Greeted by a large crowd last night at the First Baptist Church, Dr. Scarborough continued his series of spending soul-winning sermons. The minister gave a number of reasons why Jesus wept over a lost city and a lost world, and spoke on why Heaven rejoices when one sinner repents. His remarks were eloquent and forceful, and the truths presented so simply, yet effectively, to his hearers had their effect in that a number of conversions were made and 11 were admitted to the church, making a total of around 50 who have expressed their desire to unite with that bulwark of God’s word since Dr. Scarborough began the revival 10 days ago.
The sermon:
I read two scriptures, one about Jesus as He approached the city of Jerusalem after spending the night with His Bethany friends, the two sisters and Lazarus, their brother, whom He had raised from the dead, and coming back the next morning, going over Mount Olivet, it is said, “When he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.”
Three times in the ministry of Jesus it tells us of His weeping, of His sorrow. There is no scripture that tells us of his smiles or His laughter. This is one scripture that tells us of His weeping, when He swept over a lost city.
“In the 15th chapter of Luke, where He spoke the three wonderful parables, we find the other scripture: “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be to heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” And then at the close of the parable of the good father and the lost son it says, “It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
Now, there is the record of joy in Heaven. One of the scriptures says there is joy in Heaven; the other says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God. There is the savior weeping and there are the angels rejoicing.
I want to talk to you tonight and see if I cannot find a place to help you in studying some reason why Jesus wept over a lost city and a lost world and some reasons why heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents. I have often wondered why Jesus wept as He stoon on Mt. Olivet that day and looked down on the city of Jerusalem. He had been rejected by them. They had sought to kill Him; they had turned away from Him; they were at that time plotting His death. Why did He weep? He did not weep because He saw the city once in its glory now defeated and ?? and in the very presence of impending doom. He did not weep because its walls were down and the palaces in disrepair. I think He wept because His blessed heart was in sympathy with the needs of men and He wept bitter tears as He looked on that city that had rejected His message. It was the same thing that makes Him weep over you tonight as a sinner, unsaved. He saw sin, sin not national, sin not social, not political, not military sin; but it was sin in the live of the individual. He saw it from the human side with the eyes of a man; He saw it from the divine side with the eyes of God. He saw its guilt, its power over the lives of men; He saw its destiny. He saw its guilt, its power over the lives of men. He saw its destiny; he saw the price that must be paid for the remedy for sin. From the very beginning He walked and faced the cross and knew the price that he had to pay for sin. Your sin is breaking the heart of your Savior. That is the sad side.
The other side is the rejoicing angels. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.” Oh, I bless God for the individualism of Christianity! Paul said he thanked God that “Jesus gave himself for me!” Jesus died for one man, as well as for the world; and heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents and comes home go God.
I think I know some reasons why they yonder in heaven rejoice over one sinner that repents. They know the power of deliverance from sin because they have tested Him. They have tested Him in life and in death. They know His power to save. I thank God that I believe that Jesus has power to save any lost man.
And there is another reason why they rejoice. I believe they realize what is gained when you turn away from your sins and trust the Lord Jesus Christ. The lessons of sin are awful, but the gains caused by trusting the Savior are indescribable.
Oh, my friends, I wish you would let the tears of Jesus call you tonight. I wish you would let the joys of the world to come and the ransomed song of the redeemed cheer you tonight and call you to give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ and turn away from your sins. The biggest thing in this world is to be a Christian. The sweetest think in this world is to be a Christian. The best thing in this world is to be a Christian. The sweetest think in this world is to be a child of God. The safest thing in this world is to seek refuge in Christ. God help you to start the choirs of Heaven to ringing.
From the front page of The Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, July 1, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064755/1925-07-01/ed-1/seq-1/
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