Good afternoon, dear folk in Portland Owen. It is our privilege and responsibility to come again to our town to present to you the good news of the Gospel of our wonderful Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, that Christ Jesus came into the world to a sea of sinners, men and women this afternoon, that includes you. Everyone around the microphone is born in sin. We're all sinners and we all need a saviour. Thank God this afternoon, if you take time to listen to the word of God, you can come to the friend of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to open our service by the singing of a hymn. Is there a heart that is waiting, longing for pardon today? hear the glad message proclaiming Jesus is passing this way. Just listen to the words as we sing this gospel hymn please. Is there a heart that is waiting Longing for God today? Hear the glad message proclaiming Jesus is passing this way Jesus is passing this way this way Jesus is passing this way this way Is there a heart that has wandered, Come with thy burden today? Mercy is tenderly pleading, Jesus is passing this way. Jesus is passing this way, this way today. Jesus is passing this way, is passing this way today. Come to thy only Redeemer, come to his heaven I love. Come to the day that is leading, homeward to mansions above. Jesus is passing this way, this way today. Jesus is passing this way, is passing this way today. I want to commend our time and open our service to the Lord in prayer this afternoon. Almighty God and gracious, loving Father in Heaven, We come again into thine immediate presence through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee we come under the canopy of heaven by the same invitation to come boldly unto the throne of grace. We thank thee for the privilege of being an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for being a child of God. We thank thee for being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We thank thee for this thy day Hail God that speaks to the Christian of an empty tomb, an empty cross, but an occupied throne. We thank Thee this afternoon, Almighty God, for the privilege of calling upon Thee publicly. For man and woman, Lord, have no time for the God of the Bible. Man and woman have no time for the Gospel. Yet, Father, we thank Thee for the privilege to be on the main street, representing the Lord Jesus Christ, And, O Father, we come today through no merits of our own, but through the perfect righteousness in the blood of Christ. And we pray, O God, this afternoon, that thou would, Lord, put a wall of fire round this meeting. We pray, O God, that thou would, Lord, deliver Caliph, but the spirit give of life. And we cry, O God, today, that thou would come into this town, and by the power of the third person, of the Blessed Trinity. Come, we cry, O gracious Spirit, and speak to men and women. We pray for Mr. Stewart, that thou would fill him with the Holy Ghost. And we cry, O God, as he preaches the Old Evangel, that thou would give him power and give him utterance in the Holy Ghost. And, O God, that thou would convict the sinner and thou would bring men and women Boys and girls, to the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray, loving Father, that thou would strike this sinner through and through and wash them by the precious blood anew. Father, we cry today for this town in Portland, Owen. In wrath, remember mercy. O God, save this sinner. Come, Lord, in mercy to this ungodly town and bring men and women boys and girls, to Christ. Lord, we cry to Thee, ask of me, and I shall give Thee the heaven for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. And we cry to God this afternoon, that Thou would come to put the Lord, and save sinners. May Christ seal the travail of his soul, and shall dissatisfy O God, we cry, that there be much more of the blood of Christ today, that there be much more of the God-man today. And O Father, we cry, that this meeting will be owned by God, and O Father, we'll see signs Following the preaching of the Old Evangelist. Come and answer prayer. Come and stir our hearts. And O God, come and save this sinner. Glorify Christ and all that's sinned and done today. In Jesus' lovely name. Amen. Just before our own minister, Mr. David Stewart, comes to preach the gospel. We're going to sing another hymn. Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheep, be in time. Men and women, you wouldn't need to have a PhD to know the day long a generation that we live in about death. Men and women, we're all going to die. My question to you is, are you ready to die? Amos said, prepare to meet thy God. And as we sing this hymn, just listen to the words, and then as our brother Mr. Stewart comes to the stage, give time to the gospel this afternoon. One on three, men. One on three. Life, at best, is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheep. Be in time. Thirteen days are telling fast that the die will soon be cast, and the fatal line be passed. Be in time. Be in time. Be in time. The voice of Jesus calls you, be in time. If in sin you longer wait, you may find an open gate. And your cries be just too late, be in time. A sinner in the morning morn, beg the Lord your final choice, then all heaven will rejoice. Be in time, come from darkness into light, come let Jesus name rewrite. Come and start for heaven tonight. Be in time. Be in time. Be in time. While the voice of Jesus calls you, be in time. If in sin you longer wait, you may find the open gate. We thank our brother for leading gospel open air to this moment of time. I want to bring your attention to a verse of scripture that we find in 1st Timothy, chapter number one. It is a verse that has already been quoted in this gospel open air, and so we believe that the Lord has a message for your heart. Trust, even though the weather be a little inclement, that you'll take time just to take and listen to the Word of God as it comes to you this afternoon. Bring to your attention the words of 1 Timothy chapter 1 and the verse number 15. This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to see of sinners. This is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to see of sinners. Our loving Father, bless the preaching of thy word. Send thy spirit, we pray, and