:22,059 –> 00:09:23,299between Peter and Judas.17600:09:23,299 –> 00:09:26,039That’s the tragedy of Judas’ life.17700:09:26,039 –> 00:09:28,219Peter repented.17800:09:29,179 –> 00:09:31,359Judas despaired.17900:09:32,659 –> 00:09:34,260You’re listening to Open the Bible18000:09:34,260 –> 00:09:35,659with Pastor Colin Smith18100:09:35,659 –> 00:09:38,380and a message called Never Give Up Hope,18200:09:38,380 –> 00:09:40,619the Story of Judas Iscariot18300:09:40,619 –> 00:09:44,539and How We Can Learn From His Plunge to Disaster.18400:09:44,539 –> 00:09:46,539The message is from the series18500:09:46,539 –> 00:09:48,419Deckchairs on the Titanic,18600:09:48,419 –> 00:09:50,640How to Avoid Plunging to Disaster18700:09:50,760 –> 00:09:52,599and if you have missed any of the series18800:09:52,599 –> 00:09:54,239or if you want to go back and listen again,18900:09:54,239 –> 00:09:56,940you can do that by coming online to our website,19000:09:56,940 –> 00:09:59,419openthebible.org.uk19100:09:59,419 –> 00:10:00,479and there you’ll find all the messages19200:10:00,479 –> 00:10:02,880which have already been broadcast19300:10:02,880 –> 00:10:04,940and you will also find them as a podcast19400:10:04,940 –> 00:10:07,080and those are on all the main podcast sites.19500:10:07,080 –> 00:10:09,000Search for openthebible.uk19600:10:09,000 –> 00:10:12,840and subscribe if you want to receive regular reminders.19700:10:12,840 –> 00:10:14,039Back to the message now19800:10:14,039 –> 00:10:17,080where in Matthew chapter 2719900:10:17,080 –> 00:10:18,520and here’s Colin.20000:10:18,539 –> 00:10:21,580Peter repented.20100:10:21,580 –> 00:10:23,900Judas despaired.20200:10:24,880 –> 00:10:26,780And the incredible thing is, of course,20300:10:26,780 –> 00:10:30,719that two days later, Jesus rose from the dead20400:10:31,619 –> 00:10:34,599and the repentant Peter was able to see Him20500:10:34,599 –> 00:10:36,080and to hear His word20600:10:36,080 –> 00:10:39,419and to be recommissioned into a whole new kind of life20700:10:39,419 –> 00:10:41,320that was a ministry way beyond anything20800:10:41,320 –> 00:10:43,380that he had ever imagined to be possible.20900:10:44,539 –> 00:10:47,219But Judas took his life two days21000:10:47,219 –> 00:10:49,619before that could have happened for him.21100:10:51,380 –> 00:10:52,700He never lived to see it.21200:10:54,979 –> 00:10:57,599So here’s the principle that I want us to draw out21300:10:57,599 –> 00:11:01,940in this last message in our series today.21400:11:01,940 –> 00:11:05,460If you want to avoid a plunge to disaster,21500:11:05,460 –> 00:11:08,679never give up hope.21600:11:10,159 –> 00:11:13,320And maybe that’s the battle for some among us right now21700:11:15,080 –> 00:11:16,260in ways that only you21800:11:16,260 –> 00:11:17,679and the Lord, perhaps, know.21900:11:17,679 –> 00:11:20,880You feel yourself surrounded by darkness today.22000:11:22,119 –> 00:11:27,119You feel loaded with a sense of personal failure and guilt,22100:11:29,020 –> 00:11:31,960and you cannot see any way out of the situation22200:11:31,960 –> 00:11:36,000that you’ve got yourself in by choices you have made.22300:11:37,099 –> 00:11:38,239And here’s my question.22400:11:39,640 –> 00:11:43,780Are you then going to be like Peter,22500:11:44,460 –> 00:11:46,460or like Judas?22600:11:48,099 –> 00:11:50,539Because that’s your choice today.22700:11:52,179 –> 00:11:54,099To turn in on yourself and say,22800:11:54,099 –> 00:11:55,900I wasted my life,22900:11:55,900 –> 00:11:59,619and to be enclosed in the darkness of despair,23000:12:00,739 –> 00:12:02,659or to look up to Christ.23100:12:04,099 –> 00:12:05,440To find hope.23200:12:07,080 –> 00:12:09,820To say, with all my sin, and with all my sorrow,23300:12:09,820 –> 00:12:13,039and with all my stupid mistake and failure,23400:12:14,659 –> 00:12:17,340I give my life to you.23500:12:17,340 –> 