In this sermon, the speaker discusses the challenge of choosing between the Lord's side and the side of the world. He tells the story of Moses coming down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments and witnessing the Israelites worshiping a golden calf. Moses calls out for those who are on the Lord's side to come to him, and the Levites gather to him. They are then commanded to execute judgment on the rest of the camp, resulting in the death of 3,000 people. The speaker emphasizes the importance of choosing the Lord's side and highlights the power of the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from sin.

Last night I spoke on the challenge of small things. Tonight I want to speak on the challenge of a big thing. And accompany the challenge with a clear cause. Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? A big challenge. Who is on the Lord's side? Then the clear cause. Let him, whoever he is, on the Lord's side come unto me. And the children of Levi gathered themselves together. It's a graphic story. It's one of those entrancing stories of the Bible. Try and picture that grand cross coming down from heaven. And he's holding those tapes in his aged hands. And the writing of Christ is upon the table. And Joshua with his military ear said, Is the noise of war? And Moses said, No. It's not the noise of war. It's the sound of sinners. And they glanced across and saw the children of Israel. God's redeemed people dancing in abominable idolatry around the golden cross. And Moses, the meekest of men, hard to rouse him up. A paragon of meekness and humility. The ashes scattered upon the drinking water. And thoughts that usually also reach 3,000 feet. Never doubt, God. I want to show you three camps tonight. Before I do that, I want to tell you, we used to play a game called French and English. And being what I was, I liked to eat ground to get on me. And when I grew up a little, about 12 years of age, I joined them. And I always ate ground to get on me. And I grew up a little into my early teens. And I became interested in politics. Couldn't understand. And I said, They've got money. But I was on Father's side in politics. And the world split into two sides. The Allies and the aliens. And instantly, as a young lad, I said to my father, I must fight for my country. Put it out of your head. You're not going. And the very farm wouldn't support me. But during that time, in the world, there were two sides. In the sphere of the spirit, there are two sides. In the realm of religion, there are two sides. By the grace of God, I was enabled to come. Before I fight for my country, I want to introduce you to three camps. And the first is the camp of a wide and a large. And in the world, there are two sides. Be clear about that. There's the Lord's side in the world. Saved sinners. In the life of the tithes, who've been lifted. And the devil's side, who will not come to Christ. On the Lord's side, born again, men and women. On the world's side, sometimes religious, sometimes not religious, but certainly not born again. And they are on the devil's side. And Moses saves them. And Jesus Christ, the greater than Moses, comes into the gateway of the camp. And he issues a challenge concerning sin. Who is on the Lord's side in the world, he says. Let him come unto me for cleansing from sin. For cleansing from sin. Let him come. Come. For cleansing from sin. Oh, what a blessed call it is. None of us, not one man or woman, young man or young woman, but have sinned. There is a fountain filled with blood, born from Emmanuel's blood. All their guilty stains. I walked down Princeton Street, Edinburgh. Such an honour to Edinburgh. Yes. And didn't he give a grand reply when he was asked, Sir James, what was your greatest discovery? Oh, my greatest discovery. Oh, his face. Mussolini was a sinner. Toto was a sinner. That fellow, that committed murder over there in Victoria, he'll be a sinner alright. And even those youngsters that brought a man somewhere near here some time ago to death, they're sinners. But oh, I'm fairly decent. Though I haven't come to Christ. Ah, my friend, let the word of God answer you. In the first chapter of Isaiah, God is speaking. Hear, O heaven, give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. Now when the Lord speaks, man should be silent. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me. And whatever still is, is rebellion against God who made us, who created us, and who brought us up by the sun. And yet we're rebelling against him. One of Spurgeon's great preachers, Dr. Bullock. Sin is ingratitude. Sin is meanness. Sin is mockery. Sin is contempt. Sin is as if a young man clenched his fist and smacked his father in the face. That's sin, it says. You test yourself on those five points. Have you been deeply grateful to the infinite wonder of your creator? Have you been deeply grateful to sin is ingratitude? Listen. Have you received God's bounty, life, breath, and all things that help us and keep them gladly to yourself and yet you won't give him back the life you owe? Sin is meanness. Sin is mockery. Listen. Have you heard God's word read to you? Have you read God's word to yourself? Have you heard the great when men have joked about sin is contempt? Did you listen to that grand solo lifting up Jesus? And if you pass by that cross with and turns your back from it, sin is contempt. Listen. Sin is as if a man clenched his fist and packed your own will, your own will, W-I-L-L, and looking up to the great heart said, I won't come to Christ. Save that for your life. That sin, and sin at last, brings forth death. And death brings forth the second death. But said to James, young Simpson, I discovered, I have a friend. And he said, come unto me for cleansing. Come unto me for cleansing. Unto me, you got that. Oh, it's good to come to church at times. Come as often as you can. Oh, it's good, I know, to come to the minister, but you must get for your... It's good to come to the Bible through as it is, from cover to cover. You first, the scriptures. You might have lost. You might be claimed. We must get right past everything. The things that might create the Savior Come and welcome. Come and dine. Come and rest. Come and live. Yet I hesitated to come. Or even preach the faith. Because I need cleansing. Oh, come, Jesus said, I'll cleanse that evil mouth of its filthy speaking and its swearing. I'll cleanse that evil heart. Come! I'll cleanse that evil mind of its impure thinking, of its world-centered thinking. I'll give you a new mind that's stayed on God. Come! I'll cleanse those evil hands that have sinned against me. I'll wash them clean in the blood that I've shed upon that cruel cross. For without the... there would be no remission of sin. And its blood, so red for thee, was shed for Christ. It was not small. Come! Come! See, the blood is the life given for us through His dear Son. And it has power! Power! Wonder-working power! The precious blood of the Lamb. Satan never did a more quenched and silent. Oh, how grandly! Oh! Oh, let him come! A woman had a knock at the door and she hopped in because he was in the midst of cooking and then she thought, well, you never know. Curiosity killed the cat, but... You see that dirty bit of rag there? Most of it's dirty in the center, but you see the real color of the rag round the outside? This solution I've got can take out any kind of stain. And he sprinkled a little over the dirt on that rag and now he said, a little bit of elbow grease and you'll see a wonderful miracle soon. Well, she said, that's good solution, all right. Yet, he said, only five shillings a bottle. She said, I know a better one than that. Go on, he said. Has some other dirt killer been round before me? He said, no. She said, no. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. What a grand answer. Oh, what can wash away my stains? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? That washes away. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Let him come, Jesus said. Come unto me for cleansing. Sometimes you've got to come and come. A Christian brother here, a Christian sister there, who has strayed away and not been to the fountain for days. You know what, Andrew Bonner? And there are backsliders all through the Christian church. They've lost their estimation over their souls. So we live the world for the moment. The church, which is the home. People who say, well, we're Christian. I'm not saying you're a Baptist. You're in the church. You're in the called-out bunch. You claim to be Christian. And there are two signs in the church. There's the Lord's sign. Consecrated whole heart of Christians. There's the world's sign. Unconsecrated heart. There's the Lord's sign. Spiritual men and women devoted to their Savior. There's the world's sign. Carnal, self-centered men and women. Jesus Christ stands at the gate of the great church. And he issues another challenge. He says, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me for consecration. It's a challenge concerning your service and your life. Why? Here is Moses and Joshua. Here they are coming down from that mount. And they hear the sound of the singing and the noise and the excitement. And they look across. Surely, thinks Joshua. Why that golden calf? It must be in the camp of the Americans. It's in the camp of God's people. It's in the camp of the Israelites. The people brought out of Egypt by blood and power. And there they are dancing in the soccer round that golden calf. That wicked idol going deeper and deeper into the rock. That's the faith of many of the best Christians. Many of the best Christians. Dancing round an idol and going deeper and deeper into the rock. Never going forward. Never growing in grace. Never developing in desire. Never getting a heavenly light from the faith. And a longing in the heart for Christ's glory. Because you see dear friend, you've got an idol in the heart. And it's a