challenge hearts who listen to the gospel this afternoon. May they respond positively to it. We offer prayer in and through the Saviour's precious and worthy name. Amen and amen. As I said in my text for this afternoon, in the words of the great Apostle Paul, he said in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. I want to preach the gospel this afternoon in a message that I've entitled, A Text Worth Noting. A Text Worth Noting. Now the text that I speak about is not some text that you get on your mobile phone. Rather, the text I speak of is a text that we find in the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, the inspired, the inerrant, the immutable, eternal Word of the Living God. You see, this afternoon, this Gospel Open Air is convened for the purpose of drawing to your attention the Word of God. And I say that if a man, if a preacher, an evangelist, any man stands behind this pulpit and preaches anything else but the Word of God, then I would encourage you to reject and not to listen to a word that he says. But if they come with a word from God, they come with the word of God in their hand, they've got the word of God burning in their soul, then I would encourage you to stop and to listen, because the eternal welfare of your soul depends upon your response to the gospel, even this afternoon. It is then imperative for you hear the word of God as it is preached in this gospel open air. Now there are a number of matters that are drawn to our attention by the great apostle Paul here from our text of scripture, this text that is worth noting. I want you to see first of all that our text, this text draws to our attention a splendid person, a splendid person. Within our text this afternoon we are brought to meet and encounter a splendid person. The Apostle Paul wrote that this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus bears the splendid person that our text speaks about this afternoon. Now there are people that Paul could have spoke to and spoke of as he wrote these words to Timothy. You know, he wrote to Timothy about the great Emperor Nero. The great Emperor Nero. Nero was a man who held great sway across the world at this time. He was famed for his building projects and he was also famed for his funding and his nurturing of the arts of that time. He was known for building theatres and circuses in the city of Rome to entertain and to amuse the citizens of his great empire and of the city of Rome itself. But Paul says nothing about Nero because he's not one. and was certainly not an individual that was worthy of Paul speaking of. He neither speaks of himself to Timothy. My Paul was a great preacher, no doubt about that. He was a great orator. He was a famous missionary. He was a church planter. He was a great theologian of the time in which he lived. Paul spoke nothing of himself to Timothy when he wrote to his son in the faith. Rather, the splendid person that Paul spoke of in our text was none other than Christ Jesus. And I say this afternoon that I'm not here to speak to you about Prime Ministers or Taoiseachs, not here to speak about sporting stars or scientists, not here to speak about historians or philosophers, not here to speak about celebrities or those who are famous in this world this afternoon, because ladies and gentlemen, none of those people matter. All that I'm here to speak about this afternoon is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. My purpose, my aim, is to speak to you about Christ Jesus, for He is the only one who is worth speaking about this afternoon. I can say with the Apostle Paul, for I determine not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. While some in this world they love to talk about politics and they love to talk about economics, others they would spend hours talking about their sporting stars, their football team or literature. My passion, yeh my calling, is to speak to you about the splendid person of the Lord Jesus Christ because he means everything to me. He means everything to me. He is my Savior. He is my friend. He is my Redeemer. He is my substitute. He is my hope of heaven. He is the source of life and joy and satisfaction. And so I speak to you about the splendid person of the Lord Jesus Christ this afternoon. I don't want you to think about me. I don't want you to think about any of the men that are standing with me this afternoon. I want to focus your attention on another than Christ Jesus. Everything we know about Christ Jesus is found within the pages of this precious book. The Word of God, the Scriptures, the Bible. And there are many things that we learn about Jesus Christ, and I don't have time to speak of them all this afternoon, but I find that whenever I pick up the Bible, the Word of God, I find and I learn that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He is not a created angel. but that He is the eternal Son of God. John chapter 1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And we find later on in John, the identification of that Word, none other than Jesus Christ. Because we read on in John chapter 1, in the verse 12, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld the glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, an individual who is full of grace and truth. This is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the eternal Son of God. I also learn that He is the only Savior of sinners. the only Savior of sinners. Acts 4 verse 12, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among man whereby we must be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of sinners, not the church Not this preacher, not any religious organization, but Jesus Christ has been ordained and commissioned by God to be the savior of sinners. Not only that, but I learned that Jesus Christ is the exclusive way to heaven. Jesus Christ said in John 14 verse 6, I am the way. the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me." Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, the Bible says it. I also learned that he is the only mediator between God and man. Paul would say, here in 1 Timothy chapter 2, this time the verse number 5, for there is one mediator, one mediator between God and men. Sorry, there is one God. And then he goes on to say, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and men. Mary is not a mediator. Peter is not a mediator. No earthly priest, minister, pastor is a mediator between God and man. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. Now Paul uses two terms here to speak of this splendid person in our text that's worth noting. He uses first of all the title Christ. Christ. Christ Jesus, he says. The Son of God was called Christ because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure and set apart and fully furnished and given all authority and given all ability to execute the office of prophet, priest and king. Christ is the anointed one of God. And then he uses the term Jesus Matthew chapter 1 verse 21 gives us what that very name means. Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And so we have before us in this splendid person, one who is ordained, one who is commissioned to save people from their sin. Now let me ask you, what do you think of Jesus Christ? You know folks, I'm not really a bit perturbed about what you think about me. I'm not really concerned about what you think about the brethren that are standing really beside me. That's not my concern this afternoon. My question to you is what think ye of Christ? What do you think about him? Do you believe that He is the eternal Son of God? Do you believe that He is the only Savior of sinners? Do you believe that He is the only way to heaven? Do you believe that He is the only mediator between God and man? Because if you believe those things, you believe the Bible. But if you believe something else, that there is another Savior, that there is another way to heaven, that there is another mediator between God and man, then I must say that your thinking is out of line with the Word of God. So what do you think of Christ? What think ye of Him? Have you believed on Him in the Gospel? Is He your Savior? Is He keen of your life? Does He reign and rule upon the throne of your heart this afternoon? The sinless, the faultless, the impeccable, the flawless Son of God is the splendid person that is spoken within this text that is worth noting. Secondly, not only does Paul speak of a splendid person within our tax, he speaks about a sinful place within our tax. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world. He came into the world. Now the question we ask, what kind of world? What kind of world did Christ come into? Can I say that it wasn't the world that he intended? when He first created the world. We are told that by His power and by His Word that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son, spoke all things into existence. From the planets to the stars, to man, to animals, to plants, to everything that we see in this world, God spoke into existence within six 24-hour days. And then on the day seventh, he rested from his neighbors. So there is no room for the fallacy of the Big Bang or evolution. Because the Bible tells us, in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. So God, the Son, spoke all things into existence. We made this world, we're told in Genesis 1, after each day of creation, day one to five, we read this statement, it was good. It was good. It was good. It was good. It was good. Then at the end of day six, surveying all the entire creation with man and with animals, having been created on day six, then God, it tells us, and I'll read the verse, Genesis 1 verse 31, and God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. It was very good. God created this world. Everything was very good. It was a world in which death, sickness, war, strife, heartache, tears, stress, grief, loss, pain, suffering were absent commodities. And yet all that changed when Adam sinned in the garden and death entered the world and death by sin. as an act of disobedience when the creature stood against his creator. As a result, all creation was plunged into the curse. All creation fell, including mankind and sin entered. Adam's disobedience. opened the floodgates for all of the tragedy and the turmoil and the heartache and the trouble that we see around us in this world. Yet it was into a sin-curse world that Jesus Christ came. What a wonder! What a miracle! into a cursed and corrupt world Christ came. He came to the place of the curse to reverse the curse. He came to the place where sin reigned to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He came to Satan's dominion in order to destroy the works of the devil. He came to the place of spiritual contamination to cleanse sin away by His blood. Christ came into a sinful place. The night that He saved me, He came into a sinful place. Thank God He came into a sinful heart and He took that heart and He cleansed it in His precious blood and He made me a new creature in Christ Jesus and He made me a child of God and an heir with Jesus Christ. Christ came into the world. I want you to notice concerning where Christ came to this sinful place. I want you to notice the term that Paul uses. Paul uses the term the world. Christ Jesus came into the world. Now if I was being specific, I would say that Christ Jesus came into Israel. Because he was born in Bethlehem. You know that. Christ was born in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem's manger. Paul uses this term, the world. Can I ask myself the question, why does he use this world? Is it not to emphasize that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world? That He's not only the Savior of Jews, but He's the Savior of non-Jews, the Gentiles. That He's not only the Savior for those who lived in Palestine, but for those who lived in Portland alone. It is to emphasize to you this afternoon that He came into the world to save you. To save you, dear. To save you, sir. The world that was lost, into that world He came. Oh, what a wonder. Into a world of rebels. Into a world of sinners. Into a fallen world. Into a guilty world. Into a perishing world. Into a sinful world. Into a world that was going down to hell. He came. He came willingly. He came gladly. wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, marvel of marvels. Christ knowing that all the things that would be fallen when He came into the world, because He was God, He knew what would happen. He knew that He would be kneeled to the cross. He knew