00:12:20,679Take it, take it like the potter23600:12:20,679 –> 00:12:23,219would take a spoiled piece of clay23700:12:23,219 –> 00:12:24,739and shape it now23800:12:26,299 –> 00:12:28,700into something that could be useful23900:12:30,580 –> 00:12:31,419for you.24000:12:33,659 –> 00:12:35,619No matter how great the darkness,24100:12:37,380 –> 00:12:38,659there is always hope24200:12:40,739 –> 00:12:41,919in Jesus Christ.24300:12:44,780 –> 00:12:47,559And let me make it specific in two ways.24400:12:48,979 –> 00:12:52,799Number one you’re never too bad.24500:12:54,419 –> 00:12:57,559See, as some of us will be thinking right now now,24600:12:57,559 –> 00:12:59,940is Colin suggesting that, you know,24700:12:59,940 –> 00:13:01,700Judas could have been forgiven?24800:13:04,020 –> 00:13:05,739Of course.24900:13:07,739 –> 00:13:08,799Of course.25000:13:09,739 –> 00:13:14,460You see, Christ died for sinners.25100:13:14,460 –> 00:13:17,280Now what we do, is we take a few sins25200:13:17,280 –> 00:13:19,479and we put them in a special category25300:13:19,479 –> 00:13:21,320and we mark them unforgivable.25400:13:21,320 –> 00:13:22,640That’s what we do with Judas sin.25500:13:22,640 –> 00:13:24,400In the back of our minds somewhere we think,25600:13:24,400 –> 00:13:29,239oh, well, of course what he did would be beyond, beyond.25700:13:29,239 –> 00:13:30,820And then by the same logic,25800:13:30,820 –> 00:13:33,239we take a few things in our lives.25900:13:34,700 –> 00:13:36,520And we say, well, we know, we hear about forgiveness26000:13:36,520 –> 00:13:37,799every Sunday from the pulpit26100:13:37,799 –> 00:13:39,119and that’s a marvelous thing,26200:13:39,119 –> 00:13:42,119but of course, if it was known what I had done,26300:13:44,359 –> 00:13:46,419no, not even Christ could forgive that.26400:13:48,320 –> 00:13:50,960That’s why you think you don’t know the Jesus of the Bible26500:13:50,960 –> 00:13:52,619and, oh, that you would meet him.26600:13:56,599 –> 00:14:00,219If only Judas, instead of going out to that field,26700:14:02,799 –> 00:14:05,580could have come somewhere near the cross,26800:14:07,799 –> 00:14:11,979and in an agony he would have seen Jesus nailed.26900:14:13,900 –> 00:14:15,440And I don’t know how he would have been able27000:14:15,440 –> 00:14:19,479to stand there and watch that cross being raised,27100:14:22,479 –> 00:14:25,739but if he had, he would have heard Jesus say,27200:14:27,359 –> 00:14:28,619Father, forgive them.27300:14:30,000 –> 00:14:33,140They do not know what they do.27400:14:33,299 –> 00:14:34,520Jesus had forgiven them.27500:14:38,900 –> 00:14:43,659He was ready to forgive brutal thugs who nailed him.27600:14:46,900 –> 00:14:50,719He was ready to forgive a blaspheming pastor27700:14:52,659 –> 00:14:55,020who denied him, so I’m describing Peter.27800:14:57,719 –> 00:14:58,739He would have been ready27900:14:58,739 –> 00:15:00,900to forgive Judas for betraying him,28000:15:03,140 –> 00:15:05,400but he is ready to forgive you28100:15:05,400 –> 00:15:09,760for whatever you have done, if you will come to him,28200:15:09,760 –> 00:15:12,500and that’s the tragedy of a Judas, you see,28300:15:12,500 –> 00:15:14,599that he just curls up in despair28400:15:14,599 –> 00:15:18,000and says, well, there’s no hope even in Jesus for me.28500:15:20,359 –> 00:15:21,260Never too bad.28600:15:23,919 –> 00:15:26,099You know, one of the reasons that we have so much talk28700:15:26,099 –> 00:15:27,640about false guilt today,28800:15:27,640 –> 00:15:29,359one of the reasons that we’re never done hearing28900:15:29,359 –> 00:15:31,840about denial today is that in our culture,29000:15:31,840 –> 00:15:35,539we have no idea how to deal with real guilt29100:15:36,719 –> 00:15:39,599because we’ve lost touch with the gospel of Jesus Christ.29200:15:40,799 –> 00:15:45,219Christ is ready to forgive all who will come to him29300:15:45,219 –> 