well-known idol. Self-pleasing. Self-pleasing. I do what I like. I'm not a hurry show and I don't intend to be. I just live a life that's suitable. I'm saved. I'm alright. I'm round myself. Well did old Samuel Rutherford set himself. Possible. It's the house there in every man. I please myself. I'm a going deeper in the things of God. Two young people came out for Christ one night at one of our missions. Long, long ago when I was a young evangelist. And everybody was so happy in the lonely little centre because they were keeping company. And now they've made a stand for Christ. And they'll go on and live a Christian life. And we hope so. And we were so glad they started in at the union prayer meeting. And there I heard things that made me feel sad. And at last I found out. This is what happened. After some weeks or a month or two the young lady said to the boy she said I'm fed up with the prayer meeting. Let's go walking. On a Wednesday night. And he said Oh no, no. We're going to stick to the prayer meeting. That's the thing that's going on. Oh, but check. You can't. She's a very pretty girl. Very fascinating girl. Oh he said alright. I'll go with you then. Because he wanted to win her. To please her. Incidentally to please himself. And after some weeks I was told and I believe it because I heard it from the boys that she said Well I'm going up to play for the dancers on the Thursday night at the hall. No, don't get worried. I'm not a good pianist. I want you to come and bring your violin. Well I'm not doing that he said. She said Oh, he said no. She said I want you to. And he did want to please her. And he did want to please himself and win that girl. He turned and said alright. And he went up to the dance hall on the Thursday night with his violin. And shortly after that they were married. There was only a mount of confetti. Oh yes, that was alright. I came back about 12 months afterwards. I'll never forget the warm heart of Christian man rushing across the village screen seizing my hand by the side of the road. Go up and see him Mr. Ridley. He's up at his mother's house across the bridge. And I went and saw him. And the dear fellow as I can see him. And he scrapes his foot in the sand to please himself too. To win her. Oh, are you on the Lord's side in the church? Mr. Drummond said a person to the great Henry Drummond once. Isn't the great need of the Christian church more men? No, said Henry Drummond. The great need of the Christian church. Men who come away because they've heard the Saviour with all their willpower and determination to make them fruitful Christians. And they've become. But it takes a great insurrender or dedication to be consecrated. We talk about consecration so lightly. You can't consecrate yourself dear friend. It's God who consecrates. Who sets apart for himself. Who gives power. Come again. Come in. Welcome that surrender to that great Saviour. Oh, how well I remember that upset in Ireland dear. In our mission a fine young girl of sixteen named Joan came right. And the mother and the father rose in anger. And immediately sent word to the minister ran through to the minister of the church that they were desperately upset about it all. Joan's a good girl and had no need to do that. The minister had to plead with them to be calm and so on and they were very annoyed with the evangelist. I needn't tell you what they said of him. They were fed up with the evangelist but nevertheless Joan got through. Joan got through. They saw it. They knew it. And about three nights after that father and mother came out for consecration. And in the little vestry there they went down on their knees and said Mr Ridley it's Joan. And they prayed. And the woman prayed and burst into tears praying. But they were long standing Christians. Oh, it was such a shame to think that a brilliant scholar for years had built her up as much as possible far away in distant Ireland. Oh, be out and out for Jesus. Give Him your heart first love. Have one great aim and purpose and never from His moon let everybody see it. For Christ has set you free. That night was perfect. Press on, press on. Serve Him with all your might and mind. Slip by, slip by. And they may not come again. And it's true. Oh, I look back over the life in which I've been. When it was coming to an end. I am back. They've given back the life. In the Lord's side in the church full glass surrender. There's a third camp and we're finished. It's the biggest camp of all. It's the most wonderful camp of all. It's called Eternity. Two sides in Eternity. The Lord's side. The lost side. The victors. The vanquished. The glorified. And the guilty. Two sides. Jesus stands in the gate of the Eternal Camp. Who is on the Lord's side? Let Him come unto me. The crowning. Yes. Joshua and Moses came. And when they saw the awful state of bastard and the awful power of idolatry Moses gave the challenge. He don't bite people. Anyone might have fallen by the sword that day. God in His