Good night. My name is Paul Washer and I am not from here,
but I saw this Peruvian preaching that Christ is the solution and also I want to preach.
I want to say something about Jesus.
I want to share with you my testimony.
25 years ago, I was going to the University of Texas to become a lawyer.
There, everything was going pretty well for me:
my grades were quite good, my career was almost perfect,
but I was a drunkard, a horrible drunkard.
When I was 17 years old, my dad, who was very rich,
my dad and I were working with our horses in our ranch
because his hobby was to breed horses,
and we were there working, and my dad screamed and I laid hold of him
and we fell to the floor and he was dead.
At that point, I realized that no matter how rich I am, I am going to die,
no matter how smart I am, I am going to die,
no matter if I find the girlfriend of my dreams, I am going to die as well.
Isn't it right? Just like you, too, I am going to die. I am sorry for the bad news,
but well, you all are going to die.
Then I began to think:
What is my life about? ... I went to college and I was studying there and everything else
but without hope, without hope!
But one day, a young man knocked on my door and began to talk to me about Jesus Christ
and I thought, the same as you are thinking of myself, that he was crazy, a mad man
because, what a foolishness to talk about Christ at my door in these modern days!
"Does he not know that I am a college student?!"
So, he began to talk directly to my heart. He said:
"My friend, look: your life, how is it? Are you content?" "No!"
"Why? Do you have money?" "Yes"
"Do you have a family?" "Yes"
"Do you have a good education?" "Yes"
"Why then are you not content?" "Because I am going to die."
"I am going to die."
Then, he opened up his Bible and began to talk about the person of Jesus Christ.
Now, we are going to look at something, and I want everyone to listen to me.
In regards to the person of Jesus Christ there are only 3 possibilities.
Only 3, and tonight you have to decide who Jesus is for you.
The first possibility is this: Christ was a mad man
because any man who says that he is the Son of God and is not,
even if he believes in it sincerely, is crazy, a mad man.
If we find a man who stands at the park and preaches that he is the Son of God, we know that he is crazy.
But Jesus claimed that he was the Son of God.
There are 3 possibilities:
One: a very sincere man but a mad man, a crazy man,
another possibility: Jesus Christ was a liar.
He knew he was not the Son of God and he lied and deceived
more people than any false prophet in the history of mankind.
So, with the person of Jesus Christ there are only 3 possibilities.
One: He was a mad man; Two: He was a liar; Three: He is the Son of God!
Probably, some of you say: "Well, Jesus was a good man but I think he was not actually the Son of God."
But there is a problem with your logic: if Jesus was not the Son of God then he was not a good man.
Because a good man does not deceive and a mad man is not a good man.
You have to know who Jesus really was.
Another question: in all the churches, you always hear about the Gospel.
The Evangelicals talk about the Gospel, the Catholics talk about the Gospel, you talk about the Gospel.
But do you know what the Gospel is? Do you have any idea?
Everyone is talking about God and Jesus Christ, but do you know what the Gospel is?
Have you ever one time in your life understood what the Gospel is?
I am going to explain it to you.
The word "Gospel" comes from the Latin word: evangelicon
and it means "good, happy news".
The only reason why I am shouting, is not because I am angry, it's because I don't have a microphone.
I have to shout. But the Gospel is not bad news, it is good news.
But it starts this way: God is just.
I have a question for you: Do you prefer God to be unjust, or do you want a just God?
Who wants an unjust God, a bad God? Anyone? No! Nobody!
God is just.
But you say: "It's OK." No!
The fact that God is just is your greatest problem!
Your biggest problem is that God is just.
You say: "Why is that a problem?" Why? Because you are not just, you have sinned.
The Bible says: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23)
YOU HAVE SINNED. You know that.
I don't even have to try to convince you that you have sinned. YOU HAVE SINNED.
You have lied, you have had malicious thoughts. Look, look:
If I could make a DVD out of your life and I could display that DVD tonight at this park,
of every thought you have thought on every single day of your life,
you would run away from this place and you would never ever come back.
Because you have made things so shameful that you don't even want to talk about them with anyone.
It's true! I know it's true. Why? Because the Bible says so and because I am the same as you.
Now, God is just and you and I have disobeyed God, we have broken the Law of God.
Now, the greatest problem in the Scriptures is this:
How can a just God forgive the sinner and still remain just?
This is the greatest problem in all the Bible.
I am going to give you an illustration:
Let's say that a thief kills your family and you catch him, and you make him appear before the judge
and the judge says to the man that killed your family:
Look, I am a loving judge and for that reason I forgive you. You are free to go.
How would you react? You would be so angry! You would scream!
You would contact all Congressmen, the President and everyone else saying:
Here is a judge that is more corrupt than the criminals he forgives.
If God is just, he HAS to satisfy his justice.
And the only way that that is possible is by punishing you in hell for all your sins.
That's the truth. However, the Bible also says that God is LOVE.
God is love. So God has made a way to satisfy his justice against you and to save you.
It's only through his Son Jesus Christ.
At the cross... First,
Jesus Christ is more than just a man, Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God
who became a man through the incarnation and was born of the Virgin Mary.
He walked on this earth and he lived an absolutely perfect life.
Yet by the providence of God, he was nailed to a cross.
At the cross, now think! What happened at the cross? What truly happened there?
Let's listen to Jesus, He said when He was on the cross: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
Think! What was happening at the cross?
The Only Begotten Son of God is at the cross and His Father forsakes him?!
He is rejected by his Father?! ... Why?
Because when Christ was at the cross, He bore our sins.
God is HOLY and He cannot tolerate sin.
He forsook Jesus at the cross
and all the justice of God that you deserve and I deserve, this justice fell upon Jesus.
And when Jesus died, he paid the penalty for our sins
and now we can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus.
Now, there are many people who say they believe the Bible is the Word of God,
but when someone steps out at the park to preach the Word of God,
they say to themselves: "How strange! What a fool!"
But it is not foolishness if it's truly the Word of God.
Everyone is always talking about the fact that Christ is coming soon,
but isn't it interesting that nobody is preparing themselves?
That all the youth and everyone else are just having fun at this park
and they don't even think about the person of Jesus. Look at all the hypocrisy that exists.
Everyone says: "Jesus is the Son of God" but they live as though Jesus had never come.
Tonight, you have heard the Gospel.
That a true God loves you and that He sent His Son Jesus
and that you can receive forgiveness for your sins and not only that,
you can live in newness of life.
I am not here because I am religious, I am here because 25 years ago The LORD changed my life,
a horrible life!
There are many of you who are seeking after money. My family has a lot of money.
Many of you want to become famous. I know a few people who are famous.
I can tell you this: you will not be content with popularity or wealth,
you will not be content with your immorality, with having fun.
You will only be content and you will find life in the person of Jesus Christ alone.
Now, I am going to come down. Don't be afraid. I am not as crazy as you think I am.
If you want to learn more, you can come to me, or to any brother around here,
and we can tell you how Christ can change your life.
Thank you. And it's all for free.