00:15:50,219in repentance and put their hope in him.29400:15:53,739 –> 00:15:55,539If you want to avoid a plunge to disaster,29500:15:55,539 –> 00:15:56,619never give up hope.29600:15:57,799 –> 00:16:00,179The cross is big enough to cover your sin,29700:16:00,179 –> 00:16:03,880the blood of Jesus is rich enough to cleanse your guilt,29800:16:03,880 –> 00:16:07,500the love of Jesus is strong enough to reach you29900:16:07,500 –> 00:16:10,359no matter how far you have gone from him,30000:16:11,280 –> 00:16:15,780believe in him, come to him, and put your hope in him.30100:16:17,539 –> 00:16:19,619There’s not a reason in the world for one person30200:16:19,619 –> 00:16:21,700to go out of these doors in despair today.30300:16:23,859 –> 00:16:27,380The very last thing is this, it’s never too late.30400:16:28,340 –> 00:16:32,700You see the enemy of our soul spins two powerful lies30500:16:32,700 –> 00:16:35,619that must have been running in the mind of Judas,30600:16:35,619 –> 00:16:39,039one is what you’ve done is too bad to be forgiven30700:16:39,039 –> 00:16:41,619and the other is now you have gone to a point30800:16:41,619 –> 00:16:46,080where it’s too late to turn to Christ.30900:16:46,080 –> 00:16:48,580Jesus will be crucified, Judas must have thought,31000:16:48,580 –> 00:16:51,400there’s nothing I can do about it now,31100:16:51,400 –> 00:16:53,520my opportunity is gone.31200:16:54,119 –> 00:16:57,919Now let me say this specific word of application31300:16:57,919 –> 00:17:00,859in these last moments to older people31400:17:00,859 –> 00:17:05,859and perhaps to some who may have a terminal illness31500:17:07,819 –> 00:17:10,500for some who may know that this is31600:17:10,500 –> 00:17:13,300the last chapter of your life,31700:17:14,880 –> 00:17:18,219perhaps some who may even hear this message by tape31800:17:18,219 –> 00:17:20,219in a hospital bed and you may know31900:17:20,219 –> 00:17:23,359it is the last days of your life.32000:17:24,060 –> 00:17:28,959And you feel that the die is cast.32100:17:28,959 –> 00:17:31,959You feel that it’s too late.32200:17:31,959 –> 00:17:36,760You feel, well, now what will be will be.32300:17:39,619 –> 00:17:41,359Come with me to the cross.32400:17:43,599 –> 00:17:46,300Jesus is dying, can you try and picture this?32500:17:46,300 –> 00:17:49,319And beside him on another cross is a thief32600:17:49,319 –> 00:17:51,439and he’s dying too.32700:17:52,420 –> 00:17:57,260And it’s the 59th minute of the 11th hour of his life32800:17:57,260 –> 00:18:01,280but he sees his need and he believes in Jesus32900:18:01,280 –> 00:18:04,920and he asks Christ to save him.33000:18:06,319 –> 00:18:09,459Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom he says33100:18:09,459 –> 00:18:12,020to Jesus, and Jesus said to him,33200:18:12,020 –> 00:18:17,020today you will be with me in Paradise.33300:18:17,020 –> 00:18:22,020The Lord Jesus Christ died to save you.33400:18:23,239 –> 00:18:28,239He stands ready to welcome you at any point in life.33500:18:29,380 –> 00:18:32,560He calls you to believe in him.33600:18:32,560 –> 00:18:35,339He invites you right now to put your trust33700:18:35,339 –> 00:18:36,920in his death for you.33800:18:36,920 –> 00:18:39,199He offers you everlasting life.33900:18:39,199 –> 00:18:43,119Believe in him, trust him, turn to him.34000:18:43,119 –> 00:18:45,119Ask him to save you.34100:18:45,939 –> 00:18:49,359There is hope in Jesus Christ.34200:18:51,199 –> 00:18:55,839It is never in this life too late.34300:18:59,680 –> 00:19:03,439Don’t say to yourself, I’ve lived 60, 70, 80 years34400:19:03,439 –> 00:19:06,239without Christ it’s too late for me now.34500:19:08,660 –> 00:19:13,660Come to him now, put your hope in him34600:19:15,119 –> 00:19:18,920and you’ll see, you’ll see.34700:19:18,920 –> 00:19:21,040There’s a lovely story with which we end the series.34800:19:21,040 –> 00:19:23,040We