that He would suffer. He knew that He would die and shed His precious blood and rise again. And yet, despite knowing it all, He still came. He still came. to sin for peace. So the question is asked, why did he come? That brings me to a fourth, third point, a suitable purpose. Paul informs us that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He didn't come to make men savable. He came with a purpose, and that was to save, save sinners. Into the world to save sinners. He did not come into the world to become the temporal king of the Jewish nation. He didn't come into the world to set up a religious movement as such as you would think of it. He didn't come into the world to be a good example. He didn't come into the world to further some scientific discovery. He came into the world to save you, man. To save you, woman. That's why he came. He came to save sinners, to save us from the condemnation of the law, to save us from hell, to save us from destruction, to save us from our sin. Has he saved you? Has he saved you? How does he save? He saves by living for us. and obeying the law perfectly, and then He sees by dying for us the both things so necessary. His act of His passive obedience, you'll know nothing of that this afternoon, but it is for me, He dies for me, and thereby, by His life and by His death, He secures eternal redemption for me, salvation. salvation so great and so free. What a purpose, what a purpose. You may say preacher well I don't like that word saved, don't like it. Let me say that it's a Bible word and it's a word Jesus Christ used himself. Let me quote words of Jesus. John 3, 17, for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. There it is, Jesus used it. The Christ of God. John 10, verse 9, He uses it again. I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. He shall go in and out and find pasture. Are you saved this afternoon? Are you a Christian? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ? Have your sins been washed away and pardoned? Are you reconciled to God? Are you right with God? Are you at peace with God? Christ came into the world to save sinners, a splendid person, a sinful place. Yes, a suitable purpose. Finally and very quickly, a striking pronouncement. Paul closes this verse with this pronouncement. Christ Jesus came into the world to see his sinners, of whom I am chief. In other words, he says, I'm the greatest sinner. Do you think that's a big boast? A big boast? Whenever you think of all of the dictators and tyrants and despots that have lived in this world, the Stalins and the Hitlers, I and the Pol Pots, you think of murderers that have lived in our nation and in the nations of the world, individuals that have been wicked, grotesquely wicked, and hear Paul saying that he's the greatest of sinners? Yet I remind you that it was the Holy Spirit that allowed Paul to write this. You see, Paul hated Christians. I know that you don't. Maybe you like Christians, you don't like gospel open airs like this, but I don't think you would do as much as what Paul did. Because Paul got the people arrested and thrown into prison and he was quite happy to consent to the death of one of the finest young men in the Christian church in his day, Stephen. I don't think you would do that. I don't think you would hate Christians that much, would you? I don't think so. And so Paul's boast has validity to it. He says, of whom I am chief. Now this is the point that I want to get over to you this afternoon. If Jesus Christ has saved the chief of sinners, the greatest of sinners, if he has already done that, if he's already done it, why can he not save a sinner like you? Why can he not save a sinner like you? He's already saved the greatest of sinners. And His grace and His mercy triumphed in the life of Paul. Do you not think that the grace of God and the mercy of God will triumph in your heart as well? Of course it will. Of course it will. And so whatever your sin would be, wherever you've been in the world and whatever you've done, I would say to you this afternoon, come to Christ. reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. The Bible says that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, that the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleansed us from all sin, that all that the Father giveth me will come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. And that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And so the invitation is for you to come. Come to Christ. Come to the Savior. Be saved. May this afternoon that be the case. Then you'll be able to say with Paul of a truth But this is a faithful saving, and it is worthy of all acceptation. It's worth the accepting that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I was one. But now no longer, because now I am a child of God. Oh, may you receive the gospel, and you respond to it positively. as it has been brought to your attention this afternoon. May God use his word and bring you to faith in Jesus Christ. Before I close, just in prayer, I want to invite you to hear the gospel again. Portland Home, Free Presbyterian Church, just there on the Hiltonstown Road. Left-hand side, we meet at 6.30. If you maybe feel that you can't come, We also broadcast our services on Facebook Live. Just look at our Facebook page, Portland Lone Free Presbyterian Church. You'll find us broadcasting live this evening. I'll be there to preach the gospel. If you need help, God has spoken to you, whether you're here in the town or watching online, then we encourage you to make contact with us. We'll be glad to point you in the right direction. in that direction as to Jesus Christ, the only Savior of sinful men. Let's unite now in prayer, our loving Father and our gracious God, we now commit the preaching of thy word to thee. Ever thankful for the privilege and opportunity to stand in this time in which we admire our home. Lord, to declare thy precious and holy word. Grant, Lord, the blessing of heaven to attend the gospel preaching. Glorify thy son, saving the lost, speaking to the backslider, encouraging the hearts of the redeemed of God. Answer now our prayers and bless us as we part one from another. We offer now these our petitions in Jesus' precious and worthy name. Amen and amen.