mercy saved. The execution of judgment. The three thousand went down. I want to tell you unless you're on the Lord's side it's a terrible issue. It's a dreadful alternative. It's almost a frightful thing to think of. To have trifled with Jesus Christ. To have trifled with God. To have pilfered away time until you've lost eternity. Eternity. Eternity. What a name. How it sweeps the horizon. All beloveds don't trifle with the call of Jesus. It comes. Comes. But it will only be to them. For when the Son of Man cometh He can set the sheep from the goats and the oxen to side. Then shall the King say to those in His right hand Come ye blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation. All the righteous in their regiments in their midst saying didn't we hear that come for cleansing? Yes. And didn't I hear that call come for consecration? Royal. Wonderful. To the goats on the left side depart from into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. I don't shout that out. It's too dreadful. I don't want to just rant at people. I'm only asking you honestly think of it. If Jesus Christ said the King will say depart from me ye cursed. To everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Well you say that's an awful thing Mr. Ridley. It is awful. But if you will have the devil's side You must count on the devil's side. Oh well do I remember that wonderful morning and night when I went up in full uniform with the host of us. We were welcomed strange to say. Poor wanderers people from out here. We were welcomed by the Lord Chamberlain if you please. He welcomed us into the palace. An hour long we're marching along a grand passage sinking into cushioned carpets We're going along in cushioned carpets. And we're glancing up at great paintings by master artists with all their sorrow. But we're looking now at great paintings music somewhere and I have last discovered where it was. And we were before the King and he spoke to us. Thanked us for our service and so on. And then we came round and I thought since then there was seemed a big thing to us in those days. When the fight of life is over. When the good fight has been finished. When the brave battle has been fought. Ten thousand. In sparkling rain and bright. The armies of God. All is finished. Their fight was three open wide. And let the victors in. No one to halt them. No one to challenge them. No one to blockade them. The King has come. What a welcome to heaven. What a welcome to Greece. You blessed of my father. And I never did anything for it. Except come. That's all. I did come for friendship. I did come to be conscious. But I never earned it. I never merited it. It was all free sovereign. But he said come. And I came. All my dear friends. If I might finish with this. It has often impressed me. It was told by one of the great evangelists. Of a dear devoted Christian man. Named Daniel Curry in America. And he was dying. And in his dying. He dropped into what my father dropped into in dying. A coma. A state of unconsciousness. And then in that unconscious state. He had a vision. And he was at the very gate of heaven. He told them this afterwards. When he awoke for a very brief session. And they said what is your name? And I said Daniel Curry. And it was a long wait. And then the voice said well Daniel Curry. Your name is not down here. And I said what? And he said I knew. I was a believer. I come to Christ. And then I heard the voice say behind the gate. I said Daniel Curry. You can appear at the judgement seat. And answer for yourself. And he said I was caught. My head went down. And I heard a solemn voice saying Daniel Curry. No not always you say. Have you always been fair. And just and honest. With your friends and neighbours. Not always you say. Have you always been charitable. Daniel Curry. Too bad. He was always in charity. Always thought the best of another. Always shown love. Never shown anything but perfect charity. He said I dropped my head further. And all this mans sin. Daniel Curry stood for me on earth. Father I am standing for him here. Oh my dear friends. He said I am with Jesus. I knew it was Jesus. Of course it was only a vision. It might have only been a flashing. But there is a truth in it. There is one in the excellence. One in the light. And he has got immortality. He is the risen Lord. And he is saying come. Come. And if you come by me you have got an advocate there. Lord will you come tonight. Will you come for cleansing brother. Christophe will you come for. Backsliding in heart. No you have never gone far. But the feet of that be a saviour. Will you hear him saying let him come. I will never stop him. I will never hinder him. I will never put a blockade in his way. Come. To the saviour now. He suffered all for thee. And in his merits. Thou hast an unfailing plea. No vain excuses cry. The feelings do not die. None who see Jesus come. Whatever. Turned away. Some of us need to come. We need to come. God will give us grace to come.