called it Deck chairs on the Titanic.34900:19:23,040 –> 00:19:25,239We haven’t said a whole lot about the Titanic.35000:19:25,239 –> 00:19:26,880I just wanted to use that picture35100:19:26,880 –> 00:19:28,920because it’s such a powerful picture35200:19:30,339 –> 00:19:33,479of us moving along in our little lives35300:19:33,479 –> 00:19:37,520and not really realizing the awesome things35400:19:37,520 –> 00:19:38,640that lie ahead of us.35500:19:39,599 –> 00:19:42,119But let me tell you a true story from the Titanic.35600:19:42,939 –> 00:19:46,520There was a pastor on the Titanic35700:19:46,520 –> 00:19:48,760whose name was John Harper,35800:19:48,760 –> 00:19:52,920Scottish pastor from Glasgow.35900:19:52,920 –> 00:19:54,839The church where he ministered36000:19:54,839 –> 00:19:57,160is now called Harper Memorial Church,36100:19:57,160 –> 00:19:59,119I preached there on several occasions.36200:20:00,040 –> 00:20:02,920John Harper was traveling to speak at some meetings36300:20:02,920 –> 00:20:06,400here in Chicago at the Moody Memorial Church.36400:20:06,400 –> 00:20:09,079And in fact, there is a hall in Moody Church36500:20:09,079 –> 00:20:11,420that to this day is named Harper Hall36600:20:11,420 –> 00:20:13,060in memory of John Harper36700:20:13,060 –> 00:20:16,420who died in the tragedy of the Titanic.36800:20:18,219 –> 00:20:19,959When the Titanic went down,36900:20:20,979 –> 00:20:24,339John Harper spent his last moments in these icy waters37000:20:24,339 –> 00:20:27,500urging people to put their trust in Jesus Christ.37100:20:28,780 –> 00:20:31,619At one point he found a man clinging to a board37200:20:31,619 –> 00:20:35,380and he clung to this board alongside him for a few moments.37300:20:35,380 –> 00:20:37,140And Harper said to this man,37400:20:37,180 –> 00:20:38,739are you saved?37500:20:39,819 –> 00:20:42,380And the man said, no.37600:20:43,380 –> 00:20:44,660And Harper said to him,37700:20:44,660 –> 00:20:49,640believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.37800:20:52,540 –> 00:20:54,500Harper then apparently went37900:20:54,500 –> 00:20:57,459and began to swim towards some others38000:20:57,459 –> 00:20:59,180and spoke to them in the same way.38100:21:00,880 –> 00:21:03,060And after some time he came back to this man38200:21:03,060 –> 00:21:05,339still clinging to this piece of wood.38300:21:07,439 –> 00:21:09,479He said to him, are you saved?38400:21:10,699 –> 00:21:12,160The man said, no.38500:21:13,040 –> 00:21:15,839Why aren’t you trusting Christ?38600:21:17,359 –> 00:21:21,199Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.38700:21:23,660 –> 00:21:26,579A few moments later, Harper lost his strength38800:21:27,819 –> 00:21:30,439and went down to his death in these icy waters.38900:21:32,520 –> 00:21:34,260You say, how do we know this story?39000:21:34,900 –> 00:21:38,000Because a short time later, a man stood up in a church39100:21:38,000 –> 00:21:40,880in Canada, and he told it.39200:21:43,500 –> 00:21:50,260He said, I am John Harper’s last convert.39300:21:53,359 –> 00:22:02,520It’s never too late for you to find hope in Jesus.39400:22:02,560 –> 00:22:03,599in Jesus39500:22:03,599 –> 00:22:08,839That’s a tremendous story and message, Never Give Up Hope.39600:22:08,839 –> 00:22:13,859Never Give Up Hope is the final part of our series called decked chairs on the Titanic,39700:22:13,859 –> 00:22:18,020how to avoid plunging to disaster, and if you’ve missed any of the series so far,39800:22:18,020 –> 00:22:21,760or if you want to go back and listen to one of the messages in the series,39900:22:21,760 –> 00:22:28,380you can do that by coming to our website, that’s at openthebible.org.uk40000:22:28,380 –> 00:22:32,400There you’ll find all the messageready, to be listened to again.40100:22:32,400 –> 00:22:39,339Also find them on your favorite podcast site, those are available by searching for