Pastor Peter Simpson was proclaiming the necessity to flee to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation in the centre of High Wycombe in January 25th.
Mrs Outten had a very useful conversation with a very elderly man who had begun to take a deeper interest in spiritual matters. May the Lord continue to work on his heart.
At one stage the minister offered a middle-aged man and his son a tract as they were walking by. They refused it, saying that they were not interested that God and Jesus Christ did not exist. They were asked, Did Julius Caesar exist? Most people accept that he did, and there is just as much, if not far more, historical documentation verifying the ministry of the Lord Jesus upon this earth than there is concerning the life of Julius Caesar.
To encourage the father to think more seriously about the claims of Christ over his life and about the testimony of history to Him, Pastor Simpson thought it appropriate to mention, which he hardly ever does, that he actually has a degree in history, and he stated that everything that is good about our nation can be traced to the influence of Biblical Christianity. It was not the State which originally founded the schools, universities and hospitals, but Christians. This argument was rejected by the father, who was continuing to assert that the State’s role was crucial. This represents such a modern problem in our society, namely the view that the State watches over everyone and is the great benefactor of mankind.
The two men continued with their stance of, Christianity does not interest me, and so they were asked, How, without God, do you decide the difference between right and wrong? The preacher asked the father, Did you tell your son when he was growing up that there is no absolute right and wrong in the world, but that you simply decide for yourself what you think is best? That is surely a recipe for chaos. As we read in the book of Judges concerning Israel abandoning God’s commandments and going its own way :
“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).
We also read in the book of Proverbs, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).
In one of the preaching sessions, Pastor Simpson spoke from the text, “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.” (Psalm 51:2). The first stage in becoming a Christian is the realisation of personal sin before the all holy God. All men are answerable to their Maker. No one is his own master. The sins which men commit come from a corrupted heart, and so all need to come the Lord Jesus Christ to be inwardly washed and to receive a new heart.
May many who heard the gospel in High Wycombe come to this realisation of personal sinfulness and flee to Christ, in whom lies the only remedy for sin.