openthebible.uk40200:22:39,339 –> 00:22:43,660At Open the Bible we welcome contact with the listeners, if you’ve been blessed by40300:22:43,660 –> 00:22:48,060Pastor Colin Smith’s teaching and you’d like to reach out to us, there are several40400:22:48,060 –> 00:22:49,479ways you can do that.40500:22:49,479 –> 00:22:59,540You can write to us at Open the Bible, PO Box 1420, Cheltenham, GL50, 9PEG, or you can40600:22:59,739 –> 00:23:07,079phone us on 0330 335 8089.40700:23:07,079 –> 00:23:12,199If we’re not available when you call, leave a message for us and we’ll return your call.40800:23:12,199 –> 00:23:18,780And you can find all those contact details on our website, openthebible.org.uk40900:23:18,780 –> 00:23:23,800Open the Bible is supported financially by our listeners and if you already give to Open41000:23:23,819 –> 00:23:27,060the Bible, we’re very grateful, thank you so much.41100:23:27,060 –> 00:23:30,939If supporting Open the Bible in that way is something that you’re thinking about doing,41200:23:30,939 –> 00:23:36,979this month, if you’re able to begin a new direct debit of £5 per month or more or a41300:23:36,979 –> 00:23:39,339one-off gift of £50 or more,41400:23:39,339 –> 00:23:42,680we’d love to say thank you by sending you a free gift41500:23:42,680 –> 00:23:47,020and that consists of a copy of Heaven, How I Got Here,41600:23:47,020 –> 00:23:50,380the story of the thief on the cross, book by Colin Smith41700:23:50,380 –> 00:23:54,599and also a small booklet entitled, How Can I Be Sure of Heaven.41800:23:54,939 –> 00:23:58,500I’m with Open the Bible’s Executive Director John Martin.41900:23:58,500 –> 00:24:01,579John, what is the connection between these two books?42000:24:01,579 –> 00:24:05,599Well, Colin wrote Heaven, How I Got Here off the back of42100:24:05,599 –> 00:24:08,699preaching on the subject of the thief on the cross42200:24:08,699 –> 00:24:11,540and that’s a short book and that’s very easy to read yourself42300:24:11,540 –> 00:24:13,119or to give away.42400:24:13,119 –> 00:24:16,680But we also wanted to write something even shorter and pithier42500:24:16,680 –> 00:24:20,020that could potentially be given to a friend or a neighbour,42600:24:20,020 –> 00:24:21,260or a relative.42700:24:21,260 –> 00:24:24,420And so we wrote How Can I Be Sure About Heaven.42800:24:24,439 –> 00:24:26,780That’s a question lots of people ask42900:24:26,780 –> 00:24:29,359and again, it looks at it through the story of the thief on the cross43000:24:29,359 –> 00:24:31,780but just takes it from a slightly different angle43100:24:31,780 –> 00:24:35,000and has three points to walk you through43200:24:35,000 –> 00:24:38,199what it means to be a Christian and what it means to have assurance43300:24:38,199 –> 00:24:40,420that you are indeed going to Heaven because43400:24:40,420 –> 00:24:42,380you’ve been forgiven by Jesus.43500:24:42,500 –> 00:24:45,800So those two books, Heaven, How I Got Here and43600:24:45,800 –> 00:24:47,900How Can I Be Sure of Heaven,43700:24:47,900 –> 00:24:50,739along with an Open the Bible pen and bookmark43800:24:50,739 –> 00:24:54,619are our gift to you if you’re able to set up a new, direct debit43900:24:54,619 –> 00:24:57,640in the amount of £5 per month or more44000:24:57,660 –> 00:25:00,959or a one-off gift of £50 or more this month.44100:25:01,060 –> 00:25:03,660For all terms and conditions and to give online44200:25:03,660 –> 00:25:05,180come to our website44300:25:08,319 –> 00:25:10,819For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith44400:25:10,819 –> 00:25:14,020I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll be able to join us again next time.44500:25:14,880 –> 00:25:20,119How can you do more than say that you’re a Christian?44600:25:20,280 –> 00:25:23,619How can you prove that you’re a Christian?44700:25:23,619 –> 00:25:28,119Find out what Jesus says. Next time